Patent ID: 8892861

Claim:
A processor, comprising: first logic circuitry to cause said processor's boot up process to be a secure boot up process; second logic circuitry having an interface to communicate to a voltage regulator, said second logic circuitry having an input to accept first information as part of said secure boot up process, said first information indicative of a supply voltage applied to said processor during said secure boot up process; a storage element to store second information indicative of a safe supply voltage operating range of said processor; and comparison circuitry to accept said first information and said second information, said comparison circuitry to compare said first information with said second information to determine whether said supply voltage resides within said safe supply voltage operating range, wherein in response to a determination that said supply voltage resides within said safe supply voltage operating range, said processor is to broadcast to a chipset a signal indicating that it is safe to initiate said processor's boot up process.