MIPS vs. ARM — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 25, 2024
MIPS and ARM are both types of RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) architectures, but MIPS is known for its simplicity and educational use, while ARM dominates in mobile and embedded systems due to its power efficiency and performance.
Difference Between MIPS and ARM
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages) is a RISC architecture that emphasizes simplicity and efficiency, making it a popular choice for academic purposes and in some embedded systems. It uses a fixed instruction length and a relatively small set of instructions to facilitate easier understanding and implementation. In contrast, ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) focuses on performance and power efficiency, which has led to its widespread adoption in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. ARM processors offer a range of performance options, including high-efficiency cores for battery-powered devices and powerful cores for high-demand applications.
One of the key differences between MIPS and ARM architectures is their approach to market adaptation. MIPS has traditionally focused on the embedded market and educational sectors, providing processors that are simple to understand and integrate into various products. However, ARM's strategy has centered around licensing its architecture to other companies, allowing for a wide array of customized chips suited for specific needs. This flexibility has made ARM a preferred choice for many manufacturers.
In terms of technical specifics, MIPS architectures often feature a straightforward, easily teachable instruction set, making them ideal for educational environments where students learn the basics of processor design and computer architecture. ARM, on the other hand, includes features like Thumb (a 16-bit compressed instruction set) and ARM (a 32-bit instruction set), allowing for more complex and power-efficient designs. This adaptability makes ARM more suitable for a broad range of applications, from simple microcontrollers to complex smartphones.
Performance-wise, ARM processors generally provide better performance per watt, a critical factor in mobile and embedded devices where energy efficiency is paramount. This efficiency comes from ARM's unique architectural designs and power management features. MIPS processors, while efficient in their own right, have traditionally lagged behind ARM in this area, making them less prevalent in battery-powered devices.
Despite these differences, both MIPS and ARM architectures have made significant contributions to the field of computing. MIPS processors have played a crucial role in the development of early computing systems and continue to be influential in education and specific embedded markets. ARM's impact is most visible in the mobile and embedded sectors, where its processors power a significant majority of the world's smartphones, tablets, and increasingly, in areas like automotive systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
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Comparison Chart
Focus
Simplicity, educational use
Performance, power efficiency
Market Adaptation
Embedded systems, academic
Broad, including mobile and embedded devices
Instruction Sets
Fixed length, simple instruction set
Offers both 16-bit (Thumb) and 32-bit (ARM) instruction sets
Performance per Watt
Efficient, but generally lower than ARM
High efficiency, suited for mobile devices
Licensing
Processor designs available for licensing
Architecture licensing, allowing customization
Use Cases
Education, some embedded systems
Mobile devices, embedded systems, IoT
Compare with Definitions
Mips
Offers licensing of processor designs.
Companies can license MIPS designs for use in their custom chips.
Arm
Prepare oneself for a military confrontation;
The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East
Troops are building up on the Iraqui border
Mips
Emphasizes a small, efficient set of instructions.
MIPS architecture is designed to perform operations with a minimal instruction set.
Arm
Supply with arms;
The U.S. armed the freedom fighters in Afghanistan
Mips
A RISC architecture known for its simplicity and educational value.
MIPS is widely used in computer science courses to teach processor design.
Arm
Powers a wide range of devices from microcontrollers to complex systems.
ARM processors are used in everything from simple IoT devices to advanced automotive systems.
Mips
Popular in some embedded systems for its straightforward design.
MIPS processors are found in networking equipment and consumer electronics.
Arm
A RISC architecture dominant in mobile and embedded devices for its power efficiency.
Most smartphones use ARM processors due to their energy efficiency.
Mips
Focuses on fixed instruction length for ease of understanding.
MIPS processors use a 32-bit instruction set that simplifies programming and decoding.
Arm
Provides a flexible architecture with both 16-bit and 32-bit instruction sets.
ARM's Thumb instruction set allows for more compact and efficient code.
Mips
(computer science) a unit for measuring the execution speed of a computer's CPU (but not the whole system);
4 MIPS is 4,000,000 instructions per second
Arm
Known for high performance per watt, essential in mobile computing.
ARM processors enable long battery life in devices like tablets and smartwatches.
Arm
Licenses its architecture to manufacturers for customization.
Companies like Qualcomm and Apple customize ARM designs for their products.
Arm
In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. In common usage, the arm extends through the hand.
Arm
An upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder.
Arm
A part similar to a human arm, such as the forelimb of an animal or a long part projecting from a central support in a machine.
Arm
Something, such as a sleeve on a garment or a support on a chair, that is designed to cover or support the human arm.
Arm
A relatively narrow extension jutting out from a large mass:an arm of the sea.
Arm
An administrative or functional branch, as of an organization.
Arm
Power or authority:the long arm of the law.
Arm
(Sports)The skill of throwing or pitching a ball well.
Arm
A weapon, especially a firearm
Troops bearing arms.
ICBMs, bombs, and other nuclear arms.
Arm
A branch of a military force
Infantry, armor, and other combat arms.
Arm
Warfare
A call to arms against the invaders.
Arm
Military service
Several million volunteers under arms.
The profession of arms.
Arm
(Heraldry) Bearings.
Arm
Insignia, as of a state, an official, a family, or an organization.
Arm
To supply or equip oneself with weaponry.
Arm
To prepare oneself for warfare or conflict.
Arm
To equip with weapons
Armed themselves with loaded pistols.
Arm a missile with a warhead.
Arm a nation for war.
Arm
To equip with what is needed for effective action
Tax advisers who were armed with the latest forms.
Arm
To provide with something that strengthens or protects
A space reentry vehicle that was armed with a ceramic shield.
Arm
To prepare (a weapon or electronic system, such as an alarm) for use or operation, as by releasing a safety device.
Arm
The portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand.
She stood with her right arm extended and her palm forward to indicate “Stop!”
Arm
(anatomy) The extended portion of the upper limb, from the shoulder to the elbow.
The arm and forearm are parts of the upper limb in the human body.
Arm
A limb, or locomotive or prehensile organ, of an invertebrate animal.
The arms of an octopus
Arm
The part of a piece of clothing that covers the arm.
Arm
A long, narrow, more or less rigid part of an object extending from the main part or centre of the object, such as the arm of an armchair, a crane, a pair of spectacles or a pair of compasses.
The robot arm reached out and placed the part on the assembly line.
Arm
(geography) A bay or inlet off a main body of water.
Shelburne Bay is an arm of Lake Champlain.
Arm
A branch of an organization.
The cavalry arm of the military service
Arm
(figurative) Power; might; strength; support.
The arm of the law
The secular arm
Arm
A pitcher
The team needs to sign another arm in the offseason.
Arm
(genetics) One of the two parts of a chromosome.
Arm
A group of patients in a medical trial.
Arm
(usually used in the plural) A weapon.
Arm
(in the plural) heraldic bearings or insignia.
The Duke's arms were a sable gryphon rampant on an argent field.
Arm
; hostilities; deeds or exploits of war.
Arm
To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms.
Arm
(transitive) To supply with armour or (later especially) weapons.
The king armed his knights with swords and shields.
Arm
To supply with the equipment, knowledge, authority, or other tools needed for a particular task; to furnish with capability; to equip.
Arm
(transitive) To prepare (a tool, weapon, or system) for action; to activate.
Remember to arm the alarm system before leaving for work.
Arm
To become prepared for action; to activate.
Arm
(transitive) To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency.
To arm the hit of a sword; to arm a hook in angling
Arm
(intransitive) To take up weapons; to arm oneself.
Arm
(transitive) To fit (a magnet) with an armature.
Arm
; lacking in riches or wealth.
Arm
To be pitied; pitiful; wretched.
Arm
The limb of the human body which extends from the shoulder to the hand; also, the corresponding limb of a monkey.
Arm
Anything resembling an arm
Arm
Fig.: Power; might; strength; support; as, the secular arm; the arm of the law.
To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Arm
A branch of the military service; as, the cavalry arm was made efficient.
Arm
To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms.
And make him with our pikes and partisansA grave: come, arm him.
Arm your prize;I know you will not lose him.
Arm
To furnish with arms or limbs.
His shoulders broad and strong,Armed long and round.
Arm
To furnish or equip with weapons of offense or defense; as, to arm soldiers; to arm the country.
Abram . . . armed his trained servants.
Arm
To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency; as, to arm the hit of a sword; to arm a hook in angling.
Arm
Fig.: To furnish with means of defense; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense.
Arm yourselves . . . with the same mind.
Arm
To provide one's self with arms, weapons, or means of attack or resistance; to take arms.
Arm
A human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
Arm
Any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting;
He was licensed to carry a weapon
Arm
An administrative division of some larger or more complex organization;
A branch of Congress
Arm
Any projection that is thought to resemble an arm;
The arm of the record player
An arm of the sea
A branch of the sewer
Arm
The part of an armchair or sofa that supports the elbow and forearm of a seated person
Arm
The part of a garment that is attached at armhole and provides a cloth covering for the arm
Common Curiosities
Which architecture offers better performance per watt?
ARM is known for better performance per watt, making it more suitable for applications where energy efficiency is critical, such as mobile and portable devices.
Why is ARM preferred for mobile devices?
ARM's high performance per watt and adaptability make it ideal for energy-efficient computing, a crucial requirement in mobile technology.
What makes MIPS suitable for educational purposes?
MIPS's simplicity and fixed instruction length make it easier to teach and understand basic processor and computer architecture concepts.
Is energy efficiency the only reason ARM dominates the mobile market?
While energy efficiency is a key factor, ARM's licensing flexibility, performance, and wide support ecosystem also contribute to its dominance in the mobile market.
Can MIPS and ARM be used in the same types of applications?
While both can be used in embedded systems, ARM's versatility and efficiency have made it more prevalent in a broader range of applications, especially mobile devices.
How do ARM and MIPS architectures differ in licensing?
MIPS generally licenses processor designs, whereas ARM licenses its architecture, allowing for greater customization by manufacturers.
What is the significance of ARM's Thumb instruction set?
The Thumb instruction set allows for more compact code, improving performance and reducing power consumption, beneficial in constrained environments like microcontrollers.
What makes ARM architecture customizable?
ARM's licensing model encourages manufacturers to adapt and modify its core designs, tailoring chips to specific performance and power requirements.
How do manufacturers benefit from licensing ARM architecture?
Licensing allows manufacturers to build custom chips that meet specific needs, optimizing performance, power consumption, and cost for their products.
Are MIPS processors still being developed?
MIPS architectures continue to evolve, primarily focusing on embedded markets and specific sectors rather than competing directly with ARM in mobile devices.
Why might an embedded system designer choose MIPS over ARM?
A designer might prefer MIPS for its simplicity and efficiency in applications where these factors outweigh the need for the highest performance per watt.
How does the academic use of MIPS benefit students?
Learning MIPS architecture helps students grasp fundamental computing concepts, providing a solid foundation for understanding more complex architectures and systems.
What trends are influencing the development of MIPS and ARM?
Trends in IoT, automotive, and edge computing are driving evolution in both architectures, with a focus on efficiency, connectivity, and security.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
