AMD, Cyrix Pump Up Processor Speed
(03/20/98; 3:04 p.m. EST)
By Kelly Spang, Computer Reseller News
Advanced Micro Devices will begin shipping a 266-MHz chip in the coming quarter.
By May, AMD (Profile) is expected to begin shipping its K6 266-MHz processor to its distributors, according to industry sources. The K6 266-MHz is available in consumer systems from IBM as AMD ramps volumes.
The K6 266-MHz is the first new AMD desktop processor available based on 0.25-micron processor technology. AMD, in Sunnyvale, Calif., aims to transition its entire product line by the end of the year to 0.25-micron technology.
Cyrix (Profile), a Richardson, Texas, subsidiary of National Semiconductor, demonstrated its PR266 6x86MX processor at CeBit in Hannover, Germany, this week. While Cyrix does not provide the precise clock speed on its 6x86MX product line, the company relies on performance-rating comparisons to market its chips at a particular speed.
In the case of the newest chip in its 6x86MX line, Cyrix said its processor offers performance equal to Intel''s Pentium II 266-MHz chip while running at a lower megahertz and with lower power consumption.
General availability of the 6x86MX PR266 is expected late in the second quarter.
Price is another area where Cyrix and AMD are attacking Intel's offerings. The Cyrix 6x86MX PR266 is priced at $180 in 1,000-unit quantities, compared with $375 for the Pentium II 266-MHz. By May, Intel is expected to drop its Pentium II 266-MHz processor to below $300, according to industry sources.
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