In 2000, AMD released its 1 GHz Athlon processor, marking a significant milestone in the history of personal computers. This achievement not only put AMD ahead of Intel but also ushered in the Gigahertz era in PCs. The Athlon’s launch was seen as a major coup for AMD, with industry analysts comparing it to historic achievements like landing on the moon and breaking the sound barrier.
The 1 GHz Athlon was produced on a 180 nm process, featuring 22 million transistors and a base clock speed of 100 MHz. With its high clock speed and low voltage, this processor offered impressive performance for its time. The first Athlon models came with a tray price of $1,299.
Intel, which had been boasting about its own Gigahertz milestone, was caught off guard by AMD’s announcement. In response, Intel released its 1 GHz Pentium III chip but struggled with supply issues. Meanwhile, consumers like the author received free promotional items like mousepads, demonstrating the impact of this processor on daily life.
As the years went by, other processors followed in AMD’s footsteps, and the industry began to focus more on core count and NPU inflation rather than just speed. Despite this shift, the 1 GHz Athlon remains an important milestone in PC history, marking a new era for personal computers.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/pc-processors-entered-the-gigahertz-era-today-in-the-year-2000-with-amds-athlon-amd-hit-marketing-gold-with-its-1-ghz-athlon-beat-intel-by-a-nose