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Can Replacing a CPU Remove an Anti-Cheat Hardware Ban?

Replacing a CPU is not an established way to remove an anti-cheat hardware ban. Riot does not disclose its HWID identifiers; check the game’s official appeal policy instead.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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No—not as a documented or reliable fix. For Riot’s HWID ban, its support guidance says the restriction is tied to a computer’s physical components, but does not say which components are used or that replacing a CPU clears it. A CPU swap as a remedy would be guesswork, not an evidence-backed solution.

What a hardware ban means—and what a CPU swap can’t establish

A hardware ban is different from a ban limited to one account: the provider restricts a device, which can affect accounts used on that computer. Riot describes its HWID ban as applying to the computer’s physical components. Its public guidance does not identify the specific hardware identifiers involved or explain whether changing a CPU alters a device match. It therefore does not support either claim that a CPU is tracked or that replacing one removes the restriction. Riot’s HWID-ban explanation was published May 31, 2026.

That uncertainty matters in practical terms: buying a CPU is not a proven remedy, and changing a component should not be treated as a way to evade enforcement. Check the affected game’s official policy instead.

If the error is Riot VAN 152

Riot says VAN 152 means the device has been restricted because of an HWID ban. Its VAN 152 support article, published July 16, 2026, explicitly says the restriction is not a Vanguard installation or connection problem. Reinstalling Vanguard or the game, changing your connection, and restarting the PC will not remove it.

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What to do

  1. Do not test another account on the suspected device. Riot warns that another account used on a computer with an active HWID ban may also be restricted there and may receive a temporary ban for suspected circumvention. Riot advises against trying to log in with any account if you suspect the computer has an HWID ban.
  2. Request a review through Riot Support if the ban may be mistaken. Riot says a player may submit a support request for re-evaluation. The penalty may be lifted, but that is not guaranteed; Riot may instead uphold or extend the ban. If the HWID ban is lifted, an account that was already banned remains banned until its own HWID-ban period ends.
  3. Use the official error guidance rather than repeating routine troubleshooting. Riot’s stated position is that the reinstall, network-change, and restart steps above do not clear VAN 152.

Other anti-cheat providers have different rules

“Hardware ban” is not a universal policy with one scope or appeal process. The examples below describe only the named providers’ published guidance; none establishes that replacing a CPU removes a ban.

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Provider or game policy Published scope or rule Review route
Riot Games HWID ban restricts the computer through its physical components; exact identifiers are not stated. Support re-evaluation may be requested; removal is not guaranteed. Riot warns against using another account on the restricted computer.
Activision Call of Duty Devices with an active hardware ban cannot be used for online play; enforcement can apply across Call of Duty titles. Hardware bans are not eligible for appeal, according to the Call of Duty Security and Enforcement Policy.
Easy Anti-Cheat Not stated on the cited decision-appeal page. An accepted appeal automatically reverts the ban; players of other games are directed to the relevant game’s support channel. See Easy Anti-Cheat’s ban appeal information.
BattlEye Not stated on the cited support page. For a ban appeal, BattlEye asks for the global ban ID and game name. If no global ban ID is shown, it asks for the game account identifier. See BattlEye Support.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

How to find the right next step

  1. Identify the game and the anti-cheat or publisher named in the error or notice.
  2. Read that provider’s official ban policy and determine whether the restriction is account-level, device-level, or broader.
  3. Follow the provider’s published appeal or support route, if one exists, and include the identifiers it requests.
  4. Do not rely on a component replacement or an unofficial bypass tool: the cited official guidance does not establish either as a legitimate way to clear a ban.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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