Intel wants to charge $50 to unlock stuff your CPU can already do

[35g700]

AMD already does this with their Phenom II X2 and Phenom II X3 CPU's, most are quad cores with one or two cores disabled but you can't unlock them without voiding your warranty. If I didn't have much money for a build I wouldn't mind buying a cheaper CPU, then later once I get the money pay to for the more expensive one buy an upgrade card rather then buying a new CPU.

Although I would think most tech people like us would love this because it means that someone is going to find a way to unlock it without buying a card, so that means better CPU's for less money.

 

[Kharn]

To be frank this is SOP for some companies, years ago I met this wizened old VAC's admin he recalls the days of serious iorn whos hardware was hard programmed to operate at two speeds defined by a obscure jumper arrangement one day somthing went BANG and all the bit's fell off they called the supplier to come sort it out and he accedently set the jumpers to the faster speed free upgrade nearly doubled the speed of the machine for a few years needless to say they kept quiet about it untill another maintenance guy came round and noticed and set them back to the sales config and gave them a back dated bill for a "upgrade".

 

[Nitestick]

AMD already does this with their Phenom II X2 and Phenom II X3 CPU's, most are quad cores with one or two cores disabled but you can't unlock them without voiding your warranty. If I didn't have much money for a build I wouldn't mind buying a cheaper CPU, then later once I get the money pay to for the more expensive one buy an upgrade card rather then buying a new CPU.

Although I would think most tech people like us would love this because it means that someone is going to find a way to unlock it without buying a card, so that means better CPU's for less money.

Thing is it's not for less money, other wise clearly Intel wouldn't sell it at that price point anyway. They'll still be making plenty of profit on the crippled CPUs and then hoping to get more. This would be trending towards a general price increase across the board I'd say if the continue with this business model.

 

[Apokalipse]

What hacking? My wife's mobo did it, not me. Some dual core Phenom II's are unlockable as well.

About 70-75% of the Phenom II X2's can.