Well-known technology blogger Der8auer took to his YouTube channel to investigate the problem of one of his fans who was tricked into buying an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, one of the best gaming processors.
Der8auer showed viewers how to recognize a fake processor by its appearance so that they don’t fall victim to such scams.
Der8auer
A person named Bruce Buy fake Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor online from Romanian OLX store. The said website operates as a multi-seller platform and most of its sellers do not provide real warranty for the products. Bruce thought he would save about 100 euros by buying the processor for 300 euros.
Der8auer
The feeling of satisfaction from a cheap purchase faded after the first attempt to use the processor. When Bruce connected the processor to the Asus motherboard, he noticed that the device would not turn on. He did some preliminary experiments; But it did not find any sign of proper functioning.
Der8auer bought the dead processor from Bruce at the retail price of the original model. This means Bruce could get the original Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor with full warranty from a reputable supplier. This also allowed Der8auer to carefully examine the counterfeit processor.
Der8auer
Looking at the fake AMD processor, the mentioned YouTuber recognized several differences with the original model. He noticed that the product’s PCB fiber color is much bluer than the original model, which has a greenish color. Second, in X3D processors, the capacitors between the octopus legs of the chip are covered with a layer of protective resin. Meanwhile, in the counterfeit sample, the capacitor blocks were completely shiny and uncoated.
Der8auer
Der8auer found that the counterfeit processor had a thinner PCB that was not suitable for mounting the chip. The thickness of the fake PCB was measured at 0.964 mm and the original processor at 1.308 mm, which is a significant difference.
Opening the metal cover of the fake processor did not go as expected; Because it came apart with much less effort than usual. Der8auer observed that there is no chip on the substrate, and the manufacturer simply placed a rectangular bump under the metal frame to mimic the appearance of a real processor.
Der8auer stated that AMD’s attempt to fake the CPU’s PCB and metal frame is enough to fool customers who haven’t seen X3D processors up close. However, a little attention to the color of the fiber and the absence of resin glue on the capacitors will help to identify the processor as a fake. Der8auer admitted that the number and position of the capacitors and the quality of the metal frame of the counterfeit product were commendable.
More fake AMD processors may have hit the market; Therefore, gamers and enthusiasts of Ryzen X3D series processors should be careful how they buy the processor.
