DEC Alpha chips on eBay

[gshv]

One seller on eBay recently listed a lot of 90 DEC Alpha chips:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPHA-CPU-CHIPS-GOLD-SCRAP-/300597532976?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fd025930

These looked a bit strange to me, because the size of the heatspreader was smaller than on DEC 21164 processors. I found two prototype chips in chipdb, that look almost exactly as the chips in the auction:

http://www.chipdb.org/img-dec-alpha-21-47307-01-proto-6756.htm

The only difference is in the first line on the top of the chip. PROTO chip in chipdb has "DIGITAL PROTO", and the CPUs in the auction had longer first line, as if it had "Digital Semiconductor" or something like that. I asked the seller about markings on the chips, and I also put an offer for the lot. I would buy it in a moment if I knew that these were "PROTO" chips, but the seller never responded. So, what do you guys think? Are these prototypes, or just production Alphas with unusual heatspreader?

Gennadiy

[Neon_WA]

one was a proto.. just checking others

EDIT >> 2 were
rest of lot appear to be production units

[gshv]

Thanks! It probably wasn't worth to pay $1300 for two, or several proto chips.

Gennadiy

[Neon_WA]

yes
I have seen some very nice chips in large lots sold, but I try to keep the ratio of collectable to non collectible to about 25% as a minimum.
Otherwise it starts getting hard to cover the cost of the lot when reselling what you dont want

[isa-d]

I doubt they are CPUs 21164
DEC made also support chip for 21264 with the same layout like 21164, only the heatspreader is a little small and the part numbers are progressive

[max3]

holy lord!
thats quite a bit of alfa servers there...

[Glory_Cloud]

These are support chips and not CPU's.

They come off of boards like this one.

[jack-cpu]

It seems too expensive for DEC Gold Chip . I don't think they worth a lot.