Looking for CPU die core prints

March 25, 2009 4:17 PM

I would love a huge poster of something like this. But I can't find anything like it on sites that sell posters. Does anyone know where I could find very high resolution images of die cores?
posted by SouthCNorthNY to technology (10 comments total)

You could try calling the marketing departments of Intel, AMD, etc. Certainly they have used something like this as a poster or something for tradeshows. If not, they may have a high resolution file with which you could make your own poster, but they might be skittish about any IP infringement issues if they think you might be making them for sale.
posted by rhizome at 4:55 PM on March 25

That is a very cool image. If you can get a photo, you can get it put on a canvas for not too much money here: canvasondemand.com
posted by Maias at 5:32 PM on March 25

Intel's press resources photos page has a listing of different processors. Many subpages have links to big TIF files (~10 megapixels) and the design/coloration differs from chip to chip. (AMD has a [very] few die images, but they aren't as stunning or as high-res.)

It'd be pretty trivial for photoshop/GIMP to give them the contrasty supersaturated look of your example, too.
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:28 PM on March 25

Like here's one (self link) I've made as a test from the Pentium 4 TIF that Intel supplies. I can provide GIMP instructions or modify a picture for you if you'd like.
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:00 PM on March 25

Get a better image and take it to Kinko's. They'll make a poster for you, and it won't even be very expensive.
posted by koeselitz at 9:08 PM on March 25

Massive TIF files are exactly what I was looking for. I am going to ask Intel if they have any images of older chips as well.

Cowbellemoo, that image is the kind of thing I am looking for. Could you send me (or post) the GIMP instructions?
posted by SouthCNorthNY at 10:38 PM on March 25

There are some huge scans of an uncapped 4004 here, but unfortunately they are watermarked.
posted by jepler at 5:19 AM on March 26

Here's some GIMP instructions:

1. Make duplicate of the background layer above the background. (Right click on "background" in the layers palette to dupe.)
2. With the new layer selected, change the (blending) "Mode" to "Multiply." This layer will make things contrasty and dark.
3. Still on the new layer, bring up the Brightness/Contrast dialog (on the menu: Colors > Brightness/Contrast). We want little brightness (0%-25%) and lots of contrast (70%-80%). You can play with this later if it needs to be darker.
4. Make a new layer from the original background, and drag it to the top of the layer stack. Change its Mode to "Grain Merge." It's going to make the colors glow.
5. With the newest layer selected, bring up the Gaussian Blur dialog (on the menu: Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur). Use a radius of 25 or so.
6. Done! Save as a JPG.

The trick is getting the darkness/brightness where you want it. A new top layer of pure black set to overlay mode can help (throttle the opacity to taste). And for steps 2-3, using the Levels dialog instead will let you clip more area to black and let the colorful bits brighten. It'd be murder to explain the levels dialog here, though. Any photshop levels tutorial will help there.

Have fun!
posted by cowbellemoo at 7:47 AM on March 26 [1 favorite has favorites]

from one the links posted: http://oms.wmhost.com/misc/
posted by imaswinger at 11:06 AM on March 26

Wow...imaswinger's link has some crazy awesome stuff.
posted by cowbellemoo at 5:54 PM on March 26