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Pre-Production Samples

Sample chip information

Sample chips are processors made for evaluation- and testing purposes. They sometimes have features the final production versions miss, like an unlocked clock multiplier or other features later deactivated in the production version. Some samples might also lack features of later development stages that are integrated in the final product. There are different kinds of sample chips for different purposes:

Engineering Sample
A chip revision from within the product development stages, a prototype or beta version. It is a working sample of the planned final product with all its characteristics and properties. Engineering samples are used for development and evaluation of all kinds of issues related to the chip, like electrical specifications and heat dissipation. They are also sent to mainboard- and component manufacturers to provide ways for them to develop their product around an upcoming production version.
Engineering sample chips have markings like 'ES' or 'Sample'. Intel versions also are marked with a Q-Spec number (like Q525 for a Celeron ES) in comparison to the S-Spec product code number of the production version (SL2TR for the same Celeron type). There are also markings like 'not for resale' or 'Intel confidential'.

Qualification Sample / Customer Sample
A final chip revision identical to the commercial product. It is sent to OEMs to let them validate their hardware with the upcoming final chip.
Older Intel qualification samples where called 'Customer Sample' and marked with 'CS', newer chips are marked with 'QS' and have a Q-Spec number. Most also have prints like 'not for resale' or 'Intel confidential'.

Mechanical Sample
A non-working dummy version of a chip that has the same mechanical properties as a final production version. It uses the same package and pinout of a working version but does not have working internals. Mechanical samples are given to component manufacurers to allow them mechanically adjust components like sockets, chip coolers or mainboard layouts to the chip.

Thermal Sample
A processor version used to validate the thermal specs of a chip. A thermal sample usually does not boot but only generates the amount of heat the final chip is specified for. They allow testing heat dissipation technologies and design aspects regarding temperature issues.

Marketing Sample
A chip especially made for presentation, usually with nice, polished surfaces and big logos.

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11 Sample chips in collection: