What's with the pre binned i9 9900k processors

[azazl187]

Hey OC

What's with these pre binned oem chips? It gives buyers the impression that if they don't buy the hugely up priced pre binned chips and buy just the normal non pre binned ones that they will end up receiving a chip that didn't pass a higher clock rate thus getting a poor over clocked.

As everyone worth their salt knows that this chip is a PC building enthusiasts CPU and they are most likely if not always going to overclock the CPU.

With this in mind and with Intel already binning the chips it seems a little harsh to further bin the chips to hike the prices of these already massively high priced CPUs. It looks like you a preying on the customers a little for that extra bit of cash as the OEM chips have dropped in price, assuming due to lack of demand as people wait for the retail packaged one to drop as well.

Yes binning the CPUs might be seen as helpful and a way to rule out the "silicone lottery" but come on, hiking the price to 1k for a 5.1ghz chip......

Yes you can say "well don't buy the CPU then" but what then? Is my only choice to buy the OEM CPU that has most likely been tested and was put back due to it being a poor overclocker?

You by all means do not have to answer this query but if someone at OC could please explain why CPU re binning and hiking the price hugely thus leaving a pool of standard OEM chips is good for customers, that would be great.

Thanks for reading this long post.

EDIT - *This question has been answered below by Gibbo and 8 Pack. Thanks guys!*

 

[ViRuS2k]

It was ok to buy them when they first launched @OCUK as they didnt have the time to test them all at day one or even 2 but now if it was me i would go RETAIL.
even though they say they dont prebin from select trays but there is only one way to be sure, RETAIL ONLY.

 

[Distracted]

There seems to be quite a big difference between the quality of the best and worst performing 9900k.

The more i read the more it looks like there are some cpus out there that can do little more than the advertised spec. There are also some that perform really well.

Silicon lottery is releasing binning stats this weekend, hopefully if their sample size is large enough it will give some idea of what the lottery is really like for the 9 series.

As for tray cpus being tested, gibbo has said in another post that stock allocated for testing doesnt return to be resold as tray stock. It remains with the team that does the testing. Presumably it is used in pre built systems?

 

[hardyxd]

I thought the same. You could go for a retail and try your luck instead?

 

[Distracted]

I thought the same. You could go for a retail and try your luck instead?

The price between retail and tray is close enough that if you are worried about getting a cpu that has been binned low by ocuk this would be the best idea.

If you can't take them at their word then a sealed box is the only alternative.

On the other hand, assuming the binning stock remains separate from the tray stock on the store, your chances of getting a great/poor chip are just as high with a retail cpu as they are with a tray one.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

What's with these pre binned oem chips? It gives buyers the impression that if they don't buy the hugely up priced pre binned chips and buy just the normal non pre binned ones that they will end up receiving a chip that didn't pass a higher clock rate thus getting a poor over clocked.

Gibbo has stated MANY times that any chips that don't pass the tests for "pre-binned" sales go into their systems builds and do not get sold as loose "tray" chips.

Whether you believe that or not is up to you - I certainly haven't had any luck OC'ing tray chips, only decent clockers I've had have been sealed retail boxed cpu's.

 

[moorhen2]

I purchased a 9900k OEM from OC's on Monday, and its looking like a good chip so far.
And there were no signs that the chip had been used at any point.

 

[azazl187]

@ocuk just so you guys are aware I am not saying that you ARE doing this. I can just see how it would give someone the impression that you are that all. Please don't think I'm bad mouthing you

 

[Distracted]

I wondered the same thing. It's not unreasonable.

 

[LePhuronn]

The second OcUK run power through a tray CPU it becomes "used", especially if they're trying to clock them up. They won't be able to sell them as "new" after that, and for all of their pricing snafus and arguments, they're not actually a dodgy retailer who'd pull something like this. Gibbo's said any tray CPU that doesn't make the cut as a pre-binned goes into their system builds. Scepticism is healthy of course, but distrust and paranoia is a different kettle of fish.

Ultimately buy Retail if you think OcUK are diddling their tray stock.

 

[Gibbo]

@ocuk just so you guys are aware I am not saying that you ARE doing this. I can just see how it would give someone the impression that you are that all. Please don't think I'm bad mouthing you

We are not doing this!

Our builds and testing department will remove say 200pc 9900k tray from warehouse stock. These will then all get binned, delidded etc and will be sold for a premium at a guaranteed speed or used in Overclockers systems and demos that require binned CPUs.

No CPU is ever returned to stock once it’s been tested.

The silicon lottery remains that is why there are many users here who purchased tray from us and are running around 5.2GHz

 

[8 Pack]

Not this again... and again and again .. Dear me... Stop typing this stuff on here.....

We don't return any binned chips to website stock we have said this sooooooooo many times now.......

To the OP these cpus are delided also for better by 8c - 15c perf than Intels 'soldering' we lap the die and ihs too and retest with several stability tests..... It's seriously not a 5 min job... Before writing such nonsense try to understand the process....

 

[Yadda]

What a PITA having to explain this to folk time after time.

Is there a note on the pre binned CPU store page explaining the process (maybe the standard CPU pages too)? I'd have it in large font with blinky lights so there's absolutely no doubt.

 

[easyrider]

Do a video 8 pack

 

[Distracted]

Fwiw i bought a tray 9900k from ocuk when they were released, having already seen Gibbo respond to this question.

 

[azazl187]

We are not doing this!

Our builds and testing department will remove say 200pc 9900k tray from warehouse stock. These will then all get binned, delidded etc and will be sold for a premium at a guaranteed speed or used in Overclockers systems and demos that require binned CPUs.

No CPU is ever returned to stock once it’s been tested.

The silicon lottery remains that is why there are many users here who purchased tray from us and are running around 5.2GHz

Hi @Gibbo apologies, i wasnt aware that this has already been asked a few times before. Thank you for taking the time to answer this question.

 

[azazl187]

Not this again... and again and again .. Dear me... Stop typing this stuff on here.....

We don't return any binned chips to website stock we have said this sooooooooo many times now.......

To the OP these cpus are delided also for better by 8c - 15c perf than Intels 'soldering' we lap the die and ihs too and retest with several stability tests..... It's seriously not a 5 min job... Before writing such nonsense try to understand the process....

Hi @8 Pack, thank you for taking the time to answer this question. I will edit my original post. I now understand the process.

 

[X-Mikuru_Beam-X]

What is a tray 9900k? Please forgive my ignorance

 

[Distracted]

What is a tray 9900k? Please forgive my ignorance

A tray 9900k is a 9900k cpu that comes without fancy packaging, documentation or a 3 year warranty from intel. When you buy a tray cpu you are buying just the cpu (in whatever protective anti static box the seller puts it in for shipping) and get a 1 year warranty.

It is the same in every other aspect to the retail version. Sometimes they are refered to as oem cpus and are bought in bulk and used by system builders in particular.

My last few CPUs for use in my own system have been tray CPUs. Generally they are cheaper than the retail version. In the case of the 9900k in particular, the retail packaged CPU had been out of stock and wasnt available at launch, but the tray version was. So if you wanted it on day one you had to buy tray.

 

[X-Mikuru_Beam-X]

A tray 9900k is a cpu that comes without fancy packaging, documentation or a 3 year warranty from intel. When you buy a tray cpu you are buying just the cpu (in whatever protective anti static box the seller puts it in for shipping) and get a 1 year warranty.

It is the same in every other aspect to the retail version. Sometimes they are refered to as oem cpus and are bought in bulk and used by system builders in particular.

My last few CPUs for use in my own system have been tray CPUs. Generally they are cheaper. In the case of the 9900k in particular, the retail packaged CPU has been out of stock and wasnt available at launch, but the tray version was. So if you wanted it on day one you had to buy tray.

Ohhh it’s an OEM cpu.. I see! Mine will be an OEM 9900k I guess..I hope it’ll do 5ghz