The ultra-cheap processor was spotted on Xianyu, a used goods e-commerce platform in China that’s somewhat akin to eBay, by X (formerly Twitter) user Yuuki_AnS.
“Does anyone want to buy the CPU of Arrow Lake-S LGA1851? (MechSample). About 100 CNY or $14 each…,” Yuuki_AnS wrote on X/Twitter. In a follow-up post, Yuuki_AnS posted a screenshot of the listing, which shows a mostly unmarked processor in the palm of a person’s hand (as seen at the top of the article), along with Chinese-language text describing the chip.
There are a myriad of reasons you should avoid tracking down a $14 engineering sample, if you were feeling inclined to do so. For one, ES processors are not meant for resale, and you’re not supposed to buy or sell them—they’re intended to help Intel’s partners test and validate platforms, with late-stage samples sometimes being sent to news outlets for review.
Secondly, identifiers on the chip in the photo suggest it is a very early ES chip, which means it could be missing features or sport different specs than what might be found on a later-stage ES or qualification sample (QS), and/or finalized silicon.
This could also be a scam, especially in light of the ultra-low price. On top of it all, there’s no indication of what SKU this chip is supposed to represent (or the specs), and even if you managed to get one, good luck finding a motherboard for it—Intel’s LGA 1851 platform has not been released yet.
Our advice? Steer way clear and wait for Arrow Lake’s formal launch later this year.