Intel are now selling ‘scratchcards’ which unlock upgrades to the CPU you already own. This is an interesting approach, some people are already bemoaning it saying that once they’ve bought something they should own all of its capabilities, but then again the only difference between a $150 CPU and a $500 CPU is often how it fared in quality control testing. It is therefore hardly surprising that the chip vendor is trying to exploit this opportunity, and if successful it may signal the way forward for low-medium range PCs and consoles. In principle a vendor could sell/lease a high performance CPU at a mid-range price and then enable the user to upgrade it and extend its life for a few more years, this could appeal to consumers because it reduces the upfront cost and improves the longevity of their investment, and for the vendor it essentially secures more future business and improves brand loyalty.

If nothing else this approach is at least attracting attention, so it is a cost effective marketing scheme!