Buying computer parts over the internet carries risk. Usually, you expect to get what you paid for. One player's recent Amazon purchase became an eerie tech horror story. They ordered the brand new, shiny AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, an extreme CPU for extreme gamers. The delivered item was a trip far back in time, to 2011 exactly.
Sealed Box, Shocking Surprise Inside
Fake CPUs are not unheard of. They are often linked to disreputable third-party sellers. This time, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D was purchased directly from Amazon itself. The box was sealed. One would assume everything was correct.
Hardware Busters reported the tale of "Aris." Aris eagerly opened his new CPU and immediately saw something was not right. Red flag number one was pins. Pins on the back of the CPU. Anyone familiar with modern Ryzen, especially the 9800X3D or any AM5 processor, knows they use an LGA socket, with no pins on the CPU itself.
The surprise deepened when Aris inspected the heat spreader closely. Something did not look quite right for a genuine 9800X3D. Curiosity and shock led him to peel a plastic film from the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader). In full sight was "FX 4100."
From Ryzen Dream to Bulldozer Nightmare
Yes, an AMD FX-4100, a Bulldozer-generation CPU, a CPU over a decade old and thoroughly surpassed in ability by modern chips, was inside a box labeled as a top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The audacity is amusing, yet infuriating for the buyer.
How did this occur? Was it a mistake? A systemic scam from within Amazon's supply chain? The sealed box indicates this was not a simple case of customer return and switch. Someone, somewhere, executed a brazen switcheroo. It entered Amazon's "new" inventory.
Hopefully, Amazon takes this seriously and conducts a thorough investigation. This is not just one customer receiving a lemon CPU. It is a serious concern about quality control and supply chain integrity even when buying directly from a giant like Amazon. Until then, double-check tech purchases, no matter the source. Perhaps think twice before expecting to win the Amazon CPU lottery.
