[SOLVED] Intel i7 4770 dirty PCB /processor

[astralwolf]

I recently bought a used i7 4770 processor. The back of the processor appears to have a slight wear on it, maybe dirt or slight chipping(!!). How do I clean this off prior to installing my processor?

Can I just use a microfiber cloth + alcohol to clean the PCB of a processor? Is there a static electricity risk? What is the best way.

 

[Mr.Spock]

there's always ESD risk, try a Q-tip instead of microfiber (synthetic materials tend to generate more static) - isopropyl alcohol should be fine

 

[Third-Eye]

I recently bought a used i7 4770 processor.

The CPU you bought is a Haswell refresh i5 or i7 and not an i7-4770. It's identifiable by the fact that haswell refresh i5/i7 have more capacitors on the bottom. So either the seller got the listing incorrect and you actually have an i7-4790 or you got a "fake" i7 that is possibly a damaged i5.

You could look at the IHS for the model number, but it can be faked. The only way to know for sure what CPU you have and whether it works, is to try the CPU and hope nothing goes wrong.

 

[astralwolf]

The CPU you bought is a Haswell refresh i5 or i7 and not an i7-4770. It's identifiable by the fact that haswell refresh i5/i7 have more capacitors on the bottom. So either the seller got the listing incorrect and you actually have an i7-4790 or you got a "fake" i7 that is possibly a damaged i5.

You could look at the IHS for the model number, but it can be faked. The only way to know for sure what CPU you have and whether it works, is to try the CPU and hope nothing goes wrong.

Dude!! Omg you seem to be right! So how do I verify this! Do I just install it in my system?? Or do I contact the seller immediately for a refund?
If CPU-Z gives a certain model number is that correct and can I trust it?

Here are some updated pictures:

 

[Third-Eye]

Dude!! Omg you seem to be right! So how do I verify this! Do I just install it in my system?? Or do I contact the seller immediately for a refund?
If CPU-Z gives a certain model number is that correct and can I trust it?

It's clear that the IHS was either removed and placed on a different CPU or the model number was reinked to the IHS. It's possible the seller delidded the CPU to replace the thermal paste for better temperatures and placed the wrong IHS back on. Whatever actually happened though, it's still a fake i7-4770.

This is one of those situations where you may do damage to your motherboard if you try to use the CPU. It might work fine and allow you to boot Windows. Are you willing to risk your motherboard just to find the actual CPU model? I personally would contact the seller and hope they will take it back for a full refund.

Edit - You can see the difference in the capacitors and top of the CPU of the original haswell and haswell refresh here. Haswell refresh is on Left side of those CPU pictures. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-4790k-devils-canyon-overclock-performance,3845.html

 

[astralwolf]

It's clear that the IHS was either removed and placed on a different CPU or the model number was reinked to the IHS. It's possible the seller delidded the CPU to replace the thermal paste for better temperatures and placed the wrong IHS back on. Whatever actually happened though, it's still a fake i7-4770.

This is one of those situations where you may do damage to your motherboard if you try to use the CPU. It might work fine and allow you to boot Windows. Are you willing to risk your motherboard just to find the actual CPU model? I personally would contact the seller and hope they will take it back for a full refund.

Edit - You can see the difference in the capacitors and top of the CPU of the original haswell and haswell refresh here. Haswell refresh is on Left side of those CPU pictures. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-4790k-devils-canyon-overclock-performance,3845.html

Hi. It was a real i7 4770 after installing. I was surprised too . Thanks

 

[Zerk2012]

Hi. It was a real i7 4770 after installing. I was surprised too . Thanks

Ya I was going to say put it in without doing anything to it, it looked fine to me.

 

[Third-Eye]

Hi. It was a real i7 4770 after installing. I was surprised too . Thanks

Are you certain it's real? Did you check the CPU specs and info from CPU-Z to the specs of the i7-4770? Everything I'm seeing is pointing to the CPU being fake and It's honestly weird if it really is an i7.

I personally haven't seen more than maybe 7 or 8 of these possibly fake CPUs. To me it looks like it was a delidded CPU with a legit i7 IHS put back on or relabeled haswell refresh. If it works as expected after benchmarking and has all the correct specs, then it probably doesn't matter.

 

[astralwolf]

Yep

Are you certain it's real? Did you check the CPU specs and info from CPU-Z to the specs of the i7-4770? Everything I'm seeing is pointing to the CPU being fake and It's honestly weird if it really is an i7.

I personally haven't seen more than maybe 7 or 8 of these possibly fake CPUs. To me it looks like it was a delidded CPU with a legit i7 IHS put back on or relabeled haswell refresh. If it works as expected after benchmarking and has all the correct specs, then it probably doesn't matter.

I agree with you, all the info seems to indicate it's fake, but,

• it was labelled as i7 4770 in the bios, CPU-Z
• benchmarks were within range of an i7 4770
• I verified it with Intel's genuine processor application thing- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005567/processors.html