Hardware Busters has posted pictures of a phony AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and its box to show that even well-known hardware reviewers are susceptible to tech retail fraudsters. Nowadays, it appears that dealing with fakes is a part of being a computer fanatic. Fortunately, Aris from Hardware Busters will probably receive his money back through the returns process he has started on Amazon.de.
The retail box in which the counterfeit Ryzen 7 9800X3D was sent was a good enough replica to pass examination; in fact, the packaging may have been authentic. The head of Hardware Busters, Aris Mpitziopoulos, who you may also recognize from his in-depth reviews of power supplies on Tom’s Hardware, claims that he received the CPU on March 4 but, because of his busy schedule, did not get around to tearing off the shrink wrap until March 9.
The fake was evident as soon as the box was opened. The desired X3D chip is clearly a fake when compared to the real Ryzen 9000 chip (left) and the fabricated 9800X3D chip (right) in our collection. With the release of the Ryzen 7000 series of desktop processors, AMD made the switch to the now-familiar octopus-shaped IHS.
It is possible that Aris received an AMD CPU that was a few generations old. No. Under the sticker was an AMD FX-4100, a 32nm quad-core Bulldozer architecture CPU that was introduced in 2011, as you can see from the incredible IHS sticker peel shot (top). In our early 2012 gaming comparison testing, this AMD CPU, even in its prime, trailed behind the Intel Core i3-2100.
Additionally, the phony 9800X3D has a whole different packaging with pins instead of pads, which means that if a careless do-it-yourselfer tries to smash this processor in an AM5 socket, they risk damaging a costly motherboard. Aris was mercifully awake when he opened the fake processor, and that would be a horrible loss.
It is worth repeating a few more details regarding this Amazon.de purchase. Aris claims that this 9800X3D was purchased from Amazon directly, not from a third-party vendor, and was never used or returned. He thought the sealed container was authentic.
Now Hardware Busters has to deal with the waste of time and inconvenience of receiving this fake 9800X3D. Aris reckons it will take three weeks to be refunded the significant chunk of cash spent on this fake CPU.
