Gateway Solves 1-GHz PC Glitch
RELATED SYMBOLS: (AMD)(JBL)
Jul 17, 2000 (Tech Web - CMP via COMTEX) -- Gateway has isolated and solved the
problem associated with its 1-GHz "Select" PCs, the company said Monday.
Gateway, San Diego, has resumed shipments of the 1-GHz Select models, which use
the latest "Thunderbird" microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices, Sunnyvale,
Calif. However, the machines won't be available to the public for some time. For
now, Gateway said it is taking care of its order backlog.
"We're taking care of our existing customers," a company spokeswoman said.
"They've been very patient."
Earlier this month, Gateway replaced the Thunderbird processors, which contain
on-chip cache memory, with so-called "classic" Athlons that lack the integrated
cache. The company said it had discovered errors with Thunderbird systems,
including the possibility of system lockups, and had confined the problem to
either the motherboard or power supply.
Gateway said Monday that the problem was the result of a faulty motherboard,
which had apparently either been redesigned or replaced. The spokeswoman said
she had no other details.
Gateway (stock: GTW) chief financial officer John Todd said in late May that the
AMD-based motherboards used in the company's Select line were manufactured by
Jabil Circuit (stock: JBL), a St. Petersburg, Fla., contract manufacturer. The
Gateway spokeswoman said she did not know whether the Select line still uses the
Jabil motherboards. Jabil officials were unavailable for immediate comment.
AMD (stock: AMD) officials have said the problem was specific to Gateway and not
to its microprocessors or associated chip sets.
The new Thunderbird chip -- which AMD refers to as an "Athlon processor with new
performance-enhancing cache memory" -- contains 256 Kbytes of on-chip cache. The
classic Athlon processor lacks this type of cache.
AMD's website said the new on-chip cache boosts system performance over the old
Athlon by 2 percent to 13 percent, depending upon the application. However,
AMD's tests were run using a prototype motherboard that's not yet available.
techweb.com
Copyright (C) 2000 CMP Media Inc.
I wish we new the exact problem on the board just to placate our curiousity.
Milo |
