[SOLVED] Crucial RAM with Hynix chips?

[MEA707]

I just bought two 4GB DDR2 RAM from an eBay seller in China to upgrade my old ThinkPad T61 with Linux on it and noticed that the chips are labeled as Hynix. Does Crucial sell RAM with Hynix chips or did I get a counterfeit?

After noticing this, I decided to open up my newer ThinkPad T440p which I got two Crucial 8GB DDR3 sticks that I bought from Newegg 6 years ago and noticed the chips are labeled as SK Hynix. I can't imagine Newegg would have sold me fakes.

Just curious if others have Crucial RAM with Hynix chips.

On a positive note, I did run Memtest86+ and no errors were reported.

 

[SamirD]

If you bought something direct from the ccp, it's probably fake. That being said, it is probably a high quality fake that you will only find out is fake if you try to get warranty service when they examine the module closely and discover it is not actually theirs.

This is why used or new gear from the country you're in is better since the chances of it being fake are less unless your country openly allows fakes to come in--then good luck getting anything genuine.

As far as chip type on the modules, they will vary based on what the manufacturer wishes to use at the time when making the module. Micron owns Crucial so it's surprising that they're using SK Hynix/Hynix chips, but manufacturing part sourcing does work like this some time so who know--could be that your 6 year old modules were fakes too.

 

[MEA707]

Thanks, I believe the DDR2 I bought from China is fake, as the part number is not consistent with what should be the Crucial part number for 4GB DDR2 800MHz SODIMM.

Regarding the DDR3 that I bought 6 years ago, I bought it from Newegg.com which is supposed to be reputable and it did come in a normal Crucial packaging. I am in the U.S, so this was shipped domestically.

 

[SamirD]

Crucial does use quite a few part numbers on their products with slight variances between them. However a fake will probably still have a genuine part number on it as opposed to one you can't find in a search.

Newegg was bought out by the ccp a couple of years back apparently. I only found out about a year ago. So they're hard to trust now. Almost any place that has a 'marketplace' is basically shady now. You can still find deals, but you have to be willing to risk a 50/50 of it being a fake. Sad actually, very sad.

 

[MEA707]

The DDR3 that I bought from Newegg 6 years ago was not through a marketplace, but supposedly sold and shipped by Newegg.

The listing is still active, here it is:
https://www.newegg.com/crucial-16gb-204-pin-ddr3-so-dimm/p/N82E16820148614?Item=N82E16820148614

At least the part number is real and matches the description, while the DDR2 I just received from a Chinese seller off eBay has a part number that doesn't even match the description.

 

[SamirD]

6 years ago I would have told you that they would be genuine, but now that some marketplace sellers have started to co-mingle inventory and get away with it, I would hesitate to buy from any site that has a 'marketplace'.

That being said, that particular newegg listing seems like the real deal.

The good thing about ebay is that you can quickly return it for free and have no hassles with that part. But there's a reason why ebay is known as flea bay since there's a tremendous amount of fake goods there--I'd say on the order of 50% for popular brands.

 

[MEA707]

Thanks for the input! I also just found the packaging of that DDR3 memory and it does definitely look real, at least from the packaging standpoint. Unlike the eBay RAM which came in generic blank single module containers.

I reached out to the seller on eBay but have not heard back yet, if I don't hear back by Thursday, I will file escalate it to eBay and report that I received generic RAM with fake Crucial labels.

 

[SamirD]

Thanks for the input! I also just found the packaging of that DDR3 memory and it does definitely look real, at least from the packaging standpoint. Unlike the eBay RAM which came in generic blank single module containers.

I reached out to the seller on eBay but have not heard back yet, if I don't hear back by Thursday, I will file escalate it to eBay and report that I received generic RAM with fake Crucial labels.

That's good to hear. I've gotten Intel NICs shrinkwrapped in Intel boxes with Intel driver CD of a NIC that Intel never made. When I got in touch with Intel about it, it was a hodgepodge of serial and factory locations that didn't make sense but looked legit. I returned the whole thing and got a bunch of used HP cards that where the Intel oem version of what I wanted because there were so many Intel and even Dell fakes out there.

They will reply very quickly as they know if they're caught they have some hassles. I would expect a full refund without any trouble and they will probably even tell you to keep the modules.