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Solve : Intel Charging you $50 to unlock features your processor already has? |
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Answer» http://www.anandtech.com/show/4621/intel-to-offer-cpu-upgrades-via-software-for-selected-models http://www3.intel.com/cd/channel/reseller/asmo-na/eng/480256.htm https://retailupgrades.intel.com/Page.aspx?Name=Upgrade http://www.cpubenchmark.net/mid_range_cpus.html A Pentium G620 gets a Passmark score of 2462. Intel claims its upgrade boosts performance by a maximum of 23% in some applications. So in best case scenario 2462*123% = 3028.26. http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html That gives me the performance of an Athlon II X3 460, which retails for $89.99 and has a score of 3018. A Pentium G620 with upgrade retails for $72.88+50 = $122.88. If you compare apples to apples then there is the i3-550, which has a Passmark score of 3090 and which retails for $129.99. Not good. I am thoroughly disappoint. Granted, these are all theoretical benchmarks, but Intel did use Sysmark 2007 to achieve the benchmark result of a 23% performance boost on the Pentium G622.As a manufacturer and the patent HOLDER i'd say their well within their rights...And MAY I add, as a former stock holder, it sounds like a great business plan. Let's wait and see how this goes over. Meanwhile, lets not talk about it. EDIT: One of those links leads to another where you can see that AMD is the better value on a tight budget. But, I shall not put that link here. That would be off topic.This is hardly new. If you are aware of older processors, you know that the earlier RELEASED chips, such as the 8088, 80286, 80386 and 80486 came in a few different versions. With the 8088 286, you had the 286/8088 CPU, but you could also purchase a 80287 or 8087 chip, which provided FPU capabilities not found on the CPU. the 386 came in 386DX and 386SX versions, each of which had their own FPU of that model. the difference was the SX had a shorter data bus. However, with the 486, you had the 486DX and 486SX. the 486DX had a FPU, but the 486SX didn't, and you had to purchase a 487SX chip to get a FPU. At least, that's what Intel wanted you to think. the 486SX chips were in fact just 486DX chips that had their FPU disabled. One can surmise that because they could fetch more as DX chips, these might have been chips whose FPU's failed QA. However, Intel was DESPERATE to prevent competing chipmakers from getting much of their market, and since many of them were trying to carve a niche in low cost systems they might have gone into it knowing it would be a loss, and TRY to make up for it with the 487SX chips. the 487SX chips were in fact just 486DX chips. when you install a 487SX into a system, it disables the main CPU and does everything; because it is a 486DX. And they cost a *censored* of a lot more than 50 dollars. In fact, the 487SX cost more than a 486DX chip would have cost in the first place, so the person will have paid for the 486SX chip + the system, then they would have to pay nearly the same amount to upgrade to the 487SX. So no this isn't really new. |
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