Introduction: An Unfortunate Purchase
A Romanian PC enthusiast recently encountered a disappointing experience when they thought they had secured a great deal on a used AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor via OLX, a popular online marketplace. Unfortunately, the processor turned out to be a complete paperweight, not even an actual processor.
The Deception Uncovered
While OLX has fraud protection measures for transactions conducted through the platform, many buyers and sellers choose to negotiate lower prices by cutting out the platform fees and transacting privately. This is how our PC enthusiast ended up with a non-functional product. Fortunately, prominent hardware reviewer der8auer stepped in to investigate the issue.
Dissecting the Fake Processor
Upon attempting to install the processor, der8auer found that the machine wouldn’t post, confirming that the item was indeed a complete fake. He proceeded to de-lid the processor, revealing that there was no silicon inside. The integrated heat spreader (IHS) was designed to mimic the appearance of a real processor, including features like the substrate’s solder-mask color.
How to Spot a Fake Processor
To avoid falling victim to such fraud, der8auer provided some essential tips:
- Check the substrate’s solder-mask color; it should be green.
- Inspect the SMDs for a thin sealant, which protects them in extreme cooling conditions.
- Measure the substrate thickness, which should be around 1.3 mm for a real chip.
- Look for font and alignment errors on the chip label and IHS.
Final Thoughts
When purchasing high-value components like the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor through P2P markets, it’s crucial to ensure that the transaction is secured either through the platform’s fraud protection or a refundable payment method like PayPal. For more details, check out der8auer’s video linked below.
