| D: | What is the difference between the Am5k86™ and the AMD-K5™?
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| R: | The goal of the Am5k86 name was to position the processor as a 586 performance device while leveraging the equity built up around AMD's "K" nomenclature. We then realized the extent of the name recognition built up around the K5 name, so it made sense to follow through with our original trademarked AMD-K5 name. |
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| D: | What are some features of the AMD-K5 processor?
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| R: | The AMD-K5 processor features:
- 4-issue core with full out-of-order execution and completion
- 16-Kbyte instruction cache and predecode unit
- 8-Kbyte write-back MESI-compatible data cache
- Dynamic, block-oriented branch prediction with speculative execution
- 5-stage RISC-like pipeline
- 6 parallel functional units
- High-performance FPU
- Validated software compatibility
- Static clock control with AMD-patented Digital Phase Lock Loop (DLL) circuitry
- 64-bit Pentium®-compatible bus in 296-pin SPGA package
- Pin-selectable clock multiples of 1.5x and 2x
- Compatibility with existing 586-class systems and supporting designs
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| D: | Are the Pentium and AMD-K5 hardware compatible?
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| R: | Yes, AMD independently developed the AMD-K5 to be fully hardware compatible with the Intel® Pentium. With its P54C compliance, manufacturers can take advantage of the existing fifth generation class architecture. |
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| D: | What is the P-rating?
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| R: | The P-rating is a performance measurement for the processor using the industry standard Winstone 96 benchmark. If an AMD-K5 processor has a rating of "PR100" that means that the processor would offer you performance equal to or greater than a Pentium at that P-rating. For example, if you have a AMD-K5-PR133, it would give you the performance level of a Pentium 133MHz processor. However, the "PR" rating is not an indication of clock frequency. |
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| D: | Is the AMD-K5 the former NX586 processor from NexGen?
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| R: | The AMD-K5 was independently developed and designed by AMD. Although AMD and NexGen have merged, the NX586 was an independent NexGen design effort and was not pin compatible with either the AMD-K5 or the Pentium processor. |
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| D: | What are some benefits of the AMD-K5?
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| R: | Benefits of the AMD-K5 processor include:
- Minimizes redesign costs
- Delivers same or better performance than a Pentium per clock frequency
- Offers a foundation for higher-performance options
- Leverages existing infrastructure
- Enables freedom of choice with a viable alternative
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| D: | I seem to be having erratic problems with my CPU. What could it be?
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| R: | You may want to check your voltage setting. The AMD-K5 operates at 3.52 volts (VRE Spec). Most older motherboards default to 3.3 volts which would be below specification for the K5 and could cause erratic operation. |
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| D: | What are the bus speed breakdowns for the K5 processor?
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| R: | The bus speed and clock multiplier breakdowns are as follows:
- PR-75 50MHz X 1.5 @3.52 volts
- PR-90 60MHz X 1.5 @3.52 volts
- PR-100 66MHz X 1.5 @3.52 volts
- PR-120 60MHz X 1.5 @3.52 volts
- PR-133 66MHz X 1.5 @3.52 volts
- PR-166 66MHz X 1.75 @3.52 volts (Note: 1.75 is achieved by setting motherboard for 2.5)
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| D: | Can I use the K5 in a multi-processor motherboard?
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| R: | You can use the K5 in a multi-processing environment provided that the motherboard chipset supports the OPIC logic. If the motherboard chipset does not support OPIC logic, then you would only be able to use one K5 on the motherboard. |
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| D: | My K5-PR133 upon boot up says it's running at 100MHz. Is this correct?
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| R: | Yes, this is correct. The "PR133" indicates that you will get equal to or greater performance than a Pentium-133MHz processor. However, that does not mean that the processor runs internally at that speed. Due to architecture enhancements over the Pentium we do not need to run the same clock frequency to achieve that same performance. The same is true for the K5-PR120 at 90MHz and K5PR-166 at 117MHz. |
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