1GHz Athlons to ship in the UK next week

The first PCs using AMD's Athlon 1GHz chip are expected to start shipping in the UK this week. Gateway claims it will be first to market with its Select 1000, and expects deliveries to begin early next week. The 1GHz machine is priced at £1,899 ex VAT, with 128MB SDRAM, 20GB hard drive, DVD V and soft DVD ROM drive, 32MB TNT video, 17 inch monitor and Windows 98. Evesham Micros plans to have two 1GHz basic model machines on show at a London press conference on Friday. The 1GHz DDR top end machine will have 128MB, 40GB hard drive, 32MB Ge-Force DDR video card, 10 speed DVD, Windows 98, 19 inch monitor and a CD-RW. It will cost £2,179 ex VAT. Its Athlon 1GHz TNT2 PC, at £1,909, will offer 128MB, 27GB hard drive, TNT 32MB sound card and 19 inch monitor. It aims to start shipping this month. Other PC builders are expecting Athlon shipments from AMD within the next few weeks. Mesh plans to deliver its first 1GHz machines by April 1. Priced at £1,999 ex VAT, the Matrix 1GHz Ultra will target niche customers who want the latest kit. "The 1GHz chip is more about an ego battle between AMD and Intel than what the consumer actually wants," said Paul Kinsler, Mesh general manager. Its Matrix 1GHz Ultra will have 128MB, 34GB hard drive, CD-RW, 19 inch monitor, Internet keyboard and Windows 98. Dabs Direct said it didn't expect to start selling the Athlon 1GHz chips until May or June. It had no date for selling PCs using the chip. Other UK launches of the chip include Time Computers, which expects to start shipping machines in April. Its 1000-7 CD-R TV UltimatePC will cost £2,299 ex VAT, with 256MB SDRAM, 30GB hard drive, 32MB TNTAGPx2 graphics, 19 inch monitor, 6x DVD-ROM and CD-RW. Panrix's 1GHz PC will be priced at £2,695 ex VAT, with 128Mb SDRAM, 40GB hard drive, AGP DDR GeForce 32MB, Windows 2000 and 19 inch screen. First deliveries are expected in April. ® Related stories Mesh pre-announces its PIII 800 PC Evesham, other UK vendors, intro 750MHz Athlon kit