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

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

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

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 firmware-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: Engadget

[Mr. Gibs]

That.Is.Retarded.

[Motoko.]

Oh the RAGE!!!

[+DonC Subscriber²]

Why not? You get several editions of Windows on a DVD these days so why not do the same with hardware?

[blooregard]

If there wasn't a picture I wouldn't have believed it.

[Ci7]

i don't see a problem.

they sold it as two core.

that is just if you went extra.

[Berserk87]

Amd time.

[Motoko.]

Amd time.

I say I'd hit it.

[Blackhearted]

Not really surprising that this is coming from intel.

[Prosidius]

Intel is just using their market power, watch them face another lawsuit for monopoly practices again...

[Motoko.]

Anyone who defends this, is a pawn.

[Ayepecks]

I wish I could say this was surprising, but given Intel's business dealings... it ain't.

[kaffra]

so this changes it to an i3 which is only 15 euros more?

[c3ntury]

This is one of the many reasons I buy AMD CPU's.

[thealexweb]

Or you could just go and buy AMD?

[rajputwarrior]

stay classy intel...

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

I think this is... actually not that stupid.

If my logic is right anyway.

... Haven't loads of cheaper CPU's in the past merely been the same as the more powerful ones but with bits 'locked off'? If so this new thing might save people the hassle of buying a completely new CPU.

Feel free to roll eyes at my post but I'm sure I've heard something like that in the past. :blink:

[Electric Jolt]

This might be a good move. If they can make CPUs cheaper and then charge to unlock more potential than that basically means to round up the hackers and crack the security used and unlock it without paying more. Then we would be paying for a whole lot less for a good CPU and then easily just unlock the power it really holds without paying extra. ;)

It's like a jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your Android phone. :D

[metallithrax]

I think this is... actually not that stupid.

If my logic is right anyway.

... Haven't loads of cheaper CPU's in the past merely been the same as the more powerful ones but with bits 'locked off'? If so this new thing might save people the hassle of buying a completely new CPU.

Feel free to roll eyes at my post but I'm sure I've heard something like that in the past. :blink:

I have heard the same - and this just seems to make sense. You buy a chip that is limited(for reasons I don't know), and they offer a cheap(ish) option to make it better. If it is cheaper than buying an equivelant chip, then I see no problem. Otherwise it is wrong.

[fhpuqrgrpgvirzhpujbj]

I disagree with this but I'm glad it'll be possible to pirate your hardware now.

[Motoko.]

I disagree with this but I'm glad it'll be possible to pirate your hardware now.

If you don't have an education you will be unnecessarily materialistic.

[phantasia]

I think this is the first time I post something here!

I can imagine in the future, something like... "Want to push for those extra FPS on your gaming rig?" "Purchase the ability to increase the speed of your CPU from xGhz to yGhz!! Only 59.99$!!!"

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

^Yup, I believe staff in places like Best Buy will be pushed to recommend these kinds of things in the future, along with product protection, internet security and microsoft office. :p

Great, another KPI to go with the 30+ they already have. >_>

[guru]

They are planing to charge $50 for unlocked / overclocking cpu's with SB and now this.. this is as retarded as it gets.

[+Ryster Subscriber²]

Seeing as it costs Intel exactly the same to manufacture that CPU wether you unlock those extra features or not, what justification have they got to charge more to enable things on it?