G.Skill Pays $2.4 Million to Settle Class-Action Lawsuit

Memory manufacturer G.Skill has started distributing $2.4 million in settlement payments to eligible U.S. consumers. The payments are the result of a class-action lawsuit filed in 2022, which accused the company of misleading marketing regarding the speeds of its DDR4 and DDR5 memory kits. Plaintiffs alleged that the advertised speeds were only achievable through overclocking via XMP/EXPO profiles, and that the associated risks were not adequately disclosed.

G.Skill denied all allegations, asserting its product labeling was compliant. However, the company agreed to the $2.4 million settlement, allowing consumers who purchased the specified memory kits during the class period to receive compensation. Several consumers have reported receiving payments ranging from approximately $20 to $25.

As part of the settlement terms, G.Skill has also committed to updating its memory kit packaging and online product pages. These updates will include explicit disclaimers informing consumers that achieving the advertised speeds requires enabling Intel XMP or AMD EXPO features in the system's BIOS, which constitutes overclocking.

Memory modules are designed to operate at default JEDEC standard frequencies for maximum compatibility. XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) and EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking) are manufacturer-provided overclocking configurations stored in the memory's SPD chip. While enabling these profiles simplifies the process of reaching higher speeds, stable operation is still dependent on the motherboard and CPU's memory controller capabilities.