16-bit vs 32-bit color

What exactly is the difference between 16-bit and 32-bit color quality in the Monitor Display Settings? Presumably 32-bit is somehow better, but better how and at what price?

Both settings are available, and I can switch between the two on the fly, but the monitor screen goes black briefly between them, long enough to make any A-B comparisons unproductive. Frankly, I can't see any difference between the two. Maybe I don't know what to look for.

I'm including my system's specs below in case that helps point to anything useful. Any thoughts?

 

I was playing with that today as well.
Couldn't see any difference from 16 to 32 bit, except when I closed a window it was a jurky close. I put it back to 16 bit.

 

mopar: Thanks for replying. I was beginning to think I'd submitted the post in the wrong forum.

I can't see any difference, either, but I found out one thing. When I switched back and forth between the two settings, I upset something and most of the icons on my Desktop had gotten those arrows back that I'd turned off with TweakUI. Don't like them. Opened TweakUI to get rid of them and couldn't find the control that does the job. Tried a Restore, but that didn't fix them either. Wound up going to a Web site to download the newest version of Tweak, but before that could be done, the old one had to be dumped. Anyway, with the new one I was able to get rid of the arrows. Now I'm reluctant to switch back to 16-bit. Sheesh! Had to go fooling around, and look what a job I made for myself.

I haven't noticed anything working worse with the setting at 32-bit, so I'll just leave things the way they are for now.

 

32 bit color only seems to make a difference when doing things such as gaming (for those of you who play unreal 2, you know what i mean) or serious 3d modeling. speaking as a serious gamer, 32 bit color makes all the difference in how good one's environment and models look...16 bit color looks more washed out and not as vibrant. can't really tell the difference in anything else i've done.

 

conee: I figured that graphics professionals would need the higher quality. It hadn't occurred to me that gamers would. My computer gaming is limited to Solitaire and Reversi and the like, though, so I don't really need the improvement. In view of the mess I made for myself last night fooling around with the settings, I'll leave them alone unless someone shows how the 32-bit setting is making something worse.