[rob74]

AFAIK it's been like that in CPU space too - e.g. that 6-core CPUs are actually 8-core CPUs with 2 cores deactivated, either because of defects or because they needed more 6-core CPUs?

[numpad0]

It's always like that in consumer semiconductors. Intel has something like 3 to 5 actual silicon variants per generation that covers all dozen or two SKUs.

[pclmulqdq]

This sort of yield-enhancement-by-binning extends to almost every form of semiconductor, from amplifiers to server CPUs.

[nomel]

Sure, but Intel doesn't advertise the number of dead cores.