The Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz is the fastest CPU for consumers this day, but it also uses somewhat dated technology. With Intel about to release the Pentium 4 and AMD's Mustang not all that far away, the Thunderbird already feels a bit "old school." Revolutionary changes are coming, and this 1.2GHz chip is merely an evolutionary step. Things should get more exciting over the next few months.

So it looks like the .18 micron Athlon Thunderbird may have a short lifespan as AMD's performance leader. Fortunately, AMD has gotten a month of breathing room, between the Pentium 4's delay and the Pentium III's 1.13GHz recall and subsequent delay. This breathing space may not last very long though. The Pentium 4 will quickly ramp up to extremely high clock speeds, even at .18 micron. AMD may need to make their move to .15 micron soon to keep the Athlon in the running, though Intel won't be far from their move to .13. We are about to enter the most exciting time in processors since the introduction of the original Athlon.