Andre Yoskowitz
8 Mar 2010 13:16
HardOCP had an interesting report over the weekend in which they proclaimed that NewEgg buyers had been receiving counterfeit Core i7 microprocessors, and today Intel and the retailer have confirmed the reports.
Users had reported receiving packages that contained a "huge hunk of plastic" where normally a fan would have been, as well blank manuals, and guide documentation that was full of obvious errors. The processor itself is described as just a "hunk of metal," with no pinouts, making it useless.
Intel has confirmed: "Intel has been made aware of the potential for counterfeit i7 920 packages in the marketplace and is working to how many and/or where they are being sold. The examples we have seen are not Intel products but are counterfeits. Buyers should contact their place of purchase for a replacement and/or should contact their local law enforcement agency if the place of purchase refuses to help."
The number shipped is still unclear, but estimates are in the 200-300 range.
NewEgg has issued a statement as well:
"Newegg is aware of a shipping error that occurred with certain recent orders of the Intel Core i7-920 CPU. After investigating the issue internally it appears one of our long term partners mistakenly shipped a small number of demo boxes instead of functional units. Our customer service team has already begun proactively reaching out to the affected customers. In line with our commitment to ensure total customer satisfaction, we are doing everything in our power to resolve the issue as soon as possible and with the least amount of inconvenience to our customers."