IBM announces new chip that is compatible with Pentium^® microprocessors

East Fishkill, NY, May 30, 1997

The IBM 6x86MX^TM microprocessor is fully compatible with the newest series of Pentium chips and comes in three versions: the PR166, PR200 and PR233. All three chips incorporate MMX^TM technology - multimedia instructions added to the chip architecture - and other enhancements that improve performance on audio, video and graphics applications.

The "PR" stands for Performance Rating - an industry measurement that shows the IBM 6x86MX microprocessor outperforms Intel's Pentium II and Pentium processors with MMX technology. One of the new IBM chips offers an additional advantage: it runs at a lower speed or megahertz, reducing power usage and heat. The PR233 processor outperforms the Pentium II® microprocessor at 233 MHz; and costs about $150 less.

"The IBM 6x86MX processor provides an advantage for PC manufacturers looking to offer high-performance personal computers at prices below the competition," said Dr. Hank Geipel, vice president x86 microprocessors, IBM Microelectronics Division. "We've taken the best x86 design in the industry and built the 6x86MX processor using IBM's advanced chip manufacturing technology to provide the best processor value for consumer PCs."

Designed for PCs in the $1,500 to $2,000 price range* a segment that makes up more than 50 percent of the total PC market** the IBM 6x86MX processor which is compatible with Pentium processors uses the industry-standard interface called Socket 7.

PC manufacturers can continue to use the existing chip sets and motherboards that support Socket 7, yet take advantage of the increased performance offered by IBM's new chip. They can build high-performing systems more quickly and inexpensively than with the latest processors from Intel, which use a new, incompatible interface that requires different, less pervasive designs.

The 6x86MX processor also runs cooler than the high-end Intel Pentium processor. The 6x86MX PR233 processor has a maximum power consumption of 19 watts compared with the Pentium II at 34 watts.

The 6x86MX processor adds to IBM's successful 6x86 microprocessor product line introduced last year. It has enjoyed acceptance from personal computer manufacturers worldwide and is used today in IBM Aptiva systems marketed in Europe and Canada and systems from multiple, regional PC makers.

Technical Information

The 6x86MX processor was designed by the Cyrix Corporation and is manufactured and marketed by IBM. Cyrix has also announced the same processor under its brand.

The 6x86MX processor is an advanced 32-bit processor with state-of-the-art features that speed up processing. It is superscalar, which means the processor can execute multiple instructions at once, and superpipelined, which means the processor can queue up instructions for processing over multiple clock cycles. In addition, the processor boosts performance through enhanced memory capabilities and a bigger L1 instruction/data cache (high-speed temporary memory) of 64 kilobytes (KB). The chip is manufactured in IBM's CMOS 5X 0.35-micron, 5-metal layer process technology.

Winstone 97 Benchmark Results

Winstone 97 Benchmark (running Windows 95) **
	IBM (6x86MX)	Intel	AMD (K6)
233	52.3	51.9 (Pentium II)	49.3
200	49.7	45.3 (Pentium MMX)	47.7
166	47.6	43.1 (Pentium MMX)	45.7

Pricing and Availability

* According to the market research firm, Dataquest.
** Results of the Winstone 97 benchmark were independently verified by XXCAL Labs except for the AMD K6 233, which is preliminary data only.

Pricing is current as of May 30, 1997 and is subject to change without notice.

IBM Microelectronics and Aptiva are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. 6x86, 6x86MX and Cyrix are trademarks of Cyrix Corporation. Pentium, Pentium II and MMX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Winstone is a trademark of Ziff-Davis. Windows and Windows NT are a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.