Engineering sample

{{Short description|Integrated circuit prototypes for testing}}

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File:KL Intel Xeon Prestonia ES.jpg engineering sample]]

File:KL AMD Mobile Athlon XP ES.jpg engineering sample]]

Engineering samples are the beta versions of integrated circuits which are loaned to ODMs, OEMs and ISVs so that products can be tested prior to launch. Engineering samples are usually handed out under a non-disclosure agreement or another type of confidentiality agreement.{{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}}

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.{{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}} Intel does not officially acknowledge a distinction between engineering and qualification samples.{{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}}

Some engineering samples, such as 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 engineering samples have become more common and popular.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}} Asian sellers were selling the Core 2 processors at major profit.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}

While engineering sample CPUs do occasionally appear on secondhand markets such as eBay, they are generally not authorized for resale and can suffer from unpredictable performance issues, compatibility issues, and lack of warranty support options.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}} This is due to their unfinished nature compared to the retail version of the chip.