AMD readies cut-price P-166 alternative
AMD yesterday continued its pursuit of processor suite spots by announcing an addition to its K5 family that matches the performance of Intel's 166MHz Pentium, according to the P-Rating system for assessing CPUs. The K5-PR166 slots straight into Socket 7 motherboards and will be available in volume by April.
The introduction of a 166MHz-class chip is key to AMD which has lagged behind Intel and Cyrix in delivering devices at the most popular speeds. Intel touted the 166MHz Pentium as its volume part for Christmas buyers, although now it has released processors with MMX technology, it retains a technology advantage over its Texan rival. Also, according to US reports, Intel will shortly make sharp cuts on 166MHz pricing to make it an entry-level chip. AMD plans to counter by pricing the K5-PR166 very low.
In November, AMD began sampling its K6 processor that rivals Intel's Pentium Pro but also supports MMX.