He even acquired the "mindblowing" fake from the scam victim to conduct a detailed examination and analysis.

A fan named Bruce fell prey to this scam after buying the fake chip online from a Romanian platform known as OLX, akin to Facebook Marketplace. This platform primarily features private sellers and offers little recourse for returns or warranties. Bruce believed he had snagged a bargain, saving approximately €100 off the typical European retail price of the 7800X3D by purchasing it for €300.

When Bruce attempted to use the chip, it didn’t work.

Enter Der8auer, who purchased the defunct chip at the total retail price of a new model, allowing Bruce to buy a new, guaranteed chip from a reputable source. This also allowed viewers to witness Der8auer's expert analysis of the counterfeit 7800X3D.

Der8auer identified several red flags from photographs. He noted that the chip substrate's colour was too blue and not green enough. This discrepancy could have been due to lighting in the photos, but it was confirmed upon receiving the product. Genuine AMD X3D chips have capacitors between the 'octopus' legs covered in protective resin, whereas the fake featured shiny, uniform blocks.

Upon closer inspection, the colour difference and lack of resin were confirmed. Der8auer also observed that the fake chip had a thinner PCB and did not fit snugly into the CPU loading mechanism. Measurements revealed a PCB thickness of just 0.964mm for the phoney, compared to 1.308mm for the genuine X3D processor—a significant difference.

Using side-by-side photos and adjusting Photoshop layer opacity levels, Der8auer demonstrated numerous differences in the IHS and engraving between the fake and genuine chips. Some of these discrepancies were not immediately apparent without direct comparison.