  Today, our lifestyle revolves around digital devices powered by
microprocessors of different instruction set architectures (ISA). Among them,
the most common are x86 and ARM, the brainpower of our computers and
smartphones. Reduced instruction set computing (RISC) is the basis of ARM
architecture, designed to offer greater energy efficiency. On the other hand,
principles of complex instruction set computing (CISC) are utilized by x86
processors, which handle heavier computing tasks while being more power-hungry.
The rise of smartphones over a decade has changed the laptop market. It also
influenced customers towards ARM-based energy-efficient laptops. This
transition in the computing segment is seen not only in consumers but also in
commercial settings, especially data centers. Usually, data centers are
designed to operate 24/7, where energy is a big concern. So, ARM chips have
started making their way to cloud servers. This paper comprehensively analyzes
and compares the ARM and x86 architectures to unravel the factors contributing
to ARM's increasing dominance in the market. It also explores the impact of
smartphones on the laptop market and assesses the significance of
system-on-a-chip (SoC). Focusing on the proper utilization of energy and
sustainability, our paper offers valuable insights into the growing trend of
adopting ARM processors in the computing industry.
