AMD Ships Athlon, Its Seventh-Generation Processor

AMD has started shipping the Athlon, the seventh-generation processor formerly code-named K7, to computer manufacturers. It launches in 600, 550, and 500 MHz speed grades, priced at $699, $479, and $324 respectively in 1,000-unit quantities. Systems built on the chip are planned for the third quarter.

AMD is pitching the Athlon as a true seventh-generation design, a real architectural jump past the K6 family rather than another speed bump. Even the name is a statement: the company says it chose Athlon to signal a champion of competition. Big talk. But if the chip delivers, the CPU market is about to get a lot more interesting, and anyone building a gaming rig this fall stands to win from a genuine fight at the top of the price list.