6502.org

Recently I went over some auctions with very cheap 6502 CPUs.

When I asked to get the actual photo I have received the attached images. Considering that the 4 digits are WEEK:YEAR I think those are some other CPUs, which were sandblasted the original marking, blacktopped and new marking was lasered?

Any opinion on that?
Thanks!

(See also, perhaps, this thread:
Bargain chips bought online - buyer beware!
Edit: which I now notice is linked there already...
)

They have been tampered with, however they may still be 6502s. Just a matter of whether or not you want to take your chances to get some cheap CPUs. I have received some with weird date codes and manufacturing locations, but they did turn out to be what they said they were (6502/65C02). Who they were really made by or when or where is anyone's guess though. Your mileage may vary.

Welcome to the China remarking lottery market. Because that’s what it is with popular out of production chips (by this I mean the NMOS versions being out of production).

Chips that have been pulled from old equipment are cleaned up, and then the tops relabelled (remarked). Then they as sold as ‘new’.

Often they work. But you will have no idea of the speed rating. And the people who do this often don’t make any distinction between NMOS and CMOS types. So you may get a NMOS marked with a CMOS part number, or a CMOS part marked with a NMOS part number.

This also happens with other chips, including Zilog Z80 microprocessors.

Mark

Trouble is, if you want NMOS or older CMOS parts, you don't have much choice. Maybe we should try to compile a list of trusted sources.

Edit: Never mind. I see we already have such a list.

Don't know why Chinese dealers go through the trouble of re-marking ICs. The simplistic explanation is they are like novice coin collectors who polish old coins to make them shinny thus unknowingly destroyed coins's numismatic values. Or perhaps there are rules requiring them to re-mark recycled ICs. I predict that as more and more ICs are re-marked, the ICs with original markings will become more expensive and even "collectible"!
Bill

Reminds me of a chapter in "Bill the Galactic Hero" where he packages up waste and uses the 'free" government inter-planetary postal service to get rid of it ...

Ever tried to return something to China?

-Gordon

I've never had to. If it didn't get delivered or was not as expected then 100% of the time I have been refunded 100% of my money - no argument. I used to fret about ordering from China, but I don't anymore. Mind you, I won't order anything I really need spec'd right, or has to be had quickly, from China. Usually just jelly-bean items to replenish stock, or interesting doo-dads I'm willing to take a risk on.

Indeed - essentially the import duties on stuff going into China is so high that it's cheaper for them to simply refund you - which most of the time they will to maintain reputation... So they get rid of their junk, we often get good stuff, but sometimes not and almost everyone is happy most of the time... sort of!

-Gordon