SUNNYVALE, CA--March 6, 2000--AMD today reached a computer industry milestone, announcing commencement of shipments of 1GHz AMD Athlon™ processors. The first commercially available systems based on the 1GHz AMD Athlon processor will be available from Compaq Computer Corporation and Gateway.
"The commencement of commercial shipments of 1GHz AMD Athlon processors is a watershed event not only for AMD, but also for the personal computer industry," said W.J. Sanders III, chairman and chief executive officer of AMD. "Attaining the 1GHz performance mark has long been a paramount goal for producers of PC processors. Introduction of a PC processor capable of executing one billion clock cycles per second is our industry's equivalent of breaking the sound barrier. Just as the achievement of Chuck Yeager signaled the beginning of a new era in aviation, the 1GHz processor ushers in a new era of information technology. AMD plans to lead in the gigahertz era.
"Today's announcement validates our strategic investment in process technology, product development and productive capacity over the past several years. The 1GHz AMD Athlon processor would not have been possible without AMD's steadfast commitment. As always, our customers' success is our success. While this is a significant event for AMD, the real beneficiaries of our efforts are PC users everywhere," continued Sanders.
At 1GHz, the AMD Athlon processor offers business and power computer users blazing performance for the most highly demanding applications of today and tomorrow.
"Every schoolchild recognizes Neil Armstrong as the first man to walk on the moon, Roger Bannister as the first to run the four-minute mile, and Edmund Hillary as the first to scale Mt. Everest. Nobody remembers who got there second. Today's launch of the 1GHz AMD Athlon processor permanently secures AMD's place in the record books. In the nine months since it launched its first AMD Athlon processor, AMD has dramatically quickened the pace of performance improvement and permanently altered the competitive landscape in the microprocessor industry. Congratulations on a job well done," said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64.
"The pioneering spirit that invigorates the computer industry is exemplified again today, as AMD and Compaq break the 1GHz frequency barrier. By announcing models of the Presario family that support the 1GHz AMD Athlon processor, we continue to enhance Compaq's image as an undisputed technology leader in the consumer PC environment," said Michael Larson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Products Division, Compaq Computer Corporation.
"Gateway's systems developed around this new technology are available today and will help usher in a new era of computing possibilities," said Peter Ashkin, chief technology officer at Gateway. "The implications of AMD delivering an astounding 1GHz processor will be far reaching. Not only will the processor enable tremendous performance for the most processor-intensive applications available, but also it may drive the creation of new applications that can take advantage of speed and performance.
Pricing and Availability
AMD is currently shipping its 1GHz AMD Athlon processors priced at $1,299 in 1,000 unit quantities. AMD is also announcing the availability of 950MHz and 900MHz AMD Athlon processors. The 950MHz AMD Athlon processor is priced at $999 in 1,000 unit quantities. The 900MHz AMD Athlon processor is priced at $899 in 1,000 unit quantities.
AMD Athlon™ Processor Awards Around the World
The AMD Athlon processor and AMD Athlon processor-based systems have received more than 50 awards from countries spanning the continents. The following is a listing of the AMD Athlon processor and AMD Athlon processor-based system awards:
AMD Athlon Processor Awards
About the AMD Athlon Processor Cautionary Statement
-Best CPU - Hi-End Use (800MHz AMD Athlon processor)
-Best CPU - Games (800MHz AMD Athlon processor)
-Best CPU - Office Use (800MHz AMD Athlon processor)
-Polywell 800K7-6501 (650MHz AMD Athlon processor)
-Sys Performance 600A (600MHz AMD Athlon processor)
-Xi Computer 650K MTower SP (650MHz AMD Athlon processor)
The AMD Athlon processor is an x86-compatible, seventh-generation design featuring a superpipelined,
nine-issue superscalar microarchitecture optimized for high clock frequency; the industry's first
fully pipelined, superscalar floating point unit for x86 platforms; high-performance cache technology,
including 128KB of on-chip level (L1) cache and a programmable, high-performance backside L2 cache interface;
enhanced 3DNow!™ technology with 24 additional instructions designed to improve integer math calculations,
data movement for Internet streaming, and DSP communications; and the AMD Athlon system bus - a 200MHz system
interface based on the Alpha™ EV6 bus protocol with support for scalable multiprocessing. AMD Athlon
processors are manufactured using AMD's aluminum 0.18-micron process technology in Fab 25 in Austin, Texas.
This release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally preceded by words
such as "plans," "expects," "believes," "anticipates" or "intends." Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking
statements in this release involve risks and uncertainty that could cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations, including the risk that AMD will not achieve its plans for continued industry leadership in
processor performance. We urge investors to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in the Company's
filings with the United States Securities Exchange Commission.