Intel launched Upgrade Service

Probably everyone knows about the possibility of low-end AMD processors that can have additional cores activated. Intel corporation has decided to offer something similar. It launched Upgrade service currently running in test mode. It is planned that processors supported by the service will have possibility to increase computing power by unlocking the hidden performance config. To use this service a special payment card has to be purchased and necessary software has to be downloaded through service. After entering the PIN-code, Intel’s installed software activates locked processor features. t is quite unusual for Intel products to have the ability to unlock processor’s performance config using software — we have already got used with the fact that Intel processors are hardware locked.

At the moment, Intel Upgrade Service is tested on low-end processor. Using this service you can now unlock the performance config of G6951 processors. As a result, the amount of L3 cache increases from 3Mb to 4Mb and HyperThreading technology support becomes available. These changes give a significant performance boost. Intel Upgrade Card is already available for these processors in Best Buy at a price of $50.

This service reminds us of one provided for gamers, when for additional fee gamer gets access to optional game content, which is by the way already available on disk. Let’s hope that together with the launch of CPUs capable of having performance upgrade using Intel’s software, there will be free of charge software, appearing on Internet and made by independent enthusiasts, that can perform same procedures as Intel’s paid software.

More at Intel Upgrade Service.