If you’ve purchased one of the best RAM kits on the market, specifically a Corsair Vengeance DDR5 memory kit, and noticed the packaging looks dramatically different, there's no need to panic. Corsair has recently revamped the packaging across its Vengeance DDR5 lineup, adopting a new approach to combat retail scams and theft.
Starting in early January this year, Corsair changed the packaging for the Vengeance DDR5 series, including the standard non-RGB, the flashy RGB, and the budget-oriented RS variants. Instead of the traditional yellow cardboard box, Vengeance DDR5 memory modules now arrive in a sealed plastic clamshell made from recycled plastic. For added security, Corsair has placed a tamper-evident bellow label on the clamshell. The security seal wraps around the clamshell and tears when you open it, preventing thieves from opening and resealing it.
The packaging change is limited to the Vengeance two-module configurations. Therefore, memory kits with four modules and other SKUs may continue to use the old packaging. Nonetheless, Corsair added a security label to the cardboard boxes to increase protection.
The primary reason for using a see-through packaging is to allow consumers to visually verify what they're purchasing before opening the product. Furthermore, the recycled plastic material appears to provide ESD protection, as memory is highly sensitive and a small body discharge can damage it.
In addition to benefiting consumers, the redesigned packaging will help retailers detect fraud. It's common nowadays for criminals to pull the old return scam, where they buy legitimate DDR5 memory, slip in the modules of other types, like DDR4 or old DDR2, or dummy modules, and return them to the retailer. It will also prevent thieves from stealing the memory outright and leaving the empty box to continue its way to the consumer.
Hardware theft has long been a problem. But memory theft has proliferated recently as the AI crunch and memory shortage have driven computer memory prices through the roof. Unlike other components that are big or heavy, memory is lightweight and small, making it easy to steal. We've gotten to a point where shoplifters are stealing memory from display systems.
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