What does MIPS stand for?

MIPS stands for "Millions of Instructions Per Second." This term is commonly used as a measure of a computer's processing power, indicating how many millions of instructions a CPU can execute in one second. It serves as a benchmark for evaluating the performance of different processors. The concept of MIPS helps in comparing the efficiency and speed of processors, especially within the same family or architecture.

Understanding MIPS is crucial for assessing how well a processor can handle software applications, and it's often a key factor when designing systems or selecting hardware for specific tasks that require particular computational capabilities. The focus on millions emphasizes the significant scale at which modern processors operate compared to older systems, which may have used lower metrics. Overall, the associated numeric value allows tech professionals to gauge performance levels in a standardized way.