Intel charges to unlock CPU features via software

Just read this over on engadget and think that it should be very possible to pirate the codes to to unlock features. It looks like the overclockers in the know would be able to bypass this silly software lock. Also how does this work in linux or other OS that aren't windows.

well for those that dont need much power now cpu wise it would fit them best. if i buy the cpu retail which it most likly wont be sold to. this is going to help intel increase profits.. i see it like someone wanting to put a turbo on their car or increasing the boost of the turbo with a different part. IMO not going to affect us oc'ers.

It looks like the overclockers in the know would be able to bypass this silly software lock. Also how does this work in linux or other OS that aren't windows.

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Overclockers, or enthusiasts in general, probably would never even encounter such a lock. Any third-party board maker probably isn't going to touch such a thing with a 10 foot pole, but not only that, I doubt they'll even be able to implement it... I figure it's probably something specific to actual Intel-branded boards and the proprietary BIOS they use. (The picture in the Engadget article shows the card as being for a Gateway, who tends to use Intel boards with slightly customized BIOSes.)

It does bring up an interesting philosophical question, though: is it possible to pirate your hardware? I mean, say you get ahold of a keygen or unlock code from somewhere online and open up more features of your processor. Does that differ from simply overclocking your CPU, or unlocking a core an an Athlon, same as we've been doing for years? If so, why? Both involve enabling capabilities beyond what you paid for... one is just being sold as a service, while the other isn't. So is one wrong (legally and/or morally), while the other is OK?

Old Thrashbarg said:

It does bring up an interesting philosophical question, though: is it possible to pirate your hardware? I mean, say you get ahold of a keygen or unlock code from somewhere online and open up more features of your processor. Does that differ from simply overclocking your CPU, or unlocking a core an an Athlon, same as we've been doing for years? If so, why? Both involve enabling capabilities beyond what you paid for... one is just being sold as a service, while the other isn't. So is one wrong (legally and/or morally), while the other is OK?

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No, because you're simply providing the service to yourself. It's not illegal to clean your own house instead of paying a maid service. It's not illegal to tune your car yourself instead of hiring a mechanic. If you know how to provide your own service, then there should be no legal basis to say "you must pay someone else for this service". That might not be true for long, though, since the MAFIAA managed to get their music royalty collection service legally mandated. Even if you know how to send money directly to an artist in exchange for directly downloading their music, it's illegal to do it yourself. That's tangential to the topic, though

No, because you're simply providing the service to yourself. It's not illegal to clean your own house instead of paying a maid service. It's not illegal to tune your car yourself instead of hiring a mechanic.

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OK, a valid point. But continuing with the Devil's advocate bit, consider this for a moment:

-Rather than paying money, you go online, find a key code that somebody posted somewhere, enter it into the appropriate text box, and you're on your merry way with an upgraded CPU.

Fine. Simple enough concept, doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with that. But wait a minute:

-Rather than paying money, you go online, find a key code that somebody posted somewhere, enter it into the appropriate text box, and you're on your merry way with an upgraded copy of Windows 7.

You've just done the exact same thing, except now you're a pirate. So where's the difference?

Old Thrashbarg said:

OK, a valid point. But continuing with the Devil's advocate bit, consider this for a moment:

-Rather than paying money, you go online, find a key code that somebody posted somewhere, enter it into the appropriate text box, and you're on your merry way with an upgraded CPU.

Fine. Simple enough concept, doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with that. But wait a minute:

-Rather than paying money, you go online, find a key code that somebody posted somewhere, enter it into the appropriate text box, and you're on your merry way with an upgraded copy of Windows 7.

You've just done the exact same thing, except now you're a pirate. So where's the difference?

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Because you still own that CPU you bought (and the right to use it to its full potential in whatever manner you choose, if you're willing to void your warranty), despite Microsoft turning your Windows license into a renter's contract, where you're only legally allowed to use it in the very specific manner they define.

From the points made here I would think Intell would have to eula their hardware too like Apple does.

if they sold it to me and say it was capable of it in advertising, THEN out of the blue i discovered that is has been disabled, and i actually Pay to re-enable it.
sorry then i would cheat, and try to enable it somehow.

If they were upfront, and it says on the package or computer "CRIPPLED" INTEL Inside, see $50 payment fee for unlocking the actual features.
then i am making an informed descision, and buying it on the "payment plan" could come in usefull.

I also hate plugging in one more activations Junk when trying to upgrade or build a computer, a few here and there isnt bad, but after a while its becomes like traying to crack into a bank vault to use my own computer . Jf8sj-8dsyw9-jw8sytw-h39hk2-sjjf8sh-hekw-EATME i cant even type that many normal letters without screwing up somewhere.

do they actually add this extra work to the chip design? or is this the default way you make a chip, and requires no extra programming, or chipmaking to do this?
is it One and done, a permenent change?
what If i have problems getting it switched? what does 2 hours on the phone to a tech cost?

glad you pointed it out, i never would have known they would do that to a simple CPU.
i could have been standing there wondering why mine dont work right.
I wonder what group of people will be used to inform the unknowing average user that thier CPU just needed to be $50 upgraded? or will it come in a spammy e-mail from intel that no-one will read , after no-one registers online.



. . and I get the OTHER 3 cores when my paycheck comes in

As long as they don't touch the enthusiasts like us(we are, by the way, the reason they keep releasing these enthusiast products) then I will be fine. Like a soccer-mom who wants to buy soccer-balls is going to want a hexacore.

Psycogeec said:

do they actually add this extra work to the chip design? or is this the default way you make a chip, and requires no extra programming, or chipmaking to do this?
is it One and done, a permenent change?

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It's probably all drivers, though I wasn't aware that cache could be faked by drivers. They must have some cooperation from Microsoft and motherboard makers in this, making sure the operating system and BIOS keep HT disabled and falsify cache information. Just use that other operating system that's free and doesn't support this crap

Gateway- now that's an overclocker's "dream machine" there! <rofl>

Back when I had a dual Opty board I used (IIRC) ntune to OC with, as server boards don't usually have any effective OC features in the BIOS.

Because you still own that CPU you bought (and the right to use it to its full potential in whatever manner you choose, if you're willing to void your warranty)

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I would argue, though, that you don't own it.

See, with any other CPU you buy, you are simply buying the object itself. And you are correct that you have the freedom to do with it what you please. Because, no matter what you do to it, you still have the same product that you initially purchased.

What makes this particular situation different is a rather fine distinction: Intel has divided this CPU up into two separate products, that happen to occupy a single object. One product is the limited chip, and the other is, essentially, a software license to use the full capabilities of the chip. When you buy the CPU in its limited form, you only own one of the products contained within it.

So, that leaves a curious situation. It would technically still be fine to overclock or unlock the CPU, as long as you didn't do it by way of an unauthorized 'upgrade code'. However, using the code, if you didn't purchase it, would be piracy, since you would be taking that second product without paying for it.

That's why I don't like the precedent this could set if it catches on. In this particular instance, Intel probably isn't going to care much if a few enterprising individuals get ahold of the codes and unlock their CPUs. But that's not what concerns me. What this could do is open the gates to bring the whole mess of EULAs and licensing out of the software realm and into your hardware itself.

But I do own it. I bought the hardware, and it is mine. I am not obligated to use their artificially-limiting BIOS and operating system. There was a recent lawsuit that I think is a similar issue (GE, I think, and some storage system that required encyption keys on USB drives to use, they bypassed the encryption system so they could use the storage hardware without the accompanying software shackles). /me goes hunting for a link.

Hmmm...interesting article OP. Probably one of those things that'll never impact the OC/Hardcore peeps like us, even if it does become mainstream. IMHO and all that.

It would be interesting to see how it turns out. If this is simply for OEMs and an attempt to make their cheapest offerings cheaper, that's one thing. If they start doing this for all of their offerings and Intel starts doing this for all the chips they sold, even to those that just bought the chip itself like us, then I go from an Intel and AMD user to just an AMD user.