Intel offering CPU upgrades... by software

[diogen]

Here
https://retailupgrades.intel.com/Page.aspx?Name=Upgrade
What can be upgraded
https://retailupgrades.intel.com/Page.aspx?Name=Benefits

According to the FAQ, replacing the mobo invalidates the upgrade.
BIOS? Something like Win7 activation on DELL/HP PCs? Unlocking cores on AMD?
For now it looks like Windows only (that will piss off the Linux crowd...).

Last time Intel ventured into the "security" market was HDCP and everybody knows what happened.
How long will this last "unpatched"? No wonder they start with the i3...

Diogen.

EDIT: It's HDCP, not DHCP. My bad.

 

[mike123abc]

The only way this would ever really be useful is if you got a steal of a deal on a cheap OEM computer and then upgraded it. If you were building a computer from scratch, you could get a better CPU for less money than the CPU+Upgrade price would be.

 

[diogen]

Building an above average PC DIY is always cheaper than buying assembled, brand name or not.
That could be another reason the upgrade is sold only for the entry level i3...

Diogen.

 

[navychop]

Building an above average PC DIY is always cheaper than buying assembled, brand name or not.
That could be another reason the upgrade is sold only for the entry level i3...

Diogen.

Got to disagree. When I build 'em, I start with a PC Power & Cooling power supply, and that alone pretty much makes mine more expensive than off the shelf, in the short term. But mine last longer, and the mobo never gets fried.

 

[diogen]

Following Jerry Pournelle's advice is never a bad idea. But that was many years ago.
You can have 90% of its reliability for less than half $$$...

Diogen.