AMD's MUCH HERALDED BARTON, chip the next generation Athlon XP, has started to surface on US suppliers' web sites. The 2500+, 2800+ and 3000+ models are all listed. Prices have appeared before now but this is the first time we've seen them listed by genuine suppliers.
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2500+ $194.49
2800+ $408.78
3000+ $636.25
The prices aren't cheap but they compare well with the equivalent Pentiums. Whether the performance will be on a par is something we've yet to see but you can bet that the reviews will be starting soon. The new Athlons have caused a stir because they use a 333MHz front side bus and come with 512KB of cache.
Previously, the date most hotly tipped for the release of the Barton was the seventh of February. The fact that prices are starting to appear bodes well for that release date, though we've yet to hear of anyone having actual stock. Certainly none of the suppliers claim to have stock or even name a date even though they are now listed on Pricegrabber.
This is a nice chance for AMD to catch up in the Megahurtz game with Intel. Even though the chips are clocked much slower than their Intel equivalents, the initially hated AMD PR rating seems to have taken hold. How long Intel will stand by and let AMD catch up remains to be seen.
Source | The Inquirer
