Are counterfeit PSUs a thing?

[dave_the_nerd]

I bought a Corsair CX430 today at Microcenter - building a small office PC for a relative. Anyway, I got it home and it's DOA. So, okay, I'll exchange it.

That wouldn't be so shocking in and of itself, but the power cable that came included with the PSU doesn't work either. I've never had a defective power cable. Like, ever. And to my simple brain, the idea that both items would be defective is really... weird.

So, I'm still going to exchange it for a new unit, whatever, but I'm curious if these have been a target for counterfeiters - or if I just had some bad luck today.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Probably just bad luck.

I've had a bad power cable too once. It was worse for me, because I grabbed it off my pile, supposedly "known good" to do some hardware diagnosis, but in the end I almost made the wrong diagnosis, because I assumed that a new cable would be good, but it wasn't.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Sounds like you might have gotten a refurb or a reboxed unit someone else returned. I've never heard of straight-up counterfeiting where a PSU is falsely sold under someone else's brand.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

I seen a post one time, the 24 pin pony tail had all the wires mixed up. I forget the make or brand. The year is 2015, the quality goes down, prices go up.
Micro center I think they repackage a lot of stuff and put it back on the shelves. Have you seen the return counter when you first walk in, Always busy. I have seen someone say that most PSU, get made by companies who make more then one model. Like EVGA PSU get made by someone else, customer gets lost in the shuffle. I was very worries buying one of there PSU units, soon as I seen it on sale BOOM bought one. No issue's 1300W G2 unit.

 

[Smoblikat]

Back in the day counterfeit SSD's were a known problem (though not particularly widespread) but I havent heard of such a thing with a PSU. As far as the bad cable goes, ive never had one fail, but ive had video cables fail.

 

[DrMrLordX]

I seen a post one time, the 24 pin pony tail had all the wires mixed up. I forget the make or brand. The year is 2015, the quality goes down, prices go up.
Micro center I think they repackage a lot of stuff and put it back on the shelves. Have you seen the return counter when you first walk in, Always busy. I have seen someone say that most PSU, get made by companies who make more then one model. Like EVGA PSU get made by someone else, customer gets lost in the shuffle. I was very worries buying one of there PSU units, soon as I seen it on sale BOOM bought one. No issue's 1300W G2 unit.

In the case of Corsair, there is a site somewhere that tracks the OEMs who source all their supplies I think . . . anyway the 430CX is a well-reviewed unit that is made by ChannelWell (there are actually 2+ revs of the 430CX, but they are all CWT). Some CWT units are pretty good, and Corsair has a hand in the design so it's usually a win if their name is on it. Usually. Bad units do happen (I had a 400CX go out on me really quickly a few years ago), even from the best batches. Though, admittedly, the best-of-the-best Corsair units seem to be the ones they source from Seasonic.

 

[lehtv]

Though, admittedly, the best-of-the-best Corsair units seem to be the ones they source from Seasonic.

And Flextronics, in the case of the AXi-series. Those things are possibly even better than the best Seasonics and Super Flowers - they're just ridiculously priced so they don't get recommended much.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

In the case of Corsair, there is a site somewhere that tracks the OEMs who source all their supplies I think . . . anyway the 430CX is a well-reviewed unit that is made by ChannelWell (there are actually 2+ revs of the 430CX, but they are all CWT). Some CWT units are pretty good, and Corsair has a hand in the design so it's usually a win if their name is on it. Usually. Bad units do happen (I had a 400CX go out on me really quickly a few years ago), even from the best batches. Though, admittedly, the best-of-the-best Corsair units seem to be the ones they source from Seasonic.

So its conceivable to have 2 different units built the exact same but one with a name brand and one with (EL Cheapo)on it? Or the (El Cheapo) would be the same build but say with low ESR(priced cheaply) caps?

Off topic (I'm still a noob)CWT=what does it mean? ChannelWell?

 

[paperwastage]

Off topic (I'm still a noob)CWT=what does it mean? ChannelWell?

ChannelWell Technologies

http://www.cwt.com.tw/Product/enus/Product_PC_FirstShow.aspx?Series=PC+Power+Supply

 

[aigomorla]

Remember the days when newegg got scam'd by a distro, and ended up mailing people fake I7's

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Remember the days when newegg got scam'd by a distro, and ended up mailing people fake I7's

Yeah, that's what I was kinda thinking when I started the thread.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Speaking of Newegg, you know those air-pack HDD protectors they use now? Well, I think that they are great for HDDs, but I ordered two 5.25" Blu-Ray drives, and they came, stuffed into those 3.5" HDD airpacks. Didn't seem like such a great idea to me, just to save the packer from having to grab a few pieces of bubble wrap and tape.

 

[DrMrLordX]

And Flextronics, in the case of the AXi-series. Those things are possibly even better than the best Seasonics and Super Flowers - they're just ridiculously priced so they don't get recommended much.

Ah I forgot about Flextronics. Thanks.

So its conceivable to have 2 different units built the exact same but one with a name brand and one with (EL Cheapo)on it? Or the (El Cheapo) would be the same build but say with low ESR(priced cheaply) caps?

Off topic (I'm still a noob)CWT=what does it mean? ChannelWell?

Yeah CWT = ChannelWell.

It is theoretically possible that you could see an identical unit ship under different brand names. That has probably happened more than once between Fortron/FSP and Sparkle (Sparkle PSUs used to all be Fortrons, I think they still are). In the case of Corsair, they design their own stuff and let others implement the design. I'm pretty sure the OEMs that handle Corsair's work are . . . strongly encouraged to keep those designs out of the hands of competitors.

 

[MongGrel]

I tried mentioning CWT things long ago, but most just blow off the CX thing to begin with so I gave up bothering to try to discourage it.

Always were people that would say they are just fine have at it etc, etc.

People just keep on blithering and buying them over time and having failures on and them and trying to justify it I guess.

Youks and away.