Forged AMD Chips In Circulation

Published: February 16, 2015 9:06 AM /

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AMD logo

It looks like fans of AMD should be weary that their new processor might in fact be a fake. Long regarded as the budget king, AMD has a following of fans who remain loyal to team red. As with many popular products, there is always the risk of getting a counterfeit!

So, how exactly can a chip be faked? The answer lies on the heatspreader itself. Or for that matter, the perceived information on said heatspreader. In the image below, the faked chip is on the left and the real chip is on the right.

AMD chips

Courtesy of Overclock3d.net

Note the pin pattern, they are clearly different from one another. An actual A8-7600 (Kaveri FM2+) would be compatible with the same motherboards as an A4-7300 (Richland FM2) as they share identical pin layouts. With each major generational upgrade from either Intel or AMD, older chips simply are no longer compatible with newer motherboards. This is how the scam works. An old otherwise obsolete chip is taken and resold under the guise of being a newer product. In this particular case, an old Athlon 64 X2 5200+ being paraded as a newer A8 7600. How do you know if you got a fake? AMD has a page dedicated to ease their customers minds if their product is genuine or not.

Here is a statement from AMD themselves;

It is apparent that this isolated incident is not related in any way to AMD's manufacturing or packaging, however AMD takes any reports of product tampering very seriously. As part of our ongoing efforts to help ensure consumers and businesses are sold only genuine AMD processors, we thoroughly investigate these extremely rare incidents in an effort to determine the source of the altered products, and consider all available legal remedies - including both civil and criminal prosecution - against persons found to have engaged in fraudulent actions affecting AMD products.

We are working in close cooperation with Amazon and the local enforcement authorities to conclude this incident quickly and ensure that the rigorous quality and reliability standards that AMD is known for are maintained. In addition, while AMD already implements extensive security measures to ensure the authenticity of our products, we are currently evaluating further measures to implement additional security measures for maximum future support.

Always check for authenticity in products you get from online retailers such as Amazon. Look for broken seals and any other anomalies that appear suspect. AMD is taking this tampering seriously, reporting these incidents help out tremendously. If you suspect your chip might not be the real deal, contact the seller you purchased it from. Under all circumstances, do not try to force a fake chip to fit into your motherboard socket, you may cause damage.

What are your thoughts on forged computer chips and AMD's response to the situation?

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Gamer since the NES era, computer nerd since 2001. Happily in a loving relationship with a happa who has been a gamer since the Sega Genesis era. Who says… More about Anthony