[USA-VA] [H] 8700k/Z370/DDR4 [W] PayPal/Cash

The silicon is 'better'. That is to say, they're more stable than the average for that CPU, at a given voltage and clk frequency, which can noticeably affect overclocking potential on a per-chip basis.

For example, say the average 8700k can be OC'ed to 5GHz with a minimum voltage of 1.35V. A 'well binned' CPU could exceed this average, meaning that it would both:

  • Stably hit a higher frequency at the same voltage (i.e. 5.2 GHz @ 1.35v) -> better perfomance

  • Run at a lower voltage at the same frequency (i.e. 5GHz @ 1.3V) -> lower temperatures

People are willing to pay more for these binned chips, because they know that they'll be getting a top performer closer to the theoretical maximum performance of the CPU line. For 99% of consumers, this is totally irrelevant, but for those chasing the absolute limits of OC'ing, it can be worth it to pay 50%+ more for the possibility of 1% - 5% better peak OC performance.

/r/hardwareswap Thread Parent