Cyrix MII 300 Processor Beats Celeron, Sets New Performance Bar for Entry-Level PCs; Delivers Pentium II Performance with More Features for Mainstream Desktops.

RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1998--Cyrix Corporation, a National Semiconductor (NYSE:NSM) company, today raised the bar for entry-level PC performance with the introduction of the MII (pronounced "em two") 300 processor. The newest Windows-compatible processor from Cyrix offers no-compromise Pentium II-class performance and features that make it a superior solution for the entry-level PC market.

Independent testing indicates that performance of the MII 300 processor is up to 25 percent higher than the soon-to-be-announced Intel Celeron 266MHz processor, on systems with equivalent configurations. Additionally, in-house testing shows that the MII 300 processor delivers industry-standard benchmark scores in the same range as the 300MHz Pentium II processor.

That means OEMs and resellers can offer MII 300-based systems with performance on par with Pentium II-based systems while providing end users with added features such as more memory, larger hard drives, faster CD ROM drives and modems -- all at the same price. The OEM or reseller can also offer an MII 300-based system that significantly outperforms a similarly priced Celeron-based PC.

"Our newest processor enables workstation-class performance at entry-level prices," said Brian Halla, president and CEO of National Semiconductor. "Others may try to 'decelerate' and devalue the performance of entry-level systems, but we believe customers are smart enough to figure out that game and demand higher performance.

"Systems using the MII 300 processor do not compromise on features or performance," Halla said. "In fact, using the Cyrix MII processor enables OEMs to make a higher profit in the entry-level PC market. That means consumers get the state-of-the-art performance and features they want at a very affordable price."

Availability and Pricing

"We have made some significant breakthroughs in tuning our design and manufacturing processes to increase yields of higher speed grades," said Stan Swearingen, senior director of business management and marketing for Cyrix. "That's how we're able to offer our cusnumber of major OEM and reseller customers to deliver a broad range of systems using the MII 300 processor," added Swearingen. "We know end-users want a fully-featured, high performance PC at an entry-level price. And we know OEMs and resellers want to make a reasonable profit. We're providing our customers with solutions that bring those two requirements together."

CyberMax Computer, Inc., one of the largest direct sellers of PCs in the U.S., will offer MII 300-based systems available in late April. "Tcessor is a powerful, no compromise engine with all the capabilities needed to run the most popular end user applications."

The MII 300 is priced at $180 in quantihe entry-level segment, creating new price poi Cyrix, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor, is a leading supplier of innovative processor-based solutions that set new standards for the personal comis a registered trademark and MII and MediaGX arproduct names are trademarks or registered trady,

Linda Ashmore, 408/286-2611