Identifying counterfeit Intel NICs before you power on

So I bought this "I350" for $25 on some marketplace wey, looked legit in the photo bro, but when I got it? The pcb color was wrong wey, the silkscreen font looked like it was printed on a home printer.

Turns out it was relabeled realtek wey, the chip under the heatsink was rtl8111, not intel at all.

Heres what to check before you even plug it in:

• Pcb color: intel uses specific green, fakes often darker or bluish
• Silkscreen quality: intel laser-etched, fakes look painted
• Component placement: compare to intel reference photos
• Serial number: check against intel ark database
• Heatsink attachment: intel uses spring-loaded, fakes often glued
• Eeprom: fake ones sometimes report realtek vid/pid even with intel label

I got burned wey, dont be me!