# Engineering sample

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{{Short description|Integrated circuit prototypes for testing}}
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{{original research|date=September 2017}}
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{{one source|date=January 2015}}
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[[File:KL Intel Xeon Prestonia ES.jpg|thumb|upright|An Intel [Xeon "Prestonia"](/source/Xeon) engineering sample]]
[[File:KL AMD Mobile Athlon XP ES.jpg|thumb|upright|An AMD Mobile [Athlon XP](/source/Athlon) engineering sample]]
'''Engineering samples''' are the [beta version](/source/beta_version)s of [integrated circuit](/source/integrated_circuit)s which are loaned to [ODMs](/source/Original_design_manufacturer), [OEMs](/source/Original_Equipment_Manufacturer) and [ISVs](/source/Independent_software_vendor) so that products can be tested prior to launch. Engineering samples are usually handed out under a [non-disclosure agreement](/source/non-disclosure_agreement) or another type of confidentiality agreement.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608045725/http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-030747.htm |url=http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-030747.htm |title=Information about Intel Engineering/Qualification Sample Processors |archive-date=2012-06-08}}</ref>

Several kinds of preproduction samples are made during a product's development, ranging from mechanical samples (for testing physical fit of a processor), electrical/thermal samples (for testing cooling and power draw), engineering samples (for early testing of a design) and qualification samples (made to test whether a design is ready for release). Some engineering samples with unlocked clock multipliers are valued by overclockers.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Sampling of Sample Processors |url=https://www.cpushack.com/2018/07/23/a-sampling-of-sample-processors/ |website=The CPUShack Museum |access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref> Intel does not officially acknowledge a distinction between engineering and qualification samples.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Is the Difference between ES (Engineering Sample) and QS (Qualification Sample) Processors? |url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000056642/processors/intel-core-processors.html |website=Intel Support Knowledge Base |access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref>

Some engineering samples, such as [Pentium 4](/source/Pentium_4) processors, were rare and favoured{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}} for having unlocked base-clock multipliers. More recently{{When|date=July 2018}}, [Core 2](/source/Core_2) engineering samples have become more common and popular.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}} 

While engineering sample CPUs do occasionally appear on secondhand markets such as [eBay](/source/eBay), they are generally not authorized for resale and can suffer from unpredictable performance issues, compatibility issues, and lack of warranty support options.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Signs an Intel CPU May Be an Engineering Sample {{!}} tweedge's blog |url=https://chris.partridge.tech/2021/identifying-intel-engineering-samples/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=chris.partridge.tech}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-04 |title=Engineers arrested for selling sample CPUs on eBay |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/46902-engineers-arrested-for-selling-sample-cpus-on-ebay.html |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=TechSpot |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Why You Should AVOID Intel Core 2 Engineering Samples Rev. 4.1 |url=https://archive.techarp.com/showarticleba80.html?artno=407&pgno=4 |website=Tech ARP |access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref> This is due to their unfinished nature compared to the retail version of the chip.

==References==
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==External links==
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Category:Integrated circuits
Category:Computer hardware

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Engineering sample](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_sample) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_sample?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.