Tech YouTuber Roman Hartung, better known by his handle “der8auer,” recently highlighted a concerning trend of counterfeit AMD Ryzen CPUs in circulation. In one of his latest videos, he examined a fake AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D that, if not scrutinized closely, could easily pass as the real deal.
Hartung obtained the counterfeit CPU from a viewer who had purchased it on OLX, a platform similar to Facebook Marketplace, for around €300—a significant discount from the typical €400 price. After installing the CPU, the viewer’s PC wouldn’t start, prompting further investigation. Upon inspection, Hartung confirmed that the CPU was a sophisticated fake.
In his video, der8auer pointed out the differences between the counterfeit CPU and a genuine one. At first glance, the two CPUs look almost identical, but Hartung noted subtle details like the slightly different color of the PCB (printed circuit board) and the missing adhesive on the capacitors. The counterfeit PCB was also notably thinner, with a height of less than 1mm compared to the original’s 1.3mm.
Other differences were less obvious, such as the shape of the heatspreader and the labeling, which could easily be missed by an untrained eye. The counterfeit heatspreader could be removed effortlessly, revealing an empty circuit board beneath it. The counterfeiters had gone to great lengths to mimic the real product, even adding capacitors and using adhesive to give the fake heatspreader the appropriate height.
The packaging of the counterfeit CPU was also nearly indistinguishable from the original, making it difficult for buyers to detect the fraud without close examination. Hartung warned that these types of counterfeit CPUs are particularly prevalent on third-party marketplaces, urging buyers to exercise extra caution to avoid falling victim to such scams.