650-MHz Processor Sets New Standard In x86 Performance

Claimed as the world's fastest and highest performance microprocessor for x86 computer systems, the Athlon is available in speed grades of 650, 600, 550 and 500 MHz for high-end desktop systems, workstations and servers. The seventh-generation CPU features a superscalar floating-point engine and a 200-MHz system bus. It's said to deliver the highest floating-point, integer and 3D multimedia performance for x86 platforms.In terms of floating-point performance, Athlon-based systems are said to outpace comparably configured Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon systems, according to the SPECfp_base95 and Ziff-Davis 3D WinBench 99 FPU WinMark benchmarks. For example, a 550-MHz Athlon CPU has more than 35% higher performance than either a 550-MHz Pentium III or Pentium III Xeon on the SPECfp_base95 benchmark. Benchmark results on integer and multimedia performance are said to also be superior.The processor sports a superpipelined, nine-issue superscalar microarchitecture optimized for high clock frequency. It also provides the first fully pipelined, superscalar floating-point unit for x86 platforms. Performance is further enhanced by 128 kbytes of on-chip Level 1 cache and a programmable backside Level 2 cache interface. It implements enhanced 3DNow! technology with 24 new instructions designed to improve integer math calculations, data movement for Internet streaming, and DSP communications.