Reddit User Uncovers Counterfeit Samsung 990 PRO SSD

A Reddit user has reported purchasing a counterfeit 2 TB Samsung 990 PRO SSD, which initially appeared legitimate to system checks but exhibited extremely low data transfer speeds. This incident highlights the challenges consumers face with increasingly sophisticated fake hardware.

Incident Details

The user acquired what seemed to be a 2 TB Samsung 990 PRO SSD for approximately $207 (19,000 INR). This price was notably lower than its typical retail price of around $327 (30,000 INR).

Upon use, the SSD demonstrated critically low performance:

• Read speeds were approximately 20 MB/s.
• Write speeds hovered around 9-10 MB/s.

These speeds are significantly below the expected 3,000+ MB/s for a genuine PCIe 3.0 x4 drive. Initial diagnostic tools, including Windows and CrystalDiskInfo, recognized the drive as a legitimate Samsung product, adding to the initial confusion.

Counterfeit Confirmed by Official Tool

After experiencing such abysmal performance, the user conducted further investigation and employed the official Samsung Magician tool.

The Samsung Magician software proved decisive, flagging the drive as "Not Genuine." The specific message from the tool left no doubt about the product's authenticity:

"This drive is not a genuine Samsung Brand SSD with a valid serial number."

This confirmed that the product was indeed a fake.

Consumer Advisory

Following this experience, the user advised others to exercise caution when purchasing storage devices:

• Be wary of SSDs offered at unusually low prices, as this is often a red flag for counterfeit products.
• It is highly recommended to use the official Samsung Magician tool to verify the authenticity of Samsung SSDs after purchase.
• To avoid similar issues, always prioritize purchasing from reputable sellers and authorized distributors.