As if getting a new graphics card wasn’t difficult enough, now we have another problem to deal with. After a chip shortage hit the semiconductor industry that forced gamers to pay sky-high markups for valuable and limited supplies of graphics cards, we now learn that fake GPUs may soon hit the market.
These counterfeit GPUs are stealthy enough to fool both buyers and manufacturers, which means it’s hard to know who to trust. That’s the last thing you want to hear, especially after shelling out the marked-up prices for the new RTX 3080 Ti.
Why fake GPUs are almost impossible to spot
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Counterfeit electronics are nothing new in the tech world, with knock-off iPhones making headlines before. But fake GPUs affect both consumers and manufacturers. While fake iPhones are completely counterfeit, including the case, the internal electronics, the operating system stripped down to look like Apple’s iOS, and even the packaging – the troubling news about fake GPUs is that manufacturers may inadvertently use counterfeit components. This includes the chips and transistors used to make the card.
In this case, while the card itself isn’t “fake” on the level of knockoff iPhones, it’s made of non-standard components that, according to Independent Electronics Distributors Association founder Steve Calabria, could affect the performance, longevity, and reliability of graphics cards, Ars Technica reported.
Most manufacturing companies — like Asus, MSI and others — have policies and practices in place to ensure they don’t buy counterfeit chips and components. But given the huge demand and limited supply of GPUs on the market, some smaller manufacturers may not be as diligent in rooting out counterfeits, as a counterfeit electronics researcher pointed out in the same report.
In the best worst case scenario with counterfeits, once there are enough reports of defective products, companies may be forced to issue a recall. If that happens, they will have to field replacement orders while at the same time trying to fill new orders, putting even more pressure on an already delicate supply-side situation.
How to protect yourself from counterfeits
Luke Larsen / Digital trends
Spotting a fake is not easy because it requires identifying fake components from a disassembled graphics card. However, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you’re covered if something goes wrong.
First, even if you’re desperate to get your hands on one of the latest GPUs from AMD or Nvidia, avoid resellers and the secondary market and only buy from reputable retailers. This means that big retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, Newegg or directly from the manufacturer.
Some marketplaces, like eBay, offer some sort of limited purchase protection, though not all, and resellers themselves may not offer a comprehensive return policy. As we’ve seen recently, many of the resellers on these secondary markets are scalpers, not actual stores, just looking to make a quick buck.
Second, if possible, use a form of payment that offers some sort of extended return policy or purchase protection beyond what your favorite retailer or manufacturer covers. Some credit cards, especially more premium ones with annual fees, offer some sort of purchase protection, so you should check with your financial institution to see what’s covered and what’s excluded before you buy.
Some of these credit cards offer a 90- or 120-day purchase protection period, and some either double the manufacturer’s warranty or cover you for an extra year on top of what’s offered. However, many of these policies come with exclusions, and some won’t cover you if they think you bought a used GPU rather than new out of the box, and some places and sellers may be excluded.
Additionally, using a payment site like PayPal to complete the transaction can also add some peace of mind if something goes wrong with the transaction, such as if the graphics card never arrives or arrives in a different condition than you expected.
And third, if you’re shopping locally through sites and marketplaces like Craigslist, use common sense to make sure you and your wallet are safe. If a deal seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Even if your gut tells you it’s a safe buy, you should still be careful. Unlike fake iPhones, fake chips inside the GPU are extremely difficult to spot. Some of these GPUs can be turned on and run smoothly, but over time bad components can cause them to degrade faster than standard components.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn