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Processor containers and packaging...

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First post, by Major Jackyl

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Hey all. I would like to start a topic on CPU packaging and containers. I've always loved how cool the boxes the CPUs have come in over the years and have always saved the box .

Today, I was rifiling through my CPU connection and thought "damn, I don't have the box for ANY of these..." and as a continuation "damn, I've never even SEEN the box for most of these". I was just a kid when I was easily able to acquire P2/P3 era PCs and parts, so as you'd expect, never new. I dumpster dove CPU boxes from (at the time) BRAND NEW pentium 4 HTs and was in awe at them as they lorded over my wimpy CPU collection: "I'll have you someday". Ok . So now, I have that Pentium 4 HT now, but lost the box when I was still a kid.

Looking at my favorite processors (and with internet now), I see that many have really cool boxes, but can't be found, even as just a box. Specifically, I suppose, I'm talking about the Pentium 2 MMX. I love these things and have them displayed everywhere, but I have no box to really ANNOUNCE their presence. The late generation even looks like a Pentium 3, so it's hard to tell I have both sitting about.

Ah yes. I'm being quite scatterbrained, but I'm getting there. I was wondering if anybody has flat scans (or can make some) of these boxes for reproduction? I've honestly never opened a new SLOT 1 CPU, so I don't know what the packaging inside was like, but I'd like to reproduce that as well.

I'm also wondering how you all feel about your CPU boxes? Keep all of them? Too many to deal with, so recycle?
I know a business would probably not even be thinking about that and chucking everything. My life was poured into owning these CPUs, so I want to see that glorious thing somewhere near the system it's in.
I was 12 when I bought my first CPU, a CeleronD 2.4Ghz (478). And the box got lost when I moved. Much damn. Still have the CPU, though.

Hey, if anything, could we get a bunch of box pictures going?

-Peace and Love!

Main Loadout (daily drivers):
Intel TE430VX, Pentium Sy022 (133), Cirrus Logic 5440, SB16 CT1740
ECS K7S5A, A-XP1600+, MSI R9550
ASUS M2N-E, A64X2-4600+, PNY GTX670, SB X-Fi Elite Pro
MSI Z690, Intel 12900K, MSI RTX3090, SB AE-7

Reply 1 of 5, by chinny22

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You know I've never seen a CPU box in my life! I've only ever had 3 brand new PC's in my life which came pre built and any CPU upgrade was a 2nd hand CPU.
edit
actually thinking about it, I've purchased new CPU's 3 times!
First to was 2 Athlon XP builds I did early 2000's but were OEM variants in a plan box.
Last one was the 2 PPro's I got in the "great Pentium Pro haul of 2019

Reply 2 of 5, by darry

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chinny22 wrote on 2024-06-27, 01:10:
You know I've never seen a CPU box in my life! I've only ever had 3 brand new PC's in my life which came pre built and any CPU u […]
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You know I've never seen a CPU box in my life! I've only ever had 3 brand new PC's in my life which came pre built and any CPU upgrade was a 2nd hand CPU.
edit
actually thinking about it, I've purchased new CPU's 3 times!
First to was 2 Athlon XP builds I did early 2000's but were OEM variants in a plan box.
Last one was the 2 PPro's I got in the "great Pentium Pro haul of 2019

I do not recall the last time I purchased a new CPU that was not retail packaged. Whenever it was, I'm pretty sure it was before 2003.

I recall buying OEM 486s, possibly a socket 5 or 7 Pentium or two, some Celerons and it gets foggy after that.

Reply 3 of 5, by Major Jackyl

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I found a box today. AMD Athlon XP 2800+. and WOW. it had the heatsink. I actually had the CPU, so I combined and voila!

The attachment 20240728_131055.jpg is no longer available
The attachment 20240728_131102.jpg is no longer available

Not much to scan, definitely not one to reproduce easily, but here it is!

Main Loadout (daily drivers):
Intel TE430VX, Pentium Sy022 (133), Cirrus Logic 5440, SB16 CT1740
ECS K7S5A, A-XP1600+, MSI R9550
ASUS M2N-E, A64X2-4600+, PNY GTX670, SB X-Fi Elite Pro
MSI Z690, Intel 12900K, MSI RTX3090, SB AE-7

Reply 4 of 5, by shamino

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To me they're not interesting enough to keep, but if I had a bigger CPU collection I might feel differently.
I still have some AthlonMP blister-packs with heatsinks in them, leftover from an eBay purchase a long time ago. I never owned the CPUs though so I have nothing appropriate to store in them, so I don't keep them out, they're just in a box with other "miscellaneous" stuff somewhere.
Intel Slot-1 and older boxes might be more interesting to me, I've never had those. All the boxes I've seen are either AMD blister-packs or the paper boxes they use nowadays.

I can only think of 2 retail boxed CPUs I ever bought. First was a Phenom2, 2nd was a Ryzen 3600 (my current fastest CPU).
All my other CPUs were from eBay, or they were bare CPUs bought with a motherboard at a small shop.

Reply 5 of 5, by Ozzuneoj

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I have a K6-2 box squirreled away somewhere, folded up. When I was employed at a small PC repair shop 20 years ago they had had it on display over a doorway since the late 90s (classy!). At some point it was no longer wanted so I snatched it. I think the only other CPU boxes I have are a PNY QuickChip 133 (AMD 5x86), a Gainbery MAXimizer with an IBM\Cyrix 5x86 120Mhz (actually marked as 100 probably), and a Pentium 4 of some type in the old blue and orange box.

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

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