Counterfeiting of processors is becoming quite difficult as original production methods improve, but this does not rid the market of those who want to profit from counterfeit goods. In China, as local websites report, counterfeit AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors have been discovered.
The choice of one of the most expensive models in the mass segment is quite justified from the point of view of attackers, since the benefits from their successful implementation cover the risks and costs. As VideoCardz explains, fake Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors use a printed circuit board from the Ryzen 7000 family of processors, which may not have any crystals on it at all. It is difficult to recognize the trick right away, since the board space is covered with a heat spreader cover.
Image Source: ChipHell
For Socket AM5 processors, this cover has rectangular cutouts in which capacitors are visible on the printed circuit board. In counterfeit processors, their number and location do not match the genuine ones, and the fakes also give themselves away as the printed circuit board code (32546). By the way, the color of the PCB on real Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors is bluish, while the fakes are dark green. It is difficult to judge the widespread distribution of counterfeit processors of this series, but it is necessary to keep in mind that such “dummies” exist.