Re:Your DS18B20 temperature sensor is likely a fake, counter...
by formerly_proven on Monday July 13, 2020 @11:45AM
(#23821990)
Not so with power transistors, you don't need a microscope to see that the dies found in off-brand power transistors are suspiciously small compared to equivalents from proper manufacturers.
So far I've seen a ton of fake audio op-amps.
For discrete parts like transistors things are much simpler. Just build a simple test rig and test a few parameters. If they fall within the specs they're probably good enough. Of course it's not worth it to do this for jellybeans like 2N3904, but when some parts get obsoleted without a replacement (or they're too pricey) there isn't much else a lone hobbyist can do.