SSDs are super-cheap at the moment. But in case you occur to see a really particular model of a well-liked Samsung mannequin, the 2TB 980 Pro, be cautious of an particularly whole lot. According to Chinese discussion board posters, there’s a convincing counterfeit going round that swaps out the high-end PCIe 4th-gen drive for a a lot much less speedy one, actually protecting it with the suitable Samsung sticker. The faux drives are even loaded up with firmware that completes the phantasm, being acknowledged by Samsung’s personal official Magician SSD administration software program.

But as Tom’s Hardware reports, as soon as the consumer really places the drive to the take a look at, the jig is up. One discussion board poster mentioned that the faux drive’s poor efficiency, about 50-60 % of the 7000 MB/s write pace of the real 980 Pro, is what tipped them off. With the branding sticker eliminated, the cheaper elements have been on show: 3D NAND reminiscence (as an alternative of V-NAND) and an off-brand reminiscence controller. These mixed to drop the pace all the way down to 4800 MB/s. Crucially, that’s sluggish sufficient to make it unsuitable as expanded storage for the PlayStation 5, a well-liked utility for this mannequin of M.2 drive.

Counterfeit storage is proving a persistent downside in shopper electronics, as a result of it’s a simple factor to faux. This one is pretty innocuous, apparently providing the precise cupboard space marketed however with cheaper elements to attempt to move off a slower drive as a quicker one. More brazen fakes provide near-impossible {hardware} and reductions, like a 30-terabyte portable SSD for $30. A fast Amazon search reveals that these fakes are nonetheless prevalent, even on ostensibly “trustworthy” markets. In devices, as in life, observe the outdated proverb: If it appears too good to be true, it in all probability is.