I put them into small cardboard boxes, some i stack, some i stick onto styrofoam with tin foil.

Plastic trays - something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-CPU-Processor-Tra … =item2ed791169a

Half-Saint wrote:

Plastic trays - something like this

Yes, those. Exactly the thing. Thoughtless perfection - you just drop the chip on the grid and it's protected. Presume this was standard shipping packaging to the dealers. Just checked size on some loose chips: these were all good: 387 386 486 P1 Athlon. But a Willamette, no chance.

I agree, plastic CPU trays are the best 😀

But I have made some CPU tray-like thingies myself (using small planks with the edges made of cut stripes of cardboard so the chips don't slide off the wood plank, kinda odd to explain, but still plastic trays are better (and less work)
I also store some of my CPU's in drawers, but the problem is that all CPU's tend to slide around every time I open/close the drawer...not ideal.
In the past I've also used (very) small cardboard boxes (like the ones that originally had memory modules in them, around that size) and stack them in this way: First one I lay on the bottom with the pins pointing up, second chip I lay on top of that with the pins facing down, rinse repeat. But also not ideal, but at least that way you can stack them instead of needing lots of horizontal space.

And that's the problem right there, you need lots of horizontal space if you have any serious amount of CPU's, think multiple square feet 😜 (or square meters but I try not to think of it 😊 )

But plastic CPU trays are the best, they take up very little space because they stack so well. The only (slight) disadvantage of CPU trays is that if I'm looking for any particular chip, I need to look through all my trays which is a hassle due to the sheer quantity of them (and did I mention that imo the best way to store CPU's still is to get lots of those plastic CPU trays? 😁 )

Noticed some 'Goldcap' socket 7 CPU's are to thick for the tray. They fit okay by themselves, but I cannot properly put a tray on top of it. So be warned 😀

I have plastic trays and small cardboard boxes. Slot CPU's on one bigger plastic box. Then i have some non-functional CPU's which i store on one cardboard box. Old ones are important to stay good condition.

Thin pieces of foam plastic with a CPU pushed inside. Looks like a hamburger with ham being the CPU.

I use old gameboy and gamegear clamshell game cases, they are just the right size.

RacoonRider wrote:

Thin pieces of foam plastic with a CPU pushed inside. Looks like a hamburger with ham being the CPU.

It's years back but I remember (iirc it was cpu-world.com) that some types of foam corrode the CPU pins, so I try to avoid using any foam for long term CPU storage since I can't tell the difference between the good and the bad.

I either keep them installed in motherboards and store them as sets (keeps pins straight, and sockets clean), or in anti-static bags (less common; but I don't feel bad doing this with LGA 775 chips). I've also got this "case" from AMD that holds 1-2 CPUs - from its markings it was originally designed to hold CPUs, but I have no idea from where it originated. I'd love to have more of those for "loose" chips. It looks kind of like those plastic boxes that medallions come in, but it's all black and has warnings about ESD/EMR sensitivity (and a huge AMD logo).

The ones without a motherboard I store in a "small" box. It goes like 10 cpus in one level. I put just an ordinary office A4 paper between levels. The ones that I use most frequently are on the top. But it would be nice to have a real CPU storage trays.

I store them in jewel cases. I take out the inner plastic and then I can fit 2-4 CPUs depending on size.

Yeah! I used to do that to a few years ago... completely forgot about it.

vetz wrote:

I store them in jewel cases. I take out the inner plastic and then I can fit 2-4 CPUs depending on size.

Yep, works perfectly, this is how i do it. Also a good way to ship them (just fill the empty space with paper so it stays in place)

I have a bunch of those blue CPU trays mentioned above. They fit socket-7, 370, 462 (I don't know what else, but that's what I use them with). I really like those trays.
I have some other black trays that are designed for mPGA478. I don't like them as well. The pins hang through an opening and the CPU is suspended from the lip. I prefer to put those in plastic single containers though, which I don't have enough of. The blue and black trays don't quite stack perfectly with each other, but it's good enough.
I have one unused LGA775, I think it's laying with the 478s, maybe in a single container.

My [edit: socket 4] and 8 CPUs are laying on foam in an old motherboard box. They're too big for the trays.
I have one unused socket 940 chip, it's in a plastic single container. I don't know if it would fit the trays but I think probably not. Pins are too dense for the blue trays and the size probably wouldn't match the opening on the 478 trays.

My slot-1 CPUs with heatsinks attached are sandwiched into a plastic bin. Few if any are in an antistatic bag, I don't worry about that much.
Those without an attached heatsink are grouped together in an antistatic bag and laid on top of the heatsinked ones. My slockets are also bagged together like this. My slot-1 and slot-2 terminators are loose.

I have some DIP chips, though most are not CPUs. I put some in the tubes they belong in, but I don't have enough of those. The rest are sticking through foam.

I remember a few years ago having a real hard time finding CPU and memory trays that I could buy. Luckily some sellers finally realized there's people who want to buy them.

Iam using those plastic trays to with pleasure.

vetz wrote:

I store them in jewel cases. I take out the inner plastic and then I can fit 2-4 CPUs depending on size.

I'll try this out because it's a lot easier and cheaper to get jewel cases than trays 😀

Styrofoam covered in foil has been suggested in the past.
styrofoam as protection for pins
Shipping a CPU

Mostly I wrap each one up in several plies of drafting vellum [supposedly inert] and tape it shut. Others go in little plastic clasp boxes over a thin sheet of foam. But all this talk has me thinking I need to re-store them in those grids/trays.