Intel Upgrade Service Explained

The Intel Upgrade Service was a relatively short-lived and controversial program of Intel that allowed some low-end processors to have additional features unlocked by paying a fee and obtaining an activation code that was then entered in a software program, which ran on Windows 7.

The program was introduced in September 2010 for the Clarkdale-based Pentium G6951 desktop processor (operating at 2.8 GHz), and immediately met with criticism from the specialist press.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]} For a $50 fee, this processor could have one additional megabyte of cache enabled, as well as hyper-threading, making it almost like the Core i3-530, except for the slightly lower frequency that remained unchanged—the i3-530 operated at 2.93 GHz.^[3] The official designation for the software-upgraded processor was Pentium G6952.^[3] In order for the activation software to work, the motherboard had to have the DH55TC or DH55PJ chipset.^[1] One reviewer noted that at the market price of the time one could actually buy the i3-530 for only $15 more than the baseline Pentium G6951, making the upgrade premium card a very questionable proposition at the official price.^[6]

The program was extended in 2011 to the Sandy Bridge series of processors as follows:^[7]

• the Core i3-2312M (2.1 GHz, 3 MB cache) laptop processor could be upgraded to the Core i3-2393M with higher frequency and more cache (2.5 GHz, 4 MB cache)
• the Core i3-2102 (3.1 GHz, 3 MB cache) desktop processor could be upgraded to the Core i3-2153 with a higher frequency (3.6 GHz)
• the Pentium G622 desktop processor (2.6 GHz, 3 MB cache) could be upgraded to the Pentium G693 with a higher frequency (3.2 GHz)

The Sandy Bridge upgrade program was available in U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, the Netherlands, Germany, the Philippines, and Indonesia.^[8]

Intel initially defended the program,^[8] but it was eventually discontinued in 2011.^[9]

See also

• Crippleware
• Overclocking
• Product binning
• Total cost of ownership

Notes and References

1. Web site: Paul . Ian . Intel's Annoying Pilot Program Offers Chip Upgrade for a Fee . PCWorld . 2013-12-25.
2. Web site: Cooper . Daniel . The Intel Upgrade Service: Once again charging you $50 to do stuff your CPU already does . Engadget.com . 2013-12-25.
3. Web site: Bright . Peter . Intel's upgradable processor: good sense or utter catastrophe? . Ars Technica . 2010-09-22 . 2013-12-25.
4. Web site: Kingsley . Adrian . Facepalm of the Day: Intel charges customers $50 to unlock CPU features . https://web.archive.org/web/20100922191822/http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/facepalm-of-the-day-intel-charges-customers-50-to-unlock-cpu-features/9742 . dead . September 22, 2010 . ZDNet . 2010-09-19 . 2013-12-25.
5. Web site: Cory Doctorow at 12:09 am Sun, Sep 19, 2010 . Intel + DRM: a crippled processor that you have to pay extra to unlock . Boing Boing . 2010-09-19 . 2013-12-25.
6. Web site: Intel returns to upgrade cards for more of their crippled parts | PC Perspective . Pcper.com . 2013-12-25.
7. Web site: Intel to Offer CPU Upgrades via Software for Selected Models . AnandTech . 2013-12-25.
8. Web site: Intel: Processor Upgrade Program Saves Tearing Apart PC . PCWorld . 2013-12-25.
9. Web site: Intel Services - Program Information . Upgrades.intel.com . 2012-02-22 . 2013-12-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131225194256/https://upgrades.intel.com/Public/Page.aspx?name=PublicLandingPage . 2013-12-25 . dead .