> If you discovered that the CPU has 8 cores despite being sold as a 6 core, then removing 2 cores with a BIOS update wouldn't be "making the product less useful" either.
Yes it would.
> what if using the feature actually damages the processor after a while?
Tell the owners this, and let them choose whether or not to take that risk.
> Intel isn't forcing anyone to install this BIOS update.
But then you'll be forever vulnerable to whatever the next variant of Spectre is. You can't cherry pick just the good parts of the update while excluding the bad parts.
Yes it would.
> what if using the feature actually damages the processor after a while?
Tell the owners this, and let them choose whether or not to take that risk.
> Intel isn't forcing anyone to install this BIOS update.
But then you'll be forever vulnerable to whatever the next variant of Spectre is. You can't cherry pick just the good parts of the update while excluding the bad parts.