Original AMD Athlon
AMD
Specifications
- CPU
- Athlon @ 500 – 700 MHz (Slot A cartridge, K7 core)
- Memory
- 64 – 256 MB SDRAM
- Storage
- 8 – 20 GB IDE; CD-RW becoming standard
- Display
- AGP 4×, GeForce 256 (the first 'GPU')
- OS
- Windows 98 SE / 2000 / ME
- Intro price
- $849 (650 MHz part) at launch
The machine
AMD's first ground-up CPU after the K6, designed in part by former DEC Alpha engineers. A deep, aggressive out-of-order core that comprehensively outperformed Intel's Pentium III at the same clock.
Why it matters
The first CPU to hit 1 GHz (March 2000, beating Intel by two days). Ended Intel's reputation as the only serious x86 designer and forced a price war that consumers benefited from for years.