Yet another fake AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D gaming CPU has been spotted in the real world. However, this time a fake 9800X3D has reportedly been sold and shipped by Amazon directly, sealed in an original box, leaving the owner hundreds of dollars out of pocket.
While stock levels for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D have improved since launch day, scammers have taken advantage of the AMD CPU’s high demand by scamming gamers with fake chips such as this one. As our 9800X3D review shows, it’s simply the best gaming CPU you can buy right now, with its 3D V-Cache technology helping it to dominate against the competition.
This fake 9800X3D was reported by Aris Mpitziopoulos by popular PC YouTube channel Hardware Busters, as shown in the video above. According to Mpitziopoulos, he ordered the AMD processor directly from Amazon Germany, with the item shipped from an Amazon EU warehouse. Arriving in a legitimate-looking box, the CPU is instantly recognizable as a fake, with a completely different heatspreader, pin layout, and poor-quality branding on top.
In fact, the branding turned out to be a sticker, covering a much older AMD FX-4100 CPU from 2011. What’s disappointing about this incident is that, according to Mpitziopoulos, Amazon was the direct seller here – this wasn’t a third-party seller.
While Amazon is refunding the item, the process isn’t proving to be completely smooth sailing. Amazon is insisting that Mpitziopoulos returns the item before his refund is processed, with the YouTuber expected to wait weeks to get his money back.
This isn’t the first time a counterfeit 9800X3D has been spotted in the wild. Reports of fake 9800X3D CPUs appearing in China, along with fake 9800X3D Amazon listings, show that even the biggest retailers aren’t immune to the problem. However, this is the first time a retailer such as Amazon has been spotted directly selling a fake 9800X3D to a customer, showing it has some work to do to ensure the quality of its supply lines.
In the meantime, gamers will need to do their due diligence before purchasing one of these CPUs, making sure to avoid any sketchy sellers in the process. If you’re planning on buying one for yourself, you may want to film yourself unboxing the product, just to help support any refund claims you may need to make in the future.
If you’re planning on building a new PC with a top-spec (and real) AMD CPU, don’t forget to check out our how to build a gaming PC guide, which will talk you through all of the major steps. You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC hardware news, reviews, and guides, or join our community Discord to stay in the know.