According to the technology magazine HKEPC (Hong Kong), a large number of counterfeit Intel CPUs are being sold in the Chinese market. These chips have appeared in many stores across mainland China, and after learning about this issue, they have attempted to return the items (RMA) to Intel. These counterfeit chips often have an IHS lid marked with a model number higher than their actual designation. One of the most common counterfeit CPUs is the Intel Core i7-7700K, which is not surprising since the Kaby Lake line still uses thermal paste instead of soldering between the CPU die and the IHS lid, making delidding (removing the IHS lid from the CPU) easier. With this trick, many customers have been deceived into buying a Pentium or Core 2 Duo chip at the price of an i7.
On AliExpress and Amazon, there have also been many similar reports, and some people even received processors without the CPU die at all. It is still unclear whether the dealers are manufacturing and selling these chips themselves or if they are sourcing them from the supply chain unknowingly. Of course, Intel has refused returns in these cases; otherwise, it would be a very tempting bait for scammers.
The issue of counterfeit goods from China is no longer unfamiliar to everyone. No matter how cheap the CPUs are, they are still money you’ve earned, so to avoid losing money and getting scammed, you should only buy PC components from reputable stores.
Source: Tom’s HARDWARE translated by Gearvn