The AMD Ryzen 7800X3D processors, launched over a year ago, remain highly popular among gamers, especially as they hunt for significant discounts following the release of the new Ryzen 9000 series. However, this popularity has also attracted scammers who flood the market with fake processors, exploiting the eagerness of buyers to snatch up deals that seem too good to be true.
These counterfeit processors are meticulously crafted to appear authentic. Unsuspecting buyers often only realize they’ve been scammed when their PCs fail to boot. In a recent case, a buyer attempted to diagnose a seemingly defective processor with a multimeter, only to discover that its pins were not connected to anything. After sharing his experience with the online overclocking community, the buyer was contacted by the well-known YouTuber, der8auer, who offered to purchase the fake processor for an in-depth examination on his channel.
Upon disassembly, it was confirmed that the processor was a sophisticated counterfeit, not just a defective unit rejected by AMD. Despite having components like capacitors mounted, the area where the AMD chips should have been was filled with adhesive, effectively hiding the fraud.
While subtle differences, such as slight variations in the PCB color and improper IHS height, could be noticed when compared to a genuine Ryzen 7800X3D, these discrepancies are hard to detect during a quick transaction, especially with a sealed, seemingly perfect product.
Fortunately, in this instance, the buyer recovered the money spent, thanks to the notorious YouTuber der8auer intervention. However, this incident is a stark reminder to avoid purchasing high-cost electronics from unreliable sources.
If a deal seems suspiciously good, it’s safer to buy directly from reputable retailers to avoid falling victim to such scams.
