Conference ricks::dechips

674.0. "AMD releases K6 @166, 200, 233Mhz..." by LEDDEV::DELMONICO (Jim --<Philippians 4:4-7>--) Thu Apr 03 1997 14:26

Besides raising the commodity performace bar due
to more bang per Mhz, and higher available speeds
over intel parts - these AMD K6 CPU's will probably
cause a small price war if they catch on.  I'd love
to see spec95 numbers for K6 & Klamath vs 21164 & 21164PC,
as well as spec95/$$ for each.

Regards,
  Jim Delmonico
  (Miata and 767Mhz chilled miata team)

PS - I'd love to see an EV57 with larger onboard 
     cache to distance us from these new CPUs.

(from www.amd.com/K6)

AMD-K6(TM) Processor

Product Overview - What makes AMD-K6(TM) Superior

Faster
------
AMD-K6 puts the user on the fast track. It's competitive
with Pentium Pro and outperforms the latest PC processors
equipped with multimedia extensions (MMX).

More Advanced 
-------------
The AMD-K6 is based on AMD's six issue RISC86 superscalar
microarchitecture and provides the most advanced
Windows-compatible processor available. -The AMD-K6 also
features high performance, industry standard MMX to
accelerate multimedia applications.

Easier to use 
-------------
AMD designed the AMD-K6 processor to fit the low cost, high
volume Socket 7 infrastracture. This provides an easier
upgrade path to future members of the high performance
AMD-K6 processors.

More affordable 
---------------
The AMD-K6 processor provides sixth generation performance
at mainstream prices.

Advanced Process and Interconnection Technology 
-----------------------------------------------
The 8.8-million-transistor AMD-K6 processor is manufactured
using AMD's 0.35-micron, five-layer-metal silicon process
technology at AMD's state-of-the-art Fab 25 wafer
fabrication facility in Austin, Texas.

The AMD-K6 processor is packaged in a Socket 7-compatible,
321-pin ceramic pin grid array (CPGA) packaging using C4
(Controlled Collapse Chip Connection) flip-chip
interconnection technology. AMD uses the C4 process with the
AMD-K6 processor because of its reliability, performance,
and manufacturing advantages.

C4 technology makes the most of silicon "real estate" by
allowing the chip's entire area to be used for I/O
(Input/Output) connections. With wire-bonding techniques,
only the perimeter of the circuit is usually used for I/Os,
resulting in larger die size and higher manufacturing cost.
C4 technology�s use of solder bumps instead of leads also
improves the processor's electrical performance because
signals travel a shorter distance from the bond pad to the
package. 

"AMD now has put in place the intellectual property, process
technology, manufacturing capacity, design capability and
product roadmap to ensure that we can deliver competitive
processor solutions that are contemporaneous with those of
our principal competitor through the end of this century,"
Sanders said. 

Pricing and Availability
------------------------
The AMD-K6 MMX processor is available now. The AMD-K6-233
processor is priced at $469; the AMD-K6-200 at $349; and the
AMD-K6-166 at $244, each in 1,000-unit quantities.



Informal tests from http://www.jump.net/~lcs/k6.html
Both CPUs put in same motherboard for a battery of
identical tests.

       AMD K6-200     Pentium Classic @200
       ----------     --------------------
CPU
Integer    172         147      (AMD +17%)

CPU flt
point       29          24      (AMD +21%)

Mem
bandwidth  236         129      (AMD +83%)