Intel Charging $50 to Unlock CPU's Full Features

[captaincharisma]

sounds like this would be more for brand name PCs like dell and HP. i can see companies like those supporting something like this

 

[bhaberle]

That is ridiculous. At least many people don't have to worry about this since they will be buying their already unlocked cpus off of newegg or somewhere else.

 

[kelemvor4]

[citation][nom]ptroen[/nom]Can't we just agree to sue intel for intentionally making a defective product?[/citation]
Nobody sued amd for the tri core chips afaik.

 

[papadusa84]

This potentially gives Intel the oppertunity to make one kind of processor, cutting down on costs with producing multiple designs, Allowing for a better return for intel and lower costs for us. This could allow intel to create tier'd pricing per performance benchmark, ranging from a budget style to Enthusiast all on one Dye Print! I like it...

 

[husker]

[citation][nom]Afrospinach[/nom]I really don't get why people are so up in arms about this. For example(I will use AMD cpus because i know net zero about intel binning)I get a phenom x2 545 for 130 NZD. So i payed for a dual core and got a dual core. Let us just say for the purpose of the example those extra cores were not screwed.The equivalent speed quad costs 196 NZD. So as i see it that gives you 66$ of upgrade spending before anyone can whine about anything. So in my opinion it just comes down to the price difference between the fully featured processor and the original + upgrade as to whether this is a bad thing or not. I would always expect the upgrade path to cost more in total or it would not make sense, though.Seriously, i don't get the negativity surrounding this. You pay for less features, you get less features. You want those extra features, get the fully featured processor in the first place. Too expensive? well then you just discovered the reason for this model.All that being said, I am not really liking the precedent.[/citation]
Exactly. All Intel is doing is tiering their product just like anyone else. The only difference is that they are letting you hold on to that unused potential until you actually decide to pay for and use it. If you find a work-around to avoid paying for it, then that is just gravy.

 

[sailfish]

It could be worth it IF ... they had a "try before buy" feature, say, two weeks free usage beforehand. If I could see the real performance benefit after enabling it, $50 to get a simple performance boost would be enticing in terms of time and convenience.

The only problem I foresee is something similar to what happens when one bores out their engine cylinders to get a higher performance but then realizes that they also needed to mill the heads and port the valves to get the right balance. Would one also need to get higher speed memory, upgraded video card and a higher wattage power supply to really get the full benefit of the unlocked performance feature?

 

[Moores Law]

Wow, I hope this fails big time, I also hope no one pays for this so it does fail.

 

[titosor]

This is no more ridiculous than charging people more money for higher clock speeds on the same chip, or an unlocked multiplier, which Intel already does... it's all catered to people who have no idea how this stuff works - so it doesn't affect people who care.

I say let Intel fool the masses... as long as people are unwilling to learn how computers work, then they can be duped into paying more. No, it's not morally right, but you can't blame a mega-corporation for squeezing every dollar out of their customers.

 

[Guest]

intel is not in the business of giving away free silicone, even you have to pay to unlock the feature because there's a chance intel is going make a loss, i dont think that sit well with intel

a more reasonable explanation is that these chip sit in between bins, either marginally passing or failing a bin, so on the safe side intel binned them into a lower tier, then after some extensive testing found these chips to be more resilient and decided to charge to unlock them into the higher tier bin, could well be the reason why OEM chips are only affected, because they get their shipments well ahead of retail

intel has probably already written off the cost of these chips, why not just give out the unlocks as a gesture of goodwill, but then that would really be against their nature

 

[jerreece]

So, Intel is trying to compete with AMD's disabled core Dual and Tri-Core CPUs by charging money? LOL Is that what this is?

 

[foxmulder_ms]

how do I feel???? angry. these guys are greedy greedy people. Not cool.

 

[dndhatcher]

There are already too many options, poorly named and confusing for the consumer to figure out what they are getting or what they need. This sort of option just creates more unnecessary confusion.

 

[Guest]

What to expect from a greedy monopoly like Intel. Must say I am very proud to have stayed a loyal AMD fan since my early days from K5 dx4-100 mhz till today with my dual core Turion 64. Never bought one single processor from Intel and hopefully never will have to. Boycott to the overpriced Intel products!

 

[stevelord]

[citation][nom]dndhatcher[/nom]There are already too many options, poorly named and confusing for the consumer to figure out what they are getting or what they need. This sort of option just creates more unnecessary confusion.[/citation]


I wish they would spend the effort in renaming their CPUs to where they aren't so idiotic and confusing. The i series had 3 different tiers, multiple socket versions, their stupid numbering system....yuck.

 

[Darkerson]

As if I didn't need another reason to never buy an Intel product...

 

[digitalrazoe]

Intel ... You have the most expensive mass produced CPUs in the industry. I must ask you to reconsider such ridiculous business practice... if you think we the consumer is blowing smoke then only two words fit this.. Get Bent! The choice is yours.

 

[kio54]

in my honest opinion, this is a load of bull. the point isn't the "upgrade when you need too" that intel seems to be implying, it's the "we'll sell you a handicapped processor for the same price, not tell you about it, and then make more money of you 'cause you don't know better"

yet another step toward Orwellian 1984.

 

[aznplayer213]

cant wait to get it reversed engineered so I can buy a 930 and get a free 975...

 

[husker]

[citation][nom]titosor[/nom]I say let Intel fool the masses... as long as people are unwilling to learn how computers work, then they can be duped into paying more. No, it's not morally right, but you can't blame a mega-corporation for squeezing every dollar out of their customers.[/citation]
You think it is immoral for a company to decide what they should charge for their own product?

 

[screechy]

This makes perfect sense. Let me buy something but not be able to use all the features. Just another thing to add to the list of reasons I dislike intel.