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From: MitchAlsup on 12 Sep 2008 16:07
On Sep 12, 4:22 am, Elcaro Nosille <ElcaroNosi...(a)akapost.com> wrote:
> I've got a question regarding Intel-CPUs:
>
> Is it true that Core-2-CPUs of the same stepping
> differ in the minimum/maximum voltage?

Let me preface this by indication I know nothing in particular about
Intel manufacturing.

However, at several companies I worked at over the last 25 years, the
company would test parts and then assign them market bins. A market
bin was a 2 dimensional bin with max frequency range on one axis and
max power consumption on the other axis. From this set of bins, one
could pick parts and assemble these into a large number of offerings.

We would see chips from the same wafer that would go in the high
frequecy and high power bins and other chips from the same wafer go
into lower frequency and lower power bins. You don't have to get to
the mask revision level (or process tweeks) to see these effects.

Thus, it is highly likely that multiple CPUs from the same stepping
and targeted towards the same frequency range could differ in their
sensitivity to voltage and frequencies.

Secondly, after the above binning takes place, the chips can be
"featured" by using a laser and cutting fuses to change the behavior
of the chips. Everything from cutting the size of caches in half, to
maximum frequency, to sensitivities to power input controls can be
"featured" after the chip has been manufactured. Some chips even go so
far as to allow you to un-break these fuses if you know a secret
microcode password.

Mitch
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