A market leader in the Digital Home and Networking sectors, MIPS has adapted its industry-standard MIPS32® architecture to address the requirements of 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) product development, offering a higher-performance, more feature-rich and lower-power solution than that offered by competing cores based on the ARM® architecture. This paper outlines the design features that are implemented in MIPS® processor cores that contribute to their industry-leading performance. Additionally, we compare and contrast MCU design solutions based on the MIPS and ARM architectures. We will provide you with the substance beyond the hype, and key considerations for choosing a MIPS processor core.