The tech industry has really become weird these days, with reports of counterfeit hardware such as Intel CPUs on the rise. HKEPC discloses another such case where a user purchased an Intel Core i9-13900K CPU but it turned out to be a silicon-less chip.
Buyer Finds It Odd That His Brand New Intel Core i9-13900K CPU Isn't Booting, Turns Out It's Missing An Essential Piece of Silicon
Incidents of bogus CPUs have often surfaced online, and in most cases, the CPU received is a more inferior model to what was originally ordered. However, the latest case is the most unique one found yet, since apparently this Intel Core i9-13900K CPU only features its respective lid and the substrate, without any actual silicon inside.
Imagine you wait to finally get the opportunity of harnessing the power of Intel's fastest Raptor Lake CPU, however, what you get in return is an empty CPU inside. Pretty disappointing situation indeed.
【假 13900K 😂】Reddit 論壇上再有玩家中伏，在 Best Buy 購買全新 Intel Core i9-13900K 盒裝 CPU，卻發現 CPU 外觀怪怪的，開機完全沒反應，忍不住開蓋卻發現內部根本沒有 CPU Die，只有一大堆黑色矽膠。 pic.twitter.com/OTWE5EIjoB
— HKEPC (@hkepcmedia) September 20, 2023
The outlet reports that the consumer brought the Intel Core 9-13900K CPU from Best Buy, and it is a rare occasion, given that the reputation the marketplace holds doesn't match with the "bogus" incident. According to HKPEC, the CPU didn't boot, and after the diagnostic process, the consumer went out of the way to actually de-lidding the CPU. He then found outlines of black silicone across the IHS, and the CPU was literally "empty" from the inside.
The incident is severely disappointing given that this isn't expected from either Intel themselves or the retail source. However, the actual source of the problem is still unverified, hence we can't comment on where the issue actually persists. This does look like another incident of either "mismanagement" within the supply chain or an individual seller within the retail platform could be called the culprit.
To prevent such situations in the future, consumers should take adequate steps, with the most prominent one being to actually buy it through a physical store rather than online. This will not only diminish the chances of getting scammed, but it will provide you with more reliability in terms of warranties and customer support.
News Source: HKEPC
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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