Cyrix 6x86MX™ PR266 Delivers Pentium® II Performance at Half the Price
No-Compromise Processor Enables High Performance for Entry-Level PCs
Richardson, Texas -- March 19, 1998 -- Cyrix® Corporation, a National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) company, today continued its tradition of offering cost-effective high-performance microprocessors to PC manufacturers, enabling them to provide customers with powerful, expandable, full-featured systems at entry-level prices. The Cyrix 6x86MX™ PR266 processor, announced today and demonstrated publicly for the first time at CeBIT in Hanover, delivers performance comparable to systems based on a 266MHz Pentium® II processor, at approximately half the price.
"With the introduction of our 6x86MX™ PR266 microprocessor, Cyrix is proving that we will continue to deliver no-compromise solutions for the entry-level PC market," said Stan Swearingen, senior director of business management and marketing for Cyrix. "We believe that even at the sub-$1,000 price point, customers want and deserve high-power PCs with full functionality. The PR266 processor will enable PC manufacturers to offer sub-$1,000 systems with the expandability and high performance necessary for full multitasking and high-end features such as DVD, rich Internet content and digital imaging. That means end-users get more value in an entry-level PC. It will be a system they can use for years, because it has all the power and features they need."
Cyrix's advanced 6x86MX™ architecture enables the processor to deliver performance equal to that of Pentium II processors while running at a lower megahertz rating and with lower power consumption. The 6x86MX™ PR266 processor uses proven socket 7 designs that provide support for SDRAM, 66 MHz PCI and AGP. All Cyrix 6x86MX™ processors include performance-enhancing Level 2 cache and full MMX™ support.
"Cyrix enabled the sub-$1,000 market last year with the MediaGX™ processor and continues to drive that market by adding more value and functionality to entry-level platforms," said Kevin McDonough, general manager of Cyrix Corporation. "The Cyrix 6x86MX™ processor offers the best price/performance combination in the industry. The processor's superior architectural design, compact size and low power consumption make it an ideal solution for the rapidly-growing sub-$1,000 PC market."
High-End Performance for Entry Level
The 6x86MX™ processor is currently manufactured on IBM Microelectronics' .35 micron five-layer metal CMOS process. National Semiconductor has successfully produced functioning 6x86MX™ processors on its .25 micron process at its pilot manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California. Volume production is expected in the summer of 1998, at the National plant in South Portland, Maine.
Availability and Pricing
"Cybermax is able to immediately offer our customers Pentium II-class performance at entry-level prices," said Frank Schwartz, new-products manager of Cybermax Computer, Inc. "The Cyrix 6x86MX™ PR266 processor makes it possible for us to give customers the power and expandability they need to run the latest applications, without sacrificing the extra features they want in an affordable PC."
The 6x86MX™ PR266 processor is priced at $180 in quantities of 1,000, less than half the price of a 266MHz Pentium II processor, which is priced at $375. Cyrix and PC manufacturers are working closely with major motherboard suppliers to expand availability of systems based on the 6x86MX™ PR266 processor. General availability is expected late in the second quarter of this year.
"We will soon have full-featured systems available using the Cyrix 6x86MX™ PR266 processor," said Mohamed Wasfi, vice president of sales and marketing for JM Computers. "The proven performance record of the 6x86MX™ processors enables us to assure our customers that they're getting the best price/performance value possible in a Pentium II-class system."
Cyrix Corporation
Any forward-looking statements in the above release involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the present anticipated results. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: market demand and acceptance of our microprocessor products; the impact of changing economic conditions; product introductions; the verification of our microprocessor's compatibility with industry-standard hardware and software; the maintenance of sufficient cash flow; reliance on third-parties; the impact of market peers and their products as well as risks concerning future technology; and others detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These filings can be obtained by contacting Cyrix Investor Relations.
Cyrix is a registered trademark and MediaGX and 6x86MX are trademarks of Cyrix Corporation, a subsidiary of National Semiconductor Corporation. Pentium is a registered trademark and MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
The 6x86MX™ processor provides Winstone® 98 performance on par with similarly configured Pentium II processor systems running at 266 MHz, on Microsoft Windows® 95. The 6x86MX™ processor's Pentium II-level performance comes from its advanced architecture, which incorporates an enhanced 64K unified cache and a 512 entry branch target buffer (BTB). In addition, the memory management unit (MMU) consists of a two-level translation look-aside buffer (TLB) that is capable of storing up to 384 unique memory block addresses. These features allow the 6x86MX™ processor to satisfy a higher percentage of memory accesses on-chip, reducing the need to access slower off-chip memory.
Systems based on the 6x86MX™ PR266 processor will be available initially through a number of direct channel PC manufacturers.
Cyrix, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor, is a leading supplier of innovative microprocessor-based solutions that set new standards for the personal computer market. Cyrix delivers compelling value and quality to its customers, the manufacturers of personal computer products, by combining industry-leading design with world-class manufacturing. For more information, visit Cyrix's web site at www.cyrix.com.