The fastest chips in the world

Digital Equipment jumped the gun on a San Francisco technology conference scheduled to begin tomorrow by announcing it plans to produce a 1,000-MHz Alpha chip. IBM went one step further, today introducing a PowerPC prototype of the so-called gigahertz chip. At the conference, Big Blue will describe its own 1,000-MHz architecture as well as the first concrete plans for a copper-based chip--a shift in technology that many believe will keep the industry on track to achieve ever-greater leaps in performance. Also, Intel will outline the details of its highly secret "Slot 2" architecture used in its fastest Pentium II chips, expected to reach 450 MHz by year's end.

IBM joins the 1,000-MHz club update IBM unveils a 1,000-MHz PowerPC chip and will outline tomorrow the first concrete plans for a copper-based microprocessor. Digital's Alpha to break 1,000 MHz In its first major announcement since declaring it plans to merge with Compaq, Digital says its 64-bit Alpha processor will break the 1,000-MHz barrier by the year 2000. Intel to detail "Slot 2" chip Intel will detail its upcoming "Slot 2" Pentium II design and also give an overview of the 450-MHz Pentium II.