Editing amd/k6

{{amd title|K6}}
{{ic family
| title             = AMD K6
| image             = amd k6 logo.svg
| caption           = Marketing Logo
| developer         = AMD
| manufacturer      = AMD
| type              = Microprocessors
| first announced   = 
| first launched    = April 2, 1997
| production start  = 1997
| production end    = 
| arch              = Pentium-compatible superscalar microprocessors with MMX
| isa               = IA-32
| microarch         = K6
| word              = 32 bit
| proc              = 350 nm
| proc 2            = 250 nm
| tech              = CMOS
| clock min         = 166 MHz
| clock max         = 300 MHz
| package           = SPGA-321
| package 2         = 
| socket            = Socket 7
| socket 2          = 

| succession       = Yes
| predecessor      = K5
| predecessor link = amd/k5
| successor        = K6-2
| successor link   = amd/k6-2
}}
'''K6''' was a family of {{arch|32}} [[x86]] microprocessors designed by [[AMD]] and introduced in early 1997 as a successor to their {{amd|K5}} line. K6 lower cost along with superior performance (comparable or better than {{intel|Pentium II}}'s clock-for-clock) made these processors a viable alternative to Intel's. K6 gained wide acceptance in the PC market.

== Overview ==
In October of [[1995]], when AMD was suffering a number of setbacks in their {{amd|K5}} design (so much so that AMD's profitability depended on {{amd|Am5x86}}), a small fabless company by the name of [[NexGen]] was making headway by announcing their 6th generation [[x86]], {{nexgen|Nx686}}, at the 8th Annual [[Microprocessor Forum]] in San Jose, California. The Nx686 was a very advanced microprocessor based on their previous {{nexgen|RISC86}} microarchitecture which was a [[RISC]] core that translated [[CISC]] instructions into smaller [[µops]]. The chip managed to comfortably take on Pentium, being a [[superscalar]] with [[speculative execution|speculative]] [[out-of-order execution|out-of-order]] execution and supporting {{x86|MMX}}.

Following AMD's late arrival of {{amd|K5}} and additional delays after release due to subpar performance with the first design (SSA/5), AMD was already well into designing their next generation of chips. AMD couldn't afford the same sort of problems with K6 as they did with K5. In 1995 AMD was in bad shape as far as the K5 and K6 designs go; at the same time NexGen had a great product and engineering team but no real outlet to manufacture and sell it (at least not one that could compete with Intel's). On October 21, [[1995]] AMD announced that they will be buying [[NexGen]] for about $857 million in stock.

Following the acquisition of NexGen, AMD simply scrapped their own K6 design and renamed Nx686 K6 instead. The design underwent a number of small modifications: the chip was modified to be bus and pin-compatible with Intel's Pentium, making it a drop-in replacement/alternative to any Intel's [[Socket 7]] motherboard. 

Launched in April [[1997]], the final result was AMD's '''K6''' - an entirely [[NexGen]]'s designed microarchitecture, bus-compatible, pin-compatible, and software-compatible with Intel's Pentium including superior FPU and MMX support. Selling well under Pentium prices allowed K6 processors to gain widespread acceptance.

Early K6 processors were given PR2 ratings ({{intel|Pentium II}}-based performance rating), however the rating system was dropped just a few months later because the chips were performing as well or better than {{intel|Pentium II}} processors at the same frequency.
designer	NexGen + and AMD +
first launched	April 2, 1997 +
full page name	amd/k6 +
instance of	microprocessor family +
instruction set architecture	IA-32 +
main designer	NexGen +
manufacturer	AMD +
microarchitecture	K6 +
name	AMD K6 +
package	CPGA-321 +
process	350 nm (0.35 μm, 3.5e-4 mm) + and 250 nm (0.25 μm, 2.5e-4 mm) +
socket	Socket 7 +
technology	CMOS +
word size	32 bit (4 octets, 8 nibbles) +