RISC-V vs. ARM vs. x86 - Main Differences and Advantages

We give you a brief summary of the main differences and advantages of each instruction set architecture (ISA).

RISC-V, ARM, and x86 are three popular ISAs that are used in various processors and devices. They have different design philosophies, business models, and applications.

RISC-V is an open-source and royalty-free ISA that is based on reduced instruction set computing (RISC) principles. RISC means that the ISA has simple instructions that can be executed in a single clock cycle, but may require more instructions to perform a complex task. RISC-V was developed by UC Berkeley and is supported by many tech companies and organizations. RISC-V is flexible, modular, and extensible, allowing users to customize it for their specific needs. RISC-V is suitable for low-power embedded systems, IoT devices, and high-performance computing.

ARM is also a RISC-based ISA that is licensed by Arm Limited to various companies. ARM is widely used in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and servers. ARM has a large ecosystem of software and hardware developers and offers different versions of its ISA for different markets and performance levels. ARM is known for its energy efficiency, scalability, and security features.

x86 is a complex instruction set computing (CISC) ISA that is used by Intel and AMD in their processors. CISC means that the ISA has complex instructions that can take multiple clock cycles to execute, but may perform a task with fewer instructions than RISC. x86 is the dominant ISA in desktops, laptops, and servers, and has a long history of compatibility and performance optimization. x86 is also capable of running multiple operating systems and virtualization technologies.