MIPS processors were the first to use piplining and reduced instruction set architecture. As such, they have formed the basis of every modern processor. In addition to being the first to use pipelining, MIPs processors were also the first to use 64 bits. The first 64-bit processor was the R4000, released in 1991.

Today, MIPS processors are no longer as popular as they used to be, but thanks to their lower heat generation and power consumption, they are still used in many portable devices and handheld computers.