I get quite alot of HGTC boards and have noticed some of them will have 1 or 2 socketed IC chips. Now from what I have read, if it is soldered to the board, you don't take it off. I will post a picture of some examples. If I removed these ICs, they would still be a HGTC, and sometimes I'll find the same or similar board that has the socket but no IC and is still a high grade tele. (Or sometimes the solder spots without the chip but I'm not going to desolder anything off a board unless it was literally junk)

On those specific boards you posted, You could remove the socketed ICs and they would remain in High Tel.

It's a decision in reason to remove the ICs. Boards being highly populated like so, and removing a couple ICs doesn't effect it but let's say half of those ICs weren't there and you removed 2-3 socketed ones, that will effect the outcome.

I've ran into boards where there's 10 gold capped 8086's on them and they're soldered in. It would be up to your decision to sell as is or remove the ICs, knowing you could get a better payout with the IC's removed.

Time n judgement

That's what I figured it's a matter of knowing what you have.If you remove a few, I c's that are socketed if it's still a high grade, then that's fine.If it affects it and makes it a low grade, then leave them. As far as soldered things go, it appears that boardsort really doesn't want you touching anything soldered unless it's worth it for you to do so in a personal sense.

I wish this was posted in Escrap General Discussions.