Topic: Newegg mailing out fake core i7s?

[Pugnate]

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1500534

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6422425

Go through at least the first pages of both threads. Two separate incidents at least...

What the hell is going on?

[Pugnate]

This is really wild. I can't believe I just read about it now.

HardOCP (it was first reported on their forum), made some accusations and got papers served by Newegg...

http://www.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/08/fake_processor_story_taking_on_life_its_own

http://www.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/07/intel_comment_on_fake_cpu_debacle_raises_more_questions

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/03/05/newegg_selling_fake_intel_cpus

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/03/08/newegg_sticks_demo_boxes_intel_counters

So what the hell is going on?

Newegg claim one of their partners sent them demo boxes by mistake, but Intel say there is no such thing... or is HardOCP being HardOCP?

[gpw11]

This was on digg yesterday or earlier today and the general consensus among commenters was that it is indeed strange, but the posters at HardOCP are a little too excited about it.

Could very well be a grey-market counterfit, but what's the point when the heatsink gives it away completely? Probably the actions of one or two dudes rather than the distributer (which seems to be the most popular comment at HardOCP). What I want to know is what the chip really is.  Old Celeron 900?  The whole point of counterfeiting chips is to sell them without people knowing they're getting something disingenuous (grey market counterfeiting at least).  Doesn't really work out here with that fake heatsink/fan.  It almost seems that they just made decoy boxes so they could steal the real ones without the guys in shipping realizing it.

[Pugnate]

Yea HardOCP are pretty much the Kotaku of Computer Hardware... except waay worse.

This guy is making some sense:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2056392

Originally Posted by Edgy  View Post
Newegg buyers are mostly well experienced in channel business.

Especially for large vendor, high profile products like Intel CPU, they will know to purchase from authorized distributor (authorized by Intel) rather than gray market - for many many reasons, least of which is that Intel will provide "marketing" funds for Newegg for doing so and Intel will track Newegg's purchases through distribution actively.

True that broker business in computer channel industry can be quite "grayish" (in what industry is it not?) but not the authorized distribution business like D&H. Intel is far too valuable partner for D&H to do such things. Further, Intel provides too much "incentives" to Newegg for them to purchase from gray market.

[Pugnate]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/intel-and-newegg-pass-the-blame-for-counterfeit-core-i7-chips/

[gpw11]

NastyGrams?  Come on, that's usually when you do issue Cease and Desist letters; when blogs are in a hurry to get a story up and put up misinformation which will have a detrimental effect on your business.

[Schlotzky5]

So what were the fakes? Did they run at all?

[Cobra951]

Maybe not.

Intel is getting samples to inspect and until then we can say that everything in the package appears fake. Some of the photos of the processor look like it is a casting and not even a real processor of any kind.

[Pugnate]

So what were the fakes? Did they run at all?

No they were definitely not counterfeits.

[Pugnate]

Kinda funny... superbiz (newegg competitor) has the following advert, which is an obvious dig at the situation: