General InformationGeneral InformationQ. Why are AMD K6 prices so low?
A. AMD's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas (Fab 25) makes the AMD K6 processor using AMD's 0.35 and 0.25-micron, five-metal layer process technology. AMD has invested more than a billion dollars in Fab 25, which is dedicated to producing x86 microprocessors. AMD needs to keep this plant output full to justify its investment, and this leads to aggressive pricing of the K6. AMD can also keep their production costs low thanks to the K6's small die size.
Because AMD is highly motivated to gain market share, it is willing to accept a much smaller profit margin than Intel. AMD has vowed to keep their prices 25% below Intel’s. So far, they have kept that promise.
Intel has been using this fact to their advantage by dramatically cutting prices on their parts, making it very difficult for AMD to remain profitable. Intel has executed this strategy very well because pricing pressure and manufacturing problems have caused AMD to post financial losses.
Given the fact that the K6 prices are in freefall only 9 months after its introduction can’t give AMD CEO Jerry Sanders a warm fuzzy feeling.
All of this posturing and chest thumping results in terrific performing systems for at a great value for us PC buyers. Isn’t competition grand!
Q. What are the current prices of the AMD K6 microprocessors?
A. Microprocessor prices are very volatile and can change on a daily basis. Unless you contact one of AMD's authorized distributors you will not know what the current prices are.
To help keep up with Alternative CPU prices, I created the AlternativeCPU.com Price Chart. Price/Performance has always been a major attraction of Alternative CPUs. What better way to showcase this strength than with a chart that illustrates the current and historical price trends of AMD, Cyrix, and Intel processors.
I worked out an agreement with my sponsor Real World Technologies (RWT). RWT will be my benchmark vendor and will provide me with their current CPU prices on a bi-weekly basis. Every two weeks I will update the price chart.
Please remember the purpose of the AlternativeCPU.com Price Chart is to document price trends, not the absolute lowest microprocessor prices on the Internet. If you must find the absolutely lowest prices on the net, check out Pricewatch or Killerapp.com.
Included with the AlternativeCPU.com Price Chart is a price chart given to me by Mitch Todd. Mitch has been using a spreadsheet to track CPU prices since October 1997. It has an extensive collection of data. The price points for each item in the chart are determined by averaging the ten best prices found at pricewatch.com, regardless of vendor.
You can always access the price chart in the future by clicking on the dollar graphic that has been placed on the front page.
Q. Which AMD K6 parts are currently available?
A. The initial AMD K6 family included the K6/166, K6/200, and K6/233. However, the K6/166 and K6/200 have since been phased out of production. The K6/233 currently occupies the sweet spot in the K6 portfolio. All of these parts are based on a 0.35 micron manufacturing process.
AMD is shipping 0.25-micron versions of its K6 microprocessor. Nevertheless, unless you work for Compaq Computer Corp. or IBM, you won't be able to buy one. AMD recently announced that it commenced initial shipments of AMD K6 processors based on 0.25-micron process, but then mumbled that a limited supply prevented the company from releasing the products for general sale. Is anybody surprised? Neither of AMD's two 0.25-micron chips - the first 266-MHz K6 for desktop PCs and the first notebook K6, a 233-MHz version - are generally available. AMD has also not released prices for these new parts.
The 0.25 processors are being manufactured at AMD's Submicron Development Center (SDC) in Sunnyvale, Calif., which is primarily used as a research fab, rather than a production facility. The SDC only produces a couple thousand wafers per week, according to a company spokesman, and Compaq and IBM will receive the majority of them.
AMD is in the process of converting its main Fab 25 from 0.35 micron to 0.25 micron. Jerry Sanders, AMD CEO, indicated that this transition is the most critical production shift in the company's history. The transition is extremely risky for the company because 0.35-micron yields continue to be disappointing. Currently, only half of all K6 units shipped are 233-megahertz (MHz) parts.
Overall, yield estimates for the K6 are around 45 percent, or 60 good chips out of a possible 130 on a 0.35-micron process wafer. A mature process should yield at 70 percent, or 90 good die per wafer.
Conventional wisdom indicates that if AMD cannot perfect 0.35 micron there is no reason to expect an easy transition to the more difficult 0.25-micron process. Because the .35 chips and .25 chips are being manufactured in the same plant, different generations of K6 chips will be competing with one another for space. If a problem occurs, AMD could again find itself short on chips and prices could again rise.
The first quarter of 1998 will be tuff for AMD. Don’t expect to see the 0.25-micron K6 parts to show up in quantities until after March.
The bus speed and clock multiplier breakdowns of all K6 parts regardless of their availability are as follows:
Bus Speed Internal Clock Speed Clock Multiplier Manufacturing Process Core Voltage 66MHz 166MHz x 2.5 0.35 2.9V 66MHz 200MHz x 3 0.35 2.9V 66MHz 233MHz x 3.5 0.35 3.2V 66MHz 233MHz x 3.5 0.35 3.3V 66MHz 233MHz
(Notebook Version)x 3.5 0.25 2.2V 66MHz 266MHz x 4 0.25 2.2V
Q. Can I use the AMD K6 in a multi-processor configuration?
A. No, the AMD-K6 processor is designed for single CPU desktop computers.
Q. What are some good heatsink/fan cooling combinations?
A. Less watts of power generated means there is less heat to deal with. Less heat makes microprocessors more energy efficient and reliable. In this case, less is more. Less heat also increases your chances of overclocking. Now look at the graph and see who is running a temperature. The AMD K6 has one of the highest power consumption/performance ratios. The high 3.2V core voltage and high power consumption of the K6/233 make it especially guilty of running extremely hot.
A proper heatsink/fan cooling combination for all AMD K6 processors is critical for reliable operation. AMD has a list of heatsink/fan combinations that they have verified with the K6 processors. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive. Just because your heatsink/fan is not on the list does NOT mean that it does not provide sufficient cooling. However, this list is a good resource if you are in the market for a new AMD qualified heatsink/fan combo.
Other excellent cooling sites to check out are:
I look forward to the general availability of the AMD K6/266. Its advanced 0.25 micron manufacturing process results in a lower 2.2V core voltage, lower power consumption, and therefore less heat. This enables AMD to bring faster AMD K6 processors to the market.
