Did I get a used E8400 processor from Newegg?

I just received my E8400 today

The factory seal stickers were still on the box. Upon inspection of the heatspreader on the processor, I noticed scratch marks in a rectangular pattern. It looks like a heat sink was on top of the processor at some point.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Does Intel test each processor? Could this be from their testing?

I can't imagine that Newegg would send me a used chip and charge for a new one. This is why I buy from them and not other online stores.

I imagine that I'll just install the processor and see how it goes. No harm, no foul. I'm concerned though that I might get a chip that doesn't clock as high as I would like. Than I'd be constantly thinking about weather someone returned this chip or not. I realize however that I can't ethically return a chip that doesn't clock as high as I would like.

I'm at work right now. I will.

Here's the picture

Below the writing on my E8400 I noticed some scratches running from side to side,but it doesnt seem to affect my cpu.

those marks are from the factory testing

Lap it!! And when it shines, it will look bran Newwwwwww.

Looking at your pictures that is quite clearly the mark from the processor ID stamp...
You got to be kidding with the used CPU idea... Why would anyone install a heatsink the size of a postage stamp (Intel dual-core processor heatspreaders are already real small these days!!)

Or maybe not with all those other AMD fanboi threads about returning E8400's due to the fact they overheat - just kidding!!

Anyway it's time to rub all those score marks off 'n' lap it boi!! Just don't get it mixed up with an E2180 when it has a mirror surface!!

Bob

No. Do not bother.

I'm not worried about the scratches She'll be liquid cooled. I'm worried about my overclock and some little kid in the stock room pulling a fast one on me. I figured they were from the factory. Thanks for the reasurance.

Yes, yes, YES!! Even if you are watercooling the closer you get to a direct metal to metal bond the lower the temps. If you spread the Arctic MX2 or AS5 really thin on a lapped CPU/heatsink you really do get better thermal transfer and thus lower temperatures... Its just basic thermodynamics. The ideal would be a direct metal to metal bond with no airgaps at all - very hard to achieve in the real world - unfortunately!!

Bob

It only matters to a few people and the real gain is next to nothing...some people even remove the IHS and run phase cooling dirrectly on the IC's/core's,but they are into OC contests.

Correct preinstall cleaning (even new parts) and correct TIM install along with case flow patterns is the key.

hell yeah, lapping helps. I lapped my gpu, now my video screams

i only ever lapped a 2500 Barton core a long long while ago. as for the posibility of damage... its a daft piece of metal stuck to your cpu, your not actually lapping the core here so why not? and jhust out of interest, have any of you ever had a fualty processor?? i'm yet to see a faulty one and i work in pc repair every day, its not a common fault

Lapping does make a huge difference with some heatspreaders. I lapped my Opteron and it dropped about 8 degrees with air cooling.

I will have to see what my temps are before I think about lapping the E8400. From my understanding, the 45nm process will hit a wall before temperature is an issue. Lapping will shave off a couple of degrees, but at a certain point, it requires extreme cooling (liq. Nitrogen) to achieve a higher OC. Super cold equals less electrical resistance equals lower voltage required equals higher stable overclock.

In other words. I don't see the point when The proccessor hits a wall at 50 degrees on water. Getting it down to 48 degrees isn't going to get any more Mhz out of it.

. o O (GPU???)

So your GPU has a heat spreader on it? Or are you talking about the HS on the gpu?

Or did you take a layer of silicon off the gpu?

Why am I asking these questions....