# Some strange things about CPUs



## plamenppp (Nov 23, 2009)

I was studding the prices at http://www.thriftybits.com and I noticed something strange. Look at he picture of the Pentium 3 & AMD fiber chips in the price list. Something is missing. It is the silicon part! I know that pure (by pure I do not mean 100% but a little less) silicon is used in solar battery (photovoltaic) making. Is there anyone who buys silicon for this purpose? 

If I am wrong the administrator should delete this post.


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## samuel-a (Nov 23, 2009)

the silicon waffers are not that expensive in contrast with their production costs...

i have been dealing a little bit with solar panel in the past and came to know that the raw materials are only a friction of the cost of the panels....

i have been stipping (yes in a cell) a few of those today... i belive the only precious part in them are the golden AMD writing and corners...
maybe some gold in the solder..


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## qst42know (Nov 23, 2009)

The silicon scrap that can be used for solar cells are the full sized wafers from the manufacturer, not the tiny crumbs cut into computer chips.


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## DNIndustry (Nov 26, 2009)

Actually Silicon is refined into ingots. Intel had some info on the process. Lots of checks and balances but could be profitable


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## plamenppp (Nov 26, 2009)

Yesterday I noticed something strange about two cpus - both AMD Duro

They had difference in the color of the pins. The one was lighter than the other. Why is this? Is there difference in the amount of the gold plating?

The quality of the picture is not good but the change in the color is not due to the flashlight.


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## patnor1011 (Nov 26, 2009)

It is normal. Even that they are both from same manufacter they are different type/speed.


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## goldsilverpro (Nov 26, 2009)

Maybe, the darker one was plated on a day when the gold plating system was a little out of whack, but the final color, thickness, etc., were still within their parameters. Maybe, they were plated in different facilities. Maybe, one was plated by Joe and the other by Frank.


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## Barren Realms 007 (Nov 26, 2009)

goldsilverpro said:


> Maybe, the darker one was plated on a day when the gold plating system was a little out of whack, but the final color, thickness, etc., were still within their parameters. Maybe, they were plated in different facilities. Maybe, one was plated by Joe _*and the other by Frank*_.





hey keep my name out of this, I had nothing to do with it. :mrgreen:


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## qst42know (Nov 27, 2009)

DNIndustry said:


> Actually Silicon is refined into ingots. Intel had some info on the process. Lots of checks and balances but could be profitable



Perhaps with a virgin scrap supply at the scale of Intel they might be worth saving. 

How many grams of silicon are in a ton of CPU's? And who would you get to pick them out?


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## plamenppp (Nov 27, 2009)

qst42know said:


> DNIndustry said:
> 
> 
> > Actually Silicon is refined into ingots. Intel had some info on the process. Lots of checks and balances but could be profitable
> ...



Good question. I suppose the ones who make solar panels. They need silicon. They get from the sand. The silicon from the sand is not pure.


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