What are the advantages of x86 compared to ARM

[Drama Lama]

So with all these ARM server processor companies popping up like mushrooms and the ARM based supercomputer Fugaku getting on 1st place of the linack benchmark 

you could quickly ask the question 

 

Are ARM processors simply more powerful than x86?

 

but things like big-little could theoretically also be used in x86 processors ( I mean intel plans to do that with their 12th gen processors and AMD has just recently made a patent for something like that )

co-processors for AI, camera, and other things could also be used in x86 

 

 

so : in what area are x86 processors superior to ARM?

what can a x86 cpu do faster than an ARM processor?

 

 

I‘ll be happy about your answers 

[Haro]

well we can't really compare both of them head to head. if the task requires a lot of instructions and the necessary instructions then x86 is simply faster. 

ARM also well produces less heat and consumes less power.  

[Mateyyy]

x86 runs on a broader instruction set, so it's naturally faster*. It's also a lot more matured and has been optimised for by developers for a lot longer, at least when it comes to the usual day to day software we always use.

ARM does make sense in products where power efficiency is key, since it's a RISC architecture (reduced instruction set computer) which typically means less transistors, less power draw and therefore less heat output.

 

* though there are more and more performance oriented ARM CPUs being developed nowadays, so who knows what the future's got in store for us.

[Kilrah]

Power. We have never seen an ARM-based CPU that comes anywhere close to a high performance x86 one AFAIK.

They are typically more power efficient and cheaper so that you can put many of them and probably around equate the level of total performance for a similar price, but that only works in systems where you either need to run many small loads, or a big load that can be well scaled across huge numbers of processing cores - which does conveniently match server load for the former and supercomupter load for the latter, but is pretty much no good for high end home PCs.

[VinLAURiA]

I'm still curious where RISC-V fits into all this, ever since that video Linus did a little while back. I know it's still in its infancy, but it seems very promising.

 

I'm no processor expert, but from my modest perspective, I feel like x86 as a technology might be starting to make its way out, even considering the runaway success of Ryzen and its presence in the upcoming XSX/PS5 making sure it remains relevant for at least the next five years or so (at least when it comes to gaming). While x86 is mature, it just seems like this rickety, forty-year-old tower of patches over patches where outdated technology is patched over with slightly less outdated technology which is then itself patched over, with all the inefficiency and vulnerability that implies and where its biggest strength of magnificently long legacy support becoming less relevant as x86 emulation rapidly improves on other architectures. For that reason, I wonder if the future of computing will primarily be based around the relatively fresh start of these modern RISC platforms with x86 emulation providing what legacy support we need. I wouldn't be surprised to see x86 be overtaken as the predominant platform for even high-performance computing by 2030, so I'm more interested in ARM vs. RISC-V.

[Required]

I would say it depend what someone is willing to do with a CPU and there Architecture.

We see that Android Smartphone this days very powerfull for that what the are design to do.

A x86, x64 Architecture on the other end is more spread across the Industry.

 

There where other Architectures in the past. I never realy understand how the other work.

[Drama Lama]

5 hours ago, VinLAURiA said:

I'm still curious where RISC-V fits into all this, ever since that video Linus did a little while back. I know it's still in its infancy, but it seems very promising.

The thing about RISC-V is that is even more flexible than ARM 

you don’t have to pay anything 

unlike ARM where you have to first buy a license for use of their technology in general and you have to pay for certain ARM cores 

RISC-V can be modified however you want 

[Drama Lama]

5 hours ago, VinLAURiA said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see x86 be overtaken as the predominant platform for even high-performance computing by 2030, so I'm more interested in ARM vs. RISC-V.

Me too at some point we’ll be gaming on ARM cpus

[Drama Lama]

Thanks @TofuHaroto, @Mateyyy, @Required, and @VinLAURiA

 

for your informative answers