AMD aims K6-III at Intel's Pentium III
- — 23 February, 1999 21:49
Advanced Micro Devices announced the K6-III processor yesterday, its highest-performance x86 chip, which is shipping with enhanced 3D technology called 3DNow.
The K6-III combines 3DNow with AMD's new TriLevel Cache, a design which boosts the speed at which the chip can process instructions, according to a statement from AMD. The TriLevel Cache design features a full-speed 64KB Level 1 (L1) cache, an internal full-speed backside 256KB Level 2 (L2) cache and a 100MHz frontside bus to an optional external 3 (L3) cache on the motherboard, it said. The K6-III's combined cache size delivers up to two-and-a-half times more total system cache than Intel's Pentium III, AMD maintained.
The K6-III is designed for use with Microsoft's Windows 98 and Windows NT operating systems, the statement said.
Several vendors have announced their plans for using AMD's K6-III processor, including Compaq, which will use the K6-III in its Presario line of PCs, according to AMD.
AMD has begun volume shipments of the 400MHz K6-III and is sampling the 450MHz version to PC manufacturers, AMD said.
