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I bought an Intel i9 9900KF, or specifically from the Amazon item title:

"Intel BX80684I99900KF Intel Core i9-9900KF Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 5.0 GHz Turbo Unlocked Without Processor Graphics LGA1151 300 Series 95W"

I thought, “Oh, no graphics, but I’m getting a GPU and this version is a little cheaper, so it’s good.”

But what arrived does not look like the processor I’m used to seeing at all, and it didn't even arrive in an Intel box.

I haven’t received my motherboard yet to try it, but will I be able to mount this without buying some other clasps or something? This card looks sketchy.

enter image description here enter image description here

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    That isn’t a 9900KF. That’s not a LGA1151 Processor. You have been scammed..
    – Ramhound
    Dec 7, 2019 at 16:32
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    Also the 9900K ships in a plastic polygonal thing retail. I suppose it could be an OEM and Interestingly the plastic packaging looks correct for a tray for a 9900K - its not meant for that chip, though in bulk I guess they just buy em in trays and repack.
    – Journeyman Geek ♦
    Dec 8, 2019 at 3:29
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    or the chip that's in it
    – Journeyman Geek ♦
    Dec 8, 2019 at 3:48
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    It looks like you aren't alone: Amazon Customer Questions
    – VL-80
    Dec 8, 2019 at 15:48
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    You should report the item and report the seller. Getting into ideas of intent on the seller’s part is really the equivalent of mind-reading. The action is they have sold you something other than what was listed and they need to make good. I this case, this might fall under Amazon’s fraud policy and you can report them and — hopefully — you will get your money back while Amazon investigates the seller and the item. Protect yourself and do yourself right. Report them.
    – Giacomo1968
    Dec 9, 2019 at 2:38

3 Answers 3

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You’ve been scammed, plain and simple.

What you have here appears to be a ball grid array (for soldering) laptop CPU. It could be a i3-5005U, which is offered here on eBay:

enter image description here

It could also be a non-functional mockup.

Either way: Return it if you can.

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    Thanks, called Amazon and when I suggested they investigate a probable scam they claimed this shipped straight from the manufacturer or through them but not a middle seller. I guess a factory or warehouse worker in China just got a new i9
    – john doe
    Dec 7, 2019 at 17:11
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    @john doe: It's also possible that the shipper just made a mistake. I'd try that route first before proclaiming a scam.
    – jamesqf
    Dec 8, 2019 at 1:03
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    @jamesqf read the comments on that particular item to find out that it happens A LOT. this is not a simple mistake. Unless the product is labelled wrong, but wrong labelled product with wrong info, wrong pics, and plenty of reviews that tell that once the proper item was shipped, this seems like scam more than anything else.
    – LPChip
    Dec 8, 2019 at 13:07
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    @Ramhound, I think almost all customers are going to realize when the chip doesn't physically fit in their motherboard.
    – JPhi1618
    Dec 9, 2019 at 15:28
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    @JPhi1618 - There are customers that exist which would simply write off the purchase.
    – Ramhound
    Dec 9, 2019 at 17:04
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There is a page on Amazon for an Intel BX80684I99900KF Intel Core i9-9900KF Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 5.0 GHz Turbo Unlocked Without Processor Graphics LGA1151 300 Series 95W. There are 15 customer reviews on the same page stating that the "Intel Core i9 9900K processor" that arrived from Amazon is a green PCB wafer that looks in the reviewers' photos like the PCB in the question. The first fake Intel Core i9 9900K processor customer review was posted almost 2 months ago on October 11, 2019, but the scam still continues fueled by a BX80684I99900KF Intel Core i9 9900K · Save $40 meme that was posted on the https://me.me meme website.

The item you received from Amazon doesn't look like an Intel Core i9 9900K.

Intel Core i9-9900K processor

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    Important to note the reviews as well. This isn't the only person it's happening to; there's over a dozen other reviews stating that they received exactly what OP did. Whoever is supplying these to Amazon is either scamming them, or submitted them to Amazon as the wrong product. Been going on for a while too, apparently; the first review mentioning it was October 11th, which makes me lean more towards scam.
    – Baron
    Dec 8, 2019 at 2:17
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    @Baron's comment tells you how important it is to ALWAYS read the reviews before making a purchase. That way you know something fishy is going on and can avoid it.
    – LPChip
    Dec 8, 2019 at 13:05
  • @Baron The strange thing is that this seems to be direct from Intel. It seems strange to try to run a scam under your own brand name. At the same time, they should also know their own products well enough to put the right product in the package. It at least says something about their quality control.
    – JMac
    Dec 9, 2019 at 14:39
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    @JMac - Intel does not sell their product through Amazon themselves. Amazon or a third-party would be the seller. I don't care what a Amazon customer representative claimed was the case, they are not typically that informed, I had to deal with an issue surrounding my own 9900k a year ago. Much what they told me about my order turned out to be incorrect.
    – Ramhound
    Dec 9, 2019 at 17:07
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    I'm not getting how a screenshot with an honest question on it is considered a "meme" ? How is that relevant?
    – JPhi1618
    Dec 9, 2019 at 17:07
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At the very least, that is NOT a desktop CPU. How this came to be is anyone's guess.

Along the lines of how, I have an important question to add.

How was the outside of the shipped packing marked? It looks to me like the name of the item was right on the box!? What shipping service did you/they use?

Basically... if I was a shady perp who's the least bit computer literate, and I was working for a shipping company, and I saw $500+ processors moving through the lines, I'd be tempted to set up a system where I swap it out for a cheaper unit before it got to the destination.

Most people working in menial package delivery services get paid dirt. Just a thought.

No matter how it happened, bottom line, Amazon owes you your money back.

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    Amazon reviews on the item show that this is an Amazon level issue. Over a dozen people across the country have received this exact item in place of the CPU they ordered. It's not a simple theft by a single underpaid delivery driver; it goes higher than that.
    – Baron
    Dec 9, 2019 at 12:32

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