AMD wins race to GHz processor.

AMD has beaten arch-rival Intel in the race to make the first 1GHz (that's 1,000MHz) processor. The new chip, the latest in AMD's Athlon family, has come out ahead of Intel's 1GHz Pentium III. Although the Intel chip wasn't expected to be widely available until the autumn, the giant reacted to AMD's announcement by saying "limited quantities" of the 1GHz Pentium III would be available.

AMD is also producing 900 and 950MHz versions of the chip which - for a few brief days at least - gave the company the fastest three processor chips on the market. Intel subsequently claimed to have launched itschip first, having demonstrated it to other companies before AMD's launch. Even if AMD was first to supply chips, it's a symbolic victory, since most computer makers continue to use Intel's chips, with Dell amongst the first of the large companies to say it will have PCs for order.

Some big names, however, will be using the AMD chips in their systems.Gateway and Compaq will have the first deliveries. Both these companies have systems available now, but if you're thinking of rushing out to buy one, you'll need deep pockets. The processors alone will cost around £950, before all the parts that make a working PC are added. Gateway's Select 1000, for example, starts at £2,230.

Time Computers is one of the first UK companies off the grid, with the Time 1000-7 CD-R TV ultimate PC also based around AMD's chip. The new Time PC will be packed with 256Mb of memory, 30Gb hard disk, DVD, rewritable CD, TV system and a large monitor - but it'll set you back £2,700.

Compaq: 0845 270 4222, www.compaq.co.uk
Dell: 0870 152 4699, www.dell.co.uk
Gateway: 0800 552000, www.gw2k.co.uk
Time: 0800 771107, www.timecomputers.com

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