SANTA CLARA, CA -- January 12, 1998 -- National Semiconductor Corporation announced that it has successfully produced functioning Cyrix 6x86MX™ processors on .25 micron process technology at its pilot manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California. Scheduled to start volume production by the summer of 1998, at the National plant in South Portland, Maine, the 6x86MX processor will be the first Cyrix-designed product to be produced at a National facility. National completed its merger with Cyrix on November 17, 1997.

Bringing 6x86MX processor production capability "in-house" will enable a dramatic boost in capacity, as well as the flexibility to meet shifting market demand for the product. National expects to continue its foundry agreement with IBM Microelectronics, which is currently making the product. In addition, the company also has agreements in place with foundries in Asia to make 6x86MX chips. Available capacity for the Cyrix processor is expected to be well in excess of 10 million units in 1998.

The 6x86MX processor offers Pentium® II-class performance. Since its introduction in mid-1997, the 6x86MX processor has enabled personal computer makers to offer consumers powerful multimedia machines at more affordable prices.

By going to .25 micron design, National and Cyrix have achieved a major breakthrough over previous technologies, reducing the chip size from 150 square millimeters to just 88 square millimeters. (A micron is about 1/25,000 on an inch. For comparison, a human hair approximately 50 microns wide.) Smaller line widths will allow the company to increase revenues by squeezing more chips onto every wafer produced. 2

"The Cyrix 6x86MX offers the best price/performance combination in the industry," said Brian Halla, National's CEO. "The 6x86MX's superior architectural design, compact size, and low power consumption make it ideal for the rapidly-growing sub-$1000 and $1500 midrange desktop PC marketplaces."

"This is a very exciting milestone for both National and Cyrix" said Kevin McDonough, vice president and general manager of Cyrix. "The integration of Cyrix's state-of-the-art microprocessor design with National's world-class manufacturing capability is proceeding smoothly, allowing us to dramatically increase production and reduce the costs of the 6x86MX processor in record time."

The Cyrix 6x86MX processor has been recognized for its performance by a number of publications including Computer Reseller News Editor's Choice Award, PC Week's Corporate IT Excellence Award and Computer Shopper's Direct Channel Achievement Award.

National Semiconductor Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, produces system-on-a-chip silicon solutions for the information highway, based on its leadership in analog and mixed signal technologies. National is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and focuses on the communications, personal systems, and consumer markets. National has annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion and 13,000 employees worldwide, including 450 at Cyrix. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com. For more information about Cyrix visit their website at www.cyrix.com.

Cyrix is a registered trademark. 6x86MX is a trademark of Cyrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Semiconductor. MMX and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation.