How do you counterfeit a cpu?
Thanks to the guys at STH for bringing this to our attention.
There have been a couple of counterfeit xeons popping up on the Amazon Marketplace recently. So if you are upgrading your server/workstation beware.
“The ease of creating these kinds of counterfeits has been augmented by advancements in laser engraving. As a CPU only requires a very small working area, one would not require a large freestanding unit. DIY models, which are similar to hobbyist 3D printers in design, can be acquired for as little as $350 from AliExpress and larger assembled ones are still relatively accessible in the $2000 range.
The laser engraving is otherwise of reasonable quality. For someone who does not work with these processors regularly, they may not realize these CPUs have been re-marked until it is too late. It would be difficult to fool anyone that deals with this sort of hardware on a regular basis. To someone who rarely has hands-on with the parts, it would be very hard to tell, potentially risking damage to their server.” – STH
So beware folks and only buy from a reputable dealer!