I'll be the '71 date code helped. . . Still, that's an awful lot for a couple of dozen old RAMs. . . Erik Klein www.vintage-computer.com www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum The Vintage Computer Forum -----Original Message----- From: cctalk-bounces(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Joe R. Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 4:14 PM To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Did you guys see this? 24 C1101A gold RAM chips = $418

1247 &sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1> To hell collecting computers! We should rip them apart for the chips! </flamebait> Joe

I remember when I bought my first 'real' computer, an IBM 486SX-33, it had gold ram in it and I subsequently bought four megs of the same ram for something like $100.00. Somehow I had the computer working with 7 megs of ram and it seemed much faster than the four I originally got it with. Anyway, there was a discussion about why only gold ram (of course I mean ram that uses gold to coat the pins that fit in the slots) should be used in certain types of computers as opposed to the normal ram, which was lead or something like that. I did a search then and this was long before Google and came up with the concept that gold coated ram would 'heal' itself after the small teeth on the connectors grabbed it while the more normal ram let oxidants in which would, in time, ruin the chip. Now I am wondering if the gold ram connectors had teeth and the regular ram connectors didn't. To make a short story long, I sold the chips for exactly the same price I paid for them a year or so later to a place that bought ram for resale. I assume the guy wanted them for printers or something. He was astonished to see the gold connectors and after paying me the 100 bucks asked me if I had any more! At that time ram was far less than what I had paid for the two chips and I guess the premium was for the gold. I bet everyone will be scrambling around looking for gold ram over the next few days. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe R." &lt;rigdonj(a)cfl.rr.com&gt; To: &lt;cctalk(a)classiccmp.org&gt; Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 7:14 PM Subject: Did you guys see this? 24 C1101A gold RAM chips = $418 <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2781001588&category=1247 > &sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1> > To hell collecting computers! We should rip them apart for the chips! > </flamebait> > Joe >

>> gold ram in it and I subsequently bought four megs of the same ram",

I'm sure that the reason that his computer ran faster was because of

added RAM (7Mb vs 4 Mb) and not because of the gold on the ICs. Joe At 05:14 PM 1/27/04 -0800, Tom wrote: >I'm sorry, but just because a lot of people believe a thing doesn't mean >it's true. (Unless you mean you can get the other believer(s) to pay >more :-) > >The 1101's with gold tops are another thing entirely, (possibly) >extremely old, hence 'interesting'. Gold doesn't oxidize quickly, and is >a better conductor, and will likely improve reliability of connectors >under adverse conditions (like humidity, insufficient pressure, etc) but >it makes nothing 'go faster'. Tin/lead or other platings work fine as >long as you keep the physical environment in the computer OK. > > >On Tue, 2004-01-27 at 15:21, Brian Mahoney wrote: >> I remember when I bought my first 'real' computer, an IBM 486SX-33, it

>> gold ram in it and I subsequently bought four megs of the same ram for >> something like $100.00. Somehow I had the computer working with 7 megs

>> ram and it seemed much faster than the four I originally got it with. >> Anyway, there was a discussion about why only gold ram (of course I

ram >> that uses gold to coat the pins that fit in the slots) should be used

>> certain types of computers as opposed to the normal ram, which was lead

>> something like that. I did a search then and this was long before

and >> came up with the concept that gold coated ram would 'heal' itself after

>> small teeth on the connectors grabbed it while the more normal ram let >> oxidants in which would, in time, ruin the chip. Now I am wondering if

>> gold ram connectors had teeth and the regular ram connectors didn't. >> To make a short story long, I sold the chips for exactly the same price

>> paid for them a year or so later to a place that bought ram for resale.

>> assume the guy wanted them for printers or something. He was astonished

>> see the gold connectors and after paying me the 100 bucks asked me if I

>> any more! At that time ram was far less than what I had paid for the

>> chips and I guess the premium was for the gold. >> I bet everyone will be scrambling around looking for gold ram over the

>> > &sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1> >> > >> > To hell collecting computers! We should rip them apart for the