The Ryzen 7 9800X3D,AMD’s fastest CPU to date for gaming, remains a tough one to locate in most markets as scalpers and supply limitations rule the roost in both North America and Europe with prices north of the $600 mark being the norm with most third-party sellers. For context, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an MSRP of $479 at retailers when (sparingly) in stock.
This has, however, had a somewhat unexpected effect in China, whereconsumers are increasingly encountering fakes of AMD’s 8-core gaming juggernaut, much like earlier iterations of thepopular 7800X3Din prior years.
Fake units are essentially quite hard to spot given that they offer similar designs, coming with a matching integrated heat spreader (IHS) and the same pinout as the genuine article. This makes it hard to check for a fake short of identifying units via their serial numbers or buying from trusted retailers online.
While the 7800X3D had fakes that varied in quality, often getting IHS placements and PCB colors wrong, making it easy for most system builders to spot the difference between a real and a fake unit, the 9800X3D’s copies are markedly better, taking fewer liberties when it comes to design, essentially making for a harder time for gamers and PC builders to spot the difference at a glance.
Why Are There Counterfeits Of The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
Counterfeiters generally focus on fast-moving goods that sell for a good price, focusing on high-ticket items when possible, and the principle seems to have carried over when it comes to gaming CPUs. Both the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and its predecessor, the 7800X3D are highly-sought after CPUs that have been short in the first few months of their launch resulting in users in both China and abroad willing to shell out above-market prices to source one.
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D positioned below a counterfeit copy of the same (Source:Chiphell)
This has also resulted in users opting for third-party sellers, many of which do not have established businesses or trading history, allowing unscrupulous sellers to take advantage of consumers desperate to score what is essentially the best CPU that money can buy currently.
Sellers operating on chat services, apps like TikTok, and community groups on social media groups are generally where one would potentially encounter these, but some users might be out of luck simply due to return scams resulting in retailers restocking some units.
This is not, however, something that remains restricted to a single region as one consumer found out bypurchasing a unit on Amazon a few months ago,which means that it always helps to have a receipt or an unboxing video ready, even as you should avoid some deals that are too good to be true.
The adage holds here: If it is too good to be true, it probably is.
Finding Stocks Of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D In 2025
While the Ryzen 7 9800X3D remains notoriously hard to find in North America, retailers in the UK and EU seem to be getting more stock of late, which should indicate that supply issues could ease in the short to medium term, even as AMDplans to push out its 16-Core Ryzen 9 9950X3Dand 12-Core Ryzen 9 9900X3D later this quarter.
