The new AMD-K5-PR166 processor delivers system performance equal to or better than a 166MHz Pentium, as indicated by the P-Rating. The P-Rating, based on the Ziff-Davis Winstone 97 benchmark suite, provides the PC industry with a single, meaningful measurement of true system performance provided by the processor.

"With this announcement of an enhanced AMD-K5™ family member, AMD continues to offer more choices to the mainstream desktop PC market," said Vinod Dham, group vice president of AMD's Computation Products Group. "By driving the state of the art in superscalar architecture and process technology, AMD is offering our customers a Pentium alternative that provides more value."

AMD today also announced that Acer America Corporation will use the AMD-K5-PR166 processor to power two new members of its AcerEntra value-priced desktop computer line. AcerEntra is Acer's branded basic system that is customized by resellers for their customers.

The AMD-K5-PR166 processor is the latest in AMD's family of fifth-generation microprocessors. The processor's Socket 7 hardware compatibility enables PC manufacturers to take advantage of low-cost system designs and infrastructure. This Socket 7 compatibility minimizes system redesign and development cost and speeds time to market.

Compatible by Design
AMD has a long history of delivering compatible processor solutions for personal computing, having supplied more than 90 million x86 processors since 1982, including over 50 million Windows®-compatible CPUs in the last five years.

The AMD-K5™ processor is licensed by the Microsoft® Windows Hardware Quality Labs to carry the Windows95 logo and has received compatibility certification from XXCAL, Inc., an independent testing laboratory. The AMD-K5 processor is compatible with the Microsoft Windows and Windows 95 operating systems as well as the installed base of x86 software, including Novell® Netware® and OS/2 Warp operating systems, and more than 60,000 other software packages.

Third-Party Support
Chipset products for the AMD-K5™ family are currently available from several members of AMD's FusionPC(SM) Alliance support program, including National Semiconductor (PicoPower), Acer Labs, Opti, SiS, VIA, and many others. BIOS support is provided by a wide range of third-party suppliers, including Acer, Inc., Award Software, and Phoenix. A list of AMD-tested motherboards is also available to PC manufacturers to enhance time to market.

Availability and Pricing
The AMD-K5-PR166 processor is offered in a 296-pin SPGA (staggered pin grid array) package and is priced at $167 each in 1,000-piece quantities. AMD is currently taking orders for delivery this quarter.