x86 and ARM processors: two very different camps in the current scenario

Now that the arrival of x86 applications on ARM processors is more than close, well, in fact it is one of the horses of Microsoft's battle for this 2017, we have thought that it is always good to clarify some doubts, in this case those related to the type of processor.

And surely there are users, the less initiated ones who do not have a very well defined what is the difference between a processor with ARM architecture and another based on x86They are the two most used types of processors and now we are going to know more in detail what their similarities are but also what their differences are.

We start with the type x86, the most used in desktop computers, whether they are laptops or desktop computers. A processor that is based on a type of architecture such as the CISC (Complex instruction set computing) that is characterized by offering somewhat slower processes but above all a higher energy consumption, something that in principle is not a problem in equipment that is permanently connected to the electrical network, but we repeat, only in principle.

As for ARM processors, they are based on the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture and are characterized by the fact that they offer the possibility of executing parallel processes more short and therefore energy saving. This, as you may already think, means that they are ideal for portable equipment, whether they are tablets or mobile phones.

The great brands of a lifetime see how other new ones bet on ARM for their mobile devices. It is the consequence of the invasion of the smartphone

These are the basic differences, in which the type of architecture plays a fundamental role Then within each one we will find others variants such as the manufacturers and here surely you do know names. Talking about x86 processors is talking about Intel and AMD, the two great classic brands always present in traditional computer equipment. On the contrary, if we talk about ARM-type processors, we will not find brands that are not so old but equally well-known, especially for their presence in light equipment. This is the case of Samsung, Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Huawei or Texas Instruments to give just a few examples.

Two sides at odds

We therefore have two sides at this point. X86 processors especially on desktop computers and ARM on laptops This means that x86 will be used to move systems like Windows while ARM serves as the basis for Move others like iOS and Android due to their greater energy efficiency, as we have already said. This however is not an immutable truth.

And that is what Microsoft proposes with the support of x86 applications for ARM processors. Applications that traditionally ran on the type of high consumption processor and that would now be compatible with mobile devices seeking to promote the use of Universal Applications (UWP). And in the opposite direction, we see how some specialized forums are beginning to take steps to see Android work on desktop computers and therefore on Intel or AMD processors.

Two sides in which for now it is difficult to establish which can win ( although ARM seems to have an advantage). Everything depends on the support of the manufacturers of equipment and other components, but above all of the developers of _software_.

Intel, for example, seeks to reduce the energy consumption of its processors with the Haswell range (successor to the Ivy Bridge architecture) and for this it has developed manufacturing methods and technologies that until now we saw in ARM-type ones . It is about looking for a reduction in the TDP (Thermal Design Power), or what is the same, the maximum amount of power allowed by the cooling system of a computer system to dissipate heat. While other brands such as Nvidia have opted for ARM directly, launching CUDA as a result of the merger of Tegra and NForce.

Possible future, uncertain future

What is certain is that ARM has entered with force, like an elephant in a china shop. Destroying everything in its path with low consumption processors that are usually present in almost all portable devices that have a screen less than 13 inches. And the worst thing for Intel or AMD is that every time they offer better performance, more power, so that it won't be long before we see desktop computers on ARM that are capable of compete with x86 architecture.

Intel and AMD have seen the ears of the wolf as they say And given the increasing presence of mobile devices and for both with ARM processors inside, the x86 share is being reduced and even threatened by, as we have already said, the invasion of its domains by the ARM architecture.

For the ordinary user, in the end everything is far from figures and benefits.It is limited to a duality power versus autonomy What are we going to prefer? It depends on the device and the use that we are going to give it. _Will we see an Android phone running on an x86 processor from Intel or AMD?_ Maybe... but _will we see a high-performance Macbook Pro on ARM?_ Sure will...