AMD: Intels Main Competitor

In 1997 AMD introduced the first of a new line of processors, the k6, which was supposed to compte directly with Intels socket 7 CPU. The k6 processor had a definite edge over Intels chip. The k6 core was much more powerful then Intels and it also held a slight advantage in the MHZ departmant. Intel quikly countered the k6 with the PII putting Intel well infront of the CPU market. AMD began to challenge the market again a year later with the releasal of the K6-2 that had 100 mhz frontside bus and contained a new technology that enanched 3d games without having a graphics accelerator. The k6-2 began selling slowly but it quickly caught on in the OEM matkets and really caught on in the gaming worlds because of the 3D/Now techology that provided the extra edge that the gamers needed. Intel had control over the higher end computers but AMD was making a nice little hole in the gaming market until Intel tried to beat them again with the Celeron processor. At first AMD had no problem out doing the L2 cacheless chip but wiht the intoduction of the Celeron 300A, that could easily be overclocked between 400 and 450 mhz, going as high as 550 - 600 mhz with someluck and alot of cooling, AMD was facing a problem. The only thing that allowed AMD to compete with the Celron chip was its 3D/Now technology that still gave it the edge over the cheap and fast Cleron. A price war between AMD and Intel followed while AMD tried to compete with both the Celron and the PII but ing January of 1999 AMD actually outsold Intel. Though it was only one month of being the leader of the market it still gave the company the consumer confidence they needed to compete with Intel.