Processor Identification: Gold-Cap CPUs, Fiber Packages And IC Chips

Identify Ceramic CPUs, Gold-Cap Processors, Fiber Packages, Slot Assemblies, BGA Chips And DLP Devices. Learn Where They Come From And Which Features Matter When Sorting Mixed Electronic Scrap.

Old Processors Do Not All Look Like The Square, Silver-Topped CPU In A Desktop PC. Some Have Purple Ceramic Bodies And Rows Of Pins. Others Sit On A Small Circuit Board Inside A Cartridge. A Chip With A Glass Window May Be A Memory Device, While A Reflective DLP Chip Controls Light Inside A Projector.

Recycle Circuit Boards Put Together This Guide To Help You Recognize Those Differences When Looking Through Retired Computers, Server Parts, Industrial Electronics Or Loose Components.

The Parts Of A Chip Package

The Silicon Die Is The Small Piece That Contains The Electronic Circuitry. The Package Surrounds And Supports It, Connects It To The Board And Provides A Path For Heat To Leave. Ceramic Bodies, Molded Plastic And Organic Substrates Are Different Ways Of Building That Package.

A Lid Covers The Die Area. Pins, Flat Contacts Or Solder Balls Carry Electrical Connections. Gold May Be Used As Plating Or In Internal Connections, Depending On The Design. A Gold-Colored Surface Is Not A Solid Piece Of Gold. Intel’s Packaging Materials Databook Shows How Ceramic And Molded Packages Are Constructed.

Vintage And Gold-Cap CPUs

386 And 486 Gold-Cap CPUs

• 386 Ceramic CPUs
• 486 Ceramic CPUs
• Vintage Gold-Cap Processors

The 386 And 486 Families Belong To An Earlier Generation Of PC Hardware. Intel Introduced The 386 In 1985 And The 486 In 1989. They Turn Up In Older Desktop Computers And Stored Computer Parts. Gold-Cap Versions Have A Visible Gold-Colored Lid On A Ceramic Package; Other Versions Have Different Package Finishes.

Family Names Describe The Processor Design, So A 486 Marking Alone Does Not Establish The Package Category. Intel’s Historical Processor Reference Helps Place These Families In Their Original Computing Era.

Pentium Pro Processors

• Pentium Pro CPU Packages
• Ceramic Processor Scrap
• Gold-Colored Caps And Contacts

The Large Rectangular Pentium Pro Is One Of The Easier Vintage Packages To Recognize. The Family Used A Package That Brought The Processor And Separate Level 2 Cache Chips Together, Helping Explain Its Size.

Pentium Pro Systems Served Demanding Business And Server Workloads. Intel’s 1997 Server Processor Announcement Describes Database Applications And Multiprocessor Systems. These CPUs Can Appear In Legacy Server Equipment And Workstation Parts Collections.

Motorola Gold-Top Or Gold-Bottom Chips

• Motorola Ceramic Chips
• Gold-Top Packages
• Gold-Bottom Packages

Look At Both Faces Of An Older Motorola Chip. A Gold-Colored Lid Or Plate May Be On The Face You First Place Down. The Motorola Name Covers Many Devices And Package Styles, So The Logo Alone Does Not Identify A Gold-Top Or Gold-Bottom Part.

The M68040 Family Provides A Useful Example Of Motorola-Era Processor Hardware. NXP’s M68040 User Manual Documents Its Packages And Thermal Design. Ceramic Motorola Parts May Be Found In Older Computing And Control Equipment, But Their Exact Function Depends On The Device.

Double-Sided Gold CPUs

• Double-Sided Gold-Colored Packages
• Vintage Ceramic Processors
• CPU Scrap Recycling

This Scrap Description Refers To Packages With Visible Gold-Colored Areas On Both Faces. Turn The Part Over And Compare The Lid, Ceramic Body And Contact Area. It Is A Description Of The Package’s Appearance, Not A Separate Processor Architecture Or A Claim That The Entire Body Is Gold.

LSI And NEC Gold-Cap Chips

• LSI Ceramic Chips
• NEC Ceramic Chips
• Gold-Cap Integrated Circuits

These Names Can Appear On Ceramic Integrated Circuits As Well As Parts That Look Like Desktop CPUs. LSI Made Chips For Storage And Networking Applications; Broadcom’s LSI Company Background Describes Those Uses. A Controller Or Custom Logic Chip Can Have A Substantial Package Without Being A Computer’s Main Processor.

For This Category, Look For The Ceramic Body And Gold-Colored Cap Along With The Manufacturer Marking. An LSI Or NEC Mark On A Black Plastic Chip Does Not Make It A Gold-Cap Ceramic Part.

Other Gold-Cap CPUs

• Cyrix And IBM CPUs
• AMD K5 Processors
• WinChip And VIA CPUs

Mixed Vintage Processor Lots May Include These Names Alongside Intel Parts. Group The Gold-Cap Versions By Their Actual Construction. Different Models From The Same Brand Can Have Different Bodies, Lids And Contacts.

AMD’s Original K5 Datasheet Describes Its Ceramic Pin-Grid Package. It Is A Good Example Of Why The Package Description Is More Useful For Identification Than A Brand Name By Itself.

Ceramic ICs And Contact Styles

IC Means Integrated Circuit. A CPU Is One Type Of IC, But Memory, Logic And Control Devices Are ICs Too. The Following Groups Separate The Visible Lid And Lead Finishes.

Gold-Cap And Gold-Leg Ceramic ICs

• Gold-Capped Ceramic ICs
• Gold-Colored Leads
• 8086-Era Chip Packages

These Have A Ceramic Body, A Gold-Colored Cap And Gold-Colored External Leads. Long Rectangular Packages With Two Rows Of Legs Are Commonly Called Dual In-Line Packages, Or DIPs. Older Processor And Supporting-Logic Boards Can Carry Several Different ICs In Similar-Looking Bodies.

Gold-Cap Ceramic ICs Without Gold Legs

• Ceramic ICs With Gold Caps
• Non-Gold-Colored Leads
• Vintage Integrated Circuit Scrap

Here, The Cap Has The Gold-Colored Finish While The Leads Have A Different Visible Finish. Check The Actual Legs Rather Than Assuming They Match The Lid. A Silver-Colored Lead Does Not Establish That It Is Made Of Silver; Semiconductor Lead Finishes Vary By Package.

Gold-Leg Ceramic ICs Without Gold Caps

• Ceramic ICs With Gold Legs
• Packages Without Gold Caps
• Loose Ceramic Chip Scrap

The Leads Are The Distinguishing Feature In This Group. The Top May Be Ceramic Or Have Another Finish. A Package Made Without A Gold-Colored Cap Is Also Different From A Damaged Part With Its Lid Missing. Check For An Open Cavity Or Exposed Internal Components When Comparing Loose Chips.

Other Ceramic Processors

• Pentium And Mac Ceramic CPUs
• AMD Ceramic Processors
• Aluminum-Top K6 Packages

Ceramic Processor Lots Include More Than Gold-Cap Parts. You May Find Ceramic Bodies With An Exposed Die Or A Silver-Colored Metal Top. Mac Describes The Computer Family The Part Came From, Rather Than One Standard Chip Package.

AMD’s K6-2E+ Embedded Processor Datasheet Lists Both Ceramic Pin-Grid And Organic Ball-Grid Versions. Its Applications Included Embedded PCs, Point-Of-Sale Terminals And Industrial Controls. The Same Processor Family Can Therefore Appear In More Than One Kind Of Equipment And Package.

Fiber, Pinless And Slot Processors

Fiber Processors

• Black Fiber CPUs
• Green And Brown Fiber CPUs
• Packages With Or Without Metal Tops

Fiber Is A Common Scrap-Sorting Name For Processors Built On An Organic Substrate Rather Than A Thick Ceramic Body. The Base Can Be Green, Brown Or Black. Some Show The Die; Others Have A Metal Heat Spreader Over It. The Substrate Color Does Not Tell You The Processor’s Speed Or Its Metal Content.

Pinless And Modern CPUs

• Pinless Processor Packages
• Intel Core And Xeon CPUs
• Modern CPU Scrap

Many Socketed Core And Xeon Processors Use Flat Contact Lands On The Underside Instead Of Projecting Pins. This Is An LGA, Or Land Grid Array. The Matching Socket Makes Contact With Those Lands. Pinless Does Not Mean The Electrical Contacts Have Been Removed.

Server Families Also Include Soldered BGA Products. Intel’s Xeon Package And Socket Guide Distinguishes Socketed Models From BGA Devices. Both Can Come From Server Recycling, But They Are Physically Different Parts.

Slot Processors

• Slot CPU Assemblies
• Cartridge Processors
• Trimmed Slot Processor Boards

A Slot Processor Uses A Circuit Board With Edge Contacts That Plugs Into A Motherboard Slot. Pentium II Cartridges Are A Familiar Example. The Assembly Can Include The Processor, Cache Components, A Plastic Housing And Cooling Hardware. A Trimmed Slot Board Has Had Part Of The Original Board Or Contact Edge Removed.

Intel’s Desktop Package Guide Explains Cartridge, Pin-Grid And Organic Package Styles. A Complete Cartridge Should Be Described As An Assembly When Comparing It With Loose CPUs.

BGA, DLP And Loose Chips

BGA Chips

• Ball-Grid-Array Chips
• Gold-Tab BGA Packages
• BGA Packages Without Gold Tabs

A BGA Connects Through An Array Of Solder Balls Underneath The Package. These Connections Allow Many Signals To Fit Into A Relatively Small Area. BGA Describes The Connection Style, Not The Chip’s Job: Processors, Memory, Chipsets And Custom Logic Can All Use It.

Intel’s BGA Packaging Databook Describes Those Applications. Gold-Tab And No-Gold-Tab Are Visual Sorting Descriptions. The Solder Balls Themselves Are Not Gold Fingers, And A Small Visible Gold-Colored Area Does Not Reveal The Entire Package’s Composition.

DLP Chips

• Ceramic DLP Packages
• Metal And Fiber DLP Packages
• Digital Light Processing Chips

A DLP Imaging Chip Is A Digital Micromirror Device, Or DMD. Tiny Movable Mirrors Direct Light To Form An Image. It Comes From Projection Equipment, Rather Than Serving As The Main CPU In A Desktop Computer. The Mirror Array Is On The Optical Face, With Electrical Connections On The Package’s Other Side.

Texas Instruments’ DMD Technology Overview Explains How The Mirrors Work With A Controller And Other Electronics. Package Construction Varies, Which Is Why Ceramic DLP Devices And Metal/Fiber Versions Are Described Separately In Scrap Lots.

Loose Integrated Circuits

• Plastic IC Chips
• Gold-Leg Integrated Circuits
• Ceramic Windowed Chips

Loose IC Lots Can Combine Memory, Logic, Controllers And Other Devices Removed From Electronic Assemblies. Their Similar Shapes Can Hide Very Different Functions.

A Small Quartz Window In A Ceramic Package Often Points To An Older UV-Erasable EPROM Or EPROM-Based Microcontroller. Light Through The Window Was Used To Erase Its Program Memory. Microchip’s EPROM Training Material Explains This Design. The Window Is Not A Missing CPU Lid, And It Does Not Make The Chip A DLP Device.

Where Processor And IC Lots Come From

• Desktop Computer Recycling: Socketed CPUs, Older Ceramic Processors And Slot Assemblies.
• Server Upgrades And Data Center Decommissioning: Enterprise CPUs, Processor Boards And Related Electronic Components.
• Laptop And Electronics Repair: Mobile Processors, BGA Components And Loose ICs.
• Industrial Equipment Replacement: Control-Board Processors, Embedded Computing Parts And Legacy Ceramic Chips.
• Telecom And Network Equipment: Communications Controllers, Custom Logic And Processor-Bearing Boards.
• Projector Repair: DLP Micromirror Devices And Their Supporting Electronics.
• Parts-Room Cleanouts: Unused Components, Repair Stock And Mixed Vintage Semiconductor Lots.

When Describing Material To Recycle Circuit Boards, Mention Its Source, Approximate Quantity And Whether The Chips Are Loose Or Still On Boards. Photos Of Both Sides Help Show Pins, Flat Contacts, Caps And Attached Hardware.

Processor Questions

Is Every Gold-Colored Chip A CPU?

No. A Similar Ceramic Package Can Hold A Processor, Memory Device, Controller Or Other Integrated Circuit. The Package Helps Identify Construction; The Device Marking And Documentation Identify Its Function.

Are A Processor’s Gold Pins Solid Gold?

Gold-Colored Pins Commonly Have A Plated Surface Over Another Metal. Lid Size, Pin Count And Color Alone Cannot Tell You An Exact Recoverable Gold Weight. Two Similar-Looking Parts Can Be Built Differently.

Does A CPU Without Pins Have Missing Parts?

Not Necessarily. LGA Processors Are Designed With Flat Contacts. BGA Devices Use Solder Connections Instead. Broken Pins On A PGA Package Are A Different Condition From A Package That Was Designed Without Pins.

What Is The Difference Between A CPU And Its Heatsink?

The CPU Performs The Processing. The Heatsink Carries Heat Away, Often With A Fan Attached. A Large Cooler Can Hide A Small Processor Underneath, So A Photograph Of Only The Cooling Fins Does Not Show The Chip Package.

Can A DLP Chip Be Put Into A Computer’s CPU Socket?

No. Its Purpose, Connections And Supporting Electronics Are Different. A DMD Controls Light With Micromirrors; It Is Not A General-Purpose Desktop Processor, Even When Its Ceramic Body And Pins Look Familiar.

Processor Recycling And Pickup

Recycle Circuit Boards Buys Scrap Processors, Loose ICs And Circuit Boards And Picks Them Up At Your Location. We Handle Boxing And Loading And Pay Cash For The Material We Purchase. Contact Us About A Processor Lot, A Server Cleanout Or Mixed Electronics From Your Business.

Call Or Email. See Our CPU And Memory Recycling Page For Related Materials, Or Browse Circuit Board Types If The Components Are Still Attached To Boards.

Recycling CPUs And Loose Integrated Circuits

A Processor Lot Can Mix Ceramic Packages, Organic Packages, Slot Assemblies And Chips Removed From Other Boards. Sort By Package Type When Practical And Keep Any Existing Device Identification With The Lot. A Working Vintage CPU May Be Useful For Repair Or Collecting Before It Becomes Scrap.

Caps, Leads, Bonding Connections And Package Materials Vary By Device And Manufacturing Era. A Large Gold-Colored Surface Does Not Give A Reliable Gold Yield. Breaking Ceramic Bodies Or Removing Lids Does Not Make That Estimate Reliable Either, And It Can Destroy The Part’s Reuse Value.

Describe Loose Chips Separately From Complete Processor Boards And Attached Coolers. If Your Material Includes DLP Devices Or Windowed Memory Chips, Mention Them As Their Own Items; Their Similar Package Shapes Do Not Make Them CPUs. Recycle Circuit Boards Uses Photos, Material Type And Quantity To Discuss A Purchase And Arrange Collection At Your Location.