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

By +Frank B.
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

ichi

Posted
Posted

This is like buying a car and not being able to drive it unless you buy a steering wheel. Once bought, the car is yours to keep and do whatever you want with it, but if you want to unluck its full capacities (like driving), you'll need to spend $300 more ($50 in Intel's case).

This is just over the top.

I you want to go with car analogies, it's more like buying a car and then paying to get the ECU tuned or upgraded. The car was working perfectly fine when you bought it, same as with the CPU, and you got exactly what was advertised. It just happens that you can pay more to get some extra performance without replacing the engine/CPU with a new one.

Experienced

7Dash8

Posted
Posted

I don't see anything wrong with this. Intel thought it was feesable and consumers will pay to upgrade.

OMG you don't see anything wrong with a company trying to make money?? Intel is evil, this is an evil idea. It should be free like everything else.

Grand Master

webeagle12

Posted
Posted

this is way too funny.... i bet they learned that from airlines....

watch me... once this go through and people fall for it, it's going to be like airline business. They will start adding extra fees for everything. sad....

Community Regular

Mr aldo

Posted
Posted

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

No, that is somewhat different. You have to pay a different price for different versions of Windows (though the pricing ought to be different ._. W7 Starter ought to be no more than $50 :p), and unless Intel knocks $50 every processor they do this on, it's bologna!

Experienced

Nihilus

Posted
Posted

seems like a prime solution in a business/manufacturing sense.

intel seems to start getting high yields in what would be high ended models. IIRC, they usually shave off defective cache memory or rerouting past defective hardware components (which stretches the critical path) on the die - causing this tier of models we see today (e.g. extereme models probably are "perfectly" manufactured which definitely has low yields -- causing a lot of dough. Every thing else is just a defective form of extreme that was altered after fabrication).

Obviously if they had more higher end yields, it would be quite stupid to permanently cripple a working device. Tiered selling and an option to unlock is a good way to keep the same system & streamline the manufacturing process.

+1

Hackers will hack this so yeah. This will fail because of that.

I wouldn't be so sure, you don't see people unlocking the multipliers on non-extreme chips so I don't see why Intel couldn't lock other features.

Grand Master

Rigby

Posted
Posted

I wouldn't be so sure, you don't see people unlocking the multipliers on non-extreme chips so I don't see why Intel couldn't lock other features.

Really big difference between chips that are physically locked and this which is designed to be unlocked via software.

Grand Master

Buttus

Posted
Posted

so now you can buy a computer with 1 core, 1 gig of ram, 8x speed DVD drive, etc...

but you can pay extra to unlock a couple cores, a few gigs of ram, speed up your DVD drive...

like a custom built computer, with no building involved!

LOL :pinch:

Grand Master

rajputwarrior

Posted
Posted

Apple wouldn't have the balls to do this. Their computers are already outdated on launch :laugh:

they would and have. remember people with ipod touch's having to pay for firmware/OS updates?

Grand Master

cork1958

Posted
Posted

I'm currently looking into building a new computer. I was leaning towards Intel but after seeing this, my new rig will now be AMD. Sorry Intel but after seeing this I will not be purchasing any of your CPU's in the future.

AMD has always ruled anyway!!

Intel is just a con job business now a days.

Grand Master

ahhell

Posted
Posted

AMD has always ruled anyway!!

Intel is just a con job business now a days.

:rolleyes:

So considering that nothing AMD has out now can even remotely compete with an I7 means nothing right?

Grand Master

Motoko.

Posted
Posted

:rolleyes:

So considering that nothing AMD has out now can even remotely compete with an I7 means nothing right?

I don't hear anyone complaining about Phenom II's performance.

Aside the fact that performance has a partial claim in this matter, Intel's business model does not benefit consumers in anyway, they're essentially charging for what should already come with the product originally.

Grand Master

xpablo

Posted
Posted

Kind of stupid idea to begin with, why not just charge $50 more for the full power of the cpu to begin with?

Also what's next auto manufactures going to do the same? buy this 201x Mustang with 300hp off the showroom floor, but wait later on you can go to

the dealer and buy a card to get the firmware on the cars computer updated and you'll get 500 hp instantly afterwards.

It's marketing and a money grab. I've always been an Intel fan boy, I'll stay the course for now, but if Intel starts stupid moves like this with their

mainstream proccessors it maybe be time to go AMD.

Collaborator

sic133

Posted
Posted

It's a gimmick, plain and simple. Unlocking functionality for something that is already in the product is stealing. It's like buying a brand new car and they tell you you can only open 1 door (the driver's) but it has 4. They will sell you a special key so you can open the other three for a *minimal fee.

*minimal fee = a few thousand.

It's immoral and wrong. Stop it, Intel. You know better.

Collaborator

sic133

Posted
Posted

Yet, AMD's processors are still garbage. I'll keep my Intel Xeon. ou can have your weak 6 core AMD processors.

And yet, you go and take the discussion to where it was not intented in the first place. The topic is about Intel's business practices, not their performance. Nothing beats the i7, yes, we know that.
Grand Master

Draconian Guppy

Posted
Posted

Yet, AMD's processors are still garbage. I'll keep my Intel Xeon. you can have your weak 6 core AMD processors.

et, AMD's processors are still garbage. I'll keep my Intel Xeon. ou can have your weak 6 core AMD processors.

Old System: CPU: AMD Athlon X2 64 3800+ 2.00GHz, Mobo: HP a1700n Video: nVidia GTS250 512MB, RAM: 2.5GB DDR2 533, HDD: 2x500GB + 1x120GB

New System: CPU: Intel Xeon x3440 2.53GHz, Mobo: EVGA P55 LE Video: nVidia GTS250 512MB, RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333, HDD: 2x500GB

Technology is very unpredictable, couple of years intel was king of the hill, then amd, then intel, then amd and for teh time being intel. Your sig is proof :)

And I don't mind not buying an UBER ultra fast intel i9 when I can have a better bang for buck, withouth having to pay extra for it!

Community Regular

murkurie

Posted
Posted

It's a gimmick, plain and simple. Unlocking functionality for something that is already in the product is stealing. It's like buying a brand new car and they tell you you can only open 1 door (the driver's) but it has 4. They will sell you a special key so you can open the other three for a *minimal fee.

*minimal fee = a few thousand.

It's immoral and wrong. Stop it, Intel. You know better.

no, this is more like upgrading the ecu as someone said or tuning the engine for more power, only opening 1 door, would be reduced functionality, this is performance there selling

Collaborator

sic133

Posted
Posted

no, this is more like upgrading the ecu as someone said or tuning the engine for more power, only opening 1 door, would be reduced functionality, this is performance there selling

It's exactly what this is! The CPU is already capable of certain performance when it leaves the factory but they reduce or lock -whatever you want to call it- (either Ghz speed, cores, etc) so that you can UNLEASH the full functionality (what you paid for in the first place ;) ) for a little more. Think about it, it's not the same as upgrading, don't let them confuse ya.
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • This new cabinet design lets you run AMD, Intel, and Nvidia PCs inside one case

      By MacDaddyAz · Posted

      Why? It will just cost so much more and make you PC poor and they become PC rich off your calamities! “Just because you can” isn’t a flex either!.
    • Halo: Campaign Evolved is out next month with new prequel missions

      By +pmrd · Posted

      It's the game developers' fault.
    • Microsoft confirms a new, useful Teams' app is coming very soon

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Microsoft confirms a new, useful Teams' app is coming very soon by Sayan Sen In the modern digital workspace meeting recordings and summaries are very commonplace, still finding the right recap later can be surprisingly difficult. To address that inconvenience Microsoft is working on a new dedicated meeting recap application designed to bring all meeting recaps into a single, centralized location. In a recent announcement on its Microsoft 365 roadmap website, the company has confirmed the new applet and has explained how the new experience will work and why it believes it can help users stay on top of discussions without having to search through multiple chats, calendars, or files. For those unfamiliar, meeting recaps provide a summary of key discussions, decisions, action items, and other relevant information generated after a meeting ends. They are intended to help participants revisit important points while also allowing those who missed the meeting to quickly catch up on what happened. Traditionally locating older recaps could require users to navigate through various conversations or meeting histories. The new meeting recap app aims to simplify that process by gathering all available recaps into one dedicated hub. According to Microsoft, this should make it easier to browse past meetings, review outcomes, and stay informed about ongoing projects and discussions. One notable feature of the applet is the addition of quick filters which are meant to allow users to instantly narrow down the list of available recaps and surface specific meetings without manually searching through extensive records. Audio recap is also there. If you're wondering how long these recaps will last before self-expiring, the app will provide access to meeting recaps from the past 30 days or approximately one month. You can view the feature entry here on the official Microsoft 365 (M365) website under roadmap ID 564614. Its rollout is set to begin this month (June 2026). Do keep in mind though that new feature rollouts often get delayed.
    • Gears of War: E-Day brings 12-player co-op, smoother traversal mechanics, and more

      By devilotX · Posted

      Does it have couch co-op is the question I have here.
    • 7 Days: "Enough is enough," Computex 2026, and the next trillion-dollar company

      By Aditya Tiwari · Posted

      7 Days: "Enough is enough," Computex 2026, and the next trillion-dollar company by Aditya Tiwari 7 Days is a weekly roundup of picks of what's been happening in the world of technology - written with a dash of humor, a hint of exasperation, and an endless supply of (black) coffee. This week's highlights are packed with hardware announcements from Computex 2026, Microsoft's BUILD developer conference, and lawsuits against OpenAI and Ring. Let's get started. You can check out the recent issues of the 7 Days weekly roundup. "Enough is enough" From "bribing" users to forcing Edge at startup, Microsoft has turned over every stone to make people use its web browser. Browser Choice Alliance (which includes Chrome, Opera, and Vivaldi) is now after the Redmond giant once more and has penned an open letter to highlight dissatisfaction with its practices. The letter to CEO Satya Nadella emphasizes that "enough is enough" and Microsoft should respect browser choices on Windows. BCA laid down a list of actions to level the playing field and believes that browsers should compete on merit. In other browser news, a fresh update to Firefox fixed a massive VPN button and a bug that disrupted page layout. The Ladybird Browser Project announced that it will no longer accept public pull requests and limit changes to those made by its maintainers as it moves towards its first alpha release. Computex 2026 In one of the week's hottest stories, AMD is trying to make DDR5 RAM even faster on Ryzen systems with its new EXPO ULL (Ultra Low Latency). The feature will enable support for even lower CAS Latency DDR5, bringing significant performance gains over normal EXPO. AMD released new octa-core 3D V-cache CPUs in the form of the new Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Ryzen 7 7700X3D for AM4 and AM5, respectively. The company also brought the 9070 GRE to the USA and other countries. Compared to the NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti, AMD claims the 9070 GRE offers 22% faster performance and 26% better value. The expo also set the stage for Intel's Crescent Island GPU for data center AI workloads and inference. It can pack up to 480GB LPDDR5X VRAM, and the cooling department is handled by an air cooler with a 350W TDP. The silicon giant's AI-focused data center strategy also includes Clearwater Forest, which comprises new Xeon 6+ up to 288 E-cores. Intel unveiled its OpenVINO Physical AI framework to enable scalable, lower-cost edge robotics with improved efficiency. The company said it has found a way to fill the "missing link" that made it difficult to deploy physical AI at scale across the edge. The next trillion-dollar company? Image via DepositPhotos.com Hitting the trillion-dollar mark is the new fashion in the tech industry. NVIDIA has already done so by a wide margin, and now its CEO, Jensen Huang, says Marvell will be the next trillion-dollar company because of its key role in the AI revolution. Marvell is an American semiconductor company founded in 1995; its stock price jumped by 22% this week after Huang's comment. Backlash for employee tracking Meta previously rolled out the Model Capability Initiative (MCI) tracking system to track keystrokes and screen content within specific apps to train its AI models. It wasn't long before employees raised privacy concerns and complained that the software consumed excessive data and battery life. The company is scaling back by introducing controls that allow employees to pause the tracking for up to 30 minutes and request exemptions. In other news, Meta patched an exploit that reportedly allowed attackers to take over accounts by tricking the Meta AI support assistant. The attackers managed to take control of a dormant Obama White House Instagram account that hadn't posted since 2017. This week in software news Catch up on some of the latest software news updates that arrived throughout the week: Hard battle for AV2: The new AV2 video codec can reduce average bitrate by 30-34% compared to AV1, delivering substantial improvements at equivalent visual quality. However, according to VideoLAN's Jean-Baptiste Kempf, the increased efficiency would come at the cost of dramatically higher computational complexity, making the job for existing CPUs much more difficult. Ring faces lawsuit: The smart doorbell brand is in a legal battle over its "Familiar Faces" feature. The lawsuit claims that the feature collects facial data from millions of other Americans (think delivery drivers, neighbors, mail carriers, and pedestrians) who pass by a camera without their consent. Tuta joins Euro-Office: The German email provider has joined the European effort to break free from American-made software. The open-source office alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Docs is due for a release this month. Vim Classic: The new Vim fork has successfully launched its first stable version, 8.3.0, which is completely free of LLM-generated code. It's based on Vim 8.2.0148 because the developers wanted to dodge the heavy maintenance footprint of the newer Vim9 Script engine. However, some modern plugins may not work because of it. Fending off data scraping: Strava is done with data scraping for AI. The fitness platform put public data behind a paywall and a login screen to stop AI companies from hammering its servers. DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction: It brings an updated version of NVIDIA's transformer model that promises to deliver even better image quality than before in ray-traced and path-traced games. Fastfetch 2.64 released: The popular command-line system info tool has been updated with experimental scripting support, streamlined compilation options, a smarter logo renderer, and Codec module support. Shotcut 26.6 Beta: The latest beta of the free video editor adds OpenFX and VST2 plugin support, UI tweaks, HDR preview upgrades, and a range of bug fixes. KDE Plasma 6.8: A few changes slated for the next release include a warning on the lock screen that shows when the "Slow Keys" accessibility feature is active, so you don't type incorrect passwords. Improved Linux gaming: Canonical has promoted the Arm64 Steam Snap to the stable channel, using FEX emulation to bring PC gaming to Snapdragon and NVIDIA hardware. This week in hardware news Catch up on some of the latest hardware news updates that arrived throughout the week alongside Computex 2026: Surface Laptop Ultra: NVIDIA is back in the CPU chip game with the new RTX Spark, which debuted on the Surface Laptop Ultra. Promised to be the most powerful Surface to date, it packs a 15-inch mini-LED display, 20-core NVIDIA Grace CPU, NVIDIA Blackwell RTX graphics, and 128GB of unified memory. More information is yet to arrive, alongside RTX Spark-powered computers from other brands. Surface RTX Spark Dev Box: It's a high-performance desktop workstation designed specifically for AI development. With 128GB of unified memory, Surface RTX Spark Dev Box can deliver 1 petaflop of AI compute and run models with up to 120 billion parameters locally, significantly reducing reliance on cloud GPU instances. ROG XBOX Ally X20: ASUS celebrated the 20th anniversary of the ROG brand with a new handheld device, featuring a completely redesigned mainboard, an upgraded display, better joysticks, and even a translucent chassis. Majorana 2: Microsoft unveiled its latest quantum chip, claiming it's 1000x more reliable than last year's Majorana 1. The new development has accelerated the timeline to achieve practical quantum computing from 2035 to 2029. Sony gaming accessories: Sony finally attached a release date to a few of its gaming accessories, including FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick and 27” Gaming Monitor with DualSense Charging Hook. Both are releasing in August this year. Leaky Surface: Some leaked promo material of the upcoming Surface Pro hints at what the device could offer. The tablet will be powered by a 12-core Snapdragon X2 Elite processor paired with a new Neural Processing Unit operating at up to 80 TOPS. This week in Google News Catch up on some of the latest Google news updates that arrived throughout the week: How to train your AI? An AI model is as good as the data it's trained on. Google is reportedly reaching out to Android developers to get their private codebases to train models and improve development tools, while giving them some cash in return. Design your band: Google published the physical design blueprints for the Fitbit Air, opening doors for anyone with the required skills to customize the screenless tracker and build accessories. The search giant said that certified accessories can also get the official "Made for Google" badge. It's optional now: The UK's competition watchdog has enabled publishers to opt out of Google's generative AI search features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. It's also forcing Google to attribute content properly, using clear links to sources, in all AI-generated answers. This week in Apple News Catch up on some of the latest Apple news updates that arrived throughout the week: What to expect? WWDC 2026 is just around the corner. Alongside refinements to Liquid Glass, the iOS 27 update could be centered on the long-awaited upgrade to Siri. iPadOS 27 is also expected to get a major AI boost this year, among various expected updates. Apple smart glasses: If you're hoping to see Apple's new smart glasses at WWDC, you might have to wait. Those plans are reportedly delayed until late 2027. It's said Apple is cautious about launching hardware that relies on underdeveloped visual intelligence systems. Keep in check: A recent court ruling that lifted an injunction on the Texas Age Assurance Law (SB 2420), Apple had to enforce strict age-verification and parental-consent rules for new Apple accounts created in Texas. This week in AI news Catch up on the latest artificial intelligence news updates that arrived throughout the week: OpenAI faces lawsuit: Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier took OpenAI to court, claiming that the AI lab released an unsafe product and misled the public about safety risks associated with ChatGPT. France gets cash for AI: SoftBank plans to invest up to €75 billion ($87 billion) in France's AI infrastructure, making it one of the largest investments in Europe's AI sector. Up to €45 billion will be used to build two AI data centers in Le Bosquel and Dunkirk. AI chaos slows down: After weeks of AI-generated noise and late submissions, Linus Torvalds said that things have quietened down for Linux 7.1 RC6, which is smaller than RC5, and we could be on track for a normal release cycle. ChatGPT memory upgrade: The AI chatbot got a major architectural upgrade to its memory system, significantly improving its long-term context retention. It improved factual recall from 67.9% in 2025 to 82.8% in 2026, and accuracy over time improved from 52.2% to 75.1%. Lockdown Mode expanded: OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT's Lockdown Mode to all personal and self-serve ChatGPT Business accounts. The feature improves security by disabling live web browsing, Deep Research, Agent Mode, and more. Codex on ChatGPT: The full Codex experience is now available in the ChatGPT app to support knowledge workers, who represent about 20% of Codex users. A new Codex feature called Sites enables users to create and share interactive hosted websites and apps. This week in Microsoft News You can download the Surface Laptop Ultra wallpapers in high resolution. Windows 11 is dominating the gaming market, and data from Steam showed nearly 70% of all participants were using a Windows 11 PC. A third-party tool called OfflineInsiderEnroll is for insiders who want to unlock Windows 11 features with a Microsoft account. You can check out Taras's freshly baked Microsoft Weekly roundup to catch up on all the interesting stories this week. This week in science news Image by Drew Rae via Pexels Catch up on some of the latest science and out-of-this-world updates that arrived throughout the week: How will the Sun end? Astronomers found that an ancient white dwarf star is still consuming rocky planetary debris after cooling for three billion years, proving systems remain active long after their host star dies. Eye of Sauron: Scientists solved a cosmic mystery. A distant black hole is pointing its intense jet straight at Earth, creating an optical illusion that makes the blindingly bright stream look surprisingly low. This week in gaming news Catch up on some of the latest gaming and virtual world updates that arrived throughout the week: Summer Game Fest: The event went live on June 5 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The two-hour showcase was hosted by video game journalist Geoff Keighley and introduced games across multiple genres. New racing game: Some former Forza Horizon team members created a brand-new racing game called Clutch. The game offers a story-driven campaign, multiplayer action, and aims to be a "benchmark in car customization." FSR hits a new milestone: AMD announced that the latest generation of its FSR technology now officially supports 300 games, a considerable jump from just 30 at launch. What else in gaming? The latest issue of Pulasthi's Weekend PC Game Deals curates several exciting games on sale this week. The final leg of the Epic Games Store's mystery giveaways brings copies of Rogue Waters and Songs of Conquest to claim for PC gamers. Xbox Free Play Days welcomed ten new games this weekend from a single publisher, including Little Rocket Lab, Spirittea, Descenders Next, and Let's Build a Zoo. Meanwhile, Prime members can grab Mafia III, Tomb Raider remasters, and 13 more games in June to keep. That said, here are some more stories from the gaming world: Crystal Dynamics pushes Tomb Raider remake to 2027 A roguelike and a 4X strategy game are free to claim on the Epic Games Store Looks like EA's Star Wars Zero Company will be out this August God of War Laufey announced, introducing Kratos' wife as new protagonist From the review corner If you have been thinking about capturing the night sky, the DWARF mini is the world's smallest smart telescope for night-and-day sky captures, which Steven reviewed this week. For an amateur astronomer spending $399, the telescope offers premium build quality, automated tracking, and a low learning curve. However, the tracking may not always work straight away, and the connection can be finicky. GEEKOM Air12 2026 Edition It's a small mini PC from GEEKOM fitted with an Intel Tiger Lake Pentium Gold 7505, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to a 512GB SSD. GEEKOM Air12 2026 Edition comes with a lightweight chassis, a 15W TDP, supports up to three 4K 60Hz displays, and Type-C on the front. However, points are deducted for its single-rank (2666 MHz) DDR4 RAM, and the front USB port is data-only. AMD RX 9070 GRE Steven and Sayan joined their forces to put the new AMD RX 9070 GRE against the RX 9070, RX 9070 XT, NVIDIA 5070 FE, and some other cards in gaming as well as productivity. AMD has pitched it against the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, which is typically sold at around this price range. The GRE performed quite well against both the 7800 XT and the 4070. It offers balanced performance, sufficient VRAM, and runs cool. However, the ray tracing might feel mediocre. Cuktech 10 Ultra How about a wall charger with a big screen that shows the stats in real time? Taras reviewed the Cuktech 10 Ultra charger, which features four ports, a large display, and up to 110W of power output. Its 1.57-inch display with 700 nits max brightness is the main highlight, capable of showing total output power, current temperature, power distribution across ports, and more. 007 First Light Pulasthi's review of 007 First Light said the game delivers an immersive, globe-trotting origin story for James Bond, packed inside a tightly choreographed action game. It features over-the-top action sequences, Bond's right amount of overconfidence, and satisfying gunplay. On the other hand, stealth can be too predictable, enemy AI is not very bright, and the missing FOV slider is a pain. More price drops! We got you covered with some hot tech deals all week. For some reason, if you missed out on a great discount, here is a summary of some recent deals that are still alive: Samsung 990 PRO SSD 2TB NVMe - $389.99 (39% off) Sonos Sub 4 - Wireless Subwoofer - $759 (16% off) Logitech MX Creative Console - $159.99 (20% off) To view all of our recent deals, click here. So, these were some of the biggest tech news and other updates from this week. There will be more issues of our 7 Days series in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing to extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option. Have a great weekend!

  • Recent Achievements

    • Proficient
      Eric Biran went up a rank
      Proficient
    • Dedicated
      Conjor earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Week One Done
      Windows Guy earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Dedicated
      Mark Spruce earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Collaborator
      conkir earned a badge
      Collaborator

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      492
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      248
    3. 3
      Steven P.
      71
    4. 4
      +Edouard
      70
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      67
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!