Warning: Graphics Card Scams Galore!
Repair customer discovers three RTX 4090 graphics cards to be counterfeit; novel fraud method involves altered 30-series chips.
You've probably heard about the Chinese hardware repair YouTuber who got their hands on four allegedly high-end graphics cards that needed repairing. Turns out, three of them were total fakes! These poser GPUs were modded to look like RTX 4090s, but were actually refurbished RTX 3090s and RTX 3080s. The customer reportedly shelled out 10,000 yuan each for these counterfeits, purchased from some shady overseas vendor or sketchy supplier.
The YouTuber shared some top-secret insights on how to spot a phony RTX 4090. For starters, the QR code on every legit RTX 4090 is found way down below on the GPU substrate's left corner. Hot tip: if the QR code is anywhere else, smells fishy! RTX 30 series GPUs, on the other hand, have their QR codes just a smidgen above the bottom left corner. Most scammers leave the QR code in its original spot, which is an easy giveaway.
Another red flag? The RTX 30 series GPUs have a funny little capacitor perched up on the top right of the substrate, while the RTX 4090 lacks this feature. Keep an eye out for this when inspecting potential new GPUs!
Now, let's talk about these three imposters. They were as fake as a three-dollar bill. The first one had a QR code in the wrong spot and sported fake VRAM, according to the YouTuber. The second card had a battered "AD102" die, with the same QR code issue from the first card. The third card was a real clunker with a weird green substrate and a shoddy substrate plate that didn't even fit properly! The only real RTX 4090 in the bunch needed some repairs, but eventually lit up and ran smoothly once fixed.
So, what's the end game here? Counterfeiting RTX 4090 graphics cards is more common than you might think in today's GPU market. Criminals strip down old RTX 30-series graphics cards and mod them to look like sparkly-new RTX 4090s. Nvidia's Ampere-based GA102 die and memory configuration are similar enough to those of the AD102 GPUs that it's a breeze to pass off an old card as a new one.
And it doesn't end there! Some scammers even list RTX 4080s as RTX 4090s. Yikes!
Luckily, there haven't been any major reports of fake RTX 5090s yet. But given the high demand and super-high price of the RTX 5090, it's only a matter of time before fraudsters figure out how to dupe us with faux RTX 5090s.
To stay in the know, be sure to follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, and keep those eyes peeled for suspicious graphics card deals!
General Detection Methods: Catch Those Fake Cards
Want to make sure the graphics cards you're buying are the real deal? Here are some tips:
- QR Code Location: The QR code on legit cards should be in a specific location on the GPU substrate. Check the spot and compare it to the respective card model's standard location.
- Visual Inspection: Give the card a thorough once-over to spot any signs of tampering or inconsistencies in its design.
- Performance Testing: If possible, give the card's performance a whirl to ensure it lives up to its specifications.
- Software Verification: Use tools like GPU-Z to verify the card's specifications and detect any potential anomalies.
- In today's GPU market, it's crucial to be aware of the rising trend of counterfeit graphics cards, as even the upcoming RTX 5090 could be at risk.
- Artificial-intelligence-driven techniques and advanced technology could potentially help in detecting such scams by analyzing QR code locations, visual inspection patterns, and performance data to determine if a card is authentic.
