Re:Very simply. If it could work. (Score 1)

Actually chip fabs could do this pretty easily without multiple dies:

For example, Dallas Semiconductor has made a nice business of laser-etching unique 64 bit identifiers into many of their part lines -- each part is unique! (This takes the form of an 8 bit product and 48 bit serial no. the DS2401 Silicon Serial Number is the simplest in a neat series of such parts.)

Anyway, chips as expensive as CPUs end-up being tested on an automated test rig anyway, so that's a good time clock-rate them, and to then blast an id (with "rate-bits") into them. (Say wasn't Intel going to put an ID into each of their CPUs but this was shot down by privacy-advocates?)

Then this ID could be decoded by CMOS-setup-software and/or the OS boot sequence to display the rated clock speed of the device.

So, barring the politics, this is very feasible. I think it's a great idea; thanks for sharing it Forge! :-)

-Brette