In his most recent repair video, YouTube blogger Northwest Repair unveiled that an ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 graphics card, submitted for repair, turned out to be a highly sophisticated counterfeit. Upon disassembly, it was discovered that the GPU core and all memory chips had undergone polishing and subsequent laser re-engraving, a testament to the intricate forgery techniques employed.

The repair technician noted that the degree of counterfeiting was far beyond the capabilities of individuals or even professional repair shops, suggesting it likely originated from clandestine factories specializing in transforming gaming graphics cards into AI computing cards. The graphics card in question was purchased second-hand on eBay by a consumer, with the seller asserting that it came from Amazon returns. However, the card failed to be recognized on the test platform.

Upon removing the heatsink, the technician observed that the PCB surface was abnormally clean, devoid of any residual flux or baking marks, and the sealant around the core remained undamaged. The true nature of the forgery became apparent under microscopic examination. One of the solder pads displayed clear signs of desoldering, and the PCB surface bore streaks indicative of ultrasonic cleaning.

Further scrutiny revealed that the memory chips' surfaces had been physically polished to erase the original markings, followed by laser engraving with GDDR6X model information. Similarly, the GPU core had also been polished and re-engraved, bearing the label AD102-300-A1, which is consistent with a genuine RTX 4090. Yet, despite these superficial resemblances, the card was non-functional.