[coreboot] Does the Core2Quad Mobile Q9100 require microcode updates?

[Nico Huber]

On 09.01.2017 23:07, Taiidan at gmx.com wrote:
> Reasons to hate microcode updates:
> * They enable companies to ship broken CPU's and fix them later thus a
> CPU undergoes less testing (remember when software/games didn't have and
> worked fine without a day one patch?)

Well, I remember when a x86 CPU alone cost $1k. You should stop buying
x86 if it's too cheap for your taste.

> * Theoretically a nation state actor could screw around with a CPU and
> have an internal microcode update to secure their own systems, or
> something else like that.

They can have that much more easier by flipping a secret bit somewhere.

> * It is a black box (at least with intel) that is just another step of
> the war on general purpose computing-  the tivoization of hardware.
> 

Might be, but that's not how it started / why we have microcode updates.

These are all good reasons not to buy a CPU that requires black-box
updates. But not against applying the update if you have such a CPU.

Nico