Computer architecture · 1980 · David A. Patterson & David R. Ditzel
The Case for the Reduced Instruction Set Computer
Evaluate instruction-set complexity as a whole hardware-compiler system: more instructions do not automatically produce better cost or performance.
The central move
Evaluate instruction-set complexity as a whole hardware-compiler system: more instructions do not automatically produce better cost or performance.
Why it had to exist
Microcoded processors accumulated rich instructions intended to close a semantic gap with high-level languages. Measurements suggested that complexity consumed implementation resources without proportional benefit.
Where it leads
Measured co-design → RISC processors → pipelining and compiler optimization → modern ISA ecosystems.