- Corsair has new packaging for its DDR5 RAM
- Some sets are in a sealed plastic clamshell instead of a cardboard box
- Lower level RAM still comes in the old box, but a security sticker is added
Corsair has introduced countermeasures with its product packaging designed to prevent fraudsters who steal memory sticks by replacing them with old RAM modules and returning these fakes to retailers.
Tom’s Hardware highlighted a Corsair blog post in which the memory maker explains that it has changed the packaging for some of its RAM.
With Corsair’s two-stick Vengeance DDR5 RAM kits (for example, a 32GB kit, which consists of a pair of 16GB modules), the company has switched to using a sealed plastic clamshell rather than a cardboard box. This is with its RGB memory, and also the regular DDR5 sticks without fancy lights.
This means that the RAM is clearly visible to the buyer before they purchase the item and is actually easily inspected by staff at retailers to help combat incidents of false returns, as mentioned at the beginning. Corsair notes that people are replacing products with ‘non-genuine modules’, which are usually old (effectively worthless) RAM from an old PC, or even just dummy RGB lighting modules as seen recently (see image below).
As an added measure, the clamshell packaging has a ‘tamper-evident belly label’ so you can clearly see if it has been opened before.
Analysis: clamshells and safety labels are likely to become more common
It’s really a sad thing, but this is where the RAM crisis has led us. DDR5 RAM has gotten so ridiculously expensive that it’s as much a target now as seriously expensive high-end graphics cards. (These have famously fallen victim to similar return-related scams, where buyers have ended up buying a GPU box that has a rock in it, or a lump of metal, or maybe a bag of rice).
So it’s not surprising that Corsair has stepped in this way with these more expensive products in their most common variant (dual-stick RAM kits, because you want your memory split into two modules for the fastest operating speeds).
In case you were wondering, Corsair’s lower end RAM modules still come in a traditional paper box format. However, the memory maker clarifies that these will get a security sticker on the box for some extra protection against fraudsters, in an update that is apparently rolling out soon.
The new packaging for DDR5 modules is already here, and has actually been in place for over a month, so you may have spotted it at retailers (as this Redditor did a few weeks back).
Not everyone is a fan of this clamshell plastic packaging, mind you, as sometimes it really isn’t easy to get into and it turns into quite a struggle if you only have flimsy scissors to try and cut your way into the package. In addition, plastic is not an ideal choice in terms of the environment. However, Corsair makes it clear that these cases are made from recycled materials, and I think it’s a fair enough move to try to outwit the fraudsters, especially given the kind of expense consumers have to get their hands on a good DDR5 kit these days.
It’s entirely possible that other RAM manufacturers may implement similar measures to help combat fraudsters.
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