When buying Leica cameras collectors often pay more for “brassed” models. That’s where the paint has worn away with use to show the brass metal underneath. I guess it’s supposed to show that the tool was used for a long time in the field.
With these intel chips it’s a similar story. You’re looking for authenticity.
Not really. In this case, collectors are looking for scarcity (or rarity, whatever the right word is here). These chips are no less authentic than the mil-spec approved chips they sold at the same time.
Personally I like used lenses and cameras more, especially with strong signs of use at specific locations.
It somethings also indicate that the lens got lucky in production and is sharper or without flaws.
I actually had a few of these kits from different years... I think the newest was from the 1990s and I couldn’t even say for sure when the oldest from was. Sadly I sold the kits piecemeal about a year ago before I moved. They all went to good homes though, as the people who got them were all very excited about them.
I suppose it's more a matter of customer perception than anything else, because a small chip on the corner of the package has absolutely no effect on the operation of the much smaller silicon die in the middle; and if it's assembled into a product, the end-user is none the wiser.
Incidentally, modern high-density components look rather rough under the microscope too.
They arent worried about the chip. The fear is that the chip represents a mistake in handeling, was it dropped? You wouldnt buy new bulldozer with a dent even though nobody really cares. You need to know the dent isnt the result of something more important.
> Multiple chipped corners. Such damage often was a result of improper packing in an IC shipping tube.
If you're requiring mil-spec components, I think it's clear why such devices would be rejected. At the very least, the risk that improper handling has caused functional damage and/or structural weakness probably isn't worth taking.
With these intel chips it’s a similar story. You’re looking for authenticity.