Intel wants you to pay to unlock extra features of your CPU.

[NCLI]

Hold onto your hyperthreaded horses, because this is liable to whip up an angry mob -- Intel's asking customers to pay extra if they want the full power of their store-bought silicon. An eagle-eyed Engadget reader was surfing the Best Buy shelves when he noticed this $50 card -- and sure enough, Intel websites confirm -- that lets you download software to unlock extra threads and cache on the new Pentium G6951 processor. Hardware.info got their hands on an early sample of the chip and discovered it's actually a full 1MB of L3 cache that's enabled plus HyperThreading support, which translates to a modest but noticeable upgrade. This isn't exactly an unprecedented move, as chip companies routinely sell hardware-locked chips all the time in a process known as binning, but there they have a simpler excuse -- binned chips are typically sold with cores or cache locked because that part of their silicon turned out defective after printing. This new idea is more akin to video games that let you "download" extra weapons and features, when those features were on the disc all along. Still, it's an intriguing business model, and before you unleash your rage in comments, you should know that Intel's just testing it out on this low-end processor in a few select markets for now.

Source (http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/intel-wants-to-charge-50-to-unlock-stuff-your-cpu-can-already-d/)

WHAT.THE.HELL. To top this off, it looks like you currently can't "upgrade" your CPU on anything but Windows!

[undecim]

How long does everyone think it will take for someone to create a tool to unlock these things for free?

[Dr. C]

How long does everyone think it will take for someone to create a tool to unlock these things for free?

Or upload the processor microcode torrent to TPB?

[NCLI]

Hopefully not long.

[drawkcab]

This oughta backfire in their face. Stupid marketers.

[Ctrl-Alt-F1]

Intel makes me lol. What a bunch of morons.

[Bachstelze]

How long does everyone think it will take for someone to create a tool to unlock these things for free?

No one will create a tool, the Intel one will just get leaked.

[pookiebear]

I will buy even more AMD if they do this. Sick of corporations milking the cash from their customers with marketing gimmicks.

a note to Intel.
" You have a good product in your CPUs.... Just sell them. Quit with the gimmicks. "

Intel should cut their marketing back to AMD size. AMD has enough marketing to have "Brand name" recognition. But not enough where I am sick to my, stomach seeing it every 5 minutes. Like I am with Intel, Apple and Microsoft which makes me want to not buy their products.

[MaxIBoy]

I don't necessarily see the problem with them doing this, although I'd refuse to buy any such CPU unless I knew for a fact that I could upgrade it myself WITHOUT paying for it.

[waloshin]

Great how long till you have to buy a card to unlock a video cards full potential ect.

[Zoot7]

Ah.. greed, got to love it, haven't you? ;)

[standingwave]

I don't necessarily see the problem with them doing this, although I'd refuse to buy any such CPU unless I knew for a fact that I could upgrade it myself WITHOUT paying for it.I don't think it's illegal, if that's what you're getting at. Probably won't be an FTC problem as long as it's stated clearly up front. But I sincerely hope the market clearly gives it a hale and hearty, "Hell, No!" Imagine the next step... an annual license to unlock your own hardware? Too far-fetched? I hope so.

[Dustin2128]

Meh. I was already planning to use AMD in all my future computers, this just reinforces my commitment. This might've been a good idea for servers; instead of swapping out hardware (downtime) you could just use software to unlock more cores without rebooting. This is a horribly evil idea for desktops, especially OEMs. Anyway, you can guarantee that this could turn into a PR field day for AMD.

[CraigPaleo]

The intel core solo was actually a core duo with one core disabled. They do these things to save on manufacturing costs.

They're just taking advantage of features that would have been disabled in their lower end products anyway.

[pookiebear]

The intel core solo was actually a core duo with one core disabled. They do these things to save on manufacturing costs.
.

They sold these because 1 of the cores passed QC and the other didn't. Easier to sell it at some profit point than to recycle it.

Intel take note. This is the same crap that mobile phone companies use to milk money from us. This is why we hate them. And their customer service departments are so huge to handle the angry callers. Only difference is all that all phone companies are doing it so they are getting away with it still. If Intel does it we have a simple solution, buy an AMD.

[sdowney717]

as long as you know exactly what your getting and buyers are thoroughly informed on the initial purchase of the chip then what is the problem?
Think of it as an value added service upgrade which will cost you money to implement.

after a while and the chips age, these chips will be in many more hands and likely free how to upgrades will leak out.

[v1ad]

i would never buy a processor that was under clocked so they can make more money of you later.

[CraigPaleo]

as long as you know exactly what your getting and buyers are thoroughly informed on the initial purchase of the chip then what is the problem?
Think of it as an value added service upgrade which will cost you money to implement.

after a while and the chips age, these chips will be in many more hands and likely free how to upgrades will leak out.

Exactly. I'd rather pay less for a processor that can be upgraded at a later date than to pay the same for an equivalent that can't be upgraded. I don't see what the fuss is about. It actually sounds like a good thing to me. It gives us more flexibility.

[Austin25]

Shame be upon them, for they have cheated.

[Dr. C]

as long as you know exactly what your getting and buyers are thoroughly informed on the initial purchase of the chip then what is the problem?
Think of it as an value added service upgrade which will cost you money to implement.

after a while and the chips age, these chips will be in many more hands and likely free how to upgrades will leak out.

The trouble is most buyers are not throughly informed at the time of purchase.

[Dragynn]

Hah! Intel, what a joke!

If I wanted to pay twice the price for half the performance, i'd buy a Mac.
:guitar: