Intel Upgrade Service is just what it sounds like. A program that lets users upgrade their systems, but not through hardware purchases but simply by downloading a piece of software that unlocks functionality already found in side the system, in this case Intel Pentium G6951.
Intel has released a special version of the dual-core 32nm Intel Pentium CPU that operates at 2.8 GHz, without HyperThreading and limited L3 cache. By paying 50 USD you get a PIN code that can be used in an application to unlock HyperThreading and 1MB extra L3 cache. More or less the same what AMD lets users do with the Phenom-familj, but free of charge and without warranties.
Intel is currently running a test period with the Upgrade Service in USA, Canada, Spain and the Netherlands. At the same time it is just one of Intel’s processors that is affected and you need an Intel DH55TC or DH55PJ motherboard to make it work. This should tell you that the upgrade service is mainly intended for system builders and PC manufacturers.
Exactly what the upgradable Intel Pentium G6951 processor costs is unclear, but the locked equivalent Intel Pentium G6950 costs 87 USD, while a Core i3-530 CPU with 2.93 GHz clock frequency and same 4MB cache and HyperThreading as the unlocked processor costs 113 USD. This makes the upgrade cost sound a bit high. How the project will fan out is still uncertain.
