# CPU Overview - Gold in the Chips



## nigthmare_2002 (Dec 29, 2009)

Hi, it's a good forum 

but, to find something in the forum too much time is needed.

So I would like to build a quick summary of ingredients:


Typ --------------------- Gold mg (milligramm) /pieces 

Intel 4004 --------------------- ???
Intel 4040 --------------------- ???
Intel 8008 --------------------- ???
Intel 8080 --------------------- ???
Intel 8085 --------------------- ???
Intel 8086 --------------------- ???
Intel 8087 --------------------- ???
Intel 8088 --------------------- ???


Intel 80186 --------------------- ???
Intel 80187 --------------------- ???
Intel 80188 --------------------- ???
Intel 80286 --------------------- ???
Intel 80287 --------------------- ???
Intel 80386 (i386 / sx) ---------------- ???
Intel 80387 (i386 dx) ------------------ ???
Intel 80486 (i486) --------------------- 33 ?
Intel 80487 (i486 sx) ------------------ 33 ?
I 486 OverDrive ------------------------ ???
Intel 80501 (Intel Pentium 1) --------- ???
Intel 80502 (Intel Pentium 1) --------- ???
Intel 80503 (Intel Pentium MMX) ----- 20 ?
Pentium Overdrive --------------------- ???
Intel Pentium Pro ----------------------- ???
Intel Pentium 2 ------------------------- ???
Intel Pentium 3 ------------------------- ???
Intel Pentium 4 ------------------------- ???
Intel Celeron ---------------------------- ???
Intel XEON ------------------------------ ???
Intel XEON 2 ---------------------------- ???
Intel Itanium 1 ------------------------- ???
Intel Itanium 2 ------------------------- ???
Intel 860 (Paragon) -------------------- ???
Intel 960 -------------------------------- ???
Intel ARM / XSCALE ------------------- ???


AMD - K5 --------------------- ???
AMD - K6 --------------------- ???
AMD - K10 -------------------- ???
AMD Athlon ------------------ ???
AMD Athlon 64 --------------- ???

IBM 6x86 --------------------- ???

Cyrix 486 --------------------- ???
Cyrix 586 --------------------- ???
Cyrix 686 --------------------- ???
Cyrix III ----------------------- ???


Gold-Fingers PCI/ISA------------------------------------0,8 - 1 Gramm Au / 1000 Gramm Fingers

Gold plated pins on Mainboard, cards, cd-rom ------0,002% Ag + 0,063 % Au




i hope, you can help to complete the list with types and gold ingredients.

its also simply for anybody.


----------



## Oz (Dec 29, 2009)

You are kidding, right?


----------



## glorycloud (Dec 29, 2009)

:lol: 

He has come seeking the Holy Grail. 

:lol:


----------



## teclu (Dec 30, 2009)

Hello,


You can get 0 mg Au/piece but also approximately 1000 mg Au/piece, of course you can know this just trying to remove Au from those CPU's.

teclu


----------



## Oz (Dec 30, 2009)

teclu said:


> You can get 0 mg Au/piece but also approximately 1000 mg Au/piece, of course you can know this just trying to remove Au from those CPU's



teclu,
I do not know if that was “tongue in cheek” or intentional, but you speak the truth with this statement. A person could know the exact content of every CPU ever made and not be able to even come close to that in their recovery. Knowing the proper way to process the different types of CPUs is what will determine your yield more than anything else. It is much like panning for gold and about just as financially rewarding. Just because it is there does not mean you will see or get it. Even if you are successful in getting it, there is still a lot of work involved compared to the reward.

Nigthmare,

I do welcome you to the forum, but what you asked would not do you much good even if someone that had personally processed all of the components that you requested yields on was willing to give their data to you. It would serve little use unless you were already a very experienced refiner which would mean you would not be asking. Since this is your first day here look around a bit and ask a few questions about 1 item or 1 process and you will find many willing to help you. Electronics can be one of the most challenging things to get good recoveries from.


----------



## Palladium (Dec 30, 2009)

glorycloud said:


> :lol:
> 
> He has come seeking the Holy Grail.
> 
> :lol:





Oz said:


> You are kidding, right?



ROTFL

http://tinyurl.com/yoap2a


----------



## nigthmare_2002 (Dec 30, 2009)

@ Oz

no, but there must be some information about the material contains


@glorycloud 

can you say me, wher i find the Holy Grail *lol*


--
Unfortunately it gets here with me no information from the refinery.
I just wanted to contribute a compact overview on the forum.

i have edit gramm to milligramm


----------



## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Dec 30, 2009)

Guys,How about to take a look to the list of gold contents that it is posted in this wonderful Forum?

I am an honest thief...this list was first posted by a member so I downloaded it and I reposted a few months later.

Of course,the list is not completely accurate but helps a lot when you are going to buy microprocessors.

Behave yourselves

Manuel


----------



## plamenppp (Dec 30, 2009)

Palladium said:


> glorycloud said:
> 
> 
> > :lol:
> ...




He is not kidding. I am also interested in making/getting a chart like this. 
About the fingers and pins - IMPOSIBLE! Mixed fingers & pins - mixed data ... 
I've been thinking about this for a long time but I can not get enough cpus 
If someone makes some tests - please do it for at least 75 pieces.


----------



## goldsilverpro (Dec 30, 2009)

There's only one way to find out what's really in those parts and you all know what that is.


----------



## dick b (Dec 30, 2009)

Here's a thought.

If you put a thumbnail photo next to each type, it would help member's identify the different processors that are being discussed.

The problem though is that there are several socket types for most of them and they all have different yields.

That might be more useful in the data section as a reference.

dickb


----------



## nigthmare_2002 (Dec 30, 2009)

@dick

its a good idea ... but how to create a table in the forum with pics and data?

moderator can help ?


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Jan 1, 2010)

nigthmare_2002 said:


> @dick
> 
> its a good idea ... but how to create a table in the forum with pics and data?
> 
> moderator can help ?




Do some searching and you will be amazed at what you will find here. You will need to put some effort in to your endevor of finding information. (Forgive me Harold for the spelling).

This was posted by another user here on the forum not sure who.

View attachment Gold content list in CPU chips.xls


----------



## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Jan 2, 2010)

BINGO!!!!!!...this is the list I was talking about.
Regards.
Manuel


----------



## nigthmare_2002 (Jan 2, 2010)

thats very good  thank you

have you tested this ?

but, not all cpu's on the list 

maybe we can complet this list here.

regards


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Jan 2, 2010)

nigthmare_2002 said:


> thats very good  thank you
> 
> have you tested this ?
> 
> ...



If I remember right I pulled it off of a post by Lasersteve (correct me if I'm wrong) and I assume it was from tests that the author had done.


----------



## plamenppp (Jan 4, 2010)

Juan Manuel Arcos Frank said:


> BINGO!!!!!!...this is the list I was talking about.
> Regards.
> Manuel




Yes, this is the document. The question is "Is it precise?". In my oppinion the gold content is very exceeded. And because few people will share their data do some tests. Buy at least 75 cpus of a type. This way the losses (if any) will be a small % of the gold yeild. 

Good luck!


----------



## patnor1011 (Jan 4, 2010)

plamenppp said:


> Juan Manuel Arcos Frank said:
> 
> 
> > BINGO!!!!!!...this is the list I was talking about.
> ...



Potential loss in refining is not caused by amount of processed material but by other factors as process, equipment, skills etc... I would not recommend anyone fairly new in refining to process large volumes just for sake to get yields as they will be dissapointed. We will never know exact amounts of gold which can be extracted from various types of e-scrap as they differs in age, usage, type, condition...... /you can get 100 CPUs exactly same type but they will be of different "wear & tear condition", factory, production dates/ That is why nobody is going to tell that Pentium Pro will yield 1.1245g of pure gold - becouse one might yield 0.6 and another exactly the same type 1g. Most of data information are like from x to y where result depens of your skills, technique, labware, condition of processed items, quality of chemicals and so on. No I dont want to discourage anyone in pursuing knowledge of what will yield this or that. It took me while to realize that this is very different area of refining. Lets take fingers for example. We are familliar with term "close cut fingers". What is close cut to one person is not too close to another one. If one person leave 1mm of board where plating ends Jack might leave two and Joe might cut that close that there is only plating in it. This means that Joe needs more ram sticks to his pound of fingers than Jack but his yield will be much higher than Joe`s and two of them can argue that his yield is correct and it cant be true what the other one claim. 
I am perfectly happy with lower end of range from x to y that shows me that I am on good way and that is also pushing me to check my methods, habits, materials to achieve better results. Somewhere was written that there is 1 gram of gold in Pentium Pro. That doesnt mean that everyone who will process that CPU will get that gram of gold. Some people will get gram some will get only half of it...
The only thing we know for sure is that gold is there, and becouse of this forum and everyone who actively participate we know how we can get it home...


----------



## plamenppp (Jan 5, 2010)

I agree, I agree. Therefore one should take 75 piecese of exactly the same cpus - same model, same MHz, same year. They must be cleaned very well from the heat paste. I will collect Pentium I cpus since now, because I have about 10 of them. Unfortunately, they are different - mostly MMX.


----------



## Oz (Jan 5, 2010)

The heat paste can contain silver.


----------



## nigthmare_2002 (Jan 5, 2010)

why the people on ebay to pay more for cpu than it allegedly contained gold? :?


----------



## qst42know (Jan 5, 2010)

Greed and lack of knowledge would be a possible guess.


----------



## Chumbawamba (Feb 19, 2010)

If it's a single unit then it might have more to do with its value as a collectable, as many people collect CPUs and chips. If it's a large lot then probably either someone who knows something everyone else doesn't or (more likely) someone who doesn't know what they're doing.


----------



## CHARLIE GREENLER (Aug 8, 2010)

If it helps there is .1 gram to .5 grams of gold in all of the cpu,s you listed.Pen Pro,s are concidered a heavyweight at .434 grams each.Thats all after refining as pure weights.Thats as good as I can do.It all adds up.


----------



## gold4mike (Aug 9, 2010)

Speculation may be a contributing factor on the eBay bidding as well. If you believe that gold will hit $2500/oz. in the near future you may be willing to pay more for scrap.


----------



## goldsilverpro (Aug 9, 2010)

I think it's just ignorance. The possible values are hyped up so much by the sellers that these people just get suckered in.


----------



## Anonymous (Sep 12, 2010)

the foll link can help u with the goold content in the different processors..it givs an approximate estimation
http://www.scribd.com/doc/28911037/Gold-Content-List-in-CPU-Chips


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Sep 12, 2010)

sohailsgupta said:


> the foll link can help u with the goold content in the different processors..it givs an approximate estimation
> http://www.scribd.com/doc/28911037/Gold-Content-List-in-CPU-Chips



That is a spread sheet that I found some where here on the forum and posted a few times. The data on the sheet is not confirmed. You should do your own yield data for your own processes.


----------



## Renaldas (Sep 21, 2010)

sohailsgupta said:


> the foll link can help u with the goold content in the different processors..it givs an approximate estimation
> http://www.scribd.com/doc/28911037/Gold-Content-List-in-CPU-Chips



Data for a lot of CPUs in this table is overestimated, especially for Pentium Pro.


----------



## dtectr (Sep 21, 2010)

Renaldas said:


> sohailsgupta said:
> 
> 
> > the foll link can help u with the goold content in the different processors..it givs an approximate estimation
> ...



As BarrenRealms 007 stated, he merely posted this table here after he found it elsewhere, he didn't create it. 
He & everyone who has referred to it states that these yields are likely exaggerated. 
I believe one of the senior members stated recently that this table could have been 
planted where we would find it by one of those unethical ebayers to try to get us to 
buy his over-priced CPUs.


----------



## Anonymous (Sep 21, 2010)

I finished this post after dtectr posted his reply,I want my reply read as well,but I am aware of what dtectr wrote.


That CPU yield list has been discussed several times on the forum,and is not accurate.Not even close.I would not even suggest using it as a rough estimate.I would love to post all of my yield findings,but I don't for 2 reasons,first and foremost,I do not process gold for my health or because I have extra time and it is fun.I do it for gold and money plain and simple.I do not mind helping others learn the correct way to process,but that is as far as I go.The more information people know about the gold content in items,the more competition there will be when it comes to buying things.
Secondly,I do not want my yield results critiqued.The results I have are consistent batch after batch and that is just fine with me.I know what I can pay for something and still make a profit after chemicals.


----------



## wrecker45 (Oct 2, 2010)

why not do a batch of mixed cpus and have a ballpark amount of grams of gold per lb of cpus


----------



## Anonymous (Oct 2, 2010)

wrecker45 said:


> why not do a batch of mixed cpus and have a ballpark amount of grams of gold per lb of cpus


The problem with that is there are so many 100's of different kinds of cpu's and manufacturers,and as if thats not enough,the gold content is not always the same,for the same two make/model chips.Sticking with the same make/model you can get an accurate estimate.I wish I had the time to process one pound of each kind of chips.


----------



## JJH (Oct 3, 2010)

Hey,

How long does it take to process one chip (processor) for gold. Does anyone know.

Jon


----------



## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2010)

There are too many variables to answer that correctly.If you had a small chip grinder and some mercury,you could have a 24k button in about an hour,if you rushed.However most people don't have access to grinders,they use mills.And most people don't have mercury,they use acid,or cyanide.In the case of acid,there are several different acids and countless different methods to choose.So for an accurate answer we would need to know exactly each method used to process that cpu,but just to give you an estimate,it could take anywhere from a couple of hours,to a couple of days.


----------



## GrailSeeker (Oct 3, 2010)

JJH said:


> Hey,
> 
> How long does it take to process one chip (processor) for gold. Does anyone know.
> 
> Jon




I don't know if it would be feasible to do so. You then would be producing a small grain of less than a gram. It would be safer to do 5-10 every time.


----------



## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2010)

GrailSeeker said:


> I don't know if it would be feasible to do so.


It is difficult unless you have the correct equipment.
Some of the smallest batches we process are still over 10 pounds.


----------



## JJH (Oct 5, 2010)

Thanks,

I'll back out of that awkward, bordering on lazy question. I will find out for myself and keep good notes.

One quick question though. In reading about the different acid methods would you say there would be any advantage with having the processors, chips.....etc. broken or ground....or finly ground. Machine shops work is very cheap here. Once built there would be no difference in time between the grinding processes.

Jon


----------



## Anonymous (Oct 5, 2010)

I buy processed ceramic chips for $5 per pound plus shipping,unless thay are all amd's then it's $4 per pound.

Processing the powder is not as easy as the unbroken chips.The filter process is difficult at best.

If you,or anyone else,is interested in selling me your processed chips just send me a PM.


----------



## Lionhead (Aug 30, 2011)

Does anyone know if the electroplated gold contained in cpu processors are 9k,10k,14k,18k,22k,24k (pre-refined)? Also does the gold karat in processors vary depending on type of cpu processor?


----------



## Palladium (Aug 30, 2011)

Their is no karat gold in processors as in jewelry. It's either 24 karat gold plated or 24 karat gold wire as far as I know.


----------



## patnor1011 (Aug 30, 2011)

Lionhead said:


> Does anyone know if the electroplated gold contained in cpu processors are 9k,10k,14k,18k,22k,24k (pre-refined)? Also does the gold karat in processors vary depending on type of cpu processor?



Electroplating in CPU is done with pure gold, 24k.


----------



## goldsilverpro (Aug 30, 2011)

All yellow, gold colored, plated gold on electronics is very close to 24K - ALL is 23K plus. No exceptions and this has held true for at least 45 years! Anyone suggesting that yellow gold plating of a lesser karat is used (or even possible) has no idea of what they are talking about.


----------



## Lionhead (Aug 30, 2011)

Good stuff, Thanks


----------



## joem (Sep 4, 2011)

goldsilverpro said:


> All yellow, gold colored, plated gold on electronics is very close to 24K - ALL is 23K plus. No exceptions and this has held true for at least 45 years! Anyone suggesting that yellow gold plating of a lesser karat is used (or even possible) has no idea of what they are talking about.



Even on fingers?


----------



## Anonymous (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes even on fingers.


----------



## joem (Sep 5, 2011)

mic said:


> Yes even on fingers.



So then after removing foils from fingers, can they be melted as is ( obviously I know they can), but what karat value would the buuton be?


----------



## jimdoc (Sep 5, 2011)

That would depend on how well you cleaned them to get rid of all the metal from underneath the gold before you melted them. And it is so easy to get it purer at the foil stage, it makes little sense to melt it then.

Jim


----------



## goldsilverpro (Sep 5, 2011)

Gold plating is used mainly for the purpose of preventing corrosion to the nickel plated copper or kovar or whatever it's plated onto. For anything that is inserted into a connector, etc., such as fingers or pins, the gold plating is hardened (and brightened) by adding small amounts of a metal salt (usually cobalt or nickel) to the gold plating bath. When plated, the Co or Ni alloys with the gold. 

This hardened, alloyed gold will allow more connector insertion cycles (plug and unplug), without excessive wear, than would a pure gold deposit. The hardened gold plating usually runs from 99.00% to 99.90% pure, not pure enough to be deemed Pure, or Fine gold (needs to be at least 99.95% pure to meet this criteria). The most common is probably 99.7-99.8% pure. If too much of the hardening metal is used, the electrical conductivity of the gold deposit will decrease to a level that is unacceptable.

About the only items that are plated with pure 99.99% gold are those that will be subsequently heated for such things as brazed die attachment and/or brazed lid attachment on certain IC packages. If the gold weren't pure, the alloying metals could oxidize and discolor the gold, when heated. This oxidation could cause many problems, besides appearance, with such things as wire bonding, soldering, and poor contacts when the package leads are inserted into a connector.

The only time I have ever seen electronics gold plating of less than 99% purity was a 60/40, Au/Pd alloy plated on certain reed switches, and that deposit was white. Plated gold alloys are of a very different color than their cast counterparts. They are generally much paler. For example, when you buy a 14K or 18K plating bath for jewelry, the actual gold purity of the deposit is usually in the 22K - 23K range. These baths only produce a 14K or 18K COLOR. A similar situation exists with real gold leaf. I have a 25 sheet book of actual 16K gold leaf that is very pale yellow, almost white, in color.

Even 99.0% plated gold will appear paler than 99.9%. It is difficult to see the true color of gold because it is obscured by its glare and brightness. To see the true color of a plated or cast gold item, place a white Kleenex over it and put a drop or 2 of water on the Kleenex. The wet Kleenex, where it clings to the gold, should be smooth with no wrinkles or tears. This eliminates any glare and you'll see the true color. This works best when comparing 2 items, side by side. This wet Kleenex method is often used, by those in the know, to control and adjust the color produced by jewelry plating baths. They plate polished brass panels (about 1" x 4") with the bath in its present state and compare the color with panels plated when the bath was depositing the exact color they want. Jewelers are very picky when it comes to the color of gold.

In 45 years of dealing with electronics refining, I have only seen solid gold used a mere handful of times and, except for the pure gold bonding wires used on ICs, it was only used in very rare, very obscure applications. The typical gold you see is most always plated. Due to it's costs, gold is never plated thicker than is needed. For large plane areas or for other non-wear surfaces, figure 10 millionths of an inch (about $.18/in2, at an $1800 market), or less. For those areas that could experience wear, such as pins or fingers, the average is about 25 - 30 millionths ($.45 - $.54/in2). For parts that must be heated for die attach, etc., about 45 - 60 millionths ($.81 - $1.08/in2). These are just averages and there are many exceptions to these general guidelines. For example, when I had my last refinery, I saw trimmed fingers that ran from $45/# to $405/#, based on an $1800 market. In general, but not always, the gold plating on military parts will be thicker, as a thicker gold will provide greater reliability and longevity. 

During WWII, and, in earlier years, the gold was often plated quite thick, especially on military parts. At that time, the gold was mainly plated from alkaline cyanide solutions and the deposits tended to be more porous. This, plus the fact that they hadn't yet compiled adequate data, resulted in the manufacturers applying thick gold deposits, just to make sure the components were protected. I once processed several drums of WWII (I think) pins that ran 1 troy oz. of gold per pound. There was also a very thick layer of silver plated under the gold. According to some posts on this forum, much of the Russian electronics from later years also had very thick gold plated over a thick silver layer. 

Another possible gold source in these CPUs is when 96Au/4Si or 80Au/20Sn braze preforms are used for die (the IC chip) and/or lid attachment. Although they cover a much smaller area, they are usually 20 to 40 times thicker than the gold plating on those same parts.


----------



## EwasteD (Nov 23, 2011)

Patnor great response!

What people don't realize is refining isn't a "perfect" science nor is sampling. No two lots are EVER the same, no matter how identical the material appears with the human eye.


----------



## patnor1011 (Nov 24, 2011)

EwasteD said:


> Patnor great response!
> 
> What people don't realize is refining isn't a "perfect" science nor is sampling. No two lots are EVER the same, no matter how identical the material appears with the human eye.



You probably meant this one :mrgreen: 
:arrow: http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=11954


----------



## Marcel (Feb 26, 2012)

This a an MMX taped CPU. Has anybody some good advice on how to get rid of the plastic lid?
My next step was to have it lay in HCl, to remove tin.

Weight is around 0,5 g


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 26, 2012)

Use a hammer and tap on it and the plastic should start craking up so you can remove it.


----------



## Marcel (Feb 26, 2012)

Somehow that hammer thing did not work for me. Just cracked the die out of the leadframe. 
Put the whole on a heater for a while, but that plastic lid wouldnt melt or peel off.
I have cleaned the CPU with hot HCl from tin and other BM now and guess its a case for AR or RE.
The tape seems to hold all the leads in place, so if I remove it they could just fall off and create a big mess (now that the die is away).


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 26, 2012)

Marcel said:


> Somehow that hammer thing did not work for me. Just cracked the die out of the leadframe.
> Put the whole on a heater for a while, but that plastic lid wouldnt melt or peel off.
> I have cleaned the CPU with hot HCl from tin and other BM now and guess its a case for AR or RE.
> The tape seems to hold all the leads in place, so if I remove it they could just fall off and create a big mess (now that the die is away).



If all else fails then take 2 pair of pliers and bend the chip in half and crack it open where the solution can work on the inside of the chip.


----------



## ericrm (Feb 26, 2012)

why do you want to remove the plastic?
are you hopping to keep the desing intact?


----------



## Marcel (Feb 26, 2012)

Without the plastic I have a leadframe of pure gold which needs no further processing, but cleaning.
I am not asking for this one single piece but in general, I dont want to manually take every CPU apart, so I though there was a way on how to remove the plastic.
It may burn with a torch, but the gold is thin and lots of it may be gone "with the wind" or encapsuled in smolten plastic.
Best would be, to lay it in something that dissolves the plastic and the gold remains.
As for the die: I will crack that open as you suggested and let AR do the job.


----------



## Claudie (Feb 26, 2012)

What about dissolving the Gold with HCL/Clorox and rinsing the plastic off? Then precipitate the Gold later. :|


----------



## niteliteone (Feb 26, 2012)

Their are two methods here in the forum that will remove the plastic casing.
Look up pryolsis and wet ashing. Be warned of the dangers with the hot acid.

Tom C.


----------



## ericrm (Feb 26, 2012)

i might understand you wrong but if you think this cpu is pure gold, it isnt...
i aways toss those in ap and gold come off ,if it wasent plated it would stay on the plastic...
if i didnt understand what you realy mean ,sorry and forget that i wrote something :roll:


----------



## Marcel (Feb 26, 2012)

niteliteone said:


> Their are two methods here in the forum that will remove the plastic casing.
> Look up pryolsis and wet ashing. Be warned of the dangers with the hot acid.
> 
> Tom C.



Thanks for the hint, but this is not for me and I suggest not for the occational refiner. Far too dangerous, if you dont have a professional lab and years of experience. Just not worth it.
If ericm is right you can either usw AP or AR. That´s the max for me and its ok.
But let me fumble a bit, I might find another way that is non-toxic.


----------



## niteliteone (Feb 26, 2012)

Marcel,
Here is a link to Patnor's pryolysis method I mentioned. No acid here.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=11827

This one uses burning coal and a stainless pan. Complete incineration of all plastics.

Tom C.


----------



## maynman1751 (Feb 27, 2012)

Would caustic lye remove it like it does solder mask?


----------



## Marcel (Feb 27, 2012)

maynman1751 said:


> Would caustic lye remove it like it does solder mask?


Can be. ...I think it is the same material the flat ribbon stuff is made of.


----------

