Intel Core i7-6950X Engineering Sample Sells for $1950

[btarunr]

Ahead of their launch, industry partners with engineering samples (ES) of unreleased processors make a killing on Ebay. The same was true for one lucky user of a Core i7-6950X ten-core processor ES. Listed for auction on Ebay, the chip sold for $1,950. High-resolution pictures of the chip reveal that it could ship with a core clock speed of 3.00 GHz, which is not surprising considering how low Intel has been clocking its high core-count chips to respect 140W TDP, over the past few generations. The i7-6950X is based on Intel's 14 nm "Broadwell-E" silicon, and will be compatible with existing socket LGA2011v3 (X99 chipset) motherboards, with BIOS updates, when it hits the shelves later this month. Intel's policy on engineering samples, which its partners agree to before receiving samples, states that engineering samples issued by the company, are its property.



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[Naito]

Ten cores at 3.0GHz ain't too shabby...

 

[xkm1948]

$1950???

No thank you.

 

[neko77025]

Bla .. I will take 4 cores with 4.5ghz for 330.00 ... take the 1600.00 Left over and build A badass rig and go buy A nice dinner any day of the week.

 

[ensabrenoir]

....somebody gotta be first.... i'll wait till retail. But honestly though....If anyone one of us had the disposable income and $1950.00 usd would make no difference to our bank account.... would we?

 

[jaggerwild]

@btarunr How do you find that info, just stumbled on it or? Expreview
I gotcha!

 

[epiquestions]

if someone had the money for that, i'm sure he would have the money to build a powerful gaming rig.

 

[bogami]

1945 $ Qwerkill ! I would expect extortionate 1,000$ . On the cover have invested a lot, as always, it is the most expensive part of a cost of about 2$.then we find that the Previous generation proved to be better according to the effectiveness of the core .Many leftists already have intel that is so expensive ,my thoughts on. and what you can do if AMD can not compete with indel at the moment monopol ,pay or get lost Intel thoughts ! AMD wake up .

 

[dorsetknob]

The same was true for one lucky user of a Core i7-6950X ten-core processor ES. Listed for auction on Ebay, the chip sold for $1,950.

Don't engineering samples remain the property of Intel and are covered by NDA ect

so Some one Sells an ES on EBAY ain't that Like Selling and Buying Stolen Goods

 

[Caring1]

Don't engineering samples remain the property of Intel and are covered by NDA ect

so Some one Sells an ES on EBAY ain't that Like Selling and Buying Stolen Goods

I would have thought so, but they probably write them off as an expense.

 

[ZeDestructor]

Don't engineering samples remain the property of Intel and are covered by NDA ect

so Some one Sells an ES on EBAY ain't that Like Selling and Buying Stolen Goods

Legally speaking, yup.

As far as a good 15 years of experience shows though, Intel doesn't seem to mind all that much. I haven't heard any stories at least...

Afaik Intel would only get onto your back if you sell them as non-ES chips, since ES chips may be non-final chips and have faulty or missing functionality.

 

[cdawall]

AMD cares I had them show up to my door over the several dozen 945BE ES chips I sold.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I think almost the whole Broadwell-E lineup showed up and was sold a few days ago. Hoping one of those buyers puts up some overclock numbers. I really hope they've cured Broadwell's poor overclocking problem.

 

[jaggerwild]

if someone had the money for that, i'm sure he would have the money to build a powerful gaming rig.

What he will do is, hold a few records for a few hours in HWBot. plus hes one of the first. that we know of.................................

 

[Caring1]

I think almost the whole Broadwell-E lineup showed up and was sold a few days ago. Hoping one of those buyers puts up some overclock numbers. I really hope they've cured Broadwell's poor overclocking problem.

Overclock numbers wont be relevant to mainstream buyers.
ES chips aren't locked down like the retail chips.

 

[cdawall]

Overclock numbers wont be relevant to mainstream buyers.
ES chips aren't locked down like the retail chips.

The 6950X isn't locked either.

 

[95Viper]

Could not get a better/cheaper advertising for $1950.00

 

[ZeDestructor]

The 6950X isn't locked either.

Neither have the past 3 generations of E5-1600 series chips for that matter. I personally can confirm the E5-1650 v3 is nicely unlocked, for example.

 

[Steven B]

Legally speaking, yup.

As far as a good 15 years of experience shows though, Intel doesn't seem to mind all that much. I haven't heard any stories at least...

Afaik Intel would only get onto your back if you sell them as non-ES chips, since ES chips may be non-final chips and have faulty or missing functionality.

Intel does go after ES chips sold on ebay and other markets before their launch, they take it very seriously, I have heard stories, but they jut aren't made public. The large CPU selling rings are made public though.

 

[cadaveca]

Intel does go after ES chips sold on ebay and other markets before their launch, they take it very seriously, I have heard stories, but they jut aren't made public. The large CPU selling rings are made public though.

I have heard the same. Chip was likely bought by Intel, and not an individual.

 

[Makaveli]

I think almost the whole Broadwell-E lineup showed up and was sold a few days ago. Hoping one of those buyers puts up some overclock numbers. I really hope they've cured Broadwell's poor overclocking problem.

Why would you care about overclocking numbers from ES.

Which may not replicate what a retail chip will do?

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Why would you care about overclocking numbers from ES.

Which may not replicate what a retail chip will do?

Because that's not always the case. And in general why wouldn't you want to see a new chip get played with before release. This is after all an enthusiast site.

 

[Prima.Vera]

I have heard the same. Chip was likely bought by Intel, and not an individual.

My guess is it was bought by AMD...because.

 

[Octavean]

My guess is it was bought by AMD...because.

My guess is that it was sold by a disgruntled (laid off) Intel ex employ,......

 

[Makaveli]

Because that's not always the case. And in general why wouldn't you want to see a new chip get played with before release. This is after all an enthusiast site.

It is the case more often than not.

And I would prefer it be a retail chip that i could actually go into a store and buy alittle bit more important to me than an ES on the internet.