Bulldoze that Sandy Bridge

[RaV666]

The word "always" is very dangerous word to use because it paints you into a corner.

I happen to know the differences between the parts. If I run out of Lisbon parts I can't put a Thuban die in a C32 package and sell it as a Lisbon. And if I run out of Istanbul I REALLY cannot put a Thuban die in a socket F1207 package.

Physically the dies may fit, but there are logic level changes between each of those dies. Each of the three is a different stepping, Istanbul is D0, Lisbon is D1 and Thuban is E0.

In this instance i would say its pretty possible, they are different masks and istanbul never made it to desktop.Different revisions.
And just a question, could you exchange barcelona and shanghai "parts" ?
And if not, isnt it because after initial production, they got fused/programmed with corresponding features and got their different code names ?.Same revision.
My logic is, yea, they cant be changed one for another, but its because they already got fused differently.Which doesnt change the fact that theyre the same physically.

Its like, phenom 920/940.They were the same as 910, BUT, 920/940 didnt work with am3.910 did.They were same chip with same revision, but different fusing/microcode.

And yes, i shouldnt use the word "always" :-) .But "most of the time" ;-P