New PCs 64 bit?

In general, gaming PCS have very powerful video cards that many games require to fully be enjoyed and so yes, they would indeed work better for art, too. I would imagine some of the programs used for that are demanding too. General rule of thumb - the more visually demanding the application, the better the video card needed for the applications full potential. I suffer in this area because all I own now is a laptop with subpar graphics. Not the case now with the new laptops, as may rival powerful desktops. My next one will be a Sony and it will be a 17inch powerhouse. As far as 64 bit? I guess that will be the norm going forward but I do not know much about them. Only that I have heard of incompatibility issues from 32 to 64 bit applications. In some cases. For example, I own a Sony digital reader and owners with 64 bit systems have claimed that the store software allowing them to purchase electronic books is useless running on 64 bit. Weather Sony has addressed this issue yet is unknown to me.

You guys are way over my head.

I would also like to add that 8 bit, 16 bit, 24 bit having to do with display graphics refers to the number of colors, or tones. 8 bits per pixel equals 256 colors. 16 bit is 2 to the 16th power or about 65000 colors. 24 bit or true color about two million color shades and 32 bit is over 4 billion shades.
In operating systems 32 bit refers to the data paths...obviously a 64 bit data path can move some data and can access huge amts of RAM, in the terabyte range, but as Fred said, applications have to be written for 32 bit and 64 bit systems. As usual the software lags way behind the technology.