Two years ago AMD realized that if they hoped to compete with uber-CPU giant Intel. they'd need to position themselves at the top of the microprocessor performance food chain and fundamentally reinvent both themselves and their technology.
AMD knew that their traditional model of business in competing with Intel was no longer valid. Instead of offering parts that were somewhat slower but a good deal cheaper than Intel's as they had in the late 80's and early 90's, this time they would need to produce a part that actually outperformed Intel's best while competing at the same price point.
This way, the precious profit margin that all companies savor and utilize to maintain growth could be counted on, as it's much easier for AMD or Intel to make a profitable income by selling chips that cost over $500 each than it is when they sell them for just $50 each.
In order to deliver a CPU that offered superior performance to Intel's model line, AMD went to work on completely redesigning the technology behind their chip's floating point unit, or FPU.
Always a sore spot for AMD, the FPU co-processors they previously designed had always been a generation behind Intel's in performance. So bad was the gap that it continued to haunt AMD throughout the 90's even as they introduced the math co-processor integrated K5, K6, K6-2, and this year's K6-3 CPU models.
But now it's a whole new ball game folks, because the Athlon can do math like Stephan Hawking baby.