Be careful ordering CPUs from Amazon

[Leyawiin]

Vietnam??

I don't think Intel made CPUs there.

Sure they do. My i5 4590 was made there.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/23968/intel-to-install-second-production-line-at-vietnam-factory-ceo

 

[myocardia]

Vietnam??

I don't think Intel made CPUs there.

They do not. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is one of their assembly sites, though.

 

[dark zero]

Vietnam??

I don't think Intel made CPUs there.

They moved the assembly fabs from Costa Rica (which made the best processors ever in history) o other countries, including Vietnam and making the US made processors as the best ones.

 

[aigomorla]

intel will NEVER use stickers on top of there cpu because its a thermal barrier and prevents heat transfer.

that is obviously a fraud.

Call amazon and let them know they sold you a FRAUD cpu, and u will REPORT it to Intel if they dont fix it imediately.

Intel does not take FRAUD lightly, and can suspend Amazon from selling ALL Intel CPU's until they fix it.

When reporting to intel, make sure u send those pictures to there security department.
Again, Intel does not take lightly to people FRAUDing CPU's.


Seems like Amazon have had problems with AMD cpu's as well:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amazon-fake-amd-cpus,28528.html

 

[Killer_Croc]

They moved the assembly fabs from Costa Rica (which made the best processors ever in history) o other countries, including Vietnam and making the US made processors as the best ones.

Costa Rica was a common site to see on their processors even going back a few years ago. I wasn't aware that they moved or stopped production there though. When did this happen?

 

[bononos]

Costa Rica was a common site to see on their processors even going back a few years ago. I wasn't aware that they moved or stopped production there though. When did this happen?

The packaging plant closed in 2014 but Intel has other businesses going on there.

 

[red454]

Ok - back to the original issue, to answer the questions as to how could he have not caught this?

1. He is in his 50's and eyes are not as good as they used to be
2. He was not expecting this at all
3. Probably excited to be building a new system
4. Not a hardcore hardware guy, so again, not expecting a fake CPU to show up
5. He peeled the sticker back and saw the original CPU info
6. He is not mentally challenged, and can in fact crank out PLC code or program a Fanuc or Motoman robot in his sleep.

 

[VirtualLarry]

What I don't get is, it looked like the substrate fit in the socket, in the picture provided.

How could that be? It is claimed the original CPU heatspreader markings are of a 775 C2D. Yet, the platform / socket is claimed to be one supporting a 4790. Yet, the notches lined up.

Something is fishy here, beyond just the sticker.

Edit: I've got an alternate theory, assuming that the mobo in the picture is socket 1150, and not 775.
I think that possibly, the CPU and substrate ARE from a 4790... an ES. But instead of faking the laser-etching on the heatspreader, they hacked off a Core2 heatspreader, then applied the sticker.

 

[red454]

He did tell me that he tried to close the lid, and it didn't feel right, and that the chip looked to be about .010" too big on one side - that is when he started to look at it more closely, and realized that there was a sticker.

Keep in mind that he is not a hardware guy and hasn't been exposed to regularly building computers, so the sticker would not be obvious to him, as it would be to most of us. Now having been burned on the first fake CPU, he knew immediately when it happened the second time...

Anyway, he got fed up with Amazon and purchased a new motherboard and CPU at Fry's. System is up and running now and he is happy - well, it was for his wife, and she is happy.

 

[techne]

They moved the assembly fabs from Costa Rica (which made the best processors ever in history)

Thanks for the info. I'd like to know more about this.

 

[TeknoBug]

I was recently surfing Amazon and found some stuff I wanted to add to my wish list however when clicking on "new & used from x sellers", I looked at list of sellers and over half of them are "just launched"- NOPE NOPE NOPE... ain't taking chances.

They moved the assembly fabs from Costa Rica (which made the best processors ever in history) o other countries, including Vietnam and making the US made processors as the best ones.

My i7 3770K was Costa Rica and it was a silicon lottery winner, probably best CPU I ever owned. Ran at 4.5GHz at default voltage, 4.2GHz at -0.110v undervolt and never overheated.

 

[LTC8K6]

What I don't get is, it looked like the substrate fit in the socket, in the picture provided.

How could that be? It is claimed the original CPU heatspreader markings are of a 775 C2D. Yet, the platform / socket is claimed to be one supporting a 4790. Yet, the notches lined up.

Something is fishy here, beyond just the sticker.

Edit: I've got an alternate theory, assuming that the mobo in the picture is socket 1150, and not 775.
I think that possibly, the CPU and substrate ARE from a 4790... an ES. But instead of faking the laser-etching on the heatspreader, they hacked off a Core2 heatspreader, then applied the sticker.

Aren't both chips, 1150 and 775, 37.5mm square?

 

[Killer_Croc]

Looking at the first page and the way the notches line up there seems to be an even bigger gap in the notches than it should be and look at the way it is sitting in the socket.

E7600:

http://cdn.cpu-world.com/Images/uploaded/0000/26/L_00002654.jpg

4790:

http://images.bit-tech.net/content_...s-canyon-review/core-i7-4790k-1-1280x1024.jpg

Not sure if anyone remembers but Newegg was shipping counterfeit i7 920's years ago around 2010. But you could clearly spot that it was a fake.

 

[PG]

I think I get what is going on here.

775 and 1150 sockets are both 37.5mm square.

775 has notches along the top and bottom edge, left of center of the cpu.
1150 has notches along the left and right sides, above the center of the cpu.

With either socket the proper cpu should be oriented the same way. By this I mean that if you look at the socket so the lid will open up and down, then the cpu is also that same orientation, up and down. The lid will go up and down, and the writing will be readable left to right. I know some 775 boards had the socket rotated 90 degrees, but still what I said above stands. If the socket is rotated 90 degrees then the cpu has to be inserted rotated 90 degrees. The lid will move up and down and the writing is left to right.

Now back to this situation and the pic on page 1. The cpu is rotated in the socket 90 degrees. The lid and writing are off. It's because it's a 775 cpu stuck in the 1150 socket. I bet the sticker was put on in the same orientation as the original laser etch on the IHS. Anyway, doing this means the cpu has to be rotated 90 degrees to line up the notches and work. Well, by work I mean fit. It will fry the cpu and probably board if forced in and turned on.

So yes, it's a 775 cpu and you now need to make sure the 1150 socket doesn't have bent pins now. It may have been damaged by this counterfeit cpu. And also, yes, complain up a storm to Amazon.

socket pics:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_775

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_1150


edit: Intel should have done more to differentiate cpus and sockets than this.

 

[tential]

Looks like people are scamming the easy Amazon returns system. Amazon lets you return things SUPER easily, looks like they need to up their validation of ensuring returns are legit.

 

[Elixer]

Looks like people are scamming the easy Amazon returns system. Amazon lets you return things SUPER easily, looks like they need to up their validation of ensuring returns are legit.

AFAIK, once something is returned, they can't sell it as new again, so, something else is up here.

Could be people on the lines doing it... or Amazon's supplier bought gray market stuff, or...or... Too bad we will never know.

 

[Phynaz]

Looks like people are scamming the easy Amazon returns system. Amazon lets you return things SUPER easily, looks like they need to up their validation of ensuring returns are legit.

Amazon does not sell returns as new.

This is just a simple scammer in the supply chain. It happens to every company.

 

[iSkylaker]

I have never had issues buying directly from Amazon. I read a similar story not long ago someone received a Haswell Celeron CPU instead of his "brand new" i7-6700K, all the factory seals were fake. It was from a third party seller on Amazon though.

 

[techne]

My i7 3770K was Costa Rica and it was a silicon lottery winner, probably best CPU I ever owned. Ran at 4.5GHz at default voltage, 4.2GHz at -0.110v undervolt and never overheated.

My i7-4771 was also made in Costa Rica and, despite being a locked chip, performed quite well when I did BCLK OC.

I'd like to know the reason (or reasons) why Costa Rica has produced superior chips. But perhaps I'm asking too much. (And sorry for the off-topic.)

 

[dave_the_nerd]

My i7-4771 was also made in Costa Rica and, despite being a locked chip, performed quite well when I did BCLK OC.

I'd like to know the reason (or reasons) why Costa Rica has produced superior chips. But perhaps I'm asking too much. (And sorry for the off-topic.)

It probably comes down to one particularly neurotic maintenance technician who made it their personal mission to make sure that their chip-making-whatever-machine was as perfect as they could make it.

They're retired now.

 

[master_shake_]

i never knew they made cpus there...

i wonder where my 4790k was made...

 

[PG]

i never knew they made cpus there...

i wonder where my 4790k was made...

It's printed on the cpu and box, so no need to tear into your computer to check.

Since we are all sharing, I have a G3220 with Vietnam printed on it and a G3470 with Malaysia.

 

[techne]

It probably comes down to one particularly neurotic maintenance technician who made it their personal mission to make sure that their chip-making-whatever-machine was as perfect as they could make it.

They're retired now.

This answer does makes sense. Thanks.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I wonder how much Amazon got taken for on this scam? Old core duo are practically free, a bunch of 4790 boxes are pennies, stickers....lol. Gotta figure Amazon is ordering in at least 100 count lots. Price to the retailer is probably around $150.- apiece....whoever pulled off this job got paid.

 

[jhu]

Mine say Costa Rica.