Newegg IDs source of counterfeit Intel Core i7 CPUs

Retailer Newegg has identified the source of the counterfeit Core i7 processors that entered its supply chain and has issued the following statement:

Official update on the Intel Core i7-920 CPU situation

Newegg is currently conducting a thorough investigation surrounding recent shipments of questionable Intel Core i7-920 CPUs purchased from Newegg.com.

Initial information we received from our supplier, IPEX, stated that they had mistakenly shipped us "demo units." We have since come to discover the CPUs were counterfeit and are terminating our relationship with this supplier. Contrary to any speculation, D&H Distributing is not the vendor that supplied us with the Intel Core i7-920 CPUs in question.

Newegg's top priority is to proactively reach out to all customers who may have been affected to ensure their absolute satisfaction. We have already sent out a number of replacement units and are doing everything in our power to resolve the matter promptly and with the least amount of inconvenience to our customers.

We have always taken pride in providing an exceptional experience for each customer, and we apologize for any inconvenience to our valued customers. We take matters like this extremely seriously, and are working in close cooperation with Intel and the appropriate law enforcement authorities to thoroughly investigate this incident.

Case closed.

Note: Several people have asked me for details as to how these CPUs were counterfeit. Basically they were non-functional units that looked like the real thing. These CPUs weren't functional as CPUs in any sense of the word.