How to check if GPU REALLY is reference?!

[newbiecat]

hey guys,
does someone know if it's possible to identify a GPU (specifically a GTX 1080) as reference/founders edition without looking at the fan/cooler?
i'm asking, cuz i'm about to buy a used gtx 1080 and the seller admits to having used it with watercooling and just recently put the original cooler back on.
so i was thinking:
is it technically possible, someone just buys an original cooler (~10bucks) and slaps it on a non-reference card to make it look like reference/FE and no one could ever tell the difference ?!?

...lol, guess i sound a little paranoid... but it's a lot of money for me... and i'm buying off the internet and people do crazy stuff on the internet... ^^

anyways, thanks in advance!

[Flomac]

The original board design has NVIDIA printed on the bottom. The others don't.


https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:NVID...ion-FL.jpg

[powermi]

Are reference cards even those ones mounted by PC markers, like Dell, as default on their systems?



BTW whats the difference in between Founders and Refecence?
Thanks

[undeath]

the picture you posted is reference design. it matches flomac's description. reference = founders