As the demand for high-performance processors continues to grow and semiconductor scaling laws continue to show their limits, the need for processor optimization is inevitable. As I explained in a previous blog, RISC-V is designed to enable this. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to processor optimization. As each workload and each application will have their own requirements, there are actually different ways to optimize. You can modify a processor IP at different levels, each with its own benefits. In this blog post, let’s define and explore the different levels of processor optimization. From configuration to customization, let’s see how you can use them to create optimized processors that meet specific requirements.