G.Skill will pay $2.4 million for “excess megahertz” – consumers discovered fraud with fast DDR4 and DDR5 modules

Short version of the news

The memory manufacturer G.Skill has agreed to a global settlement within a class action and will pay $2.4 million. The lawsuit was filed over allegations of misleading advertising of DDR4 and DDR5 speeds (not for laptops) from January 2018 through January 2026. The company denies all claims.

1. What exactly did consumers contest?
- Allegations: G.Skill advertised and claimed the maximum frequencies of its DDR4 modules above 2133 MHz and DDR5 above 4800 MHz “ready to run” without requiring overclocking.
- Theoretical fact: The modules can indeed reach those frequencies, but they operate at lower default values (e.g., DDR5‑8000 runs at 4800 MHz). Achieving the advertised speeds requires BIOS settings changes.

2. What did the settlement look like?
Item Agreement amount $2.4 million paid to all parties in the lawsuit.
Who receives money: All buyers of DDR4 and DDR5 (not for laptops) with nominal speeds above 2133 MHz/4800 MHz purchased between January 31, 2018 and January 7, 2026.
Payment limit: Up to five purchases per household with supporting documentation.

3. Additional obligations of G.Skill
- Marketing: Change packaging, web pages, and product specifications.
- Content: The packaging will state “up to” for the advertised speeds and include a warning “Overclocking/BIOS adjustment required. Maximum speed depends on system components.”
- Goal: Make it clearer that maximum frequencies require manual adjustments.

4. Outcome
Consumers will receive compensation for misleading advertising, and G.Skill commits to adjusting its marketing policy and informing customers about the real capabilities of its memory modules.