Best Buy accused of selling Intel Core i9-13900K CPU with no internals

[midian182]

WTF?! Another incident of someone buying a processor that turned out to be some sort of fake has been reported. This time, rather than the CPU in question being a lesser model in disguise, the Intel Core i9-13900K was missing its internal silicon. It's also claimed that the item in question was purchased from Best Buy.

According to a report from HKPEC, a consumer bought the flagship Intel Core i9-13900K from Best Buy, where it is currently available for $551. It's claimed that the buyer installed the CPU but found his PC didn't boot. After examining different potential issues, he presumably guessed there was something wrong with the physical hardware and decided to delid the chip.

The unlucky buyer then found black silicone across the IHS and discovered that the processor was literally nothing but a lid and the substrate: an empty, chipless chip, as it were.

ãÂÂå 13900K ðÂÂÂ�'Reddit �-å£Âä¸ÂåÂÂæÂÂç©家中ä¼Âï¼Âå¨ Best Buy 購買�...��-� Intel Core i9-13900K �'è£Â CPUï¼Âå»ç¼ç¾ CPU �-è§ÂæªæªçÂÂï¼Â�-�æ©Âå®Â�...��'åÂÂæÂÂï¼Âå¿Âä¸Âä½Â�-��"�å»ç¼ç¾�...�éÂ¨æ ¹æ¬�'æ CPU Dieï¼ÂåªæÂÂä¸Â大å Â�'è²ç½è ã pic.twitter.com/OTWE5EIjoB

– HKEPC (@hkepcmedia) September 20, 2023

There are a lot of unanswered questions in the report. It could be that someone from Asia bought the chip while in the US and took it home – Best Buy only ships to the 50 United States, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam. That might also explain why the buyer delidded it rather than returning it for a refund. Alternatively, they might have been scammed by someone pretending to be Best Buy.

While there are a few unclear details in this story, we've certainly seen large companies sell counterfeit CPUs before. It was only a few weeks ago when we heard about a Reddit user who bought what was supposed to be a Core i9-13900K from Amazon UK but later discovered it was a Core i7-13700K in disguise. It seems that they fell victim to the old IHS switching trick. They never specified, however, if the fake CPU was purchased from Amazon directly or a third-party seller.

In 2017, someone purchased what appeared to be a Ryzen 1700 from Amazon. However, it was actually an LGA-based Intel processor. The original markings had been scrubbed off and replaced with Ryzen markings from a transparent sticker.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/100217-best-buy-accused-selling-intel-core-i9-13900k.html

 

[nnguy2]

Back in 1996 when I was 13 yrs old. I finally saved up enough money to upgrade my Packard Bell 406CD ram from 8 to 16. I went to OfficeMax and asked for a stick of 8MB EDO memory that the PB406CD took. I went home and installed it and it didn't work turns out the memory in the box was swapped out. Went back to OfficeMax to return the memory and they denied the return saying they can't take it back because it's not the memory in the box.

That left a sour taste in my mouth and for the next 30 yrs I refused to shop at or have anything to do with OfficeMax. I was scammed out of $100 as a 13 yr old which was a lot of money for a little kid to save up. I guess the guy that got the memory for me was the one that swapped it out because he also processed the return and had a smirk on his face when he denied me my refund.

Happy ending though, I have a successful career with enough disposable income to enjoy DIY gaming PC and getting the latest components.

So moral of the story I can see this happening to an unsuspecting customer.

 

[Bobbydpue]

I find it odd a person who happened to get a chip with no silicon was also the type of user that would delid a CPU to check to see if there was a problem. Why would a person delid a bad CPU they just purchased? I would have just returned it without looking any further knowing a delided CPU will almost always void a warranty and any chance for a return since it's likely all the deliders who are the types of people to return a CPU they ruined had already caused businesses to make rules against returning delided CPUs.

 

[mgwerner]

the guy that got the memory for me was the one that swapped it out because he also processed the return and had a smirk on his face when he denied me my refund.

He still works there, and has never been promoted.......

 

[nnguy2]

He still works there, and has never been promoted.......

I could only hope!

 

[OortCloud]

I find it odd a person who happened to get a chip with no silicon was also the type of user that would delid a CPU to check to see if there was a problem. Why would a person delid a bad CPU they just purchased? I would have just returned it without looking any further knowing a delided CPU will almost always void a warranty and any chance for a return since it's likely all the deliders who are the types of people to return a CPU they ruined had already caused businesses to make rules against returning delided CPUs.

Absolutely. This is either a scam from the buyer or just the usual internet bullsh1t we have to put up with constantly these days.

 

[hahahanoobs]

I'd care if these weren't isolated incidents.

 

[cms983]

This was my CPU. I posted this in a Facebook group for a laugh and it seems it has made its way to the Internet without the facts to stir the pot for clicks.

This was purchased in store in person. No scam online store.

The reason for the delid, I have an EK direct die water block for it.

To clear up the wrong info,

1: I didn't even install the chip. It came right out of the box into the delid tool. The IHS fell off with the slightest pressure. The substrate was also a bit off on size. It did not want to stay seated in the tool.

2: I took it back to Best buy and exchanged it without issue. The replacement indeed had a die on it.

The packaging was immaculate and I could find no signs of tampering. I'm fairly certain this was a sample unit that mistakenly made its way into the wrong pile.

 

[cms983]

I find it odd a person who happened to get a chip with no silicon was also the type of user that would delid a CPU to check to see if there was a problem. Why would a person delid a bad CPU they just purchased? I would have just returned it without looking any further knowing a delided CPU will almost always void a warranty and any chance for a return since it's likely all the deliders who are the types of people to return a CPU they ruined had already caused businesses to make rules against returning delided CPUs.

I didn't check for a problem. I was delidding it for a direct die block right out of the box. Can see my post below for the details the writer of the article didn't care to search for before posting their clickbait.

 

[cms983]

Absolutely. This is either a scam from the buyer or just the usual internet bullsh1t we have to put up with constantly these days.

Can confirm just Internet BS. The author didn't care to find the facts. In their defense, it may have been hard to find since I posted it on a Facebook group. Post above if you care for details.

 

[Gezzer]

This was my CPU. I posted this in a Facebook group for a laugh and it seems it has made its way to the Internet without the facts to stir the pot for clicks.

This was purchased in store in person. No scam online store.

The reason for the delid, I have an EK direct die water block for it.

To clear up the wrong info,

1: I didn't even install the chip. It came right out of the box into the delid tool. The IHS fell off with the slightest pressure. The substrate was also a bit off on size. It did not want to stay seated in the tool.

2: I took it back to Best buy and exchanged it without issue. The replacement indeed had a die on it.

The packaging was immaculate and I could find no signs of tampering. I'm fairly certain this was a sample unit that mistakenly made its way into the wrong pile.

Factories do occasionally screw up during manufacturing. How easy it would be to screw up that badly who knows. The main thing is that it was addressed as it should be and everything's good.