Fake Graphics cards - how to spot?

[prupert]

Hi

Newbie here. I'm currently living in China, but am about to return home to the UK. Graphics cards are much cheaper out here, compared to the UK, and I was all set to buy one. Then my students (i'm a teacher) warned me that lots of shops sell fake graphics cards that break after a few months. The boxes they come in look all legit, and the cards look fine to me (they apprently even work well for a few months). So, I was wondering, if there was any way you can see whether a graphics card (I'm mainly talking about ATI here, x1600, X800, x850 etc) is genuine or not?

Fake DVDs are easy to spot, since they come in flimsy cardboard wallets and the english on the back is borderline comical. Graphics card fakes though seem much harder to spo; since you spend more on them, the quality of the fakes seem better.

So, any advice on how I can determine whether the card i am buying is genuine????

thanks

 

[Kholonar]

I'm not sure you can spot fakes from outside the box. Once you get it, you can try phoning up nVidia/ATi and checking the serial code supplied on the PCB. That's usually a bit late and I'm unsure about whether China has a 27 day return policy. The best advice I can give you is to pick a reputable retailer, check reviews and ask friends where they buy stuff.

If you do happen to find yourself with a fake item I always recommend you phone up the manufacturer of the product and give them details of where you got the fake goods from. At the very least you should be able to stop other people getting fake goods from the store and sometimes (rarely) the companies are thankful and reward you some way.

 

[guyinyourattic37]

If its made out of paper, its fake. :lol:

 

[enforcerfx]

I dont think someone can make a fake gfx card, can they?

 

[tmac]

China is famous for its fake copies. See where the local geeks buy there
stuff and see if they are concerned with fakes. If the price is too good
to be true - It is. See what the going rate for the card is.

Are the cards manufactured there? If so, worry about getting the
rejected ones from quality control.

 

[pengwin]

im going with enforcer here. I mean the effort to make a fake gfx card that supposedly works???

i mean i dont think a con wants to go thru that.

 

[Frank_M]

Put the card in a different packaging and rename it - like call an XL and XT.
Get the failed/reject cards from the qc dep't's trash bin, and sell them.

There. Not hard, isn't it?

 

[chuckshissle]

If you're concern that you might get a fake one then just order one here in U.S. like Newegg. I've been buying all kinds of stuff from them and none of them are fakes except my girlfriend's tits, but you should ask around or do some research of where to buy graphics cards at reliable and well known dealers there in China. Im sure there's some retailer there that sells pc components that are legit.

 

[pengwin]

ok, i guess it could be easy.

 

[plewis00_uk]

I would suspect unlocking pipelines and overclocking on a BIOS level and then selling the card as the higher-end derivative of it. I.e. ATi X8xx series and NVidia 6800 series. The other option is just to sell it as a higher marked card when it's not, more times then not they'll get lucky and the buyer won't notice (I mean, aside from the clock speeds, would someone notice if DDR1 or DDR3 was installed?).

 

[casewhite]

I went through this earlier this year. ATI sometimes will use fabs other than Sapphire to make a batch of cards. These are legitmate cards but the rejects where the GPU or the memory don't cut the standard are supposed to be destroyed. Some of the less reputable atlternate sources will also produce "over runs" as well. There was a big ring of Phony ATI 9800XT's being sold on ebay and in stores as ATI Game Busters that had been shipped into legitmate distribution channels in the US and Canada.. The production of the cards was actually licensed by ATI. But the remarking of the card from a 9800 SE to 9800XT was not. The people who did this actually used ATI's Trade Dress and had ATI manuals, driver cdroms, and serial numbers and part numbers on the card. The way it is evident was reading the bios string and the clock was 380 instead of 412 and the memory was 222 instead of 365. A twenty four hour test under load will smoke the phonies out . They won't hold up to being overclocked that long if some one has over clocked them . Otherwise if you see GPU or memory settings that don't match the manufacturer's specs it is not legitimate. The ususal source is a fab that gets an excess requirements contract or has a contract with a secondary marketer such as XFX, BFG, Diamond, HIS, 3D connect to get access to the legitmate gpus. The rejects and excess gpu's are redirected to the counterfiet market.
My advice is to ask the seller to install the card on a computer on his premesis and run it a couple of hours. If they won't do this then you are 100% assured that the cards are counterfiet and the seller knows it.

 

[MasterLee]

They re-label them and some are just plain counterfeit.
For instance, you can take a GeForce 6800GT and replace the heatsinks and fan from an Ultra and you'd never know it till you boot it up.
I'm quite sure that reference boards can have the same parts swapped out too, like the 7800 and 7900's.

 

[silentcoercion]

My advice is to ask the seller to install the card on a computer on his premesis and run it a couple of hours. If they won't do this then you are 100% assured that the cards are counterfiet and the seller knows it.

I'm suddenly tempted to go to Best Buy and see what sort of look they give me when I ask if they'll do this.

 

[MasterLee]

The Geek Squad will say "that's a funny looking sound card".

 

[enforcerfx]

they could overclock the card to Overheating levels, and when you put it in............Boom. Dead. You would never know.

 

[Pompeii]

I believe it is safe to say that there is no way to determine whether or not a card is counterfeit until you put it in your system and boot.

Personally, I would say that your best bet is to contact the manufacturers - Nvidia and ATI(or evga, xfx, gainward, etc). Many video card companies are very good with their customer service from what I hear. So in the event that you do get sold a fake, contact the maker.

But first and foremost, talk to your local tech gurus, and ask who they buy their cards from.

 

[TSIllusion]

people in china are cheap... but seriously, their products are getting better and better, same with their economics.

i mean, a lot if not everything is made in china, im pretty sure all the gfx parts company have their stuff ordered in china, and then shipped to w/e to get it assembled.

pretty much, if ur scared, dont get it, but i mean, whats the chances of buying a card that has same performance level as ur w/e card and looks pretty legit BUT is really fake? i mean, its still cost them to produce a product tat performs as well, so why not just make it better and sell it off for more right?


its pretty logical, and also, its funny wen u have non legit stuff, esp wen they are really cheap, they can be collectables.

 

[prupert]

from what my students say, it seems what they call fake cards are reject/b-grade stock that shops are selling off as A grade. They (graphics cards, mother boards etc.) work fine for a few months then give up the ghost and thats it. However, there are alo probobly exact copies out there as well - china is copy central - recently 9 chinese people died after the hospital they were in gave them a fake version of a drug (the hospital didn't realise it was fake). The CEOs of the company that made the fake drug were arrested (and most likely shot). So they copy anything.

Cheap stuff made in china is notoriously cr@p. I bought a DVD player out here from a reputable chain, that died within a week, and the replacement we were given died within three days (both times the picrture started to pixelate and the colour went all screwey).

I suppose if i was to buy a card in an up-market department store i would be pretty much guranteed to be buying a genuine card, but then in those shops you can't bargain a get a good discount.

From what you guys say, I think it aint worth the risk, I'll wait till i'm back in the UK.

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[MarkG]

So they copy anything.

If it was that easy to copy a GPU with over a hundred million transistors, everyone would be doing it.

In reality it's difficult enough to build the things in the first place, let alone to reverse engineer and copy them. They'd be better off just setting up a company to design and build their own legitimately.

 

[gudodayn]

DO NOT buy electronic stuff in China if you are not asian, not planning on stay in China or dont know anyone with connections there!!!!!!!!!

Once you pay and walk out that door, you're screwed.....even if you return an hour later!!! They will deny at cost that you bought it there!!

They are cheap because those cards are made in China and have high faulty rates....

Why save that extra money (is it really worth it) and buy something that you have no confidence in????

If you're in China, the only thing you can buy is clothing!!!
Dont even buy shoes, watches, electornic goods, etc. they're all mostly fakes and the real ones are about the same price as you would pick them up in UK, USA, etc.

I once bought 3 x Tag Heuers watch + 2 Rollexes for $120 China money.....I knew they werent real to start off with.

Initially, they quoted me $1600 China money........just ask for about 10% of the price!!

They know they'll still make money.....if they dont give it to you for that price.....just walk away.

If you hang around, they'll know you're desperate and will only drop to 60~80% of their initial quote prices!!!

 

[azrealhk]

They are cheap probably because they are made there or near there.
But if they are selling rejects and stuff, It would probably not worth the risk.

You probably will not get a refund or even an exchange even if you try it out and find it is unclocked etc.

 

[vinlouis]

reports even they make fake eggs out of chemical !
u be surpised everything actually can be cloned
haha

 

[Roger Rogers-1382392]

Hi

Newbie here. I'm currently living in China, but am about to return home to the UK. Graphics cards are much cheaper out here, compared to the UK, and I was all set to buy one. Then my students (i'm a teacher) warned me that lots of shops sell fake graphics cards that break after a few months. The boxes they come in look all legit, and the cards look fine to me (they apprently even work well for a few months). So, I was wondering, if there was any way you can see whether a graphics card (I'm mainly talking about ATI here, x1600, X800, x850 etc) is genuine or not?

Fake DVDs are easy to spot, since they come in flimsy cardboard wallets and the english on the back is borderline comical. Graphics card fakes though seem much harder to spo; since you spend more on them, the quality of the fakes seem better.

So, any advice on how I can determine whether the card i am buying is genuine????

thanks

I have just reviewed a bunch of Windforce GTX780 copycats selling via alibaba.com and they are pure trash.
Although they look like the real thing to a pensioner with bad eyes and no experience, they are no Galaxy.

Dodge them; graphics cards are down in price before Christmas anyway..

 

[mayurvashishth]

buy from online store