Fake SSDs are getting harder to spot, and Malaysian PC builders know the pain: one too-good-to-be-true marketplace listing, one convincing label, and suddenly your “Samsung” drive is behaving like budget mystery storage.
Good news: CrystalDiskInfo now has a new trick for this exact problem.
Developer Noriyuki “hiyohiyo” Miyazaki has released CrystalDiskInfo version 9.9.0 with support for detecting counterfeit Samsung SSDs. When the software thinks a drive is not genuine, it places a clear [FAKE] label in front of the device name, so users do not need to dig through confusing technical readouts just to know something is off.
That matters because Samsung SSDs are among the most popular options for gaming PCs, laptops, content creator rigs, and console storage upgrades. The downside of being popular? Counterfeiters love using the Samsung name to sell clone drives with fake labels, fake listings, and sometimes even fake-looking device names in Windows.
For Malaysia and SEA buyers, this is especially relevant. A lot of us buy PC parts through Shopee, Lazada, Facebook Marketplace, Carousell, small IT shops, or import listings. Most sellers are legit, but storage is one of those categories where a suspiciously cheap deal can turn into a real headache. If you are buying a Samsung 990 Pro, 980 Pro, or any high-end NVMe SSD, having another free tool to sanity-check the drive is a big win.
Samsung already has its own Samsung Magician software for checking and managing its SSDs. CrystalDiskInfo’s new feature gives users a third-party option, which is useful if you already rely on it to monitor drive health, temperature, and S.M.A.R.T. data.
The exact detection method has not been fully detailed by the developer. For now, the feature depends on regular updates, so users should keep CrystalDiskInfo current if they want better counterfeit detection over time. Tom’s Hardware notes that the tool may be comparing firmware and other S.M.A.R.T.-related data against known legitimate drives, but the important part for normal users is simple: update the app before checking your SSD.
A demo with ITG Marketing showed how the feature works in practice. CrystalDiskInfo successfully flagged a fake Samsung 990 Pro. The giveaway was not just the outside sticker or the model name. The software identified the PCI Vendor ID as coming from a Maxio controller instead of Samsung. The firmware version also appeared as 8888888, which is obviously not a normal Samsung firmware string.
That is the key point: scammers can copy packaging, labels, and even make a drive display a convincing name in Windows. But the controller identity is much harder to fake. If the heart of the SSD is not Samsung, tools like CrystalDiskInfo can help expose it.
The feature is still developing, and Miyazaki is asking users to help improve detection. If someone finds a fake Samsung SSD, they can export CrystalDiskInfo’s scan results as a text file and send it to the developer or post it on the CrystalDiskInfo bulletin board.
CrystalDiskInfo has been around for 18 years and has passed 90 million downloads, so this is not some random new utility. It is already widely used for checking drive temperatures, health status, and deeper S.M.A.R.T. details — even advanced stuff like helium leakage indicators on helium-filled hard drives.
For local PC gamers, creators, and laptop upgraders, the takeaway is straightforward: if you are buying a Samsung SSD from anywhere outside official or highly trusted channels, run Samsung Magician and CrystalDiskInfo before you fully trust the drive. If CrystalDiskInfo throws a [FAKE] label, do not “just try first lah.” Screenshot it, export the report, and start your return or dispute immediately.
Cheap storage is nice. Fake storage is not.
Source: Tom's Hardware