The best quality items may be classified into categories such as "Choice" or "Grade A", and are sold at a premium price for table presentation and consumption.
[3] Defects in manufacturing are not always fatal, and in many cases it is possible to salvage part of a failed batch of integrated circuits by modifying performance characteristics.
Some time after the initial release of a product, manufacturers may choose to increase the clock frequency of an integrated circuit for a variety of reasons, ranging from improved yields to more conservative speed ratings (e.g., actual power consumption lower than TDP).
Finished products enter a machine[7][8] that can test hundreds of pieces at a time, taking only a few hours to complete.
Each piece can be tested to determine its highest stable clock frequency and accompanying voltage and temperature while running.
Since manufacturers are only required to meet the minimum advertised specifications, the potential for overclocking of a product is not typically tested during the binning process.
[note 1] As energy conservation is often a desired trait, individual chips that are stable at lower voltage and power levels are considered better bins.