AMD barcodes up Athlon chips

ABOUT A WEEK AGO, we mentioned that AMD was trying to combat a new wave of remarked chips in the USA. Since then, we have gotten a little more information, and without delay, we are passing it along.

The first thing is, what to do if you suspect you have gotten a dodgy chip. Rather than do the classic US thing, get drunk on Red White and Blue beer, hop in the pickup truck with three friends named something-Bob, and unload your shotguns at street signs, AMD has a more productive course of action. If you are thinking of going after the remarkers with those shotguns, wrong again. Call AMD's Tech Service Center, and ‘immediately identify the fact' that you think you have remarked chips. They are friendly and don't bite often. AMD will assuredly make them suffer a fate MUCH worse than death, lawyers, and you save money on shotgun shells. Can you ask for more?

Yes you can, and AMD delivers. To combat the remarkers, AMD is about to begin 2D barcoding the chips. There is a long memo with a lot of numbers on it, so rather than typing it all in, you can read it for yourself. Enjoy.

Advanced Change Notification No: 2275
Subject: Device Marking - Bar Code Serialization for AMD Processors</>

AMD is announcing that AMD processors will be marked with an additional 2D bar code serialization number on the ink swatch. See below for details.
Product Identification: AMD-Athlon™ and AMD-Athlon™ 64 processors
Package Types: 453 pin Organic Micro Pin Grid Arrays (OPGA 453)
754 pin Lid Less Organic Micro Pin Grid Arrays (UOL 754)
AMD Product Line: (CPG) Computation Products Group

Description of Change: A 2D bar code serialization will be added to the existing ink swatch mark. See reference picture below. The bar code will be Data Matrix standard 3 mm X 3 mm.