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by mcv 3072 days ago
Users can already choose. They can buy old processors without the fix.

I really don't see what case anyone could have against Intel if they just fixed this. Having a fix but turning it off by default seems far more dangerous from a legal perspective. Or having the processor perform far worse in reality than advertised.

2 comments

> They can buy old processors without the fix.

Tell me where you could buy old processors in sufficient quantity today and please explain how a modern motherboard with sufficient RAM would hold such an old processor?

Good question! I found this site that's selling plenty of older Intel processors: https://www.intel.com/buy/us/en/catalog/components/boxedproc...

If that's not old enough, there's also this: https://ark.intel.com/products/series/79666/Legacy-Intel-Cor...

But if you want a processor without this fix, then you're in luck: from what I understand, all modern Intel processors don't have this fix yet. And they're very well supported by motherboards.

And by the time the current crop of processors becomes unavailable, I suspect newer processors will be much faster than anything currently available.

That legacy site only goes to Q1'06. But Spectre/Meltdown affect those and even older CPUs.
Yeah if you could point me towards instructions on how I can install this old processor I just bought in my Macbook that'd be great, also if you know how I can install this old processor in my AWS instances that'd be awesome too.
Macbooks are not great for replacing processors. I was assuming it's not possible at all, but if it is, I'd love to know how.

Though personally I'd be more interested in a new processor.