G.Skill Reaches $2.4 Million Settlement in DDR4/DDR5 RAM Speed False Advertising Lawsuit

Memory manufacturer G.Skill has reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit, agreeing to pay $2.4 million to resolve allegations of false advertising regarding the speeds of its DDR4 and DDR5 memory modules. The lawsuit claimed the company misled consumers about the out-of-the-box performance of its products.

The core of the dispute was the assertion that G.Skill's marketing materials led customers to believe that their purchased RAM would operate at the advertised high speeds immediately upon installation, without any extra steps. Plaintiffs argued that this was a deceptive practice that did not reflect the true user experience.

 

G.Skill Reaches $2.4 Million Settlement in DDR4/DDR5 RAM Speed False Advertising Lawsuit

 

In reality, the speeds promoted by G.Skill (such as those exceeding the JEDEC standards of 2133 MHz for DDR4 or 4800 MHz for DDR5) are technically "overclocked speeds." To achieve this performance, users must manually enter their computer's BIOS and enable features like XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) or EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking). Without this intervention, the RAM defaults to a lower, standard JEDEC frequency.

The lawsuit accused G.Skill of violating consumer protection laws and express warranty terms by failing to adequately disclose this crucial requirement. Plaintiffs contended that the advertised speeds were not a "plug-and-play" feature as consumers were led to believe, constituting a breach of the company's disclosure obligations.

Beyond the financial compensation, the settlement mandates changes in G.Skill's future business practices. The company has committed to making commercially reasonable efforts to update its product packaging, official website, and the specification sheets provided to retailers. Future product descriptions will be more precise, adding the term "up to" before the advertised speed to clarify it is a maximum, not a default, performance level.

 

G.Skill Reaches $2.4 Million Settlement in DDR4/DDR5 RAM Speed False Advertising Lawsuit

 

Furthermore, packaging must now include a clear disclaimer stating: "Overclocking/BIOS adjustment required. Maximum speed and performance depend on system components, including motherboard and CPU." This ensures future buyers are fully aware of the steps needed to unlock the memory's full potential.

 

G.Skill Reaches $2.4 Million Settlement in DDR4/DDR5 RAM Speed False Advertising Lawsuit

 

The settlement covers specific DDR4 and DDR5 memory kits sold between January 2018 and January 2026. The $2.4 million fund will cover administrative costs, attorney's fees, service awards for the plaintiffs, and payments to eligible class members. For PC enthusiasts and builders, this case serves as a powerful reminder that achieving the advertised performance from high-frequency components often requires manual configuration.

Back to blog

Related Posts

  • _{region} ( _{language} )

    • _{area}

    _{region}
    _{language}