I’ve got ~500 x86 CPUs in my collection. I’m most interested in 1990 - 2006ish, with special focus on 1997-2000 Slot CPUs. For something like Socket 478, one of each clock/bus speed/core is sufficient. When it comes to Pentium II or Pentium III, I’m aiming for one of every speed, stepping, boxed and OEM versions. Pretty much just short of getting every S-Spec. I try to get the earliest manufacturing date I can for each S-Spec. This can be interesting with PIII Slot CPUs. Early 450 and 500 MHz PIII cartridges don’t have the Pentium III logo on the front. That makes them worth collecting, in addition to a later production date of the same S-Spec that has the logo.

I also collect engineering samples. I’ve got 11 unique PII and 17 unique PIII ES/QS CPUs, in addition to at least one of each of 486, Pentium, Celeron, Pentium 4, Pentium D, K6, Athlon Slot A, and Athlon 64.

I’ve been collecting for 20+ years since I was a kid fixing up computers to earn spending money. I started collecting seriously in 2007 when I got a job that gave me access to some free CPUs and other parts from recycled computers. That lasted for a few years. At the time it was mostly Pentium 4’s and Athlon XP’s being recycled with a few older machines on occasion. The rest I’ve bought slowly over the last 10 years. I’d say half of my ES processors were advertised as ES on forums or eBay, and priced accordingly. The other half I found in scrap lots by a mix of luck and knowing what to look for.

In the last few years I started collecting graphics cards, sound cards, and motherboards. I want to have enough supporting hardware to actually use my CPUs.

Iam only collecting some cpus to use them. Dont see any goal to collect them all, so they will vanish in dust.

Katmai500 wrote on 2021-01-22, 04:16:

I also collect engineering samples. I’ve got 11 unique PII and 17 unique PIII ES/QS CPUs, in addition to at least one of each of 486, Pentium, Celeron, Pentium 4, Pentium D, K6, Athlon Slot A, and Athlon 64.

Now that's an admirable collection!

Another question to collectors: what display case do you use?
I have display cases for (mobile) 478 and 775 CPUs but nothing for bigger CPUs. They are neatly packed away but I'd like to take a look at them sometimes, especially my favorites, the gold-top IBMs. Anything to use for socket 3-8 sized CPUs that does the same thing as a 775 plastic case (transparent, dust and pin protection)?

Katmai500 wrote on 2021-01-22, 04:16:

I’ve got ~500 x86 CPUs in my collection. ...

Wow! I thought I had more than necessary, but I basically have none! I see someone on eBay sells old CPUs by the kilo. Few of them and I'll be up to 500 too hahaha https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1Kg-Faulty-Mixed-C … ot/143811145581

gold scrappers ruined cpu collecting anyways ^^

I got really lucky scoring a lot with a good selection of CPUs one time 1-2 years ago and I still had some from when I started collecting 20 years ago (but then unfortunately went on a decades long hiatus)... but even just completely damaged CPUs fetch too much on ebay nowadays to be feasible for collecting (unless you're just rich I guess)
I probably have just as many motherboards as CPUs by now.

Try buying a scrap lot full of 478s. I just got a buttload of them and straigtening pins is soooo boring.
I met a guy today who sold me a lot of good stuff for a good price... then at the last second he said he changed his mind because he checked the prices on Ebay so he'll sell everything there. Aaargh! I hate when we negotiate the price and the seller backs out before I could close the deal.
It's in his right but it still pisses me off, I wanted some of those items.

Miphee wrote on 2021-01-28, 20:22:

Try buying a scrap lot full of 478s. I just got a buttload of them and straigtening pins is soooo boring.
I met a guy today who sold me a lot of good stuff for a good price... then at the last second he said he changed his mind because he checked the prices on Ebay so he'll sell everything there. Aaargh! I hate when we negotiate the price and the seller backs out before I could close the deal.
It's in his right but it still pisses me off, I wanted some of those items.

I absolutely hate that too. A couple of weeks ago I tried to buy an ASUS 7900GT. Hit on the buy button and next day the listing is still up and active. I wrote on the seller asking if it's on sale or what? He says sure, but it's in a different city from where he is now. I said I can wait, just take the listing off. It's still up and active.

Another of my experience is buying a sound card. We negotiated everything, then I wait. Days of silence. Then I ask wtf? "Oh, I sold for someone else." Then I ask WTF? Couldn't you just drop a message at least out of courtesy? While waiting for nothing I missed out on some other deals similar cards.

Maybe I'm the dumb one for keeping my word and sell my shit to people after making an agreement even if I get a better offer.