Kingfast unknowingly sent counterfeit SSDs with mislabelled Flash NAND for review

We’ve all heard (and knowingly or unknowingly may have bought one) about duplicate flash drives, one fear would be counterfeit SSDs, especially in a sealed package from the manufacturer directly. SSD Review’s Les Tokar received a Kingfast F3 Plus 240GB for review and what was found that the 8x OCZ Labelled flash NAND had a hard black coating and was relabelled as Micron 29F256G08CJAAA, a 25nm 32gig MLC NAND that’s used in flash drives, but none of the SSDs were to be found using this. It also should be noted that KingFast only used Intel’s NAND on their SSD drives.

Left: KingFast F3 with Intel Flash NAND that the company typically uses ; Right: The SSD drive with mislabeled OCZ/Micron drive on the first review sample

It was then revealed that HongWang International, a Hong Kong based NAND supplier, supplied these relabelled batches to KingFast in December 2012. What’s also interesting is that the company has never done business with OCZ, noting the possibility that these units with blacktop on the NAND were most likely done before it reached HongWang International.

As far as what it’s said, these NANDs were utilized in 30 SSD drives, and was then located and recalled immediately.  KingFast then assured that a more detailed supplier evaluation will be prepared and internal quality control would be implemented to conduct 100% of the new flash suppliers.

Source: The SSD Review