AMD, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel are the two major producers of computer processors. They have both been producing computer microparts for more than 40 years, and have in recent years become competitive at creating and improving processor technology to make computers capable of doing more, faster.AMD did not really break into the processor business until after Intel had produced in the
. Pentium three. The Pentium three ran at 100 Mhz, a first in its class. The Pentium three was reworked to gain speed and was eventually rated at 600 Mhz. Shortly after Intel created a processor that ran over 600 Mhz, AMD came out with the Athlon processor, which had dual front bus and could run at more than twice the speed of its Intel competition. The Pentium three was revised to be more competitive and reached a maximum performance of 1400 Mhz before being replaced by the Pentium four.The Pentium four operates at a 3 GHz barrier and has a Front Side Bus of 533 MHz. In response to the Pentium four's success, AMD created the Athlon XP, which operates at 533 Mhz, with a barrier sped of 19 Mhz.The price point for Intel and AMD processors is very similar. Though Intel is more well known as a producer of mico parts, AMD is not less competitive in terms of performance or service. Computer owners should read a specific comparison of AMD Athlon and Intel processors before installing either in a computer, and discover which models are best suited for their specific purpose. Generally, gaming communities and those who stream large amounts of data prefer the Intel processor in reviews, and those who use their computer for business and basic computing often select AMD, which has a slightly lower price point, and is available in a larger variety of sizes.More reference links: http://www.infopackets.com/news/hardware/2002/20021204_amd_vs_intel_a_comparison_between_celeron_pentium_and_athlon_processors.htm http://www.scinet.cc/articles/amd-vs-intel/amd-intel.html
