Quote:
Originally Posted by DanishDevil
I guess it would be cheaper for Intel to only manufacture one type of die, and have everything software-controlled
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they are already doing that .. for example i7 930, 950, 960, 975 are all the same piece of silicon, made on the same fabrication line with the exact same specs, same everything.
once the dies are finished they go into testing for defects (broken cache? bad cores? leakage current? maximum clock speed? <more>) and get binned to potential products.
now when intel needs to make a bunch of new i930s for example they take from the "low end" bin and produce those chips .. if they have a big big order and the low end bin is empty they'll take from the next higher bin. always better to get rid of inventory and make some money
same is happening with every processor, every gpu, basically every piece of silicon