Exceptional fake SSD clone of Samsung 990 Pro is almost impossible to spot

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/exceptional-fake-ssd-clone-of-samsung-990-pro-is-almost-impossible-to-spot-near-identical-performance-blurs-the-line-between-real-and-fake-as-ai-crunch-drives-knock-off-market

Comments

not_your_vaseMar 28, 2026, 8:00 PM
I wonder how much it costs without the fake Samsung sticker. I'm always almost on the market for cheap, good SSDs...
wmfMar 29, 2026, 4:21 AM
Yeah, it sounds like this Maxio controller is quite decent and it's cheap because they don't have name recognition yet. The Acer FA200 appears to be a non-counterfeit SSD using the same controller. https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/acer-fa200-4...
KomoDMar 28, 2026, 7:54 PM
I mean... it's visibly different, you don't need to look at the controllers to see the difference.

1. The colors on the sticker are wrong

2. The board itself looks different https://bayimg.com/f39847e193276a8d7279ddbcdc5617183633cf09....

theandrewbaileyMar 28, 2026, 8:12 PM
Sure, the differences are easy to spot when a real one is next to it. I doubt I would be able to identify this fake by itself. (I work in ewaste recycling, and look at lots of NVME drives every day.)
kykatMar 28, 2026, 9:02 PM
And don't manufactures release different versions under the same brand name? How big can the difference be between authentic drives?