(ZDNet)-Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.?beat archrival Intel Corp.?to the 1,000MHz mark Monday when it announced it is shipping a 1 GHz Athlon processor for desktops.?The gigahertz race may be over, but don't count on the PC industry stopping just there.?According to PC makers, the computing public's hunger for greater performance remains unabated -- and that means the 1 GHz processors will, sooner rather than later, be surpassed by even more powerful chips.?"Everybody wants performance for a couple of reasons," said Peter Ashkin, CTO at Gateway, Inc.?One such reason is "future proofing," he said.?"They want something faster to give them a little more headroom (greater longevity than a lower-clock-speed PC)." High-end applications are another reason for the push beyond 1GHz, Ashkin said.?Those applications, usually graphics-intensive applications such as games, call for as much processor performance as possible, he said.?And users are willing to pay extra for the grunt.?Gateway is already taking orders for its 1GHz Athlon-based Select system, which retails at $2,999.?
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