Lowering the operating voltage from 5 volts to 3 volts decreases device power consumption by over 60 percent. For battery-operated systems, this can result in up to a 40 percent decrease in current consumption and at least a 40 percent increase in battery life. Low-voltage operation of the Intel386 EX processor allows designs previously requiring bulky power supplies to become portable, operating on batteries. Reducing operating voltage reduces the heat generated by a device. Device power consumption varies as the square of operating voltage.
Heat generated by a device is a direct result of the power it consumes.
Many failure mechanisms in semiconductors are heat related, therefore low-voltage designs are usually more reliable. Devices that produce less heat can operate in higher ambient temperature environments, and can be placed closer together on a printed circuit board, decreasing the form factor and costs. Low-voltage designs are less noisy. Noise is related to both the voltage swing and the transition time of transistors switching in a device. Because low-voltage devices have decreased voltage swings, they generate less noise.