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Why lock the CPU?

R

RancidWAnnaRIot

EspantaPajaros
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
11,033
Why would Proc makers want to lock their CPUs? I mean wouldn't it benefit the company if they left them unlocked?

If they were unlocked more overclockers would buy, and not only that.. people will be more likely to fry their CPU hence they would have to buy more from the company? Is this philosophy wrong? IS there some bigger reason to why they lock CPUs?
 
Intel's first multiplier locked CPU was a certain stepping of the Pentium 133MHz.

Believe it or not overclocking has been around for along time. But over the last 3 or 4 years it has gained some real popularity. Back when you were overclocking original Pentiums or 486's you couldn't get a processor to typically do more than the processor next up the ladder. For example most often you couldn't get a 150 to do more than 180. A 180 not usually more than 200.
 
It's also a company's way of protecting themselves. By locking the processor, you have to go out of your way to cause a nuclear meltdown instead of possibly incorrect settings by mistake. Saves on lawsuits and replacement costs...makes good business sense to me :)
 
Two-fold: one, people were starting to code them different and remark them and sell them as higher procs (think of it, a 2400+ mobile is $78, a 3200+ regular is around $250, for a few minutes of work you could make a huge profit), the other is they want people to move away from the socket A platform and go to the new A64/FX/opteron series.
 
They claimed it was so oem system builders, the smaller/mid level ones, wouldnt overclock procs adn sell them for a higher speed. I dont buy that though. I think its just to discourage newer overclockers.
 
Well you can buy an unlocked P4 if you really search for them, have to be careful when getting Intel Confidential/Engineering Samples though as they are not all the same. Some IC/ES are unlock, some aint :) Mine is, fully :D

3.0C ES @ 3.7GHz
 
One of the earliest reasons for processor locking was that people (mainly asia) would take the old pentium slot cartrigdes apart and put slower chip in them. They would then sell the slower processors at trade shows and the like while they would be left with HUGE profit and a stock of the good processors to do with what they liked. This was a really serious problem and you have to remember that "back in the day" processors could cost more than $1000 and I'm not talking abut any "EE" or "FX" class CPUs either; just the ones rated 33MHz above the cheaper models.
 
Originally posted by MiXdNuTs
This was a really serious problem and you have to remember that "back in the day" processors could cost more than $1000 and I'm not talking abut any "EE" or "FX" class CPUs either; just
the ones rated 33MHz above the cheaper models.
Click to expand...
holy crap...
no wonder my sister bought a 50mhz comp for like 3 or 4 grand in like 94 or something
 
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