# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Processors

RISC-V vs. x86-64

Comparing 2 standards across 10 specifications. 10 key differences identified.

Comparing:
RISC-V
x86-64

RISC-V is a free, open-source RISC instruction set architecture developed starting in 2010 at UC Berkeley -- unlike ARM or x86, it can be implemented without paying any licensing royalty. It's currently most common in microcontrollers and embedded systems, with higher-performance implementations for mobile, desktop, and server use still in development.

View full RISC-V spec sheet →

x86-64 is the 64-bit extension of the x86 architecture, developed by AMD and first specified in 1999-2000 under the name AMD64, shipping in the 2003 Opteron. Intel followed with its own compatible implementation in 2004, initially branded EM64T and renamed Intel 64 in 2006.

View full x86-64 spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

10 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type
Open-source, royalty-free RISC architecture —
Origin
UC Berkeley, 2010 —
Specification Published
2011 —
Governing Body
RISC-V Foundation formed 2015; reorganized as RISC-V International (Switzerland), 2020 —
Current Primary Use
Microcontrollers and embedded systems —
Developer
— AMD (original specification)
Announced / Full Spec
— 1999 / August 2000
First Processor
— AMD Opteron, April 2003
Intel's Version
— EM64T (March 2004), renamed Intel 64 (2006)
Backward Compatible
— Yes, with 32-bit and 16-bit x86 code