smithereen :
Theres a difference between not binning as functional for the length of the warrenty period, in a terribly ventilated case, and being useless.
xD. The beginnings of coherency... beautiful.
I'm pretty sure he's trying to address the fact that 550s do not necessarily have dysfunctional 3rd and 4th cores - rather, they were designated as 550s because
a) the cores might not last the warranty period, hence, losing AMD money in the long run. Longevity.
b) the CPU has to pass certain thermal specifications that include negligence on part of the user, such as poorly ventilated cases. In other words, working isn't enough; there has to be some thermal leeway.
c) and uh, the other conclusion, that the 3rd and 4th cores were dysfunctional.
My translation =).