Do video cards come sealed? Is there a way to tell if they've been tampered with?

beamoflaser

Junior Member
May 12, 2012
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I just picked up a MSI 7850 yesterday and I was a little suspicious of getting a used or refurbished one because the packaging job didn't look the greatest. When I took it out it had a couple scratches on the heatsink and fan but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. I also noticed though, that the heatsink was loose and you could push in on it.

When I installed it, and tested it out, it went up to 102 degrees celsius and the fans were running at 100%. Obviously the heatsink wasn't flush on the GPU, so I took it out and noticed that one of the screw sockets on the heatsink was popped up.

I just returned it today, but I was wondering what a new video card looks like in its packaging. Is there a way to tell that the one I'm getting came from the factory and wasn't refurbished or returned? Are there supposed to be small nicks and scratches on the heatsink and fan? The guy I returned it to told me it was normal to find marks on the heatsink.

When I packed it back to return, it looked exactly how I got it and that is kind of distressing; not knowing if you're getting a product that's been tampered with.
 

bononos

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2011
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Where did you get it from? It sounds like a returned item, possibly a failed overclock.
 

BallaTheFeared

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 2010
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Watch one of the millions of video card unboxing videos on youtube?


It should come in anti static bag with an unbroken seal of tape.
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
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It should come in anti static bag with an unbroken seal of tape.
This. Most (but not all) manufacturers have a seal on the anti-static bag itself. And the box is always sealed in some fashion, usually by seals/tape over both flaps.
 
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Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
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This. Most (but not all) manufacturers have a seal on the anti-static bag itself. And the box is always sealed in some fashion, usually by seals/tape over both flaps.

I know the Gigabyte, MSI, XFX, Sapphire and I think ASUS boxes are not sealed, but the anti-static bags are. Although ASUS use anti-static foam now, so the card won't be in a sealed bag.
 
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ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
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I know the Gigabyte, MSI, XFX, Sapphire and I think ASUS boxes are not sealed, but the anti-static bags are. Although ASUS use anti-static foam now, so the card won't be in a sealed bag.
All the Asus boxes I've seen are sealed. Did that change recently?

Regardless, there should be one seal somewhere.
 

Ieat

Senior member
Jan 18, 2012
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My Gigabyte Gtx 670 from Amazon had no seals whatsoever. And the anti-static bag only had a regular piece of tape. I honestly think it various from company to company.
 

DigitalWolf

Member
Feb 3, 2001
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When the 7970's came out I bought a Sapphire and I bought a Galaxy GTX 680. With both of those there was a little custom label (round disc kind of) that sealed the middle of either end flap. Inside both were in an anti static bag that was sealed in a similar manner to the outside. Tho I believe it was more of a big yellow sticker with text on it... instead of a little disc with a logo.


An expert at xmas package snooping could probably open and reseal them. Tho you'd hope someone with those skills could do a bit better with the cooler. That's what it sounds like in the original description... like they removed the entire heatsink and had some failure in their plan beyond that. Along with not quite putting it all back together properly.


I remember seeing a Slot A ... someone tried that with.. was a bit hard to notice when the case enclosure type thing fell apart as it was removed from the box. *.*
 

Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
5,195
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I wasn't sure about ASUS, since some of the boxes were sealed and some weren't. I know they sound cards were sealed, but some mobos weren't and we get that direcly from the supplier, so I don't think anyone tampered with it.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
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I once had a video card I bought locally. I opened it and inside where an 8800gt was supposed to be was a GeForce 3. No lie. The thing was sealed too (someone probably re-wrapped it). I had a hell of a time arguing with a manager to give me a new card. I didn't care about refund, I wanted the card I paid for and I didn't think it was my fault nobody checks returns. I didn't lie to them and say "oh this card doesn't work" and let the girl just say "ok the card is here so we can exchange". I told them outright that the card inside there is not the one that should be in there. If I wanted to scam them, why would I tell them that? Yet they accused me of it.

Anyway now if I buy locally I open it in front of someone there to verify the product is all there. That way I protect myself from crap. Newegg and amazon are usually much better about keeping opened items or returned items out of the circulation chain.

To answer you, it should be sealed somehow. EVGA puts shrinkwrap and a tamper evident tape with their logo on it. That's how my GTX 670 came. My Sapphire 6950 came with tamper evident tape sealing the side flaps of the box.
 
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SickBeast

Lifer
Jul 21, 2000
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I once had a video card I bought locally. I opened it and inside where an 8800gt was supposed to be was a GeForce 3. No lie. The thing was sealed too (someone probably re-wrapped it). I had a hell of a time arguing with a manager to give me a new card. I didn't care about refund, I wanted the card I paid for and I didn't think it was my fault nobody checks returns. I didn't lie to them and say "oh this card doesn't work" and let the girl just say "ok the card is here so we can exchange". I told them outright that the card inside there is not the one that should be in there. If I wanted to scam them, why would I tell them that? Yet they accused me of it.

Anyway now if I buy locally I open it in front of someone there to verify the product is all there. That way I protect myself from crap. Newegg and amazon are usually much better about keeping opened items or returned items out of the circulation chain.

To answer you, it should be sealed somehow. EVGA puts shrinkwrap and a tamper evident tape with their logo on it.
I've heard of scams like that. I heard of people putting various objects into an iPad box and then returning them to Best Buy en masse.
 
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beamoflaser

Junior Member
May 12, 2012
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Watch one of the millions of video card unboxing videos on youtube?


It should come in anti static bag with an unbroken seal of tape.


So I watched the only 2 unboxing videos I could find for this card and it looked like there weren't any seals either (good idea by the way).

It comes in an anti-static bag, but the only thing keeping it closed is a small piece of tape which can easily be reused over and over.

I guess like everyone else has said, it depends on the company.

My only question now is: do the heatsinks on the video card usually come with scratches on them?

I'm thinking now that someone bought it, tinkered with it and returned it saying they didn't use it.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
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My heatsinks/fan shrouds always had a piece of plastic stuck over them from the factory. It was like a piece of clear protective tape that went over it. If that wasn't there, someone probable took it off. All my EVGA cards had this (GTX280, GTX295, GTX670). My Sapphire HD6950 had it, and even my 9600GT from BFG did.
 

beamoflaser

Junior Member
May 12, 2012
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My heatsinks/fan shrouds always had a piece of plastic stuck over them from the factory. It was like a piece of clear protective tape that went over it. If that wasn't there, someone probable took it off. All my EVGA cards had this (GTX280, GTX295, GTX670). My Sapphire HD6950 had it, and even my 9600GT from BFG did.

Yeah, I'm guessing MSI doesn't do this. I watched all their un-boxing videos and even their 7970 Lightning doesn't have any shroud tape.


I don't know, I'm either going to order another 7850 or wait for the power edition. Doesn't seem like the power edition is coming out any time soon though.
 

tigersty1e

Golden Member
Dec 13, 2004
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it depends on the manufacturer. they all package their cards differently.

i'm not sure about msi. look on youtube for msi unboxings.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,574
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My Sapphire HD6870 cards, came in boxes, that had these LITTLE Sapphire stickers between the edges of each side of the box. Yet, they had come unsealed, mostly from shipping. Not very secure. I was concerned that my cards had been tampered with too, but the cards themselves seemed alright. They had just came out, so unlikely to be someone's return. I had them purchased from Newegg.

Yours though, with scratches on the heatsink, and one of the screws popped out, that does sound like someone tampered with it and removed the heatsink at one point. I would exchange it for a different one.
 

mple

Senior member
Oct 10, 2011
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MSI doesn't seal their boxes usually. I've purchased several from newegg that weren't. EVGA always seals their boxes.
 
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Leyawiin

Diamond Member
Nov 11, 2008
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EVGA always seals their boxes.

Yet another reason to buy from them. Got a Galaxy GTX 580 from Amazon - tape on anti-static bag had been pulled back and had hair or carpet fibers on it, card had greasy fingerprints all over it and several scratches. That one went back for sure.
 

Jacky60

Golden Member
Jan 3, 2010
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I think that sometimes retailers especially system builders check out cards and keep the better overclockers for themselves or clients. I think you're better off buying from companies that only sell components and don't overclock then there's no reason to suspect someone has already tried out the high end cards. I bought both of my 6990's from a system builder and I suspect one of them was having a second outing due to packaging looking like it had been previously opened.
 

flexy

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
8,464
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Can vendors even "legally" put an obviously opened and used/tested item back in a box and sell it as new? I mean this is semi-fraud, even on the side of the vendor/retailer...
 
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Sephire

Golden Member
Feb 9, 2011
1,689
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Fry's because of scams now opens sealed box items on returns. Even if you tell them you did not open it they will still break the seal to check the contents.
 
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