Latest GPU-Z detects some fake NVIDIA cards

Martin Brinkmann
Oct 13, 2018
Hardware
|
15

The latest version of the popular video card tool GPU-Z includes a new option to detect and highlight fake NVIDIA cards.

Fake video cards appear as more powerful video cards on cursory inspection and scammers sell these for a higher price on marketplaces on the Internet and even in retail stores.

Users may never know that they bought a less-performant GeForce GTS 450 video card instead of the GeForce GTX 1060 that they wanted to buy. Scammers manipulate the BIOS of the video card so that it appears as a different graphics card that is more powerful and thus more expensive.

While GPU-Z's new capabilities may not help prevent purchases of fake video cards, it may very well help users identify fake and do something about it.

Whether you may be able to get your money back or even get the merchant dispelled from a marketplace depends entirely on where you bought it.

Detecting fake NVIDIA video cards

fake nvidia gpuz

GPU-Z displays a [FAKE] in the name field when users run it if it detects that the video card may be fake. A big exclamation point is displayed as well.

The program detects fake graphics cards that use old NVIDIA GPUs that the scammers labeled differently.

The initial fake version detector supports the NVIDIA GPUs G84, G86, G92, G94, G96, GT215, GT216, GT218, GF108, GF106, GF114, GF116, GF119, and GK106.

One interesting aspect of the implementation is that it is forward compatible so that new fakes will also be detected by the application provided that the scammers use the same techniques to create fake video cards.

It may be a good idea to run GPU-Z each time you buy a new PC or a video card to verify that it is genuine and not manipulated.

The new version of GPU-Z comes with a set of additional features that improve NVIDIA Turing support and improve capabilities for all NVIDIA cards.

Turing is a GPU architecture by NVIDIA that is supported by the company's GeForce RTX platform (the GeForce 20xx series of video cards). GPU-Z supports options to save and upload the BIOS of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2000 graphics cards, and to monitor multiple independent fans used by these cards.

Last but not least, HDMI and DisplayPort information is now listed under Advanced > NVIDIA.

Closing Words

Fake video cards are a major problem especially on the Internet. While GPU-Z can't prevent the initial purchase, it may help you make sure that the video card that you just bought is genuine and not fake and that is something. (via Deskmodder)

Now You: Do you test hardware after you buy it?

Summary
Latest GPU-Z detects some fake NVIDIA cards
Article Name
Latest GPU-Z detects some fake NVIDIA cards
Description
The latest version of the popular video card tool GPU-Z includes a new option to detect and highlight fake NVIDIA cards.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Lou said on January 2, 2019 at 10:51 pm
    Reply

    Thanks to GPU-Z I found that I got a fake one from china (duh!) So I tore it apart to see what the chip said – it too is smoothed off – so how can you tell what wimpy gpu you have?

    1. Peterc said on January 3, 2019 at 5:33 am
      Reply

      @Lou: Do your remember where you bought your fake graphics card?

  2. NPC#3 said on October 17, 2018 at 11:11 am
    Reply

    Ha. Ha. Ha.

  3. NA said on October 15, 2018 at 9:35 am
    Reply

    Nice my gts450 is a fake its actually a GTX2080ti…

  4. Graphix Boy said on October 14, 2018 at 8:31 pm
    Reply

    I just ran it and found out my Intel graphics HD 4600 was really a Genuine GeForce RTX 2080! Great program! LOL

    1. Peterc said on October 14, 2018 at 9:45 pm
      Reply

      I ran it and found out that the integrated graphics on my Core i5 520M were every bit as disappointing as I had imagined. ;-)

  5. dark said on October 14, 2018 at 3:37 pm
    Reply

    Does GPU-Z work on Linux via Wine?

  6. Peterc said on October 14, 2018 at 4:08 am
    Reply

    I was wondering why I had never heard of GPU-Z, and suddenly it hit me: I don’t have a graphics card! Good to know about it, however, for general reference.

    Just out of curiosity, are a lot of these fake graphics cards being sold through Amazon? I’ve read that Amazon hasn’t been doing enough to police counterfeit products.

    1. RzRz said on October 14, 2018 at 5:50 pm
      Reply

      I believe GPU-Z also supports “built-in” graphic cards (Intel and AMD APU) and it’s a useful tool to have around to monitor your GPU temperatures, usage and other things.

      I’d say most of the fake cards are sold on ebay or aliexpress. But there are some legit cards that may look like fakes, for example Nvidia sells only 3Gb and 6Gb models of GTX1060 but there’s also a 5Gb model which most people probably don’t even know about because it’s exclusive to China (but you can get on aliexpress or ebay).

      1. Peterc said on October 14, 2018 at 7:03 pm
        Reply

        Thanks, RzRz. Good to know.

  7. Anonymous said on October 13, 2018 at 9:16 pm
    Reply

    I ran it and it discovered that my computer was in fact an empty plastic case ! All these years without knowing the truth !

  8. Geniusdevil said on October 13, 2018 at 7:01 pm
    Reply

    Oh no…
    My GTX 960 4GB is reported to be fake by GPU-Z
    No wonder why when I surfed PHub, it always took me to some church website.. :-/

  9. Paul(us) said on October 13, 2018 at 5:57 pm
    Reply

    I am seeing on your picture with the article that you are using the Video card software from TechPowerUp GPU-Z v.2.11.0 (released on ’18-09-17).
    There is already a newer version TechPowerUp GPU-Z v.2.12.0 (released on ’18-10-12).

    1. anon said on October 14, 2018 at 4:14 am
      Reply

      I believe GPU-Z offer you to upgrade on startup if a new version is available.

    2. zer0 said on October 13, 2018 at 9:12 pm
      Reply

      Screenshot is from a test version of the app.
      Fake GPU detection and fix for Steam/VAC BSODs are not included in the official 2.12.0

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