Advanced Micro Devices Inc yesterday unveiled the first 40MHz 80386SX-compatible processor, following on from its 33MHz version of the 16-bit bus part. The company claims that a typical cached system based on the Am386SX-40 microprocessor delivers 8.6 MIPS performance rating, compared to 5.9 MIPS for a typically configured Cyrix Corp Cx486SLC-based system and 8.9 MIPS for a typical 20MHz 80486SX-based machine. The company says that peripheral chip set, cache and BIOS support for 40MHz Am386SX-based systems is currently available from several major vendors. The part is available from stock in the 100-lead Plastic Quad Flat Pack package, and goes for $43 in 1,000-up quantities. At the top end of the scale, Intel Corp yesterday announced that 50MHz and 66MHz OverDrive versions of the 80486 DX2 are now available for people wanting to fill the Vacancy socket on their 25MHz and 33MHz 80486 machines, thereby rendering the existing – and still valuable – processor redundant. The 50MHz-internal part costs UKP350 and the 66MHz-internal costs UKP460 now.
