When discussing computer hardware, x86, and ARM are household names when discussing microprocessor architecture. They’ve been around for decades and are still going strong, powering the newest and most powerful CPUs from AMD, Apple, and Intel.
Lately, however, a new challenger is rising. RISC-V seems to be on the rise, and in a few years, it might be running on as many processor cores as ARM or x86. Here’s everything you need to know about the new microprocessor architecture and why it’s getting so popular – it might even soon make its way to the best smartwatches.