Fake AMD Ryzen 7800X3D CPU Scam Uncovered – Fake CPUs with no silicon
Fake Ryzen 7800X3D CPUs are being sold online
The Overclocker/YouTuber Der8auer has uncovered a fake CPU scam that has hit online marketplaces. Fake Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPUs are being sold online to unsuspecting customers, taking advantage of marketplaces with minimal, or no consumer protections. What buyers though was a good deal on AMD’s best gaming CPU may turn out to be a surprisingly good looking counterfeit.
Specifically, this fake CPU was purchased by a der8auer fan on OLX, a Romanian second-hand online marketplace. This CPU did not work at all when placed inside an AMD AM5 motherboard. Using a multimeter, the user then tried to test some of this CPU’s pads using a multimeter, confirming its non-functionality. Der8auer decided to purchase this processor from his fan to make a video on the fake CPU. This allowed the victim of this scam to purchase a real Ryzen 7 7800X3D from a reputable retailer.
While fake CPU scams aren’t new, this specific scam is different from the norm. Sometimes, scammers use older CPUs with newly engraves heatspreaders that feature the name of a newer CPU. For these scams, sellers typically ship these fraudulent CPUs inside the boxes of more expensive models. In this case, scammers appear to have fabricated fake PCBs, and heatspeaders for their CPUs. They even went to far as to add visible capacitors in the correct locations of these CPUs. However, there are ways to spot these fakes. Under the IHS of this fake Ryzen CPU was no silicon and a lot of adhesive. Obviously, this CPU will not work inside any AM5 PC.
How to spot a fake Ryzen 7 7800X3D
In the video above, Der8auer found several aspects of this CPU that distinguish it as a fake. For starters, AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPUs all feature glue around their capacitors. Note that this glue is not present on non-X3D Ryzen 7000 series processors, but us is present on X3D chips. Beyond that, the fake X3D CPU featured a blueish PCB that doesn’t look like a real AMD CPU. The PCB is also notably thinner than a real CPU. The fake CPU also featured a lower quality IHS that had misaligned font and labelling.
As always, buyers should be careful when purchasing PC hardware second hand. Always buy from platforms that have strong consumer protections in place, and from sellers who have a good reputation. That will allow you to minimise risk when purchasing second hand products online.
You can join the discussion on the fake Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPUs being sold on the OC3D Forums.
