Intel has started selling chips with features purposefully disabled so you can pay $50 and unlock them later if you want them.
Overclockers have been unlocking features on chips for years -- but these are usually disabled by the chipmaker due to the chip not passing full quality tests. Overclockers typically run the gauntlet of system stability because they're pushing their chip to performance levels that the chipmaker won't guarantee.
However, according to Hardware.info, which spotted an upgrade card in the United States, Intel is now selling upgrades for certain CPUs. You buy the card (pictured below) in the store which has an iTunes voucher-like PIN number on it, go to Intel's website and download the software (for Win 7 only), run it on your machine, and hey presto, your CPU has extra capabilities -- in this case, some more L3 cache and the ability to do hyperthreading.
The move will be controversial because many people will be surprised to know that Intel has sold them a chip that has had aspects of it deliberately disabled so they can be sold for profit later.
However, other big tech companies have been doing the same thing for years. Microsoft has been selling cheaper versions of Windows with features deliberately disabled, in the hope that you'll want to upgrade to them later when you need them.
What is interesting about Intel's new strategy is that the chipmaker is starting to treat chips as software, rather than hardware.
Depending on how far Intel goes with the scheme, it might allow notebook makers to produce fewer physical models of notebook, and then simply tailor the system with various versions of the Intel upgrade voucher.
Also curious is the fact that although Intel has a live website about the scheme, it is clearly unfinished and not designed for public consumption yet.
The Intel website also provides the following graph as an example of the speed boosts you could expect to see. What's interesting here is that the "before" and "after" stats show two different processor numbers -- so, clearly, Intel's software converts your processor from one model to another internally.
Another interesting point is the question in the FAQ: "How do I return my upgrade?". The answer is: "For specific return policies, please contact the retailer where you purchased your upgradable system."
It's hard to imagine how you could return a processor upgrade to a retailer -- presumably, retailers would only accept an 'unscratched' card. But in the scenario that an upgrade didn't provide the promised performance, we wonder what would happen.
It's not clear yet whether the upgrade vouchers will be sold in Australia -- we've put in an enquiry with Intel Australia and are waiting to hear back.
UPDATE: Intel Australia spokesman Paul McKeon replied that it's a pilot program involving a limited number of customers in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain. It's also limited to a specific processor, the Pentium(r) G6951---which is only available via participating resellers.