Amazon sold eight-year-old processor as new AMD Kaveri apu

Amazon has sold an eight-year-old AMD processor as a new Kaveri apu, according to several customers. According to the data on the heat spreader and the packaging, it was a recent APU, but in practice it turned out to be a chip from 2006.

Users found out when the newly purchased AMD A8-7600 did not fit on a suitable motherboard, writes the German C’t. In fact, it turns out to be an Athlon 64 X2 5200+, which AMD presented in September 2006 and was already in a BBG in March 2007, for example. The processor was in production until 2009.

Customers of both Amazon Germany and Amazon in the United Kingdom say they have received the old processor. The old processors had a new heat spreader with the new processor’s data on it to make them look authentic. The packages also had a holographic seal and were allegedly supplied by Amazon itself and not by a retailer. How the old processors ended up in the new, sealed packaging is unknown. The online store has not yet responded.

The fake processor can be easily recognized as the pin layout is different from the new Kaveri apu. AMD says it takes the matter seriously and is investigating complaints from Amazon customers.

The fake processor on the left, a real one on the right