A renowned Chinese-made notebook computer has been exposed by German media for allegedly using fake chips. The manufacturer threatened legal action as the media revealed that another model produced by the same company also had misleading claims regarding its central processing unit (CPU).
Chuwi, a popular Chinese notebook brand known for its high performance-to-cost ratio, has recently come under scrutiny by the German-language tech media Notebook check. Their successful model, CoreBook X, is suspected of deceptive CPU configurations, falsely advertising to have the new AMD Ryzen 5 7430U processor when it actually contains the previous generation Ryzen 5 5500U. The chips were allegedly tampered with to deceive consumers.
The collective complaints from CoreBook X users on social platforms like Reddit highlighted significant discrepancies between the advertised performance and the actual user experience. They reported frequent lags, slow loading times, and struggles to run even simple multitasking smoothly.
Notebook check proceeded to dismantle a CoreBook X notebook computer and discovered that the actual CPU chip inside was the lower-performing older version Ryzen 5 5500U processor. Chuwi’s explanation was attributed to fluctuations in production batches and inventory stockpile issues.
Meanwhile, Chuwi demanded that Notebook check retract the article and threatened legal action for damaging its reputation. This incident has raised concerns in the public regarding the authenticity of Chuwi’s device processors, prompting media outlets to conduct further investigations.
Subsequently, Notebook check purchased a higher-end Chuwi notebook computer, CoreBook Plus, from a reputable German retailer. This product was also marketed as equipped with the Ryzen 5 7430U processor.
Upon inspection, the label on the packaging indicated Ryzen 5 7430U, and the notebook had corresponding Ryzen 5 7000 series labels. However, upon booting up, the BIOS, Windows system, and system information including CPU-Z displayed the processor as Ryzen 5 7430U. Yet, a quick disassembly revealed that the processor’s OPN number (Ordering Part Number) was 100-000000375. AMD’s official database verification showed that this number corresponded not to the new Ryzen 5 7430U but to the previous generation processor Ryzen 5 5500U released in 2021, showcasing significant performance differences between the two chips. If it were a 7430U, the corresponding OPN number should have been 100-000000943.
Industry experts questioned why the CoreBook Plus, which is positioned as a higher-end model, also had the same error as the CoreBook X. Moreover, internal photos taken by Notebook check confirmed that these two devices used completely different motherboards, ruling out the possibility of a production error.
Analysts speculated that if the Chuwi CoreBook Plus indeed contained the Ryzen 5 7430U along with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, priced at $535, it would fall within the common range of $450 to $550 for comparable products in the US market. Hence, its pricing wouldn’t offer much attraction. Considering that the Ryzen 5 5500U chip is older, the production cost for devices equipped with this chip would naturally be lower.
As of the deadline for this article, Chuwi has yet to respond to the latest developments.