Detection of Counterfeit/Fake Intel X25-M 80Gb (G2)

[idata]

Hi,

I recently purchased an Intel X25-M 80gb SSD from an online retailer. When I received the item there was several issues with missing packaging/accessories, the drive itself has some marks (possibly some type of corrosion).

1) Has anyone had issues with counterfit or fake drives? I ask because of the Intel sticker is an (Intel Inside - like sold with CPUs) rather than the Intel logo shown in all Internet publications.

2) Is there any good way to prove (by visual or hardware identification) that it is authentic/geniune? I assume the BIOS or the Intel SSD Toolkit would be a good starting place, but I'd like an informed opinion. Also the sticker on the back would be easily enough faked, so I don't think that is a valid method of verification. Not to mention that a lot of internet images of these SSDs have the model sticker on the top of the drive and it comforms to the contour of the moulded top plate - not sure if this might have changed or be different between oem or retail versions.

3) Is there any way to determine (assuming software/hardware) how much a drive has been used ie. like an internal usage counter? In case this item is legit, but used.

The retailer has just responded that although their ad specified a different model number and that the item would have the Intel packaging and accessories the product is (BULK) not retail.....

Thanks in advance,

Jason

[idata]

So according to this thread I can find out if the drive has been used by looking at the wear indicator in the SMART attributes:

/message/61106# 61106 http://communities.intel.com/message/61106# 61106

So that probably answers the question about determining if the drive is used or not.

[idata]

The wear may not be the best clue to whether the drive is counterfeit or not. Some new drives are reported as showing a significant amount of data being written. Check the product code also. The code will have a letter and number after the G2. A C1 indicates an OEM version and R5 the retail. The OEM version comes with no accessories, and is packaged in a small, plain, brown cardboard box. The Intel logo sticker should be on top, although some light oxidation is normal on the bottom of the housing. Only the top of the drive is polished. Did it come with the plastic spacer attached? The Intel Inside sticker (on the bottom) sounds a bit suspicious and I would query Intel about this. Probably best to send photos too.

Did you pay a lot less from this particular retailer? Too good to be true prices generally are just that and often a good indicator that a product may be counterfeit. Have you tried running the drive yet? Fake flash memory typically performs way below spec and is often the biggest giveway.

So I'd say get in touch with Intel and provide them with as detailed a description as possible. It may be that they have simply changed the stickers. Sorry I can't be of any more help with that but I'm taking delivery of another Intel SSD today and will let you know if there is any change in appearance to my existing one which was purchased some months ago. Good luck and I hope that the drive you received is a genuine one.

[idata]

Sorry you may have misunderstood a couple of my points.

1) I wasn't saying that the wear indicator was an indication of a counterfeit drive, only that if the drive turns out to be legit, that the corrosion on the bottom which seems completely out of place on a 'new' drive makes me think that the alternative is a 'used' drive. So I wanted to check that the drive is not used as a fallback position.

2) My model is: SSDSA2M080G2GN (the GN seems different to your C1 or R5)

3) No plastic spacer or other accessories.

4) The Intel sticker is on top where the engineering diagrams and all internet photos indicate. However it is different from all of those in that they all show just the Intel logo and appear to be embossed on the drive rather than plain stickers (correct me if I'm wrong)

5) I paid $250USD from a seemingly reputable online store.

Thanks for your help.

I think I'll get in contact with Intel support and see what they come up with. In parallel I think I'll hook the drive up and see what the BIOS and SMART attributes return. Then do some performance tests.

Regards,

Jason

[idata]

My model is: SSDSA2M080G2GN (the GN seems different to your C1 or R5)

Could be a regional difference? I ordered my drives in the UK. I'm having the new drive delivered here at work today. Will open it up when it arrives and have a look at the logo and let you know if it's printed or a sticker. Can't remember off the top of my head but maybe someone else will? The oxidation on the bottom is most likely simply due to being handled at the factory. Sweat / fingerprints will do this and not uncommon on other components that use the same materials. Let us know how you get on after you hook it up. The performance should provide some clues in the event it is counterfeit or used. Hope all goes well.

Edit: Just found this thread relating to your GN product code. Hope that helps.

http://communities.intel.com/thread/7185