Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
U.S. Residents Who Bought GTX 970 Graphics Card May Be Able To Claim $30 Settlement
Last year, some customers who bought an nVidia GTX 970 graphics card found it wasn't quite performing to standards. As it turns out, it was because the card had a dedicated 3.5GB of video ram instead of the advertised 4GB.
As a result of this false advertising, nVidia had to settle a lawsuit for lying to its customers, as Ars Technica reported. Part of the settlement involves paying out $30 to anyone who bought a GTX 970 from September 1, 2014 to August 24, 2016. Today nVidia set up a website, gtx970settlement.com, where users can submit their request to receive $30 as part of the lawsuit. The other part of the settlement involves paying out $1.3 million in legal and attorney fees.
As the Ars Technica report points out, the $30 number amounts to 8.6 percent of the price of each card (Which sold for around $350). The missing difference in horsepower (0.5GB of video ram) amounts to 12.5 percent, meaning customers would have had to receive about $44 dollars to have been fully compensated for the difference. The customers in the lawsuit claimed as much, but the eventually settlement came down to $30.
Anyone eligible for a settlement payout has until November 30 to file their request for a payout. They can also send a letter requesting to opt out and sue nVidia on their own, file a comment in support or against the settlement, or ask to appear in court about the settlement.
[Source: gtx970settlement.com via NeoGAF]
Our Take
I know a couple people who bought 970s, though I don't think they noticed the difference in horsepower. It's a shame customers are only getting about 70 percent of what they're owed, as false advertising can have huge implications on unknowing consumers.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
