AMD, Intel Announce Faster Chips

By Lev Grossman Monday, Oct. 04, 1999
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Funny thing about that Moore's Law it really works. Moore's law, originally formulated by Gordon Moore, founder of Intel, states that microchips double in speed about every 18 months. In April of 1998 Intel introduced the 400MHz Pentium II. Today, just about 18 months later Advanced Microdevices will announce a 700MHz version of its Athlon microprocessor. OK, it's close cut ol' Moore some slack.

The title of speed record holder isn't the only prize in today's chip market, but it's the one that matters most to consumers. Intel held it for years until this summer, when AMD introduced the first high-end Athlon chips, and it will take Intel another few weeks to introduce Pentium chips in the 700MHz range. At this point the fastest Pentiums clock in at a leisurely 600MHz. Sure, your average computer user couldn't spot the difference, but it's nice to know your PC is running the fastest microprocessor around. MORE>>