Gamers Nexus ran a check and found a fake AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D chip. They got this non-working CPU from a user. After taking it apart, they saw it had no real chip parts inside.
Fake CPUs keep coming up, with tricks used to make old or broken parts seem like new, top-end chips. This time, the fake AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D was said to be bought on Amazon.
Gamers Nexus saw odd things on the CPU’s top cover and base while checking if it was real. To look deeper, Steve from Gamers Nexus took off the top cover of the CPU.
With the top cover off, the base under it had nothing. No key chip parts were there - those needed for the CPU to work. The top cover looked made to stick out a bit, maybe to look like it had parts under it when looked at from the side.
Their check gave clear signs the CPU was a fake, even before taking it apart:
- Base Look: The board base had no spots for chip parts, showing it was just a fake.
- Capacitor Look: The way and count of capacitors at the edge of the base did not match a real Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It looked a bit like a Ryzen 5 7600, but did not work like one.
- Top Cover Marks: The style, words, and look of the top cover on the fake CPU were very off from a real one.
- Base Color and Shape: The color and edge of the base, and the cut sizes on the top and bottom were different too.
- Serial Number Issue: The number on the fake CPU did not match the number on its box.
While this case stands out, it’s key to know that such detailed fake CPUs are very rare. Though there are some reports of fake Ryzen 9800X3D chips, they are few compared to the many real ones sold every day by big shops.
