Intels answer to tri cores?

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Is this Intels response to AMDs tri unlocking?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/intel-wants-to-charge-50-to-unlock-stuff-your-cpu-can-already-d/

 

[warmon6]

So Wait? It basically it turns a pentium G6951 to a slightly slower /slightly smaller L3 cache, core i3 and you have to buy a card that matches the computer maker company that you're going to "unlock" ?

Very "cheesy"

 

[ares1214]

Merge this with eyefinities thread. And i think this is absolutely dumb. If they do this to other CPU's, like SB, they are going to get BLASTED. Like having to buy a $50 card just to enter the BIOS, or something like that. How do they expect this to be compeitive, or sell at all? People are either going to spend the extra $50 on a CPU that beats it, or see AMD lets you unlock cores for free! :lol:

 

[xaira]

this doesn't make any sense at all

 

[ares1214]

You basically pay $50 for hyper threading and 1 mb of L3 cache. Considering this thing already costs $100+, what idiot wouldnt buy the i3 530??? If intel was selling this for $10, it would at LEAST make business sense, but this is one of the dumbest moves ive seen a company make in a while. Like Sprint and Nextel...

 

[Mousemonkey]

Well AMD have their "free" lottery where you buy a CPU and hope you can unlock and use some cores that you didn't pay for and Intel now guarantee a performance so long as you shell out some cash, how long before it's hacked anyway?

 

[mosox]

Whatever Intel does or doesn't do it's not affecting their market share and profits.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/09/intel-threatens-consumers/

 

[Mousemonkey]

Whatever Intel does or doesn't do it's not affecting their market share and profits.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/09/intel-threatens-consumers/

Sony said something similar and to their credit managed to get a few people busted and a couple of bits of kit got confiscated, I can still get a USB flash drive that will unlock a PS3 though! :lol:

 

[xaira]

+1, once its there it can be hacked

 

[ares1214]

And once its hacked, they will find a way to stop it, then that will be hacked, and so on.

 

[notty22]

This is different than upgrading just the pentium clarksdale, the card sites a specific Gateway model. This particular computer probably has the i3 530 in there to begin with, with a special bios, that works with this unlock card. Probably a marketing test , that a powerful exec dreamed up. Like selling degradable dvd's (original divx)

 

[ares1214]

I thought the article said it was being tested on a small number of retail CPU's as a test, and it was using a G6951? Either way you look at it, the G6950 is a pretty poor value, compared to both the i3 and AMD CPU's under $100. So, if i get this right, you buy said gateway, use this card, and you just payed $150 for a CPU that is equal to or gets beat by a $115 CPU? I mean, the concept is ok at best, buying a card that guarantees an unlocked CPU when you feel you need an upgrade, but at this price, that is in no way value. I hope Intel doesnt do this to anything else, or AMD copies them It would be bad if SB required this, and a K edition to overclock, but i doubt it...wouldnt put it past them though.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

A gaurantee is better than a chance, but ones free.
I hope this is frowned upon.

I dont begrudge AMDs tri cores, nor Intel if theyd do the same.
Lets hope market and sensibility wins this war on our wallets.
Im thinking Intel is implicit in this, regardless of Gateway or whomever, you still have to have permission to do this
I hope Intel stops it quickly

 

[jimmysmitty]

Well AMD have their "free" lottery where you buy a CPU and hope you can unlock and use some cores that you didn't pay for and Intel now guarantee a performance so long as you shell out some cash, how long before it's hacked anyway?

Pretty much. AMD bins CPUs when they have a batch with a certain percent bad. But in the unlocking process thats free, its not guaranteed that it will work or that your hardware/software will live. In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if it doesn't void your warranty.

This is only for OEMs and is guranteed. You wont see this for a self build, but for Gateways, Dells and the such.

In fact its a cheaper upgrade for the people than buying and having someone install a new CPU that would probably cost 20% on top of the CPU and another 50 or so for install.

I still say it is stupid too but hey, this wont affect us at all. Just the non-tech savvy consumers. For them I could recommend this over a chance of unlocking a bad core and corrupting their Windows install (had one at work the other day as a matter of fact) even if it is rare.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

It depends on hpw high up the food chain it goes.
If this turns out to be a pilot program for the entire lineup, I can see some problems for us consumers.
And O'ceers too, as some cherry chips may end up as a never to see the light.
This could lead to clocks etc.
Im just thinking this could end up being a slippery slope if not marketed properly

 

[jimmysmitty]

I think this will only end up as a low end OEM offering. Intel makes more money there than they do off of us anyways.

I can see why it gets to some people but I have seen very few people who go out and buy a Pentium CPU to OC instead of a Core 2 or Core i3/i5/i7.

 

[MarkG]

If this turns out to be a pilot program for the entire lineup, I can see some problems for us consumers.

If Intel apply it to their entire lineup, AMD will have a lot of new customers...

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Yea, if its confined, it may have some usefullness.
But even and old pentium, if they had this, someone could "unlock" this, and make their rig last a while longer, or current gens now, in the future

 

[jimmysmitty]

Yea, if its confined, it may have some usefullness.
But even and old pentium, if they had this, someone could "unlock" this, and make their rig last a while longer, or current gens now, in the future

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=pentium+g6951

https://retailupgrades.intel.com/Page.aspx?Name=Upgrade

it will be confined. Its for retail OEM CPUs. Can't even buy this CPU.

 

[Mousemonkey]

If Intel apply it to their entire lineup, AMD will have a lot of new customers...

Dude, now you are just underestimating stupid, which I hasten to remind you is more abundant than hydrogen and way more dangerous.

 

[AMW1011]

Wait, wait, wait. Are some people actually defending this? This is NOT comparable to AMD's core unlocking. With AMD you may or may not get an unlockable core, it is never guaranteed. Core unlocking also requires a lot of no how that strictly falls under enthusiast terriroty. This move by Intel is PURPOSEFULLY limiting the speed and features of a product and then making you spend more for what they denied you in the first place. For these "cards" to unlock anything, the chip must be easily able to do it. The only market for this "feature" is the OEM crowd who don't know much about computers. It is FAR different than a BIOS tweak.

This is greedy, corrupted filth from Intel. There is no way to defend this or compare this to AMD core unlocking, at least not for rational people.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Wait, wait, wait. Are some people actually defending this? This is NOT comparable to AMD's core unlocking. With AMD you may or may not get an unlockable core, it is never guaranteed. Core unlocking also requires a lot of no how that strictly falls under enthusiast terriroty. This move by Intel is PURPOSEFULLY limiting the speed and features of a product and then making you spend more for what they denied you in the first place. For these "cards" to unlock anything, the chip must be easily able to do it. The only market for this "feature" is the OEM crowd who don't know much about computers. It is FAR different than a BIOS tweak.

This is greedy, corrupted filth from Intel. There is no way to defend this or compare this to AMD core unlocking, at least not for rational people.

I don't recall anyone defending this move, comparing (in a twisted way perhaps) yes, but not defending. Well I wasn't anyway.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Wait, wait, wait. Are some people actually defending this? This is NOT comparable to AMD's core unlocking. With AMD you may or may not get an unlockable core, it is never guaranteed. Core unlocking also requires a lot of no how that strictly falls under enthusiast terriroty. This move by Intel is PURPOSEFULLY limiting the speed and features of a product and then making you spend more for what they denied you in the first place. For these "cards" to unlock anything, the chip must be easily able to do it. The only market for this "feature" is the OEM crowd who don't know much about computers. It is FAR different than a BIOS tweak.

This is greedy, corrupted filth from Intel. There is no way to defend this or compare this to AMD core unlocking, at least not for rational people.

Yes. Thats what we said. But its the same thing in a way. Remember, some of the dual/tri core CPUs AMD sell are really just locked quads that are fine. But this is a guranteed performance boost, while AMDs could result in a boost or nothing at all. Thats where its the same yet a bit different.

And yes, its only set for the OEM space. The CPU alone, Pentium G6951, is only available to OEMs such as Gateway. It could be seen as greed but will work great for people whos PCs I fix every day. And AMD allowing CPUs to unlock that can potentially corrupt an entire OS or even destroy hadrware I would think is not that great either. In fact I wonder if it could lead to a class action lawsuit since they didn't put proper protections against it in there for the actual bad CPUs.

 

[AMW1011]

I don't recall anyone defending this move, comparing (in a twisted way perhaps) yes, but not defending. Well I wasn't anyway.

I never pointed the finger at anyone, I actually agree with you with your posts. It just seems people are forgetting that all these chips are being artificially limited for more profit from the micro processor company that is as close to being a monopoly as you can without actually being one.

 

[AMW1011]

Yes. Thats what we said. But its the same thing in a way. Remember, some of the dual/tri core CPUs AMD sell are really just locked quads that are fine. But this is a guranteed performance boost, while AMDs could result in a boost or nothing at all. Thats where its the same yet a bit different.

And yes, its only set for the OEM space. The CPU alone, Pentium G6951, is only available to OEMs such as Gateway. It could be seen as greed but will work great for people whos PCs I fix every day. And AMD allowing CPUs to unlock that can potentially corrupt an entire OS or even destroy hadrware I would think is not that great either. In fact I wonder if it could lead to a class action lawsuit since they didn't put proper protections against it in there for the actual bad CPUs.

Your not getting it though. AMD core unlocking is for enthusiasts only. And your theory that they purposefully make some that do and some that don't is unproven, though not out of the realm of possibility. An enthusiast will know his chances when he purchases a Phenom II X2 and tries to make it an X4. The general populace who will buy these OEM Intel machines won't know the difference and would NEVER know about core unlocking. Also, the mere fact that Intel can do this to OEM builds is proof that all of the CPUs in these systems are artificially limited and are slower than they can be, but are limited for extra profit from Intel. It is guaranteed, AMD core unlocking is not and it is FREE.