Counterfeit merchandise within the tech market, such because the pretend $39 Samsung 990 Professional 4TB SSD, have gotten more and more prevalent — The genuine Samsung 990 Professional SSD is thought for its high-quality efficiency, making it a major goal for knockoff producers in search of to capitalize on its popularity.
A Redditor not too long ago took the plunge, buying one in every of these imitation “990 Professional” SSDs from AliExpress for a mere $39, purely out of curiosity. And what they found was a placing discrepancy in efficiency, with the pretend drive being as much as 7 instances slower than the real mannequin.
The counterfeit “990 Professional” SSD makes a substantial effort to imitate the looks of the true Samsung 990 Professional, doubtlessly deceiving much less skilled patrons; Nonetheless, eager observers can simply determine the variations, resembling variations in font and underlining, in addition to the entire absence of the Samsung model on the product’s sticker and packaging.
Counterfeit Samsung 990 Professional SSD (Picture: Reddit)
Furthermore, the alleged producer, Delaihe Electronics Co., “Tltd,” seems to be a fictitious entity. A transparent distinction lies in the truth that Samsung produces the genuine 990 Professional in Korea, whereas the counterfeit hails from China.
A big revelation is the alteration or erasure of the SSD controller mannequin by the counterfeit producer. Nonetheless, they missed this inconsistency on the rear of the drive’s PCB, which revealed the usage of the Realtek RTS5765DL, a PCIe 3.0 x4 DRAM-less controller. This controller selection is often favored by scammers and has additionally been linked to different counterfeit SSDs, such because the Samsung 980 Professional 2TB.
The disparity in efficiency between the true Samsung 990 Professional, powered by the superior Pascal PCIe 4.0 SSD controller, and the imitation “990 Professional” with the subpar RTS5765DL controller is substantial. Moreover, the pretend SSD employs an unidentified NAND, presumably of low high quality and even recycled, as evidenced by the made-up half numbers.
By way of distinguishing actual from pretend, Samsung’s Magician software program affords a dependable answer. Whereas the counterfeit “990 Professional” predictably fails this authenticity take a look at, it surprisingly passes the GRC ValiDrive take a look at, a utility verifying the machine’s capability. This implies the Redditor acquired a 4TB SSD however not the real Samsung 990 Professional, highlighting the extent of the deception out there.
![](https://i0.wp.com/cdnssl.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/i-bought-a-fake-4tb.png)
The pretend drive is as much as 7 instances slower than the real mannequin. (Picture: Reddit)
Actual-world efficiency assessments revealed vital shortcomings within the pretend SSD’s capabilities, with speeds dropping precipitously from preliminary readings. The imitation finally ceased to operate fully, underscoring its poor high quality.
Counterfeiting points usually are not distinctive to Samsung, however the firm’s stellar popularity within the SSD market makes it a frequent goal. As shoppers more and more flip to on-line marketplaces for his or her purchases, the prevalence of counterfeit {hardware} poses a rising concern.
It’s essential to train warning when buying on-line, whether or not on platforms like AliExpress or main retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Newegg, as counterfeit merchandise can floor in sudden locations. Staying knowledgeable and vigilant is vital to avoiding such scams within the tech world.
Filed in Samsung and Samsung SSD.
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