Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Adobe

2025-09-26T23:00:39Z

Vindicator4021: /* Alleged use of user data for AI training */ Edited for relevance and to remove redundancy.

{{Incomplete|Issue 1=Many claims made without proper citations.}}{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Adobe
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1982
| Industry = Software
| Official Website = https://adobe.com/
| Logo = Adobe.png
}}

[[wikipedia:Adobe_Inc.|'''Adobe''']] is a software company based in San Jose, California that specializes in creative software such as photo editing, video editing, animation, illustration, web development, and more. Founded in 1982, the company developed the Portable Document Format (PDF) in 1992, as well as a full suite of creative software. Widespread adoption of their products by novices, industry professionals, and nation-states has enabled Adobe to carve out a significant market share in the creative software industry. In FY24, Adobe's Digital Media Segment reported $15.86 billion in revenue to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). <ref>[https://www.adobe.com/cc-shared/assets/investor-relations/pdfs/adbe-2024-annual-report.pdf ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934] </ref>

==Consumer impact summary==

===Lack of ownership===
Adobe has switched from a perpetual license model to a subscription model (Creative Cloud).

===Proprietary file formats===
Works created in Adobe software come in Adobe-exclusive file formats such as .psd for Photoshop and .indd for InDesign.

===Data breaches===
In 2013, Adobe disclosed a data breach affecting approximately 3 million customers. This number was later revised to approximately 38 million. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Finkle |first=Jim |date=29 Oct 2013 |title=Adobe data breach more extensive than previously disclosed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/adobe-data-breach-more-extensive-than-previously-disclosed-idUSBRE99S1DJ |website=reuters.com/}}</ref> This incident resulted in a $1,000,000 settlement and a promise of new security policies. <ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Nov 2016 |title=Adobe to Pay $1 Million, Update Security Policies to Resolve Multistate Investigation Into Data Breach |url=https://www.mass.gov/news/adobe-to-pay-1-million-update-security-policies-to-resolve-multistate-investigation-into-data-breach |website=mass.gov}}</ref> In 2019, researchers discovered that Adobe's Elasticsearch database was insecure, which may have exposed approximately 7.5 million users' information. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Khandelwal |first=Swati |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Unsecured Adobe Server Exposes Data for 7.5 Million Creative Cloud Users |url=https://thehackernews.com/2019/10/adobe-database-leaked.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com}}</ref> Breaches impacting U.S. federal agencies and Adobe Commerce/Magneto stores also occurred in 2023 and 2024, respectively. <ref>{{Cite web |date=5 Dec 2023 |title=Threat Actors Exploit Adobe ColdFusion CVE-2023-26360 for Initial Access to Government Servers |url=https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa23-339a |website=cisa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sansec Forensics Team |date=1 Oct 2024 |title=Thousands of Adobe Commerce stores hacked in competing CosmicSting campaigns |url=https://sansec.io/research/cosmicsting-fallout |website=sansec.io}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Transition to subscription-based software===
{{Hatnote|Read More: [[Adobe Lightroom: Perpetual to Subscription Transition]], [[Adobe Subscription]], [[Adobe CS Activation]] and
[[Adobe Sued by FTC Over Hidden Fees in Subscription Plans]]
}}

Adobe initially distributed their software with perpetual licenses, allowing their users to make a one-time payment to own and access a specific application or, through Adobe's Creative Suite, a collection of applications. In 2011, Adobe introduced Creative Cloud, a subscription service that provides users access to an individual application or multiple applications for a monthly or yearly fee. In 2013, Adobe discontinued Creative Suite.

As of 2025, the only means to legally access up-to-date versions of many Adobe applications is through Creative Cloud. Additionally, the activation servers for perpetual licenses of previous versions of these applications have been shut down, which prevents consumers from activating the software using a legitimate copy and a serial number.

Creative Cloud offers various subscription options, including monthly plans (with monthly or annual billing) or prepaid annual plans. There are also plans for individual applications and bundles containing multiple applications. Prices of individual applications range from $22.99 per month or $263.88 prepaid annually. The Creative Cloud Pro subscription, which includes 22 applications and some additional extras including 100gb of cloud storage, is priced at $69.99 per month or $779.88 prepaid annually.

Plans billed annually but paid monthly have a cancellation fee 14 days after purchase. This fee is set at 50% of the remaining contract balance. For example, if the user cancels the plan in the seventh month of an annual plan that costs $69.99 per month, they would incur a fee of $174.98. Prepaid annual plans do not offer refunds or cancellation options after 14 days.

===Alleged use of user data for AI training===
{{main|Adobe's AI policy}}
Adobe has been accused of using user information for the purpose of training artificial intelligence. In 2024, Adobe updated its Terms of Service, granting itself a "non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license" to users' content. This grants Adobe permission to reproduce, distribute, create derivative works from, publicly display, publicly perform, and sublicense their users' content. This change raises concerns over conflicts with existing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and intellectual property rights. Users were required to accept the new Terms of Service to access their previously stored content.

Adobe has stated that they do not use user content to train generative AI, but they may use it for improving their machine learning systems, with an opt-out available. However, no opt-out option was presented during acceptance of the Terms of Service. 

===User documents forced into the cloud with no opt-out===
Some of Adobe's iPad applications, including, but not limited to, the digital painting application Adobe Fresco<ref>{{Cite web |last=PaulaArtist2 et al. |date=2021-12-13 |title=[How To] Save work locally / work offline |url=https://community.adobe.com/t5/fresco-discussions/how-to-save-work-locally-work-offline/m-p/12390252 |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Adobe Community}}</ref> and the document scanning application Adobe Scan<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tagra |first=Ria |date=2021-06-14 |title=Does Adobe Scan offer a way to not utilize the Adobe Cloud |url=https://community.adobe.com/t5/adobe-scan-discussions/does-adobe-scan-offer-a-way-to-not-utilize-the-adobe-cloud/m-p/12104402 |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Adobe Community}}</ref>, require an account to access and do not offer any option to opt out of syncing all documents created in these applications with Adobe's cloud servers. Similarly, the new non-Classic versions of Lightroom are fundamentally built around uploading all images to Adobe's cloud.

There is no end-to-end encryption, i.e., Adobe has full access to all of these files. Disabling internet access makes it possible to work offline, but any files created in the affected apps immediately sync to the cloud in the background as soon as the device is connected to a network again.

As an American company, Adobe is subject to the United States Cloud Act, which requires all US companies to grant the US government access to any user data even if stored on servers outside their jurisdiction and comply with requests to help with spy operations upon request.

===Spying on users' eBook reading activities===
In 2014, it was revealed that Adobe Digital Editions, Adobe’s e-book reading application, reported extensive information about users' reading habits back to Adobe. This included several unique identifiers; which e-books were added to the application; when which one was opened, and for how long; percentage read; and page navigation information.

All of this information was transmitted completely unencrypted in plain text. This meant that even someone else who was on the same public Wi-Fi as another user would have been able track their reading activities in real time, entirely undetected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |date=8 Oct 2014 |title=Adobe’s e-book reader sends your reading logs back to Adobe—in plain text |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/adobes-e-book-reader-sends-your-reading-logs-back-to-adobe-in-plain-text/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ArsTechnica]]}}</ref>

===Disrespect for user choices===
Adobe uses a [[dark pattern]] where settings which a user has disabled are re-enabled during or after each update. The same choice is presented with the desired setting as a default many times in the hope that the user will either give up or accidentally forget to uncheck the option.

For instance, this happened with the option to automatically install updates in the Adobe Flash installer. The same dark pattern is currently used in the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop application, which presents the same option on each update and requires the user to disable it manually every single time if they do not wish to relinquish control to Adobe over when updates happen.

Whether this is to be attributed to stupidity or malice is debatable, as for instance Adobe Lightroom Classic also has a habit of resetting the language to the system language after every update instead of what was manually chosen in preferences, and the Windows version of Adobe Illustrator had, for a very long time, required the user to manually maximize the application window and re-enable the document rulers after each startup until the issue was finally addressed when the application was moved to a different GUI framework.

===User information leaks and data breaches===
In 2013, credit card information and personal data of 38 million users was exposed in a data breach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Maaz |date=26 Mar 2023 |title=The Adobe Attack of 2013: A Cautionary Tale of Cybersecurity Failure |url=https://medium.com/@maazptl240602/the-adobe-attack-of-2013-a-cautionary-tale-of-cybersecurity-failure-1ef4ec74eb64 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Medium]]}}</ref>

In 2019, Adobe left about 7.5 million Creative Cloud customer records in a database publicly accessible online in gross negligence. The database was not even protected with a password.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Adobe left 7.5 million Creative Cloud user records exposed online |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/adobe-left-7-5-million-creative-cloud-user-records-exposed-online/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[ZDNet]}}</ref>

==Products==

===Adobe Creative Cloud===
Adobe's previous line of creative software has been joined into a wider ecosystem called the ''Adobe Creative Cloud.'' The Creative Cloud includes updated versions of the previously purchasable software:

*Photoshop
*Lightroom
*InDesign
*After Effects
*Dreamweaver
*Illustrator
*XD
*and many more

Included with the Creative Cloud, depending on plan options, Adobe also offers cloud based storage, typefaces, and stock photos and other stock files.

==References==
<references />
*{{cite web |author=((Wikipedia contributors)) |date=2025-02-03 |title=Adobe Inc. |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adobe_Inc.&oldid=1273676016 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=Wikipedia}}
*{{cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Adobe roofies all of their customers |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXxMCm941WA |date=2024-06-07 |website=YouTube |access-date=2025-01-15}}

[[Category:Adobe]]

Adobe

2025-09-26T22:43:30Z

Vindicator4021: /* Alleged use of user data for AI training */ It's a proper paragraph now. (Though, most of the things mentioned in this section seem to be moreso privacy concerns than specifically related to AI, so it might need more edits.)

{{Incomplete|Issue 1=Many claims made without proper citations.}}{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Adobe
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1982
| Industry = Software
| Official Website = https://adobe.com/
| Logo = Adobe.png
}}

[[wikipedia:Adobe_Inc.|'''Adobe''']] is a software company based in San Jose, California that specializes in creative software such as photo editing, video editing, animation, illustration, web development, and more. Founded in 1982, the company developed the Portable Document Format (PDF) in 1992, as well as a full suite of creative software. Widespread adoption of their products by novices, industry professionals, and nation-states has enabled Adobe to carve out a significant market share in the creative software industry. In FY24, Adobe's Digital Media Segment reported $15.86 billion in revenue to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). <ref>[https://www.adobe.com/cc-shared/assets/investor-relations/pdfs/adbe-2024-annual-report.pdf ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934] </ref>

==Consumer impact summary==

===Lack of ownership===
Adobe has switched from a perpetual license model to a subscription model (Creative Cloud).

===Proprietary file formats===
Works created in Adobe software come in Adobe-exclusive file formats such as .psd for Photoshop and .indd for InDesign.

===Data breaches===
In 2013, Adobe disclosed a data breach affecting approximately 3 million customers. This number was later revised to approximately 38 million. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Finkle |first=Jim |date=29 Oct 2013 |title=Adobe data breach more extensive than previously disclosed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/adobe-data-breach-more-extensive-than-previously-disclosed-idUSBRE99S1DJ |website=reuters.com/}}</ref> This incident resulted in a $1,000,000 settlement and a promise of new security policies. <ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Nov 2016 |title=Adobe to Pay $1 Million, Update Security Policies to Resolve Multistate Investigation Into Data Breach |url=https://www.mass.gov/news/adobe-to-pay-1-million-update-security-policies-to-resolve-multistate-investigation-into-data-breach |website=mass.gov}}</ref> In 2019, researchers discovered that Adobe's Elasticsearch database was insecure, which may have exposed approximately 7.5 million users' information. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Khandelwal |first=Swati |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Unsecured Adobe Server Exposes Data for 7.5 Million Creative Cloud Users |url=https://thehackernews.com/2019/10/adobe-database-leaked.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com}}</ref> Breaches impacting U.S. federal agencies and Adobe Commerce/Magneto stores also occurred in 2023 and 2024, respectively. <ref>{{Cite web |date=5 Dec 2023 |title=Threat Actors Exploit Adobe ColdFusion CVE-2023-26360 for Initial Access to Government Servers |url=https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa23-339a |website=cisa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sansec Forensics Team |date=1 Oct 2024 |title=Thousands of Adobe Commerce stores hacked in competing CosmicSting campaigns |url=https://sansec.io/research/cosmicsting-fallout |website=sansec.io}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Transition to subscription-based software===
{{Hatnote|Read More: [[Adobe Lightroom: Perpetual to Subscription Transition]], [[Adobe Subscription]], [[Adobe CS Activation]] and
[[Adobe Sued by FTC Over Hidden Fees in Subscription Plans]]
}}

Adobe initially distributed their software with perpetual licenses, allowing their users to make a one-time payment to own and access a specific application or, through Adobe's Creative Suite, a collection of applications. In 2011, Adobe introduced Creative Cloud, a subscription service that provides users access to an individual application or multiple applications for a monthly or yearly fee. In 2013, Adobe discontinued Creative Suite.

As of 2025, the only means to legally access up-to-date versions of many Adobe applications is through Creative Cloud. Additionally, the activation servers for perpetual licenses of previous versions of these applications have been shut down, which prevents consumers from activating the software using a legitimate copy and a serial number.

Creative Cloud offers various subscription options, including monthly plans (with monthly or annual billing) or prepaid annual plans. There are also plans for individual applications and bundles containing multiple applications. Prices of individual applications range from $22.99 per month or $263.88 prepaid annually. The Creative Cloud Pro subscription, which includes 22 applications and some additional extras including 100gb of cloud storage, is priced at $69.99 per month or $779.88 prepaid annually.

Plans billed annually but paid monthly have a cancellation fee 14 days after purchase. This fee is set at 50% of the remaining contract balance. For example, if the user cancels the plan in the seventh month of an annual plan that costs $69.99 per month, they would incur a fee of $174.98. Prepaid annual plans do not offer refunds or cancellation options after 14 days.

===Alleged use of user data for AI training===
{{main|Adobe's AI policy}}
Adobe has been accused of using user information for the purpose of training artificial intelligence. Applications like Adobe Fresco and Adobe Scan have cloud synchronization with no choice to opt out, and they do not implement end-to-end encryption. Additionally, they monitor users' reading behavior within eBooks. Adobe also employs an interface design known as [[Dark pattern|dark patterns]] in their software, meaning that certain features and options that a user has disabled may be re-enabled automatically during software updates.

===User documents forced into the cloud with no opt-out===
Some of Adobe's iPad applications, including, but not limited to, the digital painting application Adobe Fresco<ref>{{Cite web |last=PaulaArtist2 et al. |date=2021-12-13 |title=[How To] Save work locally / work offline |url=https://community.adobe.com/t5/fresco-discussions/how-to-save-work-locally-work-offline/m-p/12390252 |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Adobe Community}}</ref> and the document scanning application Adobe Scan<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tagra |first=Ria |date=2021-06-14 |title=Does Adobe Scan offer a way to not utilize the Adobe Cloud |url=https://community.adobe.com/t5/adobe-scan-discussions/does-adobe-scan-offer-a-way-to-not-utilize-the-adobe-cloud/m-p/12104402 |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Adobe Community}}</ref>, require an account to access and do not offer any option to opt out of syncing all documents created in these applications with Adobe's cloud servers. Similarly, the new non-Classic versions of Lightroom are fundamentally built around uploading all images to Adobe's cloud.

There is no end-to-end encryption, i.e., Adobe has full access to all of these files. Disabling internet access makes it possible to work offline, but any files created in the affected apps immediately sync to the cloud in the background as soon as the device is connected to a network again.

As an American company, Adobe is subject to the United States Cloud Act, which requires all US companies to grant the US government access to any user data even if stored on servers outside their jurisdiction and comply with requests to help with spy operations upon request.

===Spying on users' eBook reading activities===
In 2014, it was revealed that Adobe Digital Editions, Adobe’s e-book reading application, reported extensive information about users' reading habits back to Adobe. This included several unique identifiers; which e-books were added to the application; when which one was opened, and for how long; percentage read; and page navigation information.

All of this information was transmitted completely unencrypted in plain text. This meant that even someone else who was on the same public Wi-Fi as another user would have been able track their reading activities in real time, entirely undetected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |date=8 Oct 2014 |title=Adobe’s e-book reader sends your reading logs back to Adobe—in plain text |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/adobes-e-book-reader-sends-your-reading-logs-back-to-adobe-in-plain-text/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ArsTechnica]]}}</ref>

===Disrespect for user choices===
Adobe uses a [[dark pattern]] where settings which a user has disabled are re-enabled during or after each update. The same choice is presented with the desired setting as a default many times in the hope that the user will either give up or accidentally forget to uncheck the option.

For instance, this happened with the option to automatically install updates in the Adobe Flash installer. The same dark pattern is currently used in the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop application, which presents the same option on each update and requires the user to disable it manually every single time if they do not wish to relinquish control to Adobe over when updates happen.

Whether this is to be attributed to stupidity or malice is debatable, as for instance Adobe Lightroom Classic also has a habit of resetting the language to the system language after every update instead of what was manually chosen in preferences, and the Windows version of Adobe Illustrator had, for a very long time, required the user to manually maximize the application window and re-enable the document rulers after each startup until the issue was finally addressed when the application was moved to a different GUI framework.

===User information leaks and data breaches===
In 2013, credit card information and personal data of 38 million users was exposed in a data breach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Maaz |date=26 Mar 2023 |title=The Adobe Attack of 2013: A Cautionary Tale of Cybersecurity Failure |url=https://medium.com/@maazptl240602/the-adobe-attack-of-2013-a-cautionary-tale-of-cybersecurity-failure-1ef4ec74eb64 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Medium]]}}</ref>

In 2019, Adobe left about 7.5 million Creative Cloud customer records in a database publicly accessible online in gross negligence. The database was not even protected with a password.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Adobe left 7.5 million Creative Cloud user records exposed online |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/adobe-left-7-5-million-creative-cloud-user-records-exposed-online/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[ZDNet]}}</ref>

==Products==

===Adobe Creative Cloud===
Adobe's previous line of creative software has been joined into a wider ecosystem called the ''Adobe Creative Cloud.'' The Creative Cloud includes updated versions of the previously purchasable software:

*Photoshop
*Lightroom
*InDesign
*After Effects
*Dreamweaver
*Illustrator
*XD
*and many more

Included with the Creative Cloud, depending on plan options, Adobe also offers cloud based storage, typefaces, and stock photos and other stock files.

==References==
<references />
*{{cite web |author=((Wikipedia contributors)) |date=2025-02-03 |title=Adobe Inc. |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adobe_Inc.&oldid=1273676016 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=Wikipedia}}
*{{cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Adobe roofies all of their customers |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXxMCm941WA |date=2024-06-07 |website=YouTube |access-date=2025-01-15}}

[[Category:Adobe]]

Adobe

2025-09-26T22:29:16Z

Vindicator4021: Edits for tone and grammar from beginning of article to "Incidents - Transition to subscription-based software".

{{Incomplete|Issue 1=Many claims made without proper citations.}}{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Adobe
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1982
| Industry = Software
| Official Website = https://adobe.com/
| Logo = Adobe.png
}}

[[wikipedia:Adobe_Inc.|'''Adobe''']] is a software company based in San Jose, California that specializes in creative software such as photo editing, video editing, animation, illustration, web development, and more. Founded in 1982, the company developed the Portable Document Format (PDF) in 1992, as well as a full suite of creative software. Widespread adoption of their products by novices, industry professionals, and nation-states has enabled Adobe to carve out a significant market share in the creative software industry. In FY24, Adobe's Digital Media Segment reported $15.86 billion in revenue to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). <ref>[https://www.adobe.com/cc-shared/assets/investor-relations/pdfs/adbe-2024-annual-report.pdf ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934] </ref>

==Consumer impact summary==

===Lack of ownership===
Adobe has switched from a perpetual license model to a subscription model (Creative Cloud).

===Proprietary file formats===
Works created in Adobe software come in Adobe-exclusive file formats such as .psd for Photoshop and .indd for InDesign.

===Data breaches===
In 2013, Adobe disclosed a data breach affecting approximately 3 million customers. This number was later revised to approximately 38 million. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Finkle |first=Jim |date=29 Oct 2013 |title=Adobe data breach more extensive than previously disclosed |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/adobe-data-breach-more-extensive-than-previously-disclosed-idUSBRE99S1DJ |website=reuters.com/}}</ref> This incident resulted in a $1,000,000 settlement and a promise of new security policies. <ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Nov 2016 |title=Adobe to Pay $1 Million, Update Security Policies to Resolve Multistate Investigation Into Data Breach |url=https://www.mass.gov/news/adobe-to-pay-1-million-update-security-policies-to-resolve-multistate-investigation-into-data-breach |website=mass.gov}}</ref> In 2019, researchers discovered that Adobe's Elasticsearch database was insecure, which may have exposed approximately 7.5 million users' information. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Khandelwal |first=Swati |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Unsecured Adobe Server Exposes Data for 7.5 Million Creative Cloud Users |url=https://thehackernews.com/2019/10/adobe-database-leaked.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com}}</ref> Breaches impacting U.S. federal agencies and Adobe Commerce/Magneto stores also occurred in 2023 and 2024, respectively. <ref>{{Cite web |date=5 Dec 2023 |title=Threat Actors Exploit Adobe ColdFusion CVE-2023-26360 for Initial Access to Government Servers |url=https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa23-339a |website=cisa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sansec Forensics Team |date=1 Oct 2024 |title=Thousands of Adobe Commerce stores hacked in competing CosmicSting campaigns |url=https://sansec.io/research/cosmicsting-fallout |website=sansec.io}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Transition to subscription-based software===
{{Hatnote|Read More: [[Adobe Lightroom: Perpetual to Subscription Transition]], [[Adobe Subscription]], [[Adobe CS Activation]] and
[[Adobe Sued by FTC Over Hidden Fees in Subscription Plans]]
}}

Adobe initially distributed their software with perpetual licenses, allowing their users to make a one-time payment to own and access a specific application or, through Adobe's Creative Suite, a collection of applications. In 2011, Adobe introduced Creative Cloud, a subscription service that provides users access to an individual application or multiple applications for a monthly or yearly fee. In 2013, Adobe discontinued Creative Suite.

As of 2025, the only means to legally access up-to-date versions of many Adobe applications is through Creative Cloud. Additionally, the activation servers for perpetual licenses of previous versions of these applications have been shut down, which prevents consumers from activating the software using a legitimate copy and a serial number.

Creative Cloud offers various subscription options, including monthly plans (with monthly or annual billing) or prepaid annual plans. There are also plans for individual applications and bundles containing multiple applications. Prices of individual applications range from $22.99 per month or $263.88 prepaid annually. The Creative Cloud Pro subscription, which includes 22 applications and some additional extras including 100gb of cloud storage, is priced at $69.99 per month or $779.88 prepaid annually.

Plans billed annually but paid monthly have a cancellation fee 14 days after purchase. This fee is set at 50% of the remaining contract balance. For example, if the user cancels the plan in the seventh month of an annual plan that costs $69.99 per month, they would incur a fee of $174.98. Prepaid annual plans do not offer refunds or cancellation options after 14 days.

===Alleged use of user data for AI training===
{{main|Adobe's AI policy}}
Adobe has also been accused of using user information to train artificial intelligence; mandatory cloud syncing in applications such as Adobe Fresco and Adobe Scan, without a choice to opt out and without end-to-end encryption; monitoring the reading behavior of users within eBooks; and employing [[Dark pattern|dark patterns]] to re-enable, when an application is updated, features which a user has disabled.

===User documents forced into the cloud with no opt-out===
Some of Adobe's iPad applications, including, but not limited to, the digital painting application Adobe Fresco<ref>{{Cite web |last=PaulaArtist2 et al. |date=2021-12-13 |title=[How To] Save work locally / work offline |url=https://community.adobe.com/t5/fresco-discussions/how-to-save-work-locally-work-offline/m-p/12390252 |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Adobe Community}}</ref> and the document scanning application Adobe Scan<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tagra |first=Ria |date=2021-06-14 |title=Does Adobe Scan offer a way to not utilize the Adobe Cloud |url=https://community.adobe.com/t5/adobe-scan-discussions/does-adobe-scan-offer-a-way-to-not-utilize-the-adobe-cloud/m-p/12104402 |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Adobe Community}}</ref>, require an account to access and do not offer any option to opt out of syncing all documents created in these applications with Adobe's cloud servers. Similarly, the new non-Classic versions of Lightroom are fundamentally built around uploading all images to Adobe's cloud.

There is no end-to-end encryption, i.e., Adobe has full access to all of these files. Disabling internet access makes it possible to work offline, but any files created in the affected apps immediately sync to the cloud in the background as soon as the device is connected to a network again.

As an American company, Adobe is subject to the United States Cloud Act, which requires all US companies to grant the US government access to any user data even if stored on servers outside their jurisdiction and comply with requests to help with spy operations upon request.

===Spying on users' eBook reading activities===
In 2014, it was revealed that Adobe Digital Editions, Adobe’s e-book reading application, reported extensive information about users' reading habits back to Adobe. This included several unique identifiers; which e-books were added to the application; when which one was opened, and for how long; percentage read; and page navigation information.

All of this information was transmitted completely unencrypted in plain text. This meant that even someone else who was on the same public Wi-Fi as another user would have been able track their reading activities in real time, entirely undetected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |date=8 Oct 2014 |title=Adobe’s e-book reader sends your reading logs back to Adobe—in plain text |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/adobes-e-book-reader-sends-your-reading-logs-back-to-adobe-in-plain-text/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ArsTechnica]]}}</ref>

===Disrespect for user choices===
Adobe uses a [[dark pattern]] where settings which a user has disabled are re-enabled during or after each update. The same choice is presented with the desired setting as a default many times in the hope that the user will either give up or accidentally forget to uncheck the option.

For instance, this happened with the option to automatically install updates in the Adobe Flash installer. The same dark pattern is currently used in the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop application, which presents the same option on each update and requires the user to disable it manually every single time if they do not wish to relinquish control to Adobe over when updates happen.

Whether this is to be attributed to stupidity or malice is debatable, as for instance Adobe Lightroom Classic also has a habit of resetting the language to the system language after every update instead of what was manually chosen in preferences, and the Windows version of Adobe Illustrator had, for a very long time, required the user to manually maximize the application window and re-enable the document rulers after each startup until the issue was finally addressed when the application was moved to a different GUI framework.

===User information leaks and data breaches===
In 2013, credit card information and personal data of 38 million users was exposed in a data breach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Maaz |date=26 Mar 2023 |title=The Adobe Attack of 2013: A Cautionary Tale of Cybersecurity Failure |url=https://medium.com/@maazptl240602/the-adobe-attack-of-2013-a-cautionary-tale-of-cybersecurity-failure-1ef4ec74eb64 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Medium]]}}</ref>

In 2019, Adobe left about 7.5 million Creative Cloud customer records in a database publicly accessible online in gross negligence. The database was not even protected with a password.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |date=26 Oct 2019 |title=Adobe left 7.5 million Creative Cloud user records exposed online |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/adobe-left-7-5-million-creative-cloud-user-records-exposed-online/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[ZDNet]}}</ref>

==Products==

===Adobe Creative Cloud===
Adobe's previous line of creative software has been joined into a wider ecosystem called the ''Adobe Creative Cloud.'' The Creative Cloud includes updated versions of the previously purchasable software:

*Photoshop
*Lightroom
*InDesign
*After Effects
*Dreamweaver
*Illustrator
*XD
*and many more

Included with the Creative Cloud, depending on plan options, Adobe also offers cloud based storage, typefaces, and stock photos and other stock files.

==References==
<references />
*{{cite web |author=((Wikipedia contributors)) |date=2025-02-03 |title=Adobe Inc. |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adobe_Inc.&oldid=1273676016 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=Wikipedia}}
*{{cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Adobe roofies all of their customers |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXxMCm941WA |date=2024-06-07 |website=YouTube |access-date=2025-01-15}}

[[Category:Adobe]]

User:Vindicator4021

2025-09-26T21:53:57Z

Vindicator4021:

September 2025 Update: Yeah, uh. I was gone for month or two. Won't go into too much detail, but I took a hiatus to deal with some things going on in life. (Nothing serious, don't worry!) Back now, though.

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025
*100th Edit - July 10th, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Public To-Do List==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This was originally for all of my article ideas, but that purpose has been deprecated in favor of placing researched ideas onto the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). This section is now for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog, or existing pages I wanna address that don't belong in the backlog.

===Top Priority===

*Sony article - Bumpgate mention; needs fixed for tone and the sources need upgraded.
*Microsoft article - Bumpgate mention; probably same problem as with Sony, but at least needs checked for issues.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - Reputation for being unreliable; investigate.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Early 2000's, infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that constantly blew head gaskets. Bolts that held the motor head down were poorly designed, causing the problems. Many Northstar engine cars still have this issue; GM may have had poor response?
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - Some engines prone to failure- companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**MrMario2011 had to send in his launch Switch for repairs multiple times. Investigate these videos to see what happened; see if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**'''Joy-Con Drift''' - Should probably be a dedicated article; red links on Switch article and it was major- lawsuits and all.
*Platform-exclusive games - Unsure if this is something that should be on the wiki; dropping it here to think about it. Hurts consumer choice and even ownership, as some platforms don't like it when you own things. General topic article?
*Epic Games - Check if there's an article for 'em; they need one:
**Online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| PC version was exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - The page needs some minor tone and grammar edits.
*Discord alternatives - Might be wise to have some pages about alternatives to Discord, considering winter is coming for it and users might be looking for places to jump ship to if it gets too bad. Not much research done yet, but some alternatives from a quick search have some questionable policies.
**Guilded - Forced arbitration in TOS.

===Shopping Stuff===

*'''AliExpress''' (Alibaba?) - Should probably have a company page. Bad customer service; believes company over consumer. Not US-based, but sells to US and internationally. Folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing). MattKC video on Surface Studio monitor could be a source?

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

''When the murky tides of exploitation rise, remember that We Protect Us.''

User:Vindicator4021

2025-09-08T23:41:58Z

Vindicator4021: Explained hiatus.

September 2025 Update: Yeah, uh. I was gone for month or two. Won't go into too much detail, but I took a hiatus to deal with some things going on in life. (Nothing serious, don't worry!) Back now, though (at least for a bit).

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025
*100th Edit - July 10th, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Public To-Do List==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This was originally for all of my article ideas, but that purpose has been deprecated in favor of placing researched ideas onto the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). This section is now for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog, or existing pages I wanna address that don't belong in the backlog.

===Top Priority===

*Sony article - Bumpgate mention; needs fixed for tone and the sources need upgraded.
*Microsoft article - Bumpgate mention; probably same problem as with Sony, but at least needs checked for issues.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - Reputation for being unreliable; investigate.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Early 2000's, infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that constantly blew head gaskets. Bolts that held the motor head down were poorly designed, causing the problems. Many Northstar engine cars still have this issue; GM may have had poor response?
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - Some engines prone to failure- companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**MrMario2011 had to send in his launch Switch for repairs multiple times. Investigate these videos to see what happened; see if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**'''Joy-Con Drift''' - Should probably be a dedicated article; red links on Switch article and it was major- lawsuits and all.
*Platform-exclusive games - Unsure if this is something that should be on the wiki; dropping it here to think about it. Hurts consumer choice and even ownership, as some platforms don't like it when you own things. General topic article?
*Epic Games - Check if there's an article for 'em; they need one:
**Online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| PC version was exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - The page needs some minor tone and grammar edits.
*Discord alternatives - Might be wise to have some pages about alternatives to Discord, considering winter is coming for it and users might be looking for places to jump ship to if it gets too bad. Not much research done yet, but some alternatives from a quick search have some questionable policies.
**Guilded - Forced arbitration in TOS.

===Shopping Stuff===

*'''AliExpress''' (Alibaba?) - Should probably have a company page. Bad customer service; believes company over consumer. Not US-based, but sells to US and internationally. Folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing). MattKC video on Surface Studio monitor could be a source?

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

''When the murky tides of exploitation rise, remember that We Protect Us.''

Minecraft account migration

2025-07-12T21:38:18Z

Vindicator4021: Changed the introduction to be more brief and specific to the incident. Old introduction was moved down to the "General" section for now.

{{StubNotice}}

==Introduction==
On October 21st, 2020, Mojang announced that all Minecraft Java Edition users must migrate their Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts to retain access to the game. On December 18th, 2023, consumers who did not do so lost access and needed to re-purchase the game to regain it.

==General==
[[wikipedia:Minecraft|'''''Minecraft''''']] is a sandbox video game developed by Swedish developer '''Mojang Studios''' (also known as '''Mojang AB''' or simply '''Mojang'''). The original PC version of the game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java programming language, and it is known as "Minecraft Java Edition". The first public alpha version of Java Edition came out on May 17th, 2009, then fully released on November 18th, 2011. On September 15th, 2014, Mojang was acquired by '''[[Microsoft]]'''.<ref name=":1" />

Throughout Java Edition's development, players could exclusively access their purchased copy of the game through the use of a Mojang account.<ref name=":2" /> However, on October 21st, 2020, Mojang announced that Minecraft Java Edition players must migrate their Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts.<ref name=":03">[https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-edition-moving-house "Java Edition is moving house"] - minecraft.net - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> Consumers who did not migrate their accounts by December 18th, 2023 lost their access to the game and had to re-purchase Minecraft Java Edition under a Microsoft account with a new username at full retail price if they wanted to play.<ref name=":3" />

At the time of Mojang's acquisition by Microsoft, the PC version of Minecraft was known as "Minecraft Java Edition". Before the acquisition and at least through the end of 2019, customers who wanted to purchase Minecraft Java Edition would do so by creating a Mojang account and buying the game under that account's name.<ref name=":1">[https://web.archive.org/web/20191219131419/https://my.minecraft.net/en-us/login/ "Archived Minecraft Website from December 19, 2019 showing Mojang Accounts were the exclusive method of signing in"] - archive.org - non-functional as of 2025-01-29, please someone else test this archive</ref> Minecraft Java Edition owners would then play the game by signing into the game's launcher with their Mojang Account.

Mojang announced on October 21, 2020 that Minecraft Java Edition players would need to migrate their Mojang account to a Microsoft account.<ref name=":0">[https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-edition-moving-house "Java Edition is moving house"] - minecraft.net - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> Those who migrated their Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts would maintain access to their username, cosmetics, player worlds, and earn an exclusive cosmetic cape.<ref name=":0" />

Mojang's staff wrote wrote the following about the account migration: <blockquote>"Now just to be clear, migrating from Mojang to Microsoft accounts is ''mandatory''. If you don’t make the move, in several months you won’t be able to log in anymore – which means you won’t be able to play either."<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>Account migration started in waves or "batches" sometime in early 2021.<ref name=":0" /> Initially, account migration was voluntary, and users with Mojang accounts could play Minecraft Java Edition without needing to migrate their accounts. On February 2, 2022, Mojang announced that on March 10, 2022 the voluntary migration period would end and that Mojang account users would be unable to play Minecraft Java Edition without migrating their account. On May 8, 2023, Mojang announced that Mojang account owners would have until September 19, 2023 to migrate to a Microsoft account or permanently lose the capacity to migrate their account. Following this September 19, 2023 deadline, Mojang gave Mojang account owners who missed the deadline a three month grace period through December 18, 2023 to migrate their account.<ref name=":2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20231210202436/https://help.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/19615552270221 "Post-Migration Process FAQ"] - help.minecraft.net - archived 2023-12-10</ref> Mojang account owners who exercised their option under this three-month grace period would not have access to the cosmetics associated with their Mojang account or the certainty that they would enjoy the username associated with their Mojang account under their Microsoft account. After December 18, 2023, Mojang account owners who had purchased Minecraft Java Edition from Mojang would need to purchase Minecraft under a Microsoft account in order to play the game.

On a page titled "I Missed My Chance to Migrate. What Happens to My Account?" on the official Minecraft Help Center, Mojang explains: <blockquote>"To continue playing Minecraft, you will have to buy Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition using a Microsoft account.<ref name=":3">[https://help.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/19633473939981-I-Missed-My-Chance-to-Migrate-What-Happens-to-My-Account "I Missed My Chance to Migrate. What Happens to My Account?"] - help.minecraft.net - accessed 2025-02-01</ref> </blockquote>Even during the migration period, it was not made easy to contact the people behind Minecraft about this. Support was not replying to questions about the migration process and issues with it.

Users who could not figure out how to migrate their accounts that they bought in the pre-release era had to re-purchase Minecraft with a different username for a post-release price (Alpha costing 9.95€, Beta costing 14.95€, and the full release being 29.99€).

In https://web.archive.org/web/20210813083726/https://notch.tumblr.com/post/2175441966/minecraft-beta-december-20-2010 Notch promised in his blog that all purchasers of the Alpha version of the game would get all purchases of the game for free, even saying ''"a promise is a promise"'', as he removed it from purchases made after the release of Beta.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]

User:Vindicator4021

2025-07-12T21:23:22Z

Vindicator4021:

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025
*100th Edit - July 10th, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Public To-Do List==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This was originally for all of my article ideas, but that purpose has been deprecated in favor of placing researched ideas onto the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). This section is now for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog, or existing pages I wanna address that don't belong in the backlog.

===Top Priority===

*Sony article - Bumpgate mention; needs fixed for tone and the sources need upgraded.
*Microsoft article - Bumpgate mention; probably same problem as with Sony, but at least needs checked for issues.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - Reputation for being unreliable; investigate.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Early 2000's, infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that constantly blew head gaskets. Bolts that held the motor head down were poorly designed, causing the problems. Many Northstar engine cars still have this issue; GM may have had poor response?
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - Some engines prone to failure- companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**MrMario2011 had to send in his launch Switch for repairs multiple times. Investigate these videos to see what happened; see if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**'''Joy-Con Drift''' - Should probably be a dedicated article; red links on Switch article and it was major- lawsuits and all.
*Platform-exclusive games - Unsure if this is something that should be on the wiki; dropping it here to think about it. Hurts consumer choice and even ownership, as some platforms don't like it when you own things. General topic article?
*Epic Games - Check if there's an article for 'em; they need one:
**Online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| PC version was exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - The page needs some minor tone and grammar edits.
*Discord alternatives - Might be wise to have some pages about alternatives to Discord, considering winter is coming for it and users might be looking for places to jump ship to if it gets too bad. Not much research done yet, but some alternatives from a quick search have some questionable policies.
**Guilded - Forced arbitration in TOS.

===Shopping Stuff===

*'''AliExpress''' (Alibaba?) - Should probably have a company page. Bad customer service; believes company over consumer. Not US-based, but sells to US and internationally. Folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing). MattKC video on Surface Studio monitor could be a source?

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

''When the murky tides of exploitation rise, remember that We Protect Us.''

Bumpgate

2025-07-12T21:08:21Z

Vindicator4021: Fixed up the Intro section to be more brief and edited for clarity. (This article is a bit too specific/covers too old of an incident to show up in the anticipated extension, I think, but you never know.)

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''' (also known as '''Nvidiagate''') was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) made from 2005-2010 were prone to high failure rates because of a design flaw that caused cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" />

Despite the name "Nvidiagate", this defect was widespread in the industry. It impacted many Nvidia GPUs (manufactured 2006-2010), but also affected ATI GPUs (2006-2008). Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have caused the high failure rate of the ATI Xenos GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models<ref name=":3" /> (2005-May 2008) and the Nvidia-based RSX GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models (2006-Fall 2008).<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> Retro computer enthusiasts may also know of the defect from certain models of Dell and [[HP Inc.|HP-Compaq]] laptops (2005-2010), as well as certain [[Apple]] Macbook Pros (May 2007-September 2008).<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed; high-lead bumps can deliver more current.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360, a video game console equipped with an ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million units were shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some form of technical issue with their systems. Out of that 3%, 19% reported three flashing red rings, and 24% reported the console freezing.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> This is notable because this indicates that shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death", a term used universally among consumers the describe the early Xbox 360's common hardware fault confirmed to be caused by Bumpgate.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This error can be triggered by a variety of issues, including GPU failure. A Bumpgate-related malfunction would require multiple power cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps, but it is not uncommon for consoles to see that during testing before being shipped. It is possible that Bumpgate-affected Xbox 360s with GPU failures were part or even all 43% of those defective consoles, but there is no way to be certain. At initial launch, 200,000 non-functional Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile"- systems that they planned to repair and ship out later. Approximately 56% of systems worked on the first attempt after manufacture, and that figure improved to 71% after component reworks. At the peak of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that reflowing the motherboard- a process similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- they could restore functionality to their console, but this was typically for a limited period that was inconsistent between systems.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s had the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft charged consumers to repair affected consoles. However, in 2007, Microsoft extended the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year to three years from the date of purchase. This extension allowed most impacted consumers to get their consoles refurbished at no additional cost. In addition, Microsoft refunded any consumers who had previously paid for repairs related to this issue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause was confirmed to be an issue "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. After this point, ATI and Microsoft completely fixed this issue in Xbox 360s.

Microsoft appears to have taken this approach to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only the company's second home console, and the original Xbox hadn't performed as well as anticipated. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Similar to the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be a Bumpgate-related defect with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had purchased early "phat" models with a 90nm GPU experienced critical system failures. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off. However, all users affected would find that when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 back on, the LED power indicator would momentarily turn green, then the system would beep three times while very briefly flashing to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This failure was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

A 2009 segment by BBC Watchdog covered the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The presenters stated that when viewers contacted Sony about their console malfunctioning, the company simply stated that the issue could have resulted from a variety of possible failures, and pinpointing the cause would require disassembly of the affected system to analyze error codes. This is true; the LED indicators only indicate a general hardware failure, and a proper diagnosis can only be made after checking the PS3's System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes.

During the BBC Watchdog segment, one of the interviewees explained that consumers whose systems were outside of the one year warranty period would have to pay £128 (~$173) for a repair, and Sony would only provide customers with a standard three-month post-repair warranty. If the system failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket for another repair. By August 2008, Sony had begun manufacturing consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which enthusiasts confirmed does not have the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, Sony has successfully repaired consoles by transplanting non-defective GPUs (the 65nm or 40nm RSX) into systems that were originally manufactured with a defective 90nm RSX.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> However, consoles repaired prior to Sony implementing this repair policy were highly likely to fail again. In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, resulting in the loss of any data that was not backed up prior to the failure (i.e., game saves).<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for affected systems; all repair costs were paid by consumers, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes that led to failures than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to manifest. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers would not encounter the defect until a few years into owning their console.

When the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect that seems to have caused the "Yellow Light of Death" was resolved for the late "phat" PS3 models. PS3 "slim" models and newer revisions were completely unaffected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony had known about the defect and quietly fixed it. This was at the same time that Microsoft was addressing the problems with the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for their Bumpgate defect in some of their GPUs (particularly, the G84 and G86).

Notably, the RSX is a customized version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective units with low-Tg underfill, but it is unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. There are no known sources of consumer complaints about the 7800 GTX, and none of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have that GPU or a mobile version of it. However, this does not necessarily indicate that there was no defect with the 90nm RSX, that Sony wasn't aware that it was defective, or that the 90nm RSX wasn't at all affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have performed extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> strongly supports the hypothesis that the "Yellow Light of Death" was caused by Bumpgate, and the only way to permanently repair an affected system is to replace the 90nm RSX with a working non-defective unit.

As of 2025, Sony has never made an official statement confirming that the "Yellow Light of Death" was a widespread issue in early PlayStation 3 consoles, nor have they definitively explained that it was linked to Bumpgate.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menchaca |first=Lionel |date=18 Aug 2008 |title=NVIDIA GPU Update: Dell to Offer Limited Warranty Enhancement to All Affected Customers Worldwide |url=http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219131311/http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |archive-date=19 Dec 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Direct2Dell}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>
====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also stated that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

On the same day, EE Times published an article where Nvidia explained more about what the cause of the problem was.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LaPedus |first=Mark |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia takes charge for bad chips, but who is to blame? |url=http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117035658/http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |archive-date=17 Nov 2012 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=EE Times}}</ref> Nvidia had stated in an email that one of their many packaging partners, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), was responsible. However, a subsequent email backpedaled on this response. In the next email, Nvidia stated that they "worked closely" with TSMC on the packaging and material, and hence took full responsibility. DigiTimes attempted to ask TSMC and some of Nvidia's other packaging partners about the defective chips, but TSMC declined a response, citing "client confidentiality", and the other partners did not know anything about the issue because the chips were from an older generation by that point.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Ingrid |last2=Shen |first2=Steve |date=4 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia contract makers in Taiwan low-key over defective chip reports |url=http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704211726/http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |archive-date=4 Jul 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=DIGITIMES}}</ref> In August 2008, Nvidia's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang explained how the company would handle the defect in an interview during Nvision 2008, claiming that Nvidia would take some responsibility for the defect and pay manufacturers to help consumers fix their devices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scath (Reuploader) |date=25 Aug 2008 |title=Nvision: Nvidia CEO Talks About Chip Failure |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZB6kxxgnOQ&t=275 |url-status=live |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, Nvidia was later sued in September by investors who alleged that the company had violated federal securities laws.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Jonathan |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=Gibbs Law Group LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against NVIDIA Corp. |url=https://www.classlawgroup.com/nvidia-lawsuit-filed-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=GibbsMura}}</ref> Shareholder Lisa Miller alleged in the lawsuit that Nvidia knew about the GPU problems as early as November 2007, and concealed this fact from investors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGlaun |first=Shane |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA sued over notebook GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/09/nvidia-sued-over-notebook-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=malware |date=11 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA Sued Over Faulty GPUs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/71088/nvidia-sued-over-faulty-gpus |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp}}</ref> By 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded enough that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them. 

===Rebuttal===
Throughout the lawsuit, Nvidia continually denied allegations of intentional wrongdoing. 
===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, still asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
===Microsoft (Xbox 360) Consumer Response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. In Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in enough detail for consumers to understand, leaving many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue feeling further validated and restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

In addition, the release of the information in ''Power On'' helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue in early Xbox 360s themselves, if necessary. Many consumers who had purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> had initially assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- which are used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. These individuals alleged that the brittler nature of non-leaded solder made the connections weaker compared to traditional leaded solder, causing the defect. Other consumers had a similar assumption, and thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console was getting too hot and "desoldering" the GPU from the motherboard as a result. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the non-defective revisions of the Xbox 360 and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles, but they were dispelled entirely once Chapter 5 of ''Power On'' was released.

Although the majority of Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===Sony (PlayStation 3) Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console at the time; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Unfortunately, Sony failed to ever acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", other than denying how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal from Ray Maguire, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault.

Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

====Consumers perform their own repairs====
As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every PS3 enthusiast knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. The reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside to consumers, though, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades.

However, because Sony never acknowledged the defect, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault than it was for the Xbox 360. This led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. The only guidance that consumers had for what the fault could be was from the BBC Watchdog segment stating that it was a GPU failure- however, they had incorrectly diagnosed the cause in the segment. BBC Watchdog had also employed technicians to reflow the components on afflicted PS3s' motherboards- which led enthusiasts to believe that doing the same to their console would fix it. However, this would only temporarily restore functionality to the system.

By 2018, frustrated PS3 owners were searching for a better solution- preferably, an easier fix. As a result, rumors began to spread that it was not the RSX GPU that was defective, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref name=":4" /> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. In addition, a failure of the NEC-Tokins can result in similar behavior from the PS3, lending further credence to the claim. It was all but "confirmed" when enthusiasts tried replacing them with tantalum capacitors, and it worked for some. However, the reason for this is because it is possible for PS3s to have a GPU-related failure because of the NEC-Tokin capacitors. It has since been confirmed that the NEC-Tokins are not defective or poorly placed, and if they have failed in a console, it is likely due to normal aging. In fact, these capacitors are specialized for their purpose in the PS3, and should not be replaced unless they truly have failed.

In 2020, PSX-Place forum user "Icferrum" discovered a CECHAxx PS3 with a 40nm RSX inside instead of a standard 90nm RSX. There was no information about this modification online, so the only explanation was that Sony had done this officially. This set enthusiasts off to find a way to perform the same modification. A breakthrough was eventually made with the development of the "Frankenstein Mod" in 2021 (sometimes referred to as the "Orbis Mod"), which utilizes an Orbis modchip to make a 40nm RSX compatible with older PS3 models.<ref name=":17" />

As for how consumers largely discovered that the problem was related to Bumpgate, YouTube and PSX-Place user "RIP Felix" published multiple videos detailing his research and theories regarding the early PS3s' defect. Most significantly, Felix published a video where he and Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki) performed various experiments to confirm their theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" /> Felix and Davidson's findings effectively confirm that the only way to repair early PlayStation 3s with the "Yellow Light of Death" caused by a GPU failure is to replace the GPU with a non-defective model.

Thanks to the work of retro console modding and repair enthusiasts, consumers have an option to permanently repair these valuable systems. However, the "Frankenstein Mod" is not recommended for inexperienced modders or those who don't have access to a BGA rework station. Because of the specialized nature of this modification, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing any consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

==See Also:==

*[[Nvidia]]
*[[Microsoft]]
*[[Sony]]
*[[HP Inc.|HP]]
*[[Apple]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

Bumpgate

2025-07-12T20:42:15Z

Vindicator4021: Tonal edits for Microsoft and Sony's sections in "Companies involved and responses". Planning to do the same to the rest of the article later.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and [[HP Inc.|HP-Compaq]] laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain [[Apple]] Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed; high-lead bumps can deliver more current.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360, a video game console equipped with an ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million units were shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some form of technical issue with their systems. Out of that 3%, 19% reported three flashing red rings, and 24% reported the console freezing.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> This is notable because this indicates that shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death", a term used universally among consumers the describe the early Xbox 360's common hardware fault confirmed to be caused by Bumpgate.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This error can be triggered by a variety of issues, including GPU failure. A Bumpgate-related malfunction would require multiple power cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps, but it is not uncommon for consoles to see that during testing before being shipped. It is possible that Bumpgate-affected Xbox 360s with GPU failures were part or even all 43% of those defective consoles, but there is no way to be certain. At initial launch, 200,000 non-functional Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile"- systems that they planned to repair and ship out later. Approximately 56% of systems worked on the first attempt after manufacture, and that figure improved to 71% after component reworks. At the peak of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that reflowing the motherboard- a process similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- they could restore functionality to their console, but this was typically for a limited period that was inconsistent between systems.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s had the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft charged consumers to repair affected consoles. However, in 2007, Microsoft extended the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year to three years from the date of purchase. This extension allowed most impacted consumers to get their consoles refurbished at no additional cost. In addition, Microsoft refunded any consumers who had previously paid for repairs related to this issue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause was confirmed to be an issue "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. After this point, ATI and Microsoft completely fixed this issue in Xbox 360s.

Microsoft appears to have taken this approach to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only the company's second home console, and the original Xbox hadn't performed as well as anticipated. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Similar to the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be a Bumpgate-related defect with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had purchased early "phat" models with a 90nm GPU experienced critical system failures. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off. However, all users affected would find that when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 back on, the LED power indicator would momentarily turn green, then the system would beep three times while very briefly flashing to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This failure was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

A 2009 segment by BBC Watchdog covered the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The presenters stated that when viewers contacted Sony about their console malfunctioning, the company simply stated that the issue could have resulted from a variety of possible failures, and pinpointing the cause would require disassembly of the affected system to analyze error codes. This is true; the LED indicators only indicate a general hardware failure, and a proper diagnosis can only be made after checking the PS3's System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes.

During the BBC Watchdog segment, one of the interviewees explained that consumers whose systems were outside of the one year warranty period would have to pay £128 (~$173) for a repair, and Sony would only provide customers with a standard three-month post-repair warranty. If the system failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket for another repair. By August 2008, Sony had begun manufacturing consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which enthusiasts confirmed does not have the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, Sony has successfully repaired consoles by transplanting non-defective GPUs (the 65nm or 40nm RSX) into systems that were originally manufactured with a defective 90nm RSX.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> However, consoles repaired prior to Sony implementing this repair policy were highly likely to fail again. In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, resulting in the loss of any data that was not backed up prior to the failure (i.e., game saves).<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for affected systems; all repair costs were paid by consumers, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes that led to failures than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to manifest. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers would not encounter the defect until a few years into owning their console.

When the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect that seems to have caused the "Yellow Light of Death" was resolved for the late "phat" PS3 models. PS3 "slim" models and newer revisions were completely unaffected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony had known about the defect and quietly fixed it. This was at the same time that Microsoft was addressing the problems with the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for their Bumpgate defect in some of their GPUs (particularly, the G84 and G86).

Notably, the RSX is a customized version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective units with low-Tg underfill, but it is unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. There are no known sources of consumer complaints about the 7800 GTX, and none of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have that GPU or a mobile version of it. However, this does not necessarily indicate that there was no defect with the 90nm RSX, that Sony wasn't aware that it was defective, or that the 90nm RSX wasn't at all affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have performed extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> strongly supports the hypothesis that the "Yellow Light of Death" was caused by Bumpgate, and the only way to permanently repair an affected system is to replace the 90nm RSX with a working non-defective unit.

As of 2025, Sony has never made an official statement confirming that the "Yellow Light of Death" was a widespread issue in early PlayStation 3 consoles, nor have they definitively explained that it was linked to Bumpgate.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menchaca |first=Lionel |date=18 Aug 2008 |title=NVIDIA GPU Update: Dell to Offer Limited Warranty Enhancement to All Affected Customers Worldwide |url=http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219131311/http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |archive-date=19 Dec 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Direct2Dell}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>
====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also stated that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

On the same day, EE Times published an article where Nvidia explained more about what the cause of the problem was.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LaPedus |first=Mark |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia takes charge for bad chips, but who is to blame? |url=http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117035658/http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |archive-date=17 Nov 2012 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=EE Times}}</ref> Nvidia had stated in an email that one of their many packaging partners, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), was responsible. However, a subsequent email backpedaled on this response. In the next email, Nvidia stated that they "worked closely" with TSMC on the packaging and material, and hence took full responsibility. DigiTimes attempted to ask TSMC and some of Nvidia's other packaging partners about the defective chips, but TSMC declined a response, citing "client confidentiality", and the other partners did not know anything about the issue because the chips were from an older generation by that point.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Ingrid |last2=Shen |first2=Steve |date=4 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia contract makers in Taiwan low-key over defective chip reports |url=http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704211726/http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |archive-date=4 Jul 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=DIGITIMES}}</ref> In August 2008, Nvidia's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang explained how the company would handle the defect in an interview during Nvision 2008, claiming that Nvidia would take some responsibility for the defect and pay manufacturers to help consumers fix their devices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scath (Reuploader) |date=25 Aug 2008 |title=Nvision: Nvidia CEO Talks About Chip Failure |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZB6kxxgnOQ&t=275 |url-status=live |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, Nvidia was later sued in September by investors who alleged that the company had violated federal securities laws.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Jonathan |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=Gibbs Law Group LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against NVIDIA Corp. |url=https://www.classlawgroup.com/nvidia-lawsuit-filed-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=GibbsMura}}</ref> Shareholder Lisa Miller alleged in the lawsuit that Nvidia knew about the GPU problems as early as November 2007, and concealed this fact from investors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGlaun |first=Shane |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA sued over notebook GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/09/nvidia-sued-over-notebook-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=malware |date=11 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA Sued Over Faulty GPUs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/71088/nvidia-sued-over-faulty-gpus |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp}}</ref> By 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded enough that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them. 

===Rebuttal===
Throughout the lawsuit, Nvidia continually denied allegations of intentional wrongdoing. 
===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, still asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
===Microsoft (Xbox 360) Consumer Response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. In Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in enough detail for consumers to understand, leaving many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue feeling further validated and restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

In addition, the release of the information in ''Power On'' helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue in early Xbox 360s themselves, if necessary. Many consumers who had purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> had initially assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- which are used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. These individuals alleged that the brittler nature of non-leaded solder made the connections weaker compared to traditional leaded solder, causing the defect. Other consumers had a similar assumption, and thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console was getting too hot and "desoldering" the GPU from the motherboard as a result. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the non-defective revisions of the Xbox 360 and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles, but they were dispelled entirely once Chapter 5 of ''Power On'' was released.

Although the majority of Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===Sony (PlayStation 3) Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console at the time; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Unfortunately, Sony failed to ever acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", other than denying how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal from Ray Maguire, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault.

Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

====Consumers perform their own repairs====
As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every PS3 enthusiast knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. The reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside to consumers, though, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades.

However, because Sony never acknowledged the defect, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault than it was for the Xbox 360. This led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. The only guidance that consumers had for what the fault could be was from the BBC Watchdog segment stating that it was a GPU failure- however, they had incorrectly diagnosed the cause in the segment. BBC Watchdog had also employed technicians to reflow the components on afflicted PS3s' motherboards- which led enthusiasts to believe that doing the same to their console would fix it. However, this would only temporarily restore functionality to the system.

By 2018, frustrated PS3 owners were searching for a better solution- preferably, an easier fix. As a result, rumors began to spread that it was not the RSX GPU that was defective, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref name=":4" /> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. In addition, a failure of the NEC-Tokins can result in similar behavior from the PS3, lending further credence to the claim. It was all but "confirmed" when enthusiasts tried replacing them with tantalum capacitors, and it worked for some. However, the reason for this is because it is possible for PS3s to have a GPU-related failure because of the NEC-Tokin capacitors. It has since been confirmed that the NEC-Tokins are not defective or poorly placed, and if they have failed in a console, it is likely due to normal aging. In fact, these capacitors are specialized for their purpose in the PS3, and should not be replaced unless they truly have failed.

In 2020, PSX-Place forum user "Icferrum" discovered a CECHAxx PS3 with a 40nm RSX inside instead of a standard 90nm RSX. There was no information about this modification online, so the only explanation was that Sony had done this officially. This set enthusiasts off to find a way to perform the same modification. A breakthrough was eventually made with the development of the "Frankenstein Mod" in 2021 (sometimes referred to as the "Orbis Mod"), which utilizes an Orbis modchip to make a 40nm RSX compatible with older PS3 models.<ref name=":17" />

As for how consumers largely discovered that the problem was related to Bumpgate, YouTube and PSX-Place user "RIP Felix" published multiple videos detailing his research and theories regarding the early PS3s' defect. Most significantly, Felix published a video where he and Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki) performed various experiments to confirm their theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" /> Felix and Davidson's findings effectively confirm that the only way to repair early PlayStation 3s with the "Yellow Light of Death" caused by a GPU failure is to replace the GPU with a non-defective model.

Thanks to the work of retro console modding and repair enthusiasts, consumers have an option to permanently repair these valuable systems. However, the "Frankenstein Mod" is not recommended for inexperienced modders or those who don't have access to a BGA rework station. Because of the specialized nature of this modification, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing any consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

==See Also:==

*[[Nvidia]]
*[[Microsoft]]
*[[Sony]]
*[[HP Inc.|HP]]
*[[Apple]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

User:Vindicator4021

2025-07-12T19:15:01Z

Vindicator4021:

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025
*100th Edit - July 10th, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Public To-Do List==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This was originally for all of my article ideas, but that purpose has been deprecated in favor of placing researched ideas onto the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). This section is now for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog, or existing pages I wanna address that don't belong in the backlog.

===Top Priority===

*Sony article - Bumpgate mention; needs fixed for tone and the sources need upgraded.
*Microsoft article - Bumpgate mention; probably same problem as with Sony, but at least needs checked for issues.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - Reputation for being unreliable; investigate.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Early 2000's, infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that constantly blew head gaskets. Bolts that held the motor head down were poorly designed, causing the problems. Many Northstar engine cars still have this issue; GM may have had poor response?
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - Some engines prone to failure- companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**MrMario2011 had to send in his launch Switch for repairs multiple times. Investigate these videos to see what happened; see if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**'''Joy-Con Drift''' - Should probably be a dedicated article; red links on Switch article and it was major- lawsuits and all.
*Platform-exclusive games - Unsure if this is something that should be on the wiki; dropping it here to think about it. Hurts consumer choice and even ownership, as some platforms don't like it when you own things. General topic article?
*Epic Games - Check if there's an article for 'em; they need one:
**Online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| PC version was exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - Check if there are any Louis vids that need adapted; otherwise, the page needs some minor tone and grammar edits.
*Discord alternatives - Might be wise to have some pages about alternatives to Discord, considering winter is coming for it and users might be looking for places to jump ship to if it gets too bad. Not much research done yet, but some alternatives from a quick search have some questionable policies.
**Guilded - Forced arbitration in TOS.

===Shopping Stuff===

*'''AliExpress''' (Alibaba?) - Should probably have a company page. Bad customer service; believes company over consumer. Not US-based, but sells to US and internationally. Folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing). MattKC video on Surface Studio monitor could be a source?

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

Article suggestions

2025-07-11T00:47:08Z

Vindicator4021: Added an archive link to the Verge article about Nintendo locking down the Switch 2’s USB-C port.

This page is dedicated towards providing a communal list for users to submit potential articles to feature on the wiki, and to give editors inspiration on what pages they might want to add to the wiki. If you create an article based on an entry from this list, or see that someone else has done so, please make sure to delete the row from this page in order to prevent confusion.

Sources should be inserted within the 'refs' section of the table. If using the visual editor, take advantage of '<nowiki/>'''insert reference'''<nowiki/>' via ''''ctrl + shift + k'''<nowiki/>' so that the sources are quick to add to future articles. If you are using the source editor, feel free to copy and paste the formatting from other correctly formatted references on the page. The more sources you include with an article idea, the more likely it is that others will pick the article idea up and run with it, so please attempt to include a good variety of descriptive sources!

Please take note of the wiki's [[Consumer Rights Wiki:Inclusion guidelines|Inclusion criteria]] when submitting article suggestions. If you see article suggestions here which do not fit the Wiki, feel free to remove them, leaving your reasoning in an edit note.

If you are an editor looking for further inspiration to write an article, you can also check out the [[Louis Rossmann - Video Directory|Louis Rossmann video directory]] for a good collection of potential articles.

==Example==
Below is an example of what an entry should appear as:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[Nintendo]]
|In 2025, the company Nintendo stripped Switch 2 consoles that used the MIG switch cartridge of all online functionality
|<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Scattered Brain |date=Jun 16, 2025 |title=Soo... Nintendo banned my Switch 2 (Don't try the MIG Switch!) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExgYTA18_vo&t=656s |access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=Jun 17, 2025 |title=Switch 2 users report online console bans after running personal game “backups” |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/playing-personal-game-backups-could-get-your-switch-2-banned-by-nintendo/ |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|}

==List of incidents not yet covered==
{| class="wikitable"
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[Netflix]]
|Removal of games from mobile platform; games preinstalled to user devices will no-longer work; many are exclusively distributed by Netflix for mobile.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Parrish |first=Ash |date=Jun 24, 2025 |title=Netflix is letting go of some of its best indie games |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/692227/netflix-games-delisting-hades-braid-gaming-strategy |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[Xlear]]
|The company Xlear was falsely marketing its nasal spray as a covid preventative, potentially harming consumers; the company wants to combat the FTC.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feiner |first=Lauren |date=Jun 24, 2025 |title=A nasal spray company wants to make it harder for the FTC to police health claims |url=https://www.theverge.com/policy/692327/xlear-ftc-lawsuit-covid-health-claims-consumer-protection |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Anticompetitive behavior contributing to the damaging of the security of customer devices.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Triplette |first=Ryan |date=Nov 15, 2024 |title=Microsoft’s anticompetitive behavior weakens its customers’ cybersecurity |url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2024/11/microsofts-anticompetitive-behavior-weakens-its-customers-cybersecurity/?readmore=1 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Federal News Network}}</ref>
|-
|[[Intuit]]
|Responsible for bribing the government for the purposes of making doing taxes more difficult, thus making the company more money via [[TurboTax]] payments, TT turned into tiered subscriptions to force users into paying extra for vital tools. Hid the free version from consumers.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=CinemaGuess |date=Jun 10, 2025 |title=How The Scammy Model of TurboTax Finally Died |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K951JU8WbEY&t=315s |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Samsung]], [[Glance]]
|Using the faces of its devices' users for the purposes of generating ads with AI to display on the lock screen
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitwam |first=Ryan |date=Jun 4, 2025 |title=Samsung teams up with Glance to use your face in AI-generated lock screen ads |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/samsung-teams-up-with-glance-to-use-your-face-in-ai-generated-lock-screen-ads/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|De-anonymizing web browsing identifiers
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wildeboer |first=Jan |date=Jun 03, 2025 |title=Wildeboer post from Jan Wildeboer |url=https://social.wildeboer.net/@jwildeboer/114620123151656825 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=social.wildeboer.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=Meta and Yandex are de-anonymizing Android users’ web browsing identifiers |url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/06/meta-and-yandex-are-de-anonymizing-android-users-web-browsing-identifiers/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[[TikTok]]
|Integrated AI tools to track user behaviors even more for the purposes of selling to advertisers
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=TikTok will give advertisers even more data on trends and users |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/678255/tiktok-advertiser-summit-ai-targeting-data-seo |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[k.chicntech]]
|Selling fraudulent products on its platform
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=Shopper denied $51 refund for 20TB HDD that’s mostly a weighted plastic box |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/man-buys-20tb-portable-hdd-for-51-son-breaks-the-news-that-its-a-fake/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[[T-Mobile]]
|Secretly recording the screens of users via T-Life app
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/Appropriate_Rain_770 |date=May 27, 2025 |title=T-Life App Under Fire as Users Spot Hidden Screen Recording |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/1kwmglg/tlife_app_under_fire_as_users_spot_hidden_screen/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Tyler |date=May 27, 2025 |title=T-Life App Under Fire as Users Spot Hidden Screen Recording |url=https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/05/t-life-app-under-fire-as-users-spot-hidden-screen-recording.html |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Android Headlines}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ubisoft]]
|Forced online in single-player games for the purposes of data collection; violation of GDPR.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=Apr 29, 2025 |title=Privacy firm files Ubisoft legal complaint over data collection, forced online in single-player games |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/privacy-firm-files-ubisoft-legal-complaint-over-data-collection-forced-online-in-single-player-games |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Eurogamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Like to play alone? Ubisoft is still watching you! |url=https://noyb.eu/en/play-alone-ubisoft-still-watching-you |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=noyb}}</ref>
|-
|[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|Automatic opt-in of user-generated content being used for the purposes of training AI.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borgesius |first=Frederik |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Post on akademienl.social |url=https://akademienl.social/@Frederik_Borgesius/114392662340468118 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=akademienl.social}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=AP: kom nu in actie als je niet wil dat Meta AI traint met jouw data |url=https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-kom-nu-in-actie-als-je-niet-wil-dat-meta-ai-traint-met-jouw-data |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Star Force]]
|DRM; History of damaging the devices of honest consumers
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Modern Vintage Gamer |date=Mar 30, 2020 |title=StarForce - The PC CD-ROM DRM that broke your Computer {{!}} MVG |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-wyIalhdPU |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Google]]
|Terms enacted in April reserve it the right to analyze sensitive call data
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saam |first=Conrad |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Google asserts ownership of all advertiser assets in Local Services Ads |url=https://searchengineland.com/google-asset-ownership-local-services-ads-454561 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Search Engine Land}}</ref>
|-
|[[VidIQ]]
|Scraping user generated content so poorly that it puts users at risk of violating copyright law
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=CutCafe |date=Jan 24, 2025 |title=This AI tool is EXPLOITING small content creators (So I exposed it) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg8JZozCa0c |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Waymo]]
|Using interior camera to train GenAI models; automatic opt-in
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bellan |first=Rebecca |date=Apr 8, 2025 |title=Waymo may use interior camera data to train generative AI models, but riders will be able to opt out |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/waymo-may-use-interior-camera-data-to-train-generative-ai-models-sell-ads/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=TechCrunch}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dymo]]
|550 and newer models have DRM in the printer paper; older model printers bricked via a driver update.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malawey |first=David |date=Apr 3, 2025 |title=discard junkware and the extract pure value of Dymo |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hlhPRlxA9s |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Google]]
|Numerous incidents listed under Wikipedia's [[wikipedia:Google_litigation|Google Litigation]] page
|N/A
|-
|[[UPS]]
|Charges excessively high brokerage fees disguised as "customs fees" that exceed shipping costs when mailing a product from the US to Canada; sent person in source a $42.60 bill AFTER delivering the package, without the person being informed of the shipper being UPS.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Runkle Of The Bailey |date=Nov 14, 2024 |title=I Fought UPS' Bogus Brokerage Fees, And Won |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKju9a4lA5I |access-date=Jun 26, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Liberty Safe]]
|At the point of sale (POS) of the safe, the consumer was not informed that the manufacturer has a backdoor for the safe. In this specific incident, this backdoor was used to bypass the security for the purposes of the FBI
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Runkle Of The Bailey |date=Sep 6, 2023 |title=Liberty Safe Has Secret Backdoors -- And They Gave It To the FBI |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeCwrX2gcXM |access-date=Jun 26, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Yubo]]
|Only in-scope elements of the provided source should focus on "age estimation" and "facial recognition", despite the ethical dubiousness of the platform for minors.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=CinemaGuess |date=Jun 25, 2025 |title=Yubo; The Most Dangerous Snapchat Clone Ever Made |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKm5gkG9yMw |access-date=Jun 26, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[itch.io]], [[Night School Studios]], [[Netflix]]
|In September 2024, users who purchased Oxenfree on itch.io were warned that the game was going to be pulled from the platform on October 1st. Consumers would not be able to download the installers after this date, so they would lose access unless they had them backed up. Users speculated that Netflix, the parent company of the development studio, had ordered the move; however, no response from Netflix or the developers was ever published. This is particularly notable because it is against itch.io's terms of service: "Users shall retain a license to this content even after the content is removed from the Service."
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=itch corp |date=15 Apr 2023 |title=itch.io Terms of Service |url=https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907004719/https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms |archive-date=7 Sep 2024 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=itch.io}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=ShawnS |date=31 Jan 2025 |title=OXENFREE |url=https://delistedgames.com/oxenfree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321070400/https://delistedgames.com/oxenfree/ |archive-date=21 Mar 2025 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=Delisted Games}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Colp |first=Tyler |date=9 Sep 2024 |title=Another reminder that your digital library isn't forever: Oxenfree will be completely removed from Itch.io next month |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/another-reminder-that-your-digital-library-isn-t-forever-oxenfree-will-be-completely-removed-from-itch-io-next-month/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523111125/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/another-reminder-that-your-digital-library-isn-t-forever-oxenfree-will-be-completely-removed-from-itch-io-next-month/ |archive-date=23 May 2025 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>
|-
|[https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=SourceForge.net_forces_users_to_inconditionally_accept_terms_of_use_with_no_alternative_before_logging_in&veaction=edit&section=2 Sourceforge.net]
|Sourceforge forces users to accept terms and conditions before they can even log in, denying their right to refuse or disagree.
|
|-
|[[Electronic Arts]]
|The video game [[Anthem]] was announced to have its servers shut down, leading to all licenses for the title becoming bricked.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hore |first=Jamie |date=Jul 3, 2025 |title=Anthem will soon die for good, as Bioware confirms a full server shut down |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/anthem/servers-shutting-down-bioware |access-date=Jul 4, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[https://drivesaversdatarecovery.com/partner-programs/ DriveSavers]
|Through DriveSavers' partner program, independent or otherwise affiliated shops receive an approximately 10% commission for referring customers to the service (typical service being approximately $3,000.00, resulting in $300.00 of commission for partners). On top of this, partnered shops also receive DriveSavers branded merchandise (pens, antistatic mats and similar shop equipment, etc). Has relevance as this may result in partners having heavy incentives to refer customers to a service they may not need.
|
|-
|[https://www.skystone.games/ Skystone Games]
|Boundary, a multiplayer online-only first-person shooter, got shut down just a year after it's release by Skystone games, and it's publishing rights relinquished, citing "ongoing delays and a lack of updates from the developer". Studio Surgical Scalpels (the developer) stated that the publisher decissions were "extremely sudden and unreasonable", and attempted to "regain the rights to boundary". The game has been offline for more than a year at the time of writing, and no refunds or communications to the userbase has been made by Skystone Games.
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-19 |title=Boundary - End of service notice |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1364020/view/4209257868262605607?l=english |url-status=live |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Steam}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-30 |title=Boundary Shut Down: Who's to Blame? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr8IhV1fovE |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)]]
|Smart TVs of multiple brands have a feature called Automatic Content Recognition, which sends several screenshots per minute of whatever plays on the device to the manufacturer for analysis. This includes content from external inputs and thus could include private photos and videos of the user, as well as third parties who never agreed to anything of that nature. This is required to be opt-in in the US, but most people inadvertently agree to it with the EULA of the device.
|<ref>{{Cite web |first=Rachel Cericola, Jon Chase and Lee Neikirk |date=2025-06-25 |title=Yes, Your TV Is Probably Spying on You. Your Fridge, Too. Here’s What They Know. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/advice-smart-devices-data-tracking/ |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=The New York Times - Wirecutter}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nintendo]]
|USB-C port restrictions in order to halt 3rd-party competition with docks and other accessories. These restrictions are caused by encrypted communications between the official dock and the console, as 3rd-party devices use a universal standard that Nintendo refuses to use.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khullar |first=Kunal |date=Jul 3, 2025 |title=Nintendo is restricting the Switch 2's USB-C port — most third-party docks and accessories won't work thanks to proprietary protocols |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/nintendo/nintendo-is-restricting-the-switch-2s-usb-c-port-most-third-party-docks-and-accessories-wont-work-thanks-to-proprietary-protocols |access-date=Jul 9, 2025 |work=Tom's Hardware}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Corsetti |first=Adam |date=Jul 3, 2025 |title=USB-C port testing explains why a third-party Nintendo Switch 2 dock won't work with console |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/USB-C-port-testing-explains-why-a-third-party-Nintendo-Switch-2-dock-won-t-work-with-console.1049869.0.html |access-date=Jul 9, 2025 |work=Notebook Check}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hollister |first=Sean |date=Jul 3, 2025 |title=How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking |url=https://www.theverge.com/report/695915/switch-2-usb-c-third-party-docks-dont-work-authentication-encryption |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708174112/https://www.theverge.com/report/695915/switch-2-usb-c-third-party-docks-dont-work-authentication-encryption |archive-date=Jul 8, 2025 |access-date=Jul 9, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|}

==See Also==

*[[Louis Rossmann - Video Directory]]

==Reference List==
<references />
[[Category:Sources]]

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-30T21:13:57Z

Vindicator4021:

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Public To-Do List==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This was originally for all of my article ideas, but that purpose has been deprecated in favor of placing researched ideas onto the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). This section is now for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog, or existing pages I wanna address that don't belong in the backlog.

=== Top Priority ===

* Sony article - Bumpgate mention; needs fixed for tone and the sources need upgraded.
* Microsoft article - Bumpgate mention; probably same problem as with Sony, but at least needs checked for issues.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - Reputation for being unreliable; investigate.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Early 2000's, infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that constantly blew head gaskets. Bolts that held the motor head down were poorly designed, causing the problems. Many Northstar engine cars still have this issue; GM may have had poor response?
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - Some engines prone to failure- companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**MrMario2011 had to send in his launch Switch for repairs multiple times. Investigate these videos to see what happened; see if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**'''Joy-Con Drift''' - Should probably be a dedicated article; red links on Switch article and it was major- lawsuits and all.
*Platform-exclusive games - Unsure if this is something that should be on the wiki; dropping it here to think about it. Hurts consumer choice and even ownership, as some platforms don't like it when you own things. General topic article?
*Epic Games - Check if there's an article for 'em; they need one:
**Online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| PC version was exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - Check if there are any Louis vids that need adapted; otherwise, the page needs some minor tone and grammar edits.
*Discord alternatives - Might be wise to have some pages about alternatives to Discord, considering winter is coming for it and users might be looking for places to jump ship to if it gets too bad. Not much research done yet, but some alternatives from a quick search have some questionable policies.
**Guilded - Forced arbitration in TOS.

===Shopping Stuff===

*'''AliExpress''' (Alibaba?) - Should probably have a company page. Bad customer service; believes company over consumer. Not US-based, but sells to US and internationally. Folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing). MattKC video on Surface Studio monitor could be a source?

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

Ford

2025-06-30T21:01:25Z

Vindicator4021: Edited for grammar, tone, and clarity.

{{ToneWarning}}

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Ford
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1903
| Industry = Automotive
| Official Website = https://ford.com/
| Logo = Ford.png
}}
The '''[[Wikipedia:Ford Motor Company|Ford Motor Company]]''' was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan. With the introduction of a moving assembly line, Ford drastically reduced the cost and time of automobile production, making cars affordable for the masses and transforming industrial production globally. It is one of the oldest and largest automobile manufacturers, one of the "Big Three" American automakers, alongside General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).

==Consumer protection summary==

====Privacy====

*Collects sensitive personal information from multiple sources, including data from the vehicle itself, data from the connected mobile app, and data obtained during the vehicle's purchase.<ref name=":0">https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/#USprivacynotice Ford US Privacy Notice</ref>
*Data collected includes purchase history, financial information, coarse and precise location data, contact information, identifiers (e.g., VIN, account ID), user-generated content (e.g., voice recordings from smart features), search and browsing history for advertising purposes, usage data, sensitive information (under "Inferences"), diagnostics, and more.<ref name=":0" />
*Aggregates data from external sources as well, including users' social media posts.<ref name=":0" />
*Privacy policy is designed to prevent quickly searching for important terms.<ref>https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/ Ford Privacy Policy</ref>
*It is unclear how long data is retained.<ref name=":0" />
*According to CCPA Metrics from 2023, there were 96 requests for data to be deleted, and 7 of these requests were denied.<ref>https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/#caPrivacy Ford California Notice At Collection And Privacy Disclosures</ref>

==Anti-consumer practices==

===Patents regarding consumer data===
Ford has obtained patents for systems unrelated to the primary functions of driving that can collect data on the consumer. One patented system can [[Ford ad patent|serve advertisements]] based on the driver's conversations,<ref>https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising</ref> while another patented system pertaining to vehicle [[Ford Repossession Patent|repossession]] enables the restricting access to vehicles (e.g. if their owners have missed car payments).<ref name=":1">https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/</ref> Ford has responded to the controversy surrounding these patents by stating that possessing these patents is not necessarily an indication of new product plans. <ref name=":1" /> However, the development of such systems may negatively impact consumers' overall trust in the company, and lead them to be more wary of accepting sales terms.

===Engineering practices===
Various Ford models' engine designs use a rubber belt, rather than a metal chain, to transmit power to the engine's oil pump. This belt operates submerged in the crankcase engine oil, and can degrade and fail prematurely, potentially causing a sudden loss of vehicle oil pressure.<ref>https://garagewire.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-ford-ecoboost-wet-belt-problem/</ref> Ford has also knowingly released transmission systems in the Fiesta and Focus models that have had multiple issues: loss of forward power from a stop, loss of power when in top gear at constant speed, sudden unintended acceleration, and loss of power when the transmission is shifting between gears.<ref>https://www.freep.com/in-depth/money/cars/ford/2019/07/11/ford-focus-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/</ref> A Ford user has also reported that a software update resulted in their vehicle being rendered unusable ("bricked").<ref>https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/automatic-software-update-bricked-my-truck.96624/</ref>

Ford has a notable history of manufacturing America's most recalled vehicles, setting the record for most recalls issued in 2021, 2022, and 2023.<ref>https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/</ref> This may be partially attributable to Ford's large market share; a large amount of recalls is not uncommon for large companies. However, it may also indicate that Ford doesn't meet the production quality of other manufacturers.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Ford]]

Terms of service

2025-06-30T20:34:29Z

Vindicator4021: Fixed one of the ToS acronyms.

{{StubNotice}}
{{Hatnote|The section below is reproduced from the {{wplink|Terms of service}} Wikipedia article.}}

{{wplink|Terms of service}} (ToS), also known as '''terms of use''' (ToU) and '''terms and conditions (T&C)''', are the legal agreements between service providers and their consumers. The person must agree to the ToS in order to use the offered service. The ToS can also be merely a disclaimer, especially regarding the use of websites. Vague language and lengthy sentences used in these ToS agreements have caused concerns about customer privacy and raised public awareness in many ways.

Companies frequently update their ToS to reflect changes in business models, regulatory requirements, user interactions or to mitigate legal risk. These modifications can range from minor clarifications to significant alterations that impact user rights, data privacy, and service accessibility.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+Common ToS modifications
|-
!Type of Change
!Examples
!Impact on Consumers
|-
|Privacy & Data Use
|Expanded data collection, third-party sharing
|Affects personal data security
|-
|Arbitration Clauses
|Removing class-action lawsuit rights
|Limits legal recourse
|-
|Service Modifications
|Price hikes, feature restrictions
|Direct user experience impact
|-
|Content Moderation
|Updated hate speech or copyright policies
|Affects platform usage
|-
|Jurisdiction & Governing Law
|Changing dispute resolution location
|Affects legal options

[[Category:Common terms]]
|}

Talk:Bandicam perpetual license invalidation

2025-06-29T23:28:58Z

Vindicator4021: /* alternatives */ Reply

==Regarding the relevance==

Right- so I tried to represent the situation according to information I could garner on Bandicam's website and the links provided by the OP. That said, I've never used or paid for Bandicam, and I could be misunderstanding some details. Since I'm not super informed on it (and have other projects to focus on atm), I'll leave this here to help someone more familiar with the software to investigate.

However, I did notice one thing on Bandicam's website about their licenses that... rubs me the wrong way. Basically, if you register the software to another PC when you only have a 1-PC license (seemingly even by accident), they can just revoke your license without a refund. Maybe I'm still a bit leery after the BwE saga, but... hmm.

Link for more info: https://www.bandicam.com/faqs/bandicam_license_registration_policy/ [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 22:52, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

==alternatives==

should we consider adding alternatives to this page or perhaps site wide? people that use Bandicam might stumble onto this page and read abt how Bandicam's screwing them but not know of any good alternatives. [[User:SinexTitan|SinexTitan]] ([[User talk:SinexTitan|talk]]) 10:17, 16 June 2025 (UTC)

:Sorry for taking a while to get back to you. I'm not 100% sure myself, but I've noticed some pages tend to mention ways to mitigate problems, or even have a section at the very bottom dedicated to that purpose. Most of them are also incident pages. I think it might be appropriate to include some alternatives here. The original creator said they were switching to OBS, but I know there are other options (i.e., I think FRAPS still exists- though, I don't know how consumer-friendly they are.)
:For a couple of examples of what I'm referring to: [[Brother ink lockout & quality sabotage]]; [[Dyson V10/V11 trigger design]] (mentions that there are tutorials for a fix and references one). [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 23:28, 29 June 2025 (UTC)

Brilliant

2025-06-29T23:12:18Z

Vindicator4021: Clarity and tone edits.

{{Incomplete}}{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Brilliant
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2012
| Industry = Online education
| Official Website = https://brilliant.org
| Logo = Brilliant logo.png
}}
'''[[wikipedia:Brilliant_(website)|Brilliant]]''' (also known as '''Brilliant.org''') is a website and app operated by '''Brilliant Worldwide, Inc.''' that provides online courses. Despite the “.org”, Brilliant is a for-profit corporation supported by venture capitalists. Brilliant is most known for its advertisements on [[YouTube]], where the service is promoted by presenters who are renowned for their evidence-based points of view, for scrutinizing and refuting pseudoscience and scams.


[[File:Brilliant_content_team.png|thumb|Courses on Brilliant are made by an anonymous “content team”.]]

Brilliant functions similarly to a mathematics textbook, but with buttons to click through to navigate between sections and quizzes between paragraphs. Some of the illustrations have an interactive component, often in the form of a slider that can be dragged around. These interactive elements make Brilliant appear more engaging and dynamic than a traditional textbook.

[[File:Brilliant_slider.png|thumb|The slider in the picture seems to provide no real challenge in solving it, merely needing to be displaced to solve the puzzle. ]]

Brilliant never promotes itself as being suitable to a particular audience studying for a particular goal. Courses on Brilliant introduce basic concepts of each subject, however, they lack independent validation or formal accreditation for their effectiveness.

==Terms of use==

The [[terms of service]] for Brilliant state:<ref>[https://brilliant.org/terms-of-use/ Terms of use]</ref><blockquote>Brilliant reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement at any time. It is User's responsibility to check this Agreement periodically for changes. User's continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to this Agreement constitutes acceptance of those changes.</blockquote>Even if the consumer has paid for a full year of service, Brilliant may change its terms and conditions [[Post-purchase EULA modification|after the sale]]. Continued use of the service automatically constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

===Access===
Brilliant may revoke a paid customer's access to the service at any time without refund:<blockquote>Brilliant may change, suspend or discontinue the Services, including the availability of any feature, database or content, at any time. Brilliant may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict User's access to parts or all of the Services without notice or liability.</blockquote>If the law grants the consumer rights that are illegally denied by the terms of use, the consumer is not allowed to access the service:<blockquote>User also certifies that User is legally permitted to use the Service and takes full responsibility for the selection and use of the Service. This Agreement is void where prohibited by law, and the right to access the Service is revoked in such jurisdictions.</blockquote>

===Billing and payment===
The price advertised by Brilliant may not be the actual price a customer is required to pay. The final price includes undisclosed additional taxes:<blockquote>All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes (e.g. sales, use, or value-added tax), unless otherwise stated, and User is solely responsible for the payment of any such taxes that may be imposed on your use of the Service.</blockquote>If a customer cancels their payment card to prevent further charges, Brilliant may directly contact the card issuer to request confidential records for any new card issued to the consumer:<blockquote>User authorizes Brilliant to obtain updated or replacement expiration dates and card numbers for User's credit or debit card as provided by User's credit or debit card issuer.</blockquote>To reiterate, Brilliant may cancel a consumer's access to the service at any time without offering a refund:<blockquote>Except as expressly provided in the “Refunds” section below, all fees are final and nonrefundable (including in the event any features or functions of any service that User has subscribed to are changed, modified, diminished or removed), except as otherwise required by applicable law.</blockquote>

===Automatic renewal===
Brilliant automatically renews user subscriptions without explicit permission from the user. As a result, customers who have lost interest in the service and may have forgotten about it may be unexpectedly billed at the start of a new subscription cycle. The annual subscription cycle also implicitly assumes that users want to use the service continuously for a full year, which ignores use-cases where customers may want only to study at specific times of the year.

When Brilliant lowers its prices, existing customers are still billed at the original, higher prices on renewal, despite being protected from price increases by the same policy:<blockquote>User's subscription to the Service will continue indefinitely until cancelled by User (via the cancellation mechanisms provided on the Site). After User's initial subscription period, and again after any subsequent subscription period, User's subscription will automatically continue for an additional equivalent period, at the price User agreed to when subscribing.</blockquote>By using the service, the user is automatically opted in for automatic renewal, and there is no option to opt out:<blockquote>User agrees that User's account will be subject to this automatic renewal feature.</blockquote>The subscription itself authorizes Brilliant to periodically charge customers' credit cards for automatic renewal, again including undisclosed additional taxes:<blockquote>By subscribing, User authorizes Brilliant to charge User's credit card, debit card or other payment method at such time and again at the beginning of any subsequent subscription period, including any sales or similar taxes imposed on User's subscription payments.</blockquote>

===Refunds===
Brilliant may grant refunds to customers at its sole discretion:<blockquote>All payments To Brilliant for the Services are nonrefundable. There are no refunds or credits for partially used subscription periods. However, Brilliant may grant refunds or credits on a case-by-case basis at Brilliant’s sole discretion. Brilliant’s grant of a refund or credit in one instance does not obligate Brilliant to provide a refund or credit in the future, under any circumstances.</blockquote>

===Promotions===
The seven-day free trial is a [[Click-to-cancel#Free-to-pay|free-to-pay]] scheme: a one-year paid subscription with a seven-day cancellation period:<blockquote>Brilliant may offer promotions, such as free trials, discounts, or other special offers, to users from time to time (collectively, “Promotions”). Promotions may be subject to specific terms, including a defined period during which the Promotion must be redeemed and utilized (each, a “Promotion Period”). Unless otherwise stated, any use of a Promotion will automatically convert into a paid subscription for the Services upon the expiration of the Promotional Period. Users are responsible for canceling their subscription before the end of the Promotional Period to avoid incurring any charges (or, in the case of a discount Promotion, to avoid additional charges). Failure to cancel within the Promotional Period will result in the applicable subscription fee being charged to the payment method provided at the time of sign-up or as updated by User.</blockquote>According to a CNET survey concerning the utilization of subscription services, “A total of 48% of respondents said they had signed up for a free trial of a paid subscription and then forgot to cancel it.”<ref>[https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/subscription-creep-is-real-consumers-are-paying-over-1000-each-year-cnet-survey-finds/ 'Subscription Creep' Is Real. Consumers Are Paying Over $1,000 Each Year, CNET Survey Finds]</ref>

===Site content===
Brilliant may only appear in YouTube videos with the express permission of Brilliant, which suggests that only those paid by the company to say pre-approved messages are allowed to display its product at all:<blockquote>Reproducing, copying or distributing any content, materials or design elements on the Site for any purpose is strictly prohibited without the express prior written permission of Brilliant.</blockquote>

===Termination===
Brilliant may revoke access to the service that a customer has paid for at any time, without explanation:<blockquote>Brilliant may terminate User's access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, effective upon notice thereof to User (provided that, if Brilliant determines there may be an immediate threat to Brilliant, it may terminate such access without notice).</blockquote>

===Forced arbitration===
Local consumer rights may not apply to this agreement. According to the terms of service, with respect to their agreement with Brilliant, customers are governed by the laws of Pennsylvania, but not to its ''courts'', instead agreeing to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts in California.<blockquote>This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Pennsylvania, as if made within Pennsylvania between two residents thereof, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and Federal courts located in San Francisco, California.</blockquote>Customers forfeit their right to pursue legal action, instead being subject to [[forced arbitration]] by a private company:<blockquote>Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, (but without limiting either party's right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief immediately, at any time, in any court of competent jurisdiction), any disputes arising with respect to this Agreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service, Inc. ("JAMS"). The arbitrator shall be selected by joint agreement of the parties. In the event the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator within thirty (30) days of the initiating party providing the other party with written notice that it plans to seek arbitration, the parties shall each select an arbitrator affiliated with JAMS, which arbitrators shall jointly select a third such arbitrator to resolve the dispute. The written decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties and enforceable in any court. The arbitration proceeding shall take place in San Francisco, California, using the English language.</blockquote>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Brilliant]]

Amazon to charge non-Prime consumers to use Alexa

2025-06-29T22:29:19Z

Vindicator4021: Fixed up the tone of the article somewhat, retaining the comments from the creator. However, it does still need sources to verify the statements made throughout the article; some of it does come off like speculation.

{{ToneWarning}}

[[Amazon]] has introduced Alexa Plus (Alexa+), an upgrade to the Alexa voice assistant that uses generative artificial intelligence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Panay |first=Panos |date=26 Feb 2025 |title=Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa |url=https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-alexa-generative-artificial-intelligence |website=Amazon}}</ref> The Alexa voice assistant is also available on Amazon's range of smart speakers, such as the [[Amazon Echo]].

==Background==
Consumers have widely embraced the Internet of Things (IoT) over many years, purchasing both control devices and controlled devices. Until 2025, Amazon had been content with generating revenue from device sales as sufficient payment for the IoT services offered through their Alexa platform. However, an issue arose when Amazon sought to access consumer data. Rather than restricting Alexa's functionality to basic device control (such as turning devices on and off), the company expanded the platform's capabilities from simply controlling devices to implement more data collection and monitoring to profit off of consumer data.

In March of 2025, [[Amazon Echo changes terms of voice usage|Amazon Echo changed the terms of voice usage]], removing the "Do Not Send Voice" feature at the same time as Alexa's capabilities were expanded with generative AI features.

==Adding a subscription cost==
Amazon is rolling out a new service called "Alexa+", analogous to the streaming channels that emerged when the entertainment industry recognized the potential profit in encouraging consumers to "cut the cord." These channels sought subscription revenue from both live broadcasts and reruns, believing that audience loyalty extended beyond specific providers. However, they discovered that viewers were more loyal to specific shows than entire channels, so many consumers were reluctant to pay for such niche channels.

Alexa+ will be available at no additional cost to Prime members. For non-Prime customers, the service will cost $19.99 per month, a notably higher fee than the $14.99 monthly cost of a Prime membership.

Should Amazon fail to successfully implement this change, it could have broad repercussions across related markets. This may greatly negatively impact Amazon and their Alexa brands, as well as the manufacturers of devices compatible with Alexa. An incident in June 2025 involved Sengled, a producer of Alexa-controlled lightbulbs, where they experienced a malfunction that caused them to suddenly stop working. 

===Amazon's response===
{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add the proposed solution to the issues by the company.}}

==Lawsuit==
{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add any information regarding litigation around the incident here.

===Claims===
Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
The response of the company or counterclaims.

===Outcome===
The outcome of the suit, if any.}}

==Consumer response==
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}

==See also==

*[[Amazon Echo changes terms of voice usage]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Amazon]]

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-28T00:09:39Z

Vindicator4021: Major changes to the Public To-Do List; gave entries more brevity. Entries to be placed on the Incident backlog at some point are in Bold.

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Public To-Do List==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This was originally for all of my article ideas, but that purpose has been deprecated in favor of placing researched ideas onto the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). This section is now for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog, or existing pages I wanna address that don't belong in the backlog.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - Reputation for being unreliable; investigate.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Early 2000's, infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that constantly blew head gaskets. Bolts that held the motor head down were poorly designed, causing the problems. Many Northstar engine cars still have this issue; GM may have had poor response?
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - Some engines prone to failure- companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**MrMario2011 had to send in his launch Switch for repairs multiple times. Investigate these videos to see what happened; see if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**'''Joy-Con Drift''' - Should probably be a dedicated article; red links on Switch article and it was major- lawsuits and all.
*Platform-exclusive games - Unsure if this is something that should be on the wiki; dropping it here to think about it. Hurts consumer choice and even ownership, as some platforms don't like it when you own things. General topic article?
*Epic Games - Check if there's an article for 'em; they need one:
**Online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| PC version was exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - Check if there are any Louis vids that need adapted; otherwise, the page needs some minor tone and grammar edits.
*Discord alternatives - Might be wise to have some pages about alternatives to Discord, considering winter is coming for it and users might be looking for places to jump ship to if it gets too bad. Not much research done yet, but some alternatives from a quick search have some questionable policies.
**Guilded - Forced arbitration in TOS.

===Shopping Stuff===

*'''AliExpress''' (Alibaba?) - Should probably have a company page. Bad customer service; believes company over consumer. Not US-based, but sells to US and internationally. Folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing). MattKC video on Surface Studio monitor could be a source?

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-27T23:39:34Z

Vindicator4021: /* Article Ideas (Public To-Do List) */ Removed an idea; transferred to Incident backlog

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This section of my page will be somewhat deprecated, in favor of placing these incidents on the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). Instead, this section will be for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog. It's still gonna be public on this page, though, because maybe someone will get around to putting them on the backlog sooner than me.

DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

As for why I don't just make stubs out of these... ''mainly'' because I'm not 100% sure if all of these are Wiki-worthy, but I also just personally don't like making stubs. When I make a page, I consider myself the "head" of that project and I want to only be focused on the main topic of that one page instead of dividing my attention too much between other major projects. If you want to take an idea from here and make a stub for others to edit, that's fine with me- I just won't make a page until I'm ready to write it.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024, hence why I thought of this when I thought of "platform-exclusives".

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

===Shopping Stuff===

*AliExpress - I've heard a lot about this one being really bad for consumers, but I was reminded of it when I watched a MattKC video last night. He tried to turn a Surface Studio into a really big, nice monitor, and he had a ridiculously horrible time with an AliExpress seller and the company itself. I know they aren't US-based (pretty sure they're Chinese?) but they of course do sell internationally, and I think folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing).

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

Article suggestions

2025-06-27T23:37:08Z

Vindicator4021: /* List of incidents not yet covered */ Added Oxenfree incident.

Unlike other pages on this wiki, this page is dedicated towards providing a backlog for users to update with potential incidents to cover in the future on the wiki. If you have covered an incident within this backlog, please make sure to delete the row from this page in order to prevent confusion. Additionally, all sources should be inserted within the 'refs' section of the table, and take advantage of '<nowiki/>'''insert reference'''<nowiki/>' via ''''ctrl + shift + k'''<nowiki/>' so that the sources are quick to add to future articles. Please attempt to include a variety of sources for any incident you list, it makes it easier for further research for future articles!

Any content submitted to this page does not necessarily require any sort of quality*, just the SparkNotes that can be properly elaborated upon for a future article.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>excluding sources, please make sure there is some quality with any source you include here.

==Example==
Below is an example of what an entry should appear as:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[Nintendo]]
|In 2025, the company Nintendo stripped Switch 2 consoles that used the MIG switch cartridge of all online functionality
|<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Scattered Brain |date=Jun 16, 2025 |title=Soo... Nintendo banned my Switch 2 (Don't try the MIG Switch!) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExgYTA18_vo&t=656s |access-date=Jun 18, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=Jun 17, 2025 |title=Switch 2 users report online console bans after running personal game “backups” |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/playing-personal-game-backups-could-get-your-switch-2-banned-by-nintendo/ |access-date=Jun 19, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|}

==List of incidents not yet covered==
{| class="wikitable"
!Company
!Summary of Incident
!Refs
|-
|[[Netflix]]
|Removal of games from mobile platform; games preinstalled to user devices will no-longer work; many are exclusively distributed by Netflix for mobile.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Parrish |first=Ash |date=Jun 24, 2025 |title=Netflix is letting go of some of its best indie games |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/692227/netflix-games-delisting-hades-braid-gaming-strategy |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[Xlear]]
|The company Xlear was falsely marketing its nasal spray as a covid preventative, potentially harming consumers; the company wants to combat the FTC.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feiner |first=Lauren |date=Jun 24, 2025 |title=A nasal spray company wants to make it harder for the FTC to police health claims |url=https://www.theverge.com/policy/692327/xlear-ftc-lawsuit-covid-health-claims-consumer-protection |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[Microsoft]]
|Anticompetitive behavior contributing to the damaging of the security of customer devices.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Triplette |first=Ryan |date=Nov 15, 2024 |title=Microsoft’s anticompetitive behavior weakens its customers’ cybersecurity |url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2024/11/microsofts-anticompetitive-behavior-weakens-its-customers-cybersecurity/?readmore=1 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Federal News Network}}</ref>
|-
|[[Intuit]]
|Responsible for bribing the government for the purposes of making doing taxes more difficult, thus making the company more money via [[TurboTax]] payments, TT turned into tiered subscriptions to force users into paying extra for vital tools. Hid the free version from consumers.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=CinemaGuess |date=Jun 10, 2025 |title=How The Scammy Model of TurboTax Finally Died |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K951JU8WbEY&t=315s |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Samsung]], [[Glance]]
|Using the faces of its devices' users for the purposes of generating ads with AI to display on the lock screen
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitwam |first=Ryan |date=Jun 4, 2025 |title=Samsung teams up with Glance to use your face in AI-generated lock screen ads |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/samsung-teams-up-with-glance-to-use-your-face-in-ai-generated-lock-screen-ads/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|De-anonymizing web browsing identifiers
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wildeboer |first=Jan |date=Jun 03, 2025 |title=Wildeboer post from Jan Wildeboer |url=https://social.wildeboer.net/@jwildeboer/114620123151656825 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=social.wildeboer.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=Meta and Yandex are de-anonymizing Android users’ web browsing identifiers |url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/06/meta-and-yandex-are-de-anonymizing-android-users-web-browsing-identifiers/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[[TikTok]]
|Integrated AI tools to track user behaviors even more for the purposes of selling to advertisers
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=TikTok will give advertisers even more data on trends and users |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/678255/tiktok-advertiser-summit-ai-targeting-data-seo |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>
|-
|[[k.chicntech]]
|Selling fraudulent products on its platform
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=Shopper denied $51 refund for 20TB HDD that’s mostly a weighted plastic box |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/man-buys-20tb-portable-hdd-for-51-son-breaks-the-news-that-its-a-fake/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref>
|-
|[[T-Mobile]]
|Secretly recording the screens of users via T-Life app
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/Appropriate_Rain_770 |date=May 27, 2025 |title=T-Life App Under Fire as Users Spot Hidden Screen Recording |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/1kwmglg/tlife_app_under_fire_as_users_spot_hidden_screen/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Tyler |date=May 27, 2025 |title=T-Life App Under Fire as Users Spot Hidden Screen Recording |url=https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/05/t-life-app-under-fire-as-users-spot-hidden-screen-recording.html |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Android Headlines}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ubisoft]]
|Forced online in single-player games for the purposes of data collection; violation of GDPR.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=Apr 29, 2025 |title=Privacy firm files Ubisoft legal complaint over data collection, forced online in single-player games |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/privacy-firm-files-ubisoft-legal-complaint-over-data-collection-forced-online-in-single-player-games |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Eurogamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Like to play alone? Ubisoft is still watching you! |url=https://noyb.eu/en/play-alone-ubisoft-still-watching-you |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=noyb}}</ref>
|-
|[[Facebook]], [[Yandex]]
|Automatic opt-in of user-generated content being used for the purposes of training AI.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borgesius |first=Frederik |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Post on akademienl.social |url=https://akademienl.social/@Frederik_Borgesius/114392662340468118 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=akademienl.social}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=AP: kom nu in actie als je niet wil dat Meta AI traint met jouw data |url=https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-kom-nu-in-actie-als-je-niet-wil-dat-meta-ai-traint-met-jouw-data |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Star Force]]
|DRM; History of damaging the devices of honest consumers
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Modern Vintage Gamer |date=Mar 30, 2020 |title=StarForce - The PC CD-ROM DRM that broke your Computer {{!}} MVG |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-wyIalhdPU |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Google]]
|Terms enacted in April reserve it the right to analyze sensitive call data
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saam |first=Conrad |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Google asserts ownership of all advertiser assets in Local Services Ads |url=https://searchengineland.com/google-asset-ownership-local-services-ads-454561 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Search Engine Land}}</ref>
|-
|[[VidIQ]]
|Scraping user generated content so poorly that it puts users at risk of violating copyright law
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=CutCafe |date=Jan 24, 2025 |title=This AI tool is EXPLOITING small content creators (So I exposed it) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg8JZozCa0c |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Waymo]]
|Using interior camera to train GenAI models; automatic opt-in
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bellan |first=Rebecca |date=Apr 8, 2025 |title=Waymo may use interior camera data to train generative AI models, but riders will be able to opt out |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/waymo-may-use-interior-camera-data-to-train-generative-ai-models-sell-ads/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=TechCrunch}}</ref>
|-
|[[Dymo]]
|550 and newer models have DRM in the printer paper; older model printers bricked via a driver update.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malawey |first=David |date=Apr 3, 2025 |title=discard junkware and the extract pure value of Dymo |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hlhPRlxA9s |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Google]]
|Numerous incidents listed under Wikipedia's [[wikipedia:Google_litigation|Google Litigation]] page
|N/A
|-
|[[UPS]]
|Charges excessively high brokerage fees disguised as "customs fees" that exceed shipping costs when mailing a product from the US to Canada; sent person in source a $42.60 bill AFTER delivering the package, without the person being informed of the shipper being UPS.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Runkle Of The Bailey |date=Nov 14, 2024 |title=I Fought UPS' Bogus Brokerage Fees, And Won |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKju9a4lA5I |access-date=Jun 26, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Liberty Safe]]
|At the point of sale (POS) of the safe, the consumer was not informed that the manufacturer has a backdoor for the safe. In this specific incident, this backdoor was used to bypass the security for the purposes of the FBI
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Runkle Of The Bailey |date=Sep 6, 2023 |title=Liberty Safe Has Secret Backdoors -- And They Gave It To the FBI |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeCwrX2gcXM |access-date=Jun 26, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Yubo]]
|Only in-scope elements of the provided source should focus on "age estimation" and "facial recognition", despite the ethical dubiousness of the platform for minors.
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=CinemaGuess |date=Jun 25, 2025 |title=Yubo; The Most Dangerous Snapchat Clone Ever Made |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKm5gkG9yMw |access-date=Jun 26, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[itch.io]], [[Night School Studios]], [[Netflix]] 
|In September 2024, users who purchased Oxenfree on itch.io were warned that the game was going to be pulled from the platform on October 1st. Consumers would not be able to download the installers after this date, so they would lose access unless they had them backed up. Users speculated that Netflix, the parent company of the development studio, had ordered the move; however, no response from Netflix or the developers was ever published. This is particularly notable because it is against itch.io's terms of service: "Users shall retain a license to this content even after the content is removed from the Service."
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=itch corp |date=15 Apr 2023 |title=itch.io Terms of Service |url=https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907004719/https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms |archive-date=7 Sep 2024 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=itch.io}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=ShawnS |date=31 Jan 2025 |title=OXENFREE |url=https://delistedgames.com/oxenfree/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321070400/https://delistedgames.com/oxenfree/ |archive-date=21 Mar 2025 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=Delisted Games}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Colp |first=Tyler |date=9 Sep 2024 |title=Another reminder that your digital library isn't forever: Oxenfree will be completely removed from Itch.io next month |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/another-reminder-that-your-digital-library-isn-t-forever-oxenfree-will-be-completely-removed-from-itch-io-next-month/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523111125/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/another-reminder-that-your-digital-library-isn-t-forever-oxenfree-will-be-completely-removed-from-itch-io-next-month/ |archive-date=23 May 2025 |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>
|}

==Potential sources of incidents==
This section covers events that can lead to an anti-consumer incident. This primarily will be from a company buyout or IPO occurring, but this is a good way to be prepared. This will follow the same intended format as was defined above.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Company Name(s)
!Summary
!Refs
|-
|[[Nexus Mods]], [[Chosen]]
|In June 2025, the relatively new company Chosen purchased Nexus Mods. Despite claims from Chosen to not pull anti-consumer moves, users are worried.
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hunt |first=Cale |date=June 17, 2025 |title='No aggressive monetization' — Nexus Mods' new ownership responds to worried members |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/no-aggressive-monetization-nexus-mods-new-ownership-responds-to-worried-members |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Windows Central}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dark0ne |date=June 16, 2025 |title=An Update From Dark0ne |url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/15301 |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=[[Nexus Mods]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LMG Clips |date=Jun 25, 2025 |title=Nexus Mods is about to get worse |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An1FwiRzFnM |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Discord]]
|Potential Initial public offering; former Activision-Blizzard staff is new CEO
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Kelly |date=Apr 7, 2025 |title=Discord is Going Public — A Bold but Risky Step |url=https://wcuquad.com/6023972/arts-entertainment/discord-is-going-public-a-bold-but-risky-step/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=WCQuad}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Jun 12, 2025 |title=Discord’s IPO and the Future of Gaming VOIP: What’s at Stake? |url=https://www.esportsheaven.com/features/discords-ipo-and-the-future-of-gaming-voip-whats-at-stake/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=EsportsHeaven}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Horetski |first=Dylan |date=Apr 23, 2025 |title=Discord hires former Activision boss to take over as CEO |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/discord-hires-former-activision-boss-to-take-over-as-ceo-3184664/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Dexerto}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Scullion |first=Chris |date=Apr 24, 2025 |title=Discord founder steps down as CEO, will be replaced by former Activision Blizzard vice chairman |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/discord-founder-steps-down-as-ceo-will-be-replaced-by-former-activision-blizzard-vice-chairman/ |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=Video Game Chronicle}}</ref>
|}

==See Also==

*[[Louis Rossmann - Video Directory]]

==Reference List==
<references />
[[Category:Sources]]

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-27T23:04:04Z

Vindicator4021: Added update on Public To-Do List explaining the section will be somewhat deprecated in favor of the Incident backlog page.

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
UPDATE, June 27th, 2025 - This section of my page will be somewhat deprecated, in favor of placing these incidents on the [[Incident backlog]] (more people will see them there anyway). Instead, this section will be for incidents/ideas I intend to research so I can place them on the backlog. It's still gonna be public on this page, though, because maybe someone will get around to putting them on the backlog sooner than me.

DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

As for why I don't just make stubs out of these... ''mainly'' because I'm not 100% sure if all of these are Wiki-worthy, but I also just personally don't like making stubs. When I make a page, I consider myself the "head" of that project and I want to only be focused on the main topic of that one page instead of dividing my attention too much between other major projects. If you want to take an idea from here and make a stub for others to edit, that's fine with me- I just won't make a page until I'm ready to write it.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024, hence why I thought of this when I thought of "platform-exclusives".
*Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix (presumably) doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

===Shopping Stuff===

*AliExpress - I've heard a lot about this one being really bad for consumers, but I was reminded of it when I watched a MattKC video last night. He tried to turn a Surface Studio into a really big, nice monitor, and he had a ridiculously horrible time with an AliExpress seller and the company itself. I know they aren't US-based (pretty sure they're Chinese?) but they of course do sell internationally, and I think folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing).

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

Bumpgate

2025-06-27T21:26:22Z

Vindicator4021: /* Rebuttal */ Added a sentence and reference about the Nvidia CEO interview at Nvision '08. Also a few minor revisions.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and [[HP Inc.|HP-Compaq]] laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain [[Apple]] Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed; high-lead bumps can deliver more current.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> This is notable because this means shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's confirmed Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This can mean a variety of things, including a GPU failure. However, it takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps. Depending on how many power cycle tests the consoles may have went through prior to being shipped out, it is possible that some or even all 43% of those defective consoles could have had GPU failures. Only 200,000 Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile" at launch- non-functioning Xbox 360s that they decided to repair and ship out later. 56% of systems worked on the first try after manufacture, and that number improved to 71% after component reworks. At the height of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that if they reflowed the motherboard- which is similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- their console may start functioning again for a limited, varying amount of time.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had previously paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point.

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had bought early models with a 90nm GPU- what are now commonly known as "phat" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

According to one of the individuals interviewed in the BBC Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, consumers would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and Sony would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one- such as a 65nm or 40nm GPU, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms.

By the time the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect was no longer present- so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for the same defect in their G84 and G86 GPUs.

The RSX is a modified version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective graphics cards, but it's unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. None of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have the 7800 GTX GPU (or a mobile version of it), and no sources have been found showing consumers complaining about problems with this GPU. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Sony did not know there was a defect with the 90nm RSX. This also does not mean that the 90nm RSX wasn't affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have done extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> to find the true cause of the problem so that consumers can fix impacted systems, and it has been determined that the "Yellow Light of Death" is extremely likely to be Bumpgate-related.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their theoretically Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menchaca |first=Lionel |date=18 Aug 2008 |title=NVIDIA GPU Update: Dell to Offer Limited Warranty Enhancement to All Affected Customers Worldwide |url=http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219131311/http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |archive-date=19 Dec 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Direct2Dell}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>
====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also stated that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

On the same day, EE Times published an article where Nvidia explained more about what the cause of the problem was.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LaPedus |first=Mark |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia takes charge for bad chips, but who is to blame? |url=http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117035658/http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |archive-date=17 Nov 2012 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=EE Times}}</ref> Nvidia had stated in an email that one of their many packaging partners, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), was responsible. However, a subsequent email backpedaled on this response. In the next email, Nvidia stated that they "worked closely" with TSMC on the packaging and material, and hence took full responsibility. DigiTimes attempted to ask TSMC and some of Nvidia's other packaging partners about the defective chips, but TSMC declined a response, citing "client confidentiality", and the other partners did not know anything about the issue because the chips were from an older generation by that point.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Ingrid |last2=Shen |first2=Steve |date=4 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia contract makers in Taiwan low-key over defective chip reports |url=http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704211726/http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |archive-date=4 Jul 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=DIGITIMES}}</ref> In August 2008, Nvidia's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang explained how the company would handle the defect in an interview during Nvision 2008, claiming that Nvidia would take some responsibility for the defect and pay manufacturers to help consumers fix their devices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scath (Reuploader) |date=25 Aug 2008 |title=Nvision: Nvidia CEO Talks About Chip Failure |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZB6kxxgnOQ&t=275 |url-status=live |access-date=27 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, Nvidia was later sued in September by investors who alleged that the company had violated federal securities laws.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Jonathan |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=Gibbs Law Group LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against NVIDIA Corp. |url=https://www.classlawgroup.com/nvidia-lawsuit-filed-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=GibbsMura}}</ref> Shareholder Lisa Miller alleged in the lawsuit that Nvidia knew about the GPU problems as early as November 2007, and concealed this fact from investors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGlaun |first=Shane |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA sued over notebook GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/09/nvidia-sued-over-notebook-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=malware |date=11 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA Sued Over Faulty GPUs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/71088/nvidia-sued-over-faulty-gpus |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp}}</ref> By 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded enough that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them. 

===Rebuttal===
Throughout the lawsuit, Nvidia continually denied allegations of intentional wrongdoing. 
===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, still asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
===Microsoft (Xbox 360) Consumer Response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. In Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in enough detail for consumers to understand, leaving many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue feeling further validated and restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

In addition, the release of the information in ''Power On'' helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue in early Xbox 360s themselves, if necessary. Many consumers who had purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> had initially assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- which are used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. These individuals alleged that the brittler nature of non-leaded solder made the connections weaker compared to traditional leaded solder, causing the defect. Other consumers had a similar assumption, and thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console was getting too hot and "desoldering" the GPU from the motherboard as a result. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the non-defective revisions of the Xbox 360 and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles, but they were dispelled entirely once Chapter 5 of ''Power On'' was released.

Although the majority of Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===Sony (PlayStation 3) Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console at the time; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Unfortunately, Sony failed to ever acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", other than denying how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal from Ray Maguire, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault.

Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

====Consumers perform their own repairs====
As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every PS3 enthusiast knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. The reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside to consumers, though, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades.

However, because Sony never acknowledged the defect, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault than it was for the Xbox 360. This led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. The only guidance that consumers had for what the fault could be was from the BBC Watchdog segment stating that it was a GPU failure- however, they had incorrectly diagnosed the cause in the segment. BBC Watchdog had also employed technicians to reflow the components on afflicted PS3s' motherboards- which led enthusiasts to believe that doing the same to their console would fix it. However, this would only temporarily restore functionality to the system.

By 2018, frustrated PS3 owners were searching for a better solution- preferably, an easier fix. As a result, rumors began to spread that it was not the RSX GPU that was defective, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref name=":4" /> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. In addition, a failure of the NEC-Tokins can result in similar behavior from the PS3, lending further credence to the claim. It was all but "confirmed" when enthusiasts tried replacing them with tantalum capacitors, and it worked for some. However, the reason for this is because it is possible for PS3s to have a GPU-related failure because of the NEC-Tokin capacitors. It has since been confirmed that the NEC-Tokins are not defective or poorly placed, and if they have failed in a console, it is likely due to normal aging. In fact, these capacitors are specialized for their purpose in the PS3, and should not be replaced unless they truly have failed.

In 2020, PSX-Place forum user "Icferrum" discovered a CECHAxx PS3 with a 40nm RSX inside instead of a standard 90nm RSX. There was no information about this modification online, so the only explanation was that Sony had done this officially. This set enthusiasts off to find a way to perform the same modification. A breakthrough was eventually made with the development of the "Frankenstein Mod" in 2021 (sometimes referred to as the "Orbis Mod"), which utilizes an Orbis modchip to make a 40nm RSX compatible with older PS3 models.<ref name=":17" />

As for how consumers largely discovered that the problem was related to Bumpgate, YouTube and PSX-Place user "RIP Felix" published multiple videos detailing his research and theories regarding the early PS3s' defect. Most significantly, Felix published a video where he and Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki) performed various experiments to confirm their theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" /> Felix and Davidson's findings effectively confirm that the only way to repair early PlayStation 3s with the "Yellow Light of Death" caused by a GPU failure is to replace the GPU with a non-defective model.

Thanks to the work of retro console modding and repair enthusiasts, consumers have an option to permanently repair these valuable systems. However, the "Frankenstein Mod" is not recommended for inexperienced modders or those who don't have access to a BGA rework station. Because of the specialized nature of this modification, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing any consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

==See Also:==

*[[Nvidia]]
*[[Microsoft]]
*[[Sony]]
*[[HP Inc.|HP]]
*[[Apple]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

Talk:Discord

2025-06-24T23:57:51Z

Vindicator4021: /* IPO and "enshitification" */ Reply

Someone should rewrite this in a more editorial fashion. Right now it’s currently written in a way where it’s just screaming off into a void and while it does have citations it could be written in a better way. Someone should work on improving this. - [[User:Atsumari|Atsumari]] ([[User talk:Atsumari|talk]]) 08:46, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Atsumari, please clarify what you mean by 'screaming off into a void'. Any constructive criticism is very valuable but this does not help me. I'd also like to contend the use of the tone warning on this page. Multiple admins have reviewed the format at this point and found no issue with the tone. [[User:Tob|Tob]] ([[User talk:Tob|talk]]) 19:26, 19 January 2025 (UTC)

Hi; I believe I remember you talking in the appeal channel and one of the staff did say what my concerns were. Once those corrections are done, we can totally remove the tone warning. It was literally just formatting of some of the bullet points. It looks like you’re already working on fixing those so once that’s done, we definitely can get that taken off unless other staff have other concerns. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. -[[User:Atsumari|Atsumari]] ([[User talk:Atsumari|talk]]) 14:51, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

I'm sure they did. Thanks for the assistance. [[User:Tob|Tob]] ([[User talk:Tob|talk]])

==IPO and "enshitification"==

So, there's been news about Discord planning on doing an IPO. Chances are that the platform will be facing changes similar to that of Reddit, notably killing 3rd party and legacy client access to the platform. This IPO stunt also will bring with it ads. Keep a close eye on news surrounding the platform as time goes on, and make sure to post any new info you find to this topic if you do not plan on integrating it into the article itself.

This is absolutely not going to be a pretty state for the platform, which will be bringing in user traffic to the wiki, and specifically this article, so please also polish the article in other areas as well! [[User:JamesTDG|JamesTDG]] ([[User talk:JamesTDG|talk]]) 22:35, 31 March 2025 (UTC)

:Update: One of the founders of Discord left in April and was replaced by the former Vice Chairman of [[Activision Blizzard]] and former president of King (Candy Crush).
:https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/discord-cto-says-hes-constantly-bringing-up-enshittification-during-meetings/
:A bit that stuck out to me:
:"Fanning expectations of Discord going public soon and looking different in the future, Discord co-founder and CEO Jason Citron left in April. '''His replacement, Humam Sakhnini, has experience leading public companies, like Activision Blizzard.''' When Citron announced his departure in April, GamesBeat asked him if Discord was going public. Citron claimed there were 'no specific plans' but added that 'hiring someone like Humam is a step in that direction.'"
:The article is largely about Discord's co-founder, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, expressing concerns with enshittification. However, the new CEO being a former high-up executive from ''two'' exploitative game companies doesn't exactly instill confidence in me. Act-Blizz is quite infamous for doing a lot of anti-consumer practices- and remember that Discord was far from perfect before the change in leadership.
:I don't think the linked article is relevant enough to reference in this wiki article, but it contains some notable updates on the situation. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 23:57, 24 June 2025 (UTC)

Bumpgate

2025-06-24T00:33:08Z

Vindicator4021: Added some more details in Nvidia's company response. Also found the original Dell blog post!

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and [[HP Inc.|HP-Compaq]] laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain [[Apple]] Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed; high-lead bumps can deliver more current.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> This is notable because this means shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's confirmed Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This can mean a variety of things, including a GPU failure. However, it takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps. Depending on how many power cycle tests the consoles may have went through prior to being shipped out, it is possible that some or even all 43% of those defective consoles could have had GPU failures. Only 200,000 Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile" at launch- non-functioning Xbox 360s that they decided to repair and ship out later. 56% of systems worked on the first try after manufacture, and that number improved to 71% after component reworks. At the height of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that if they reflowed the motherboard- which is similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- their console may start functioning again for a limited, varying amount of time.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had previously paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point.

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had bought early models with a 90nm GPU- what are now commonly known as "phat" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

According to one of the individuals interviewed in the BBC Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, consumers would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and Sony would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one- such as a 65nm or 40nm GPU, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms.

By the time the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect was no longer present- so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for the same defect in their G84 and G86 GPUs.

The RSX is a modified version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective graphics cards, but it's unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. None of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have the 7800 GTX GPU (or a mobile version of it), and no sources have been found showing consumers complaining about problems with this GPU. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Sony did not know there was a defect with the 90nm RSX. This also does not mean that the 90nm RSX wasn't affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have done extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> to find the true cause of the problem so that consumers can fix impacted systems, and it has been determined that the "Yellow Light of Death" is extremely likely to be Bumpgate-related.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their theoretically Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menchaca |first=Lionel |date=18 Aug 2008 |title=NVIDIA GPU Update: Dell to Offer Limited Warranty Enhancement to All Affected Customers Worldwide |url=http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219131311/http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/nvidia-gpu-update-dell-to-offer-warranty-enhancement-to-all-affected-customers-worldwide.aspx |archive-date=19 Dec 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Direct2Dell}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>
====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also stated that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

On the same day, EE Times published an article where Nvidia explained more about what the cause of the problem was.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LaPedus |first=Mark |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia takes charge for bad chips, but who is to blame? |url=http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117035658/http://eetimes.com/electronics-products/processors/4105543/Nvidia-takes-charge-for-bad-chips-but-who-is-to-blame- |archive-date=17 Nov 2012 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=EE Times}}</ref> Nvidia had stated in an email that one of their many packaging partners, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), was responsible. However, a subsequent email backpedaled on this response. In the next email, Nvidia stated that they "worked closely" with TSMC on the packaging and material, and hence took full responsibility. DigiTimes attempted to ask TSMC and some of Nvidia's other packaging partners about the defective chips, but TSMC declined a response, citing "client confidentiality", and the other partners did not know anything about the issue because the chips were from an older generation by that point.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Ingrid |last2=Shen |first2=Steve |date=4 Jul 2008 |title=Nvidia contract makers in Taiwan low-key over defective chip reports |url=http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704211726/http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080704PD210.html |archive-date=4 Jul 2008 |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=DIGITIMES}}</ref>

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, Nvidia was later sued in September by investors who alleged that the company had violated federal securities laws.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Jonathan |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=Gibbs Law Group LLP Announces Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against NVIDIA Corp. |url=https://www.classlawgroup.com/nvidia-lawsuit-filed-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=GibbsMura}}</ref> Shareholder Lisa Miller alleged in the lawsuit that Nvidia knew about the GPU problems as early as November 2007, and concealed this fact from investors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGlaun |first=Shane |date=10 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA sued over notebook GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/09/nvidia-sued-over-notebook-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=malware |date=11 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA Sued Over Faulty GPUs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/71088/nvidia-sued-over-faulty-gpus |url-status=live |access-date=23 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp}}</ref> By 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded enough that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. In Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in enough detail for consumers to understand, leaving many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue feeling further validated and restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

In addition, the release of the information in ''Power On'' helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue in early Xbox 360s themselves, if necessary. Many consumers who had purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> had initially assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- which are used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. These individuals alleged that the brittler nature of non-leaded solder made the connections weaker compared to traditional leaded solder, causing the defect. Other consumers had a similar assumption, and thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console was getting too hot and "desoldering" the GPU from the motherboard as a result. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the non-defective revisions of the Xbox 360 and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles, but they were dispelled entirely once Chapter 5 of ''Power On'' was released.

Although the majority of Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console at the time; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Unfortunately, Sony failed to ever acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", other than denying how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal from Ray Maguire, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault.

Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

====Consumers perform their own repairs====
As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every PS3 enthusiast knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. The reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside to consumers, though, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades.

However, because Sony never acknowledged the defect, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault than it was for the Xbox 360. This led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. The only guidance that consumers had for what the fault could be was from the BBC Watchdog segment stating that it was a GPU failure- however, they had incorrectly diagnosed the cause in the segment. BBC Watchdog had also employed technicians to reflow the components on afflicted PS3s' motherboards- which led enthusiasts to believe that doing the same to their console would fix it. However, this would only temporarily restore functionality to the system.

By 2018, frustrated PS3 owners were searching for a better solution- preferably, an easier fix. As a result, rumors began to spread that it was not the RSX GPU that was defective, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref name=":4" /> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. In addition, a failure of the NEC-Tokins can result in similar behavior from the PS3, lending further credence to the claim. It was all but "confirmed" when enthusiasts tried replacing them with tantalum capacitors, and it worked for some. However, the reason for this is because it is possible for PS3s to have a GPU-related failure because of the NEC-Tokin capacitors. It has since been confirmed that the NEC-Tokins are not defective or poorly placed, and if they have failed in a console, it is likely due to normal aging. In fact, these capacitors are specialized for their purpose in the PS3, and should not be replaced unless they truly have failed.

In 2020, PSX-Place forum user "Icferrum" discovered a CECHAxx PS3 with a 40nm RSX inside instead of a standard 90nm RSX. There was no information about this modification online, so the only explanation was that Sony had done this officially. This set enthusiasts off to find a way to perform the same modification. A breakthrough was eventually made with the development of the "Frankenstein Mod" in 2021 (sometimes referred to as the "Orbis Mod"), which utilizes an Orbis modchip to make a 40nm RSX compatible with older PS3 models.<ref name=":17" />

As for how consumers largely discovered that the problem was related to Bumpgate, YouTube and PSX-Place user "RIP Felix" published multiple videos detailing his research and theories regarding the early PS3s' defect. Most significantly, Felix published a video where he and Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki) performed various experiments to confirm their theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" /> Felix and Davidson's findings effectively confirm that the only way to repair early PlayStation 3s with the "Yellow Light of Death" caused by a GPU failure is to replace the GPU with a non-defective model.

Thanks to the work of retro console modding and repair enthusiasts, consumers have an option to permanently repair these valuable systems. However, the "Frankenstein Mod" is not recommended for inexperienced modders or those who don't have access to a BGA rework station. Because of the specialized nature of this modification, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing any consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

==See Also:==

*[[Nvidia]]
*[[Microsoft]]
*[[Sony]]
*[[HP Inc.|HP]]
*[[Apple]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

Talk:Bumpgate

2025-06-23T23:35:38Z

Vindicator4021: /* Sources to add, further reading, and "why" */ Reply

==Sources to add, further reading, and "why"==

'''Sources to add:'''

https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective

https://web.archive.org/web/20101004114517/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1736698/nvidia-settles-bumpgate-class-action-lawsuit

https://www.semiaccurate.com/2009/08/21/nvidia-finally-understands-bumpgate/

^ All primary sources originally from Wikipedia's source page for "[[wikipedia:List_of_-gate_scandals_and_controversies#cite_note-457|-gate Scandals]]"; just adding them for convenience for myself and anybody else who wants to contribute to the page.

'''Further research:'''

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c - Video from RIP Felix about the cause and misdiagnosis of the PS3's YLOD. It's a bit of a long watch, so the most significant bits are gonna be from about [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c&t=1676s 27:56] to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c&t=2383s 39:43], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c&t=2882s 48:02], and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c&t=3187s 53:07]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c&t=3380s 56:20] discusses reballing, and I believe there's even a clip of one of Louis' videos in that part, but that might be getting too far out of the scope of this article's purpose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY - Chapter 5 of the Xbox documentary mentioned in RIP Felix's video; discusses Red Ring of Death.

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/research-experimental-nec-tokin-capacitors-replacement-ylod.25260/ - PSX-Place thread for fixing PS3 Yellow Light of Death (YLOD), primarily by replacing NEC-Tokin capacitors, which many misdiagnosed as the defect with early "Phat" PS3s' for several years (when most of the time, it was Bumpgate-related). (Page 204 has RIP Felix's "catch-all" post that he links to in the description of his video.)

'''Why did you make this page?'''

1) I'm a bit of a console geek. :P

2) Though Bumpgate is "old news" (2006 old, to be specific), I think the responses of the companies involved (Nvidia, Sony, Microsoft, etc.) indicates a bit of a pattern not only in the companies themselves, but also in the video game console/tech industry. A trend that continues to this day. When these issues were first appearing, I recall that several of these companies were denying that there was even a defect, putting the responsibility on the consumer to fix their devices. It was a widespread enough issue that I think it's well worth having a full article for. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 19:34, 1 June 2025 (UTC)

:Couple of additional sources:
:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU - Another (long) RIP Felix video, but on the Xbox 360. (yeah, the AI generated art in parts of it is a bit distracting- try to ignore it; the info is the important part)
:[http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1645637 "A systematic approach to qualification of 90 nm low K flip chip"] - Amkor/IBM study mentioned in the above video. I don't know if this is free to access; I'll check it later to be sure.
:Side note for anyone new to editing if they want to contribute: in regards to Felix's videos, remember he's usually not the ''primary'' source for the info he's stating in the video, and the best thing to link in the actual article is the primary source (e.g., don't reference Felix- reference the study that ''he'' referenced!). [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 15:53, 2 June 2025 (UTC)
::Checked the Amkor/IBM study's link. It's not free. (Argh!) But I cited the "journal" (which was technically a conference) anyway, because it's a bit too important to leave out.
::It's ''technically'' accessible via means that are probably not appropriate to directly mention on this wiki. So, I'll leave it at this: if you happen to know... I'm gonna call it ''science journal black magic'', you can check it out. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 14:44, 3 June 2025 (UTC)
:::As usual, I post and then I find something else lol
:::https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI - This is the news segment that Felix had towards the beginning of his PS3 Story video- with the guys telling the hosts how poor Sony's service for them was. It's a BBC Watchdog segment.
:::Note: IIRC, Felix did not want to fully attribute this section in the video because at one point in this segment, they show some guys reflowing the motherboards using a reflow oven- which of course, isn't a real fix. He didn't want to spread misinformation on how to fix the Yellow Light of Death. However, there are bits in this segment that are important to this article, so it can be used here. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 15:00, 3 June 2025 (UTC)
::::http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm - Apparently, SCEE's vice president at the time wasn't too happy about Watchdog's segment, and he sent a strongly worded letter to the BBC over it- which the BBC responded to in this linked article. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 02:12, 4 June 2025 (UTC)
:Okay- I'd say this article's in the final stretch, and the stuff about the PS3 and Xbox 360 are pretty much done, so I've linked to it from Sony and Microsoft's pages. (Subject to change.) Other than the PS3 consumer response, all that needs done from here is just Nvidia stuff (AKA, as I've come to find out: "the hard part"). I knew about the class action Nvidia got slapped with over this because of Felix's video, but it was somehow still quite annoying to find some of these refs about Nvidia's involvement, so here they are:
:https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080640/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/index.html - Here's a page on the "Nvidia GPU Litigation" where people who wanted to take part in the settlement could get more info on it and, well, take part.
:https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html - Affected models for the Nvidia settlement. According to this, Dell, HP, and Apple computers were also affected by this. If research proves that their responses are relevant enough, they may get their own segments in this article at some point. However, they weren't parties to this lawsuit, so it's very possible that they won't be relevant enough.
:I'm also gonna take the opportunity to clarify this to any future editors as well: from what I understand, Bumpgate was technically not entirely their fault. (If it was, why would ''ATI'' chips have the same problem?) They just ended up taking much of the blame for it because they got sued. Nonetheless, what little I currently know about their response does seem potentially relevant, hence why it's going into the article.
:As usual, will update if I find any more sources. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 15:14, 5 June 2025 (UTC)
::Found some info on Apple's role in all this! Found it on the Wikipedia page for the Macbook Pro: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook_Pro#Aluminum_(2006%E2%80%932008) The last paragraph in the 2006-2008 section mentions that there were defects in those GPUs that sound awfully familiar. In addition, it used a Tesla architecture GPU- which I have heard (not fully confirmed) had a few Bumpgate-affected models. The above linked "affected models" page for the Nvidia suit pretty much confirms- this was Bumpgate.
::https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 - Details Apple's response, which I'll include in the article, because I think it's relevant enough. TL;DR is that they basically responded the same way Microsoft did with the Xbox 360: ignored it at first, but later extended warranty (except to ''four'' years) and refunded folks who paid to fix it before. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 19:02, 7 June 2025 (UTC)
:Apparently, I'm *not the only person ''still'' obsessed with this ten year old scandal lately. Felix just posted another video on it yesterday- this time, using experiments to prove that the PS3's RSX was theoretically affected by Bumpgate. It's honestly great that he posted this, because this is a more dedicated, and hence better source for his tests on the RSX than the 360 video (which is still a useful source- just for different reasons!).
:Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI
:Side note: I do wonder if he's seen this article somehow, or if it was just a funny coincidence. Nonetheless... if you happen to see this, Felix, thanks for drawing attention to this issue. You're basically the reason this article exists, because I might've never known about Bumpgate if you hadn't posted all those videos about the 7th console generation's GPU problems. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 19:42, 10 June 2025 (UTC)
:I'm super close to finishing this, so here's the "ultimate reference source" for Nvidia's section:
:https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-laptops-tablets-and-mobile-devices/83833-nvidia-bumpgate?t=94383
:Archived link: https://web.archive.org/web/20240520214728/https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-laptops-tablets-and-mobile-devices/83833-nvidia-bumpgate?t=94383
:This is a forum topic from BadCaps user "piernov"- something I wish I'dve found much, much earlier in this process. It makes the Nvidia stuff way clearer, and even contains some links I could not find on my own for whatever reason. I won't be referencing the BadCaps post directly in the article, but I will be referencing many of the links contained in it. If you have anything to add to this article (especially the Nvidia, Apple, or Dell & HP-Compaq segments), I would highly recommend checking out the BadCaps post. I even found something from AMD (formerly ATI) in there. [[User:Vindicator4021|- V (Vindicator4021)]] ([[User talk:Vindicator4021|talk]]) 23:35, 23 June 2025 (UTC)

Bumpgate

2025-06-20T18:21:16Z

Vindicator4021: Added the "See Also" section, with some links to some of the companies mentioned in the article.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and [[HP Inc.|HP-Compaq]] laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain [[Apple]] Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> This is notable because this means shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's confirmed Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This can mean a variety of things, including a GPU failure. However, it takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps. Depending on how many power cycle tests the consoles may have went through prior to being shipped out, it is possible that some or even all 43% of those defective consoles could have had GPU failures. Only 200,000 Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile" at launch- non-functioning Xbox 360s that they decided to repair and ship out later. 56% of systems worked on the first try after manufacture, and that number improved to 71% after component reworks. At the height of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that if they reflowed the motherboard- which is similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- their console may start functioning again for a limited, varying amount of time.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had previously paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point.

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had bought early models with a 90nm GPU- what are now commonly known as "phat" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

According to one of the individuals interviewed in the BBC Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, consumers would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and Sony would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one- such as a 65nm or 40nm GPU, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms.

By the time the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect was no longer present- so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for the same defect in their G84 and G86 GPUs.

The RSX is a modified version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective graphics cards, but it's unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. None of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have the 7800 GTX GPU (or a mobile version of it), and no sources have been found showing consumers complaining about problems with this GPU. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Sony did not know there was a defect with the 90nm RSX. This also does not mean that the 90nm RSX wasn't affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have done extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> to find the true cause of the problem so that consumers can fix impacted systems, and it has been determined that the "Yellow Light of Death" is extremely likely to be Bumpgate-related.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their theoretically Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BlueScreenDeath |first= |last2=Menchaca |first2=Lionel |date=23 Sep 2008 |title=Dell Warranty Extension Due to Nvidia Defect |url=https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/locked-topics-laptops-general/dell-warranty-extension-due-to-nvidia-defect/647e9a01f4ccf8a8de2c999e |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Dell Community}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=3 Jul 2008 |title=Lots of Nvidia Laptop Graphics Cards Are Overheating, Dying |url=https://gizmodo.com/lots-of-nvidia-laptop-graphics-cards-are-overheating-d-5021713 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also confirmed that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, by 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded to the point that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. In Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in enough detail for consumers to understand, leaving many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue feeling further validated and restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

In addition, the release of the information in ''Power On'' helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue in early Xbox 360s themselves, if necessary. Many consumers who had purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> had initially assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- which are used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. These individuals alleged that the brittler nature of non-leaded solder made the connections weaker compared to traditional leaded solder, causing the defect. Other consumers had a similar assumption, and thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console was getting too hot and "desoldering" the GPU from the motherboard as a result. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the non-defective revisions of the Xbox 360 and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles, but they were dispelled entirely once Chapter 5 of ''Power On'' was released.

Although the majority of Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console at the time; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Unfortunately, Sony failed to ever acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", other than denying how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal from Ray Maguire, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault.

Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

====Consumers perform their own repairs====
As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every PS3 enthusiast knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. The reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside to consumers, though, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades.

However, because Sony never acknowledged the defect, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault than it was for the Xbox 360. This led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. The only guidance that consumers had for what the fault could be was from the BBC Watchdog segment stating that it was a GPU failure- however, they had incorrectly diagnosed the cause in the segment. BBC Watchdog had also employed technicians to reflow the components on afflicted PS3s' motherboards- which led enthusiasts to believe that doing the same to their console would fix it. However, this would only temporarily restore functionality to the system.

By 2018, frustrated PS3 owners were searching for a better solution- preferably, an easier fix. As a result, rumors began to spread that it was not the RSX GPU that was defective, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref name=":4" /> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. In addition, a failure of the NEC-Tokins can result in similar behavior from the PS3, lending further credence to the claim. It was all but "confirmed" when enthusiasts tried replacing them with tantalum capacitors, and it worked for some. However, the reason for this is because it is possible for PS3s to have a GPU-related failure because of the NEC-Tokin capacitors. It has since been confirmed that the NEC-Tokins are not defective or poorly placed, and if they have failed in a console, it is likely due to normal aging. In fact, these capacitors are specialized for their purpose in the PS3, and should not be replaced unless they truly have failed.

In 2020, PSX-Place forum user "Icferrum" discovered a CECHAxx PS3 with a 40nm RSX inside instead of a standard 90nm RSX. There was no information about this modification online, so the only explanation was that Sony had done this officially. This set enthusiasts off to find a way to perform the same modification. A breakthrough was eventually made with the development of the "Frankenstein Mod" in 2021 (sometimes referred to as the "Orbis Mod"), which utilizes an Orbis modchip to make a 40nm RSX compatible with older PS3 models.<ref name=":17" />

As for how consumers largely discovered that the problem was related to Bumpgate, YouTube and PSX-Place user "RIP Felix" published multiple videos detailing his research and theories regarding the early PS3s' defect. Most significantly, Felix published a video where he and Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki) performed various experiments to confirm their theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" /> Felix and Davidson's findings effectively confirm that the only way to repair early PlayStation 3s with the "Yellow Light of Death" caused by a GPU failure is to replace the GPU with a non-defective model.

Thanks to the work of retro console modding and repair enthusiasts, consumers have an option to permanently repair these valuable systems. However, the "Frankenstein Mod" is not recommended for inexperienced modders or those who don't have access to a BGA rework station. Because of the specialized nature of this modification, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing any consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

== See Also: ==

* [[Nvidia]]
* [[Microsoft]]
* [[Sony]]
* [[HP Inc.|HP]]
* [[Apple]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

Bumpgate

2025-06-20T18:14:00Z

Vindicator4021: Removed the "Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults" section; spread its information to more specific consumer response segments. Also added a subsegment under Sony's consumer response that details how consumers performed their own repairs and discovered the cause of the fault.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and HP laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain Apple Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> This is notable because this means shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's confirmed Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This can mean a variety of things, including a GPU failure. However, it takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps. Depending on how many power cycle tests the consoles may have went through prior to being shipped out, it is possible that some or even all 43% of those defective consoles could have had GPU failures. Only 200,000 Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile" at launch- non-functioning Xbox 360s that they decided to repair and ship out later. 56% of systems worked on the first try after manufacture, and that number improved to 71% after component reworks. At the height of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that if they reflowed the motherboard- which is similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- their console may start functioning again for a limited, varying amount of time.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had previously paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point.

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had bought early models with a 90nm GPU- what are now commonly known as "phat" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

According to one of the individuals interviewed in the BBC Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, consumers would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and Sony would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one- such as a 65nm or 40nm GPU, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms.

By the time the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect was no longer present- so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for the same defect in their G84 and G86 GPUs.

The RSX is a modified version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective graphics cards, but it's unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. None of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have the 7800 GTX GPU (or a mobile version of it), and no sources have been found showing consumers complaining about problems with this GPU. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Sony did not know there was a defect with the 90nm RSX. This also does not mean that the 90nm RSX wasn't affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have done extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> to find the true cause of the problem so that consumers can fix impacted systems, and it has been determined that the "Yellow Light of Death" is extremely likely to be Bumpgate-related.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their theoretically Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BlueScreenDeath |first= |last2=Menchaca |first2=Lionel |date=23 Sep 2008 |title=Dell Warranty Extension Due to Nvidia Defect |url=https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/locked-topics-laptops-general/dell-warranty-extension-due-to-nvidia-defect/647e9a01f4ccf8a8de2c999e |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Dell Community}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=3 Jul 2008 |title=Lots of Nvidia Laptop Graphics Cards Are Overheating, Dying |url=https://gizmodo.com/lots-of-nvidia-laptop-graphics-cards-are-overheating-d-5021713 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also confirmed that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, by 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded to the point that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. In Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in enough detail for consumers to understand, leaving many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue feeling further validated and restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand.

In addition, the release of the information in ''Power On'' helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue in early Xbox 360s themselves, if necessary. Many consumers who had purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> had initially assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- which are used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. These individuals alleged that the brittler nature of non-leaded solder made the connections weaker compared to traditional leaded solder, causing the defect. Other consumers had a similar assumption, and thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console was getting too hot and "desoldering" the GPU from the motherboard as a result. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the non-defective revisions of the Xbox 360 and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles, but they were dispelled entirely once Chapter 5 of ''Power On'' was released.

Although the majority of Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console at the time; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Unfortunately, Sony failed to ever acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", other than denying how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal from Ray Maguire, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault.

Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

==== Consumers perform their own repairs ====
As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every PS3 enthusiast knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. The reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside to consumers, though, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades.

However, because Sony never acknowledged the defect, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault than it was for the Xbox 360. This led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. The only guidance that consumers had for what the fault could be was from the BBC Watchdog segment stating that it was a GPU failure- however, they had incorrectly diagnosed the cause in the segment. BBC Watchdog had also employed technicians to reflow the components on afflicted PS3s' motherboards- which led enthusiasts to believe that doing the same to their console would fix it. However, this would only temporarily restore functionality to the system.

By 2018, frustrated PS3 owners were searching for a better solution- preferably, an easier fix. As a result, rumors began to spread that it was not the RSX GPU that was defective, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref name=":4" /> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. In addition, a failure of the NEC-Tokins can result in similar behavior from the PS3, lending further credence to the claim. It was all but "confirmed" when enthusiasts tried replacing them with tantalum capacitors, and it worked for some. However, the reason for this is because it is possible for PS3s to have a GPU-related failure because of the NEC-Tokin capacitors. It has since been confirmed that the NEC-Tokins are not defective or poorly placed, and if they have failed in a console, it is likely due to normal aging. In fact, these capacitors are specialized for their purpose in the PS3, and should not be replaced unless they truly have failed.

In 2020, PSX-Place forum user "Icferrum" discovered a CECHAxx PS3 with a 40nm RSX inside instead of a standard 90nm RSX. There was no information about this modification online, so the only explanation was that Sony had done this officially. This set enthusiasts off to find a way to perform the same modification. A breakthrough was eventually made with the development of the "Frankenstein Mod" in 2021 (sometimes referred to as the "Orbis Mod"), which utilizes an Orbis modchip to make a 40nm RSX compatible with older PS3 models.<ref name=":17" />

As for how consumers largely discovered that the problem was related to Bumpgate, YouTube and PSX-Place user "RIP Felix" published multiple videos detailing his research and theories regarding the early PS3s' defect. Most significantly, Felix published a video where he and Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki) performed various experiments to confirm their theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" /> Felix and Davidson's findings effectively confirm that the only way to repair early PlayStation 3s with the "Yellow Light of Death" caused by a GPU failure is to replace the GPU with a non-defective model.

Thanks to the work of retro console modding and repair enthusiasts, consumers have an option to permanently repair these valuable systems. However, the "Frankenstein Mod" is not recommended for inexperienced modders or those who don't have access to a BGA rework station. Because of the specialized nature of this modification, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing any consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable to many consumers.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-17T03:56:11Z

Vindicator4021:

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

As for why I don't just make stubs out of these... ''mainly'' because I'm not 100% sure if all of these are Wiki-worthy, but I also just personally don't like making stubs. When I make a page, I consider myself the "head" of that project and I want to only be focused on the main topic of that one page instead of dividing my attention too much between other major projects. If you want to take an idea from here and make a stub for others to edit, that's fine with me- I just won't make a page until I'm ready to write it.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024, hence why I thought of this when I thought of "platform-exclusives".
*Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix (presumably) doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

===Shopping Stuff===

*AliExpress - I've heard a lot about this one being really bad for consumers, but I was reminded of it when I watched a MattKC video last night. He tried to turn a Surface Studio into a really big, nice monitor, and he had a ridiculously horrible time with an AliExpress seller and the company itself. I know they aren't US-based (pretty sure they're Chinese?) but they of course do sell internationally, and I think folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing).

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

Bumpgate

2025-06-17T03:44:12Z

Vindicator4021: /* Companies involved and responses */ Removed some irrelevant details and dialed back some of the editorializations; realized there was a bit of "original research", and a few off-tone sentences.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and HP laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain Apple Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide, almost industry-wide issue that impacted multiple GPUs from Nvidia and ATI. Therefore, it's unclear what company was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit or the system it's contained in (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). However, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> This is notable because this means shortly after launch, 43% of consumers had consoles showing symptoms of the now-infamous "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's confirmed Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":3" /> 

"Three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- or, a general hardware failure. This can mean a variety of things, including a GPU failure. However, it takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps. Depending on how many power cycle tests the consoles may have went through prior to being shipped out, it is possible that some or even all 43% of those defective consoles could have had GPU failures. Only 200,000 Xbox 360s were in what Microsoft termed "the bonepile" at launch- non-functioning Xbox 360s that they decided to repair and ship out later. 56% of systems worked on the first try after manufacture, and that number improved to 71% after component reworks. At the height of the "Red Ring of Death" crisis, some consumers discovered that if they reflowed the motherboard- which is similar to what Microsoft may have done to improve their yield of working Xbox 360s- their console may start functioning again for a limited, varying amount of time.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death". For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had previously paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref> By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point.

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based Reality Synthesizer (RSX) GPU. Many consumers who had bought early models with a 90nm GPU- what are now commonly known as "phat" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

According to one of the individuals interviewed in the BBC Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, consumers would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and Sony would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one- such as a 65nm or 45nm GPU, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms.

By the time the 65nm RSX was released in Fall 2008,<ref name=":6" /> the defect was no longer present- so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. The timing of this led some consumers<ref name=":4" /> to suspect that Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, as well as while Nvidia was being confronted for the same defect in their G84 and G86 GPUs.

The RSX is a modified version of Nvidia's 256MB GeForce 7800 GTX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimpi |first=Anand |last2=Wilson |first2=Derek |date=24 Jun 2005 |title=Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/1719/9 |url-status=live |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=AnandTech}}</ref> The GeForce 7 series does have some defective graphics cards, but it's unclear if the 7800 GTX is among them. None of the notebook laptops covered by the Nvidia class action lawsuit settlement<ref name=":16" /> seem to have the 7800 GTX GPU (or a mobile version of it), and no sources have been found showing consumers complaining about problems with this GPU. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Sony did not know there was a defect with the 90nm RSX. This also does not mean that the 90nm RSX wasn't affected by Bumpgate. Console repair and modding enthusiasts have done extensive research<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> and testing<ref name=":14" /> to find the true cause of the problem so that consumers can fix impacted systems, and it has been determined that the "Yellow Light of Death" is extremely likely to be Bumpgate-related.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their theoretically Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models.
====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BlueScreenDeath |first= |last2=Menchaca |first2=Lionel |date=23 Sep 2008 |title=Dell Warranty Extension Due to Nvidia Defect |url=https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/locked-topics-laptops-general/dell-warranty-extension-due-to-nvidia-defect/647e9a01f4ccf8a8de2c999e |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Dell Community}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors actually were defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=3 Jul 2008 |title=Lots of Nvidia Laptop Graphics Cards Are Overheating, Dying |url=https://gizmodo.com/lots-of-nvidia-laptop-graphics-cards-are-overheating-d-5021713 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> Charlie Demerjian, a writer for ''The Inquirer'' at the time, firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also confirmed that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained that if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia, and could have been dangerous for the company.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. Although Sony never made a statement on the "Yellow Light of Death", this is even consistent with when they switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX.<ref name=":6" /> The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, by 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded to the point that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. After Microsoft's explanation and confirmation of the exact issue that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue felt further validated, restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand. The release of this information also helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue not only in early Xbox 360s, but even in Sony's early PlayStation 3 systems- as this helped to elucidate the true cause of the early PS3s' problems.

Although most Xbox 360 consoles affected by Bumpgate were repaired by Microsoft as part of their extended warranty program, there were some that managed to slip through the cracks, so consumers today still need to be informed. It is generally recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase Xbox 360 consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Instead, Sony refused to acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", denied how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault. Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to simply consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every consumer knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. Of course, the reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades. In recent years, a breakthrough was made with the discovery of officially repaired early PS3s by transplanting a non-defective 65nm or 45nm RSX into the consoles,<ref name=":17" /> and the subsequent development of the "Frankenstein Mod" that is effectively the same procedure made possible for enthusiasts.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable.

===Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults===

There was a lot of speculation among affected consumers as to why so many GPUs were failing, and theories tended to vary between communities for devices. For example, consumers who purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. Many blamed it on the more brittle nature of non-leaded solder balls compared to traditional leaded ones. Others thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console getting too hot and literally "desoldering" the GPU. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the Jasper and Falcon revisions of the Xbox 360, and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles. They were dispelled entirely with the release of Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''<ref name=":3" />, where hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem.

With the PlayStation 3, much of the same speculation happened as with the Xbox 360. However, because the defect was never acknowledged as such by Sony, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault in consumers' machines. Long after the PS3 was no longer supported by Sony, this led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. By 2018, many owners were also convinced for some time that the fault wasn't even related to their RSX GPU, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naked_Snake1995 |date=15 Jul 2019 |title=(Research/Experimental) - NEC/TOKIN Capacitors Replacement - YLOD |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/research-experimental-nec-tokin-capacitors-replacement-ylod.25260/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. Some general hardware failures can be caused by the PS3's NEC-Tokin capacitors failing (primarily due to age), but Sony had designed the motherboard correctly when placing the NEC-Tokins- so they would not fail prematurely. It was not until 2022-2025 that this misconception was largely corrected amongst the community, and the true defect was identified as likely to be Bumpgate-related.<ref name=":4" />

With the help of Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki), YouTube user "RIP Felix" performed various experiments to confirm his theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" />

A common bad practice between both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 was to reflow the entire motherboard. Even alleged professional repair technicians did this, as shown in BBC's Watchdog segment for the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1" /> However, because this fault was caused by a defect in the GPU, this would only fix the problem ''temporarily'', if at all. In addition, a motherboard is not designed to go through this process more than once (specifically, at the time of manufacture), so this would damage the motherboard over time until it would be impossible to fix the system again.

The only way to permanently fix systems with a Bumpgate-affected GPU is to replace the defective GPU with one that doesn't have the defect. How possible that is, however, depends much on a person's skills, tools, and how easy or difficult it is for regular consumers to repair and modify the system. For example, the PS3 has a modification called "Frankenstein", which makes it possible to replace a defective 90nm RSX GPU with a non-defective 65nm or 40nm GPU from one of the newer PS3s. This modification was inspired by an "official" fix that Sony performed on some faulty PS3s. However, for a person to perform this repair, they would need a BGA rework station (and the skills to use it properly) and a softmodded PS3. A similar modification is also possible for early Xbox 360s, but it requires the same tools and modding experience as the PS3 does. Due to the specialized nature of such modifications, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

Talk:Bandicam perpetual license invalidation

2025-06-15T22:55:51Z

Vindicator4021:

Bandicam perpetual license invalidation

2025-06-15T22:53:51Z

Vindicator4021: Removed a link that was already cited properly.

{{ToneWarning}}
{{Incomplete|Issue 1=No company box nor lead description of the company|Issue 2=Lacking sufficient citations}}

Bandicam is a PC screen capture and recording software capable of taking screenshots and recording screen changes. It is shareware, meaning that it can be used for free with limited functionality and a watermark on each recording. However, the company that develops and owns the rights to the software, Bandicam Company, sells licenses for the software. However, in 2025, they developed a new version of the software that the perpetual license for previous versions is not valid for. If consumers who purchased a perpetual license for the previous version of Bandicam/Bandicut wish to use Bandicam/Bandicut 2025, they may have to re-purchase a perpetual license for the 2025 version of the software, or subscribe to their subscription model.

==Background==
Until 2025, Bandicam sold a perpetual license for all previous versions of the software. However, in 2025, they released a new version that has its own perpetual license. For consumers who purchased a perpetual license before November 18, 2023, they can upgrade their license to be valid with the 2025 version by paying $17 USD.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bandicam Company |date=2025 |title=Buy Bandicam Screen Recorder |url=https://www.bandicam.com/buy/ |url-status=live |access-date=15 Jun 2025 |website=Bandicam}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bandicam Company |date=2025 |title=Bandicam - Perpetual License upgrade |url=https://www.bandicam.com/buy/upgrade-to-new/ |url-status=live |access-date=15 Jun 2025 |website=Bandicam}}</ref> However, for consumers who purchased a perpetual license afterward, they would have to purchase another license to use the 2025 version. The 2024 version is supported for one year from the customer's date of purchase.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=spatieman |date=5 Feb 2025 |title=licence question... |url=https://www.bandicam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10911&p=30287&hilit=perpetual#p30287 |url-status=live |access-date=15 Jun 2025 |website=Bandicam Forums}}</ref>

==Company Response==
The company stated in a forum post to a user that their license was not going to be supported by Bandicam/Bandicut 2025.<ref name=":0" />

==Consumer response==
Some consumers abandoned the software in favor of other screen recording software.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Talk:Bandicam perpetual license invalidation

2025-06-15T22:52:28Z

Vindicator4021: /* Regarding the relevance */ new section

Bandicam perpetual license invalidation

2025-06-15T22:45:12Z

Vindicator4021: As funny as the original version of the article was, it was not exactly in the Wiki's voice, and it may have been misrepresenting the situation a bit. More on the Discussion page.

Bumpgate

2025-06-14T23:51:06Z

Vindicator4021: More revisions; added a couple more citations. Planning to clean up the in-text citations a little more at some point.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and HP laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain Apple Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on
a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide issue for any consumer that purchased these defective graphics processors. However, it's not fully clear who was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). With this in mind, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> 

Therefore, 43% of consumers shortly after launch had these familiar symptoms to retro console enthusiasts: the "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's Bumpgate-related fault. However, "three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- in other words, a general hardware failure. It takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps, so it is unlikely that these systems were failing specifically because of the Bumpgate defect. 56% of systems worked on the first try, and after component reworks, that number improved to 71%. Only 200,000 consoles went to what Microsoft termed "the bonepile", a collection of broken consoles that still did not work after a component rework. However, it is also worth noting that some owners discovered that some afflicted Xbox 360s will work again after a "reflow"- which is effectively redoing all of the components on the motherboard at once. In addition, Microsoft wasn't aware that the "Red Ring of Death" was a specific widespread problem yet, so they would not have been taking major note of consoles with a GPU problem. At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death".
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref>

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point. Generally, it is recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based RSX GPU. Many consumers who had bought launch models- what are now commonly known as "PlayStation 2 backwards compatible" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay out of their own pocket if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms. However, for a console that was advertised to still be relevant "ten years [from release]", a few years was not an acceptable lifespan. 

According to one of the individuals interviewed in BBC's Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, they would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and they would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mystic |date=9 Apr 2025 |title=Sony's PS3 Upgrade They Never Told You About: Official 40nm RSX Frankenstein Console From Sony |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2abnrOADoCc |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Instead of admitting that there was a defect and issuing an extended warranty to consumers (like Microsoft did) Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. Specifically, it was only 90nm GPUs that appeared to have low Tg underfill- and hence, the defect. As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their theoretically Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models. The only reason that consumers know that the RSX was likely afflicted by Bumpgate is thanks to console repair and modding enthusiasts- who had to do extensive research to find out the true cause of the problem. It was clear from the timeline of what systems have been observed to be reliable or unreliable revisions,<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Derf |last2=Nadaman |last3=et al. |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=PlayStation 3 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS3:Buying_Guide#PlayStation_3_%22Fat/Phat%22_(2006-2009) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref> as well as tests performed by console repair and modding enthusiasts,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> that this was a Bumpgate-related defect.

====Dell's and HP (HP-Compaq)'s Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
There were a variety of Dell and HP-Compaq notebook laptops that were affected by the Bumpgate defect, as evidenced by the Nvidia class action lawsuit.<ref name=":16" /> Upon being informed of the defect by Nvidia in 2008, both companies distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also provided free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. It's implied in an SEC report that Nvidia filed in 2008 that the companies were compensated for providing this service.<ref name=":10" />

Both Dell and HP-Compaq also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP-Compaq offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the affected notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they even offered this to customers whose original warranties already expired- making the new warranty valid from the date the original warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BlueScreenDeath |first= |last2=Menchaca |first2=Lionel |date=23 Sep 2008 |title=Dell Warranty Extension Due to Nvidia Defect |url=https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/locked-topics-laptops-general/dell-warranty-extension-due-to-nvidia-defect/647e9a01f4ccf8a8de2c999e |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Dell Community}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. They stopped manufacturing them with this GPU because they discovered it was one of the models affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors were indeed defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Marvin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the Bumpgate defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures that had this defect, but according to the class action lawsuit settlement,<ref name=":16" /> the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=3 Jul 2008 |title=Lots of Nvidia Laptop Graphics Cards Are Overheating, Dying |url=https://gizmodo.com/lots-of-nvidia-laptop-graphics-cards-are-overheating-d-5021713 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, writer for ''The Inquirer'', firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repairs, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their media and communications processors (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also confirmed that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

As Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained, if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Sony switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm RSX (based on an Nvidia chipset),<ref name=":6" /> and it also seems to be consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it, because the situation was still developing.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that all of their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, by 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded to the point that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome - Settlement and Class Member Appeal===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as settlement class members were presented with three options to be compensated, with all benefits paid for by Nvidia:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court to appeal. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that the company would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. After Microsoft's explanation and confirmation of the exact issue that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in ''Power On: The Story of Xbox,''<ref name=":3" /> many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue felt further validated, restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand. The release of this information also helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue not only in early Xbox 360s, but even in Sony's early PlayStation 3 systems- as this helped to elucidate the true cause of the early PS3s' problems.

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there was a defect. Instead, Sony refused to acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", denied how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault. Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to simply consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every consumer knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. The earliest two revisions, CECHAxx and CECHBxx, even have real PlayStation 2 processors built-in.<ref name=":18" /> This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. Of course, the reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades. In recent years, a breakthrough was made with the discovery of officially repaired early PS3s by transplanting a non-defective 65nm or 45nm RSX into the consoles,<ref name=":17" /> and the subsequent development of the "Frankenstein Mod" that is effectively the same procedure made possible for enthusiasts.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable.

===Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults===

There was a lot of speculation among affected consumers as to why so many GPUs were failing, and theories tended to vary between communities for devices. For example, consumers who purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. Many blamed it on the more brittle nature of non-leaded solder balls compared to traditional leaded ones. Others thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console getting too hot and literally "desoldering" the GPU. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the Jasper and Falcon revisions of the Xbox 360, and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles. They were dispelled entirely with the release of Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''<ref name=":3" />, where hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem.

With the PlayStation 3, much of the same speculation happened as with the Xbox 360. However, because the defect was never acknowledged as such by Sony, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault in consumers' machines. Long after the PS3 was no longer supported by Sony, this led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. By 2018, many owners were also convinced for some time that the fault wasn't even related to their RSX GPU, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naked_Snake1995 |date=15 Jul 2019 |title=(Research/Experimental) - NEC/TOKIN Capacitors Replacement - YLOD |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/research-experimental-nec-tokin-capacitors-replacement-ylod.25260/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. Some general hardware failures can be caused by the PS3's NEC-Tokin capacitors failing (primarily due to age), but Sony had designed the motherboard correctly when placing the NEC-Tokins- so they would not fail prematurely. It was not until 2022-2025 that this misconception was largely corrected amongst the community, and the true defect was identified as likely to be Bumpgate-related.<ref name=":4" />

With the help of Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki), YouTube user "RIP Felix" performed various experiments to confirm his theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" />

A common bad practice between both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 was to reflow the entire motherboard. Even alleged professional repair technicians did this, as shown in BBC's Watchdog segment for the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1" /> However, because this fault was caused by a defect in the GPU, this would only fix the problem ''temporarily'', if at all. In addition, a motherboard is not designed to go through this process more than once (specifically, at the time of manufacture), so this would damage the motherboard over time until it would be impossible to fix the system again.

The only way to permanently fix systems with a Bumpgate-affected GPU is to replace the defective GPU with one that doesn't have the defect. How possible that is, however, depends much on a person's skills, tools, and how easy or difficult it is for regular consumers to repair and modify the system. For example, the PS3 has a modification called "Frankenstein", which makes it possible to replace a defective 90nm RSX GPU with a non-defective 65nm or 40nm GPU from one of the newer PS3s. This modification was inspired by an "official" fix that Sony performed on some faulty PS3s. However, for a person to perform this repair, they would need a BGA rework station (and the skills to use it properly) and a softmodded PS3. A similar modification is also possible for early Xbox 360s, but it requires the same tools and modding experience as the PS3 does. Due to the specialized nature of such modifications, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

==References==
{{reflist}}

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Bumpgate

2025-06-14T17:46:30Z

Vindicator4021: Clarity revisions and citations. Also added a paragraph at the end of the Xbox 360 segment in "companies involved" that briefly touches on reliable revisions.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and HP laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain Apple Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a class action lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, the bumps will crack because the underfill isn't supportive enough. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on
a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide issue for any consumer that purchased these defective graphics processors. However, it's not fully clear who was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, etc.). With this in mind, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems.<ref name=":2" /> 

Therefore, 43% of consumers shortly after launch had these familiar symptoms to retro console enthusiasts: the "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's Bumpgate-related fault. However, "three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- in other words, a general hardware failure. It takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps, so it is unlikely that these systems were failing specifically because of the Bumpgate defect. 56% of systems worked on the first try, and after component reworks, that number improved to 71%. Only 200,000 consoles went to what Microsoft termed "the bonepile", a collection of broken consoles that still did not work after a component rework. However, it is also worth noting that some owners discovered that some afflicted Xbox 360s will work again after a "reflow"- which is effectively redoing all of the components on the motherboard at once. In addition, Microsoft wasn't aware that the "Red Ring of Death" was a specific widespread problem yet, so they would not have been taking major note of consoles with a GPU problem. At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to 1,000,000 Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death".
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref>

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

By mid-2008, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point. Generally, it is recommended by retro console enthusiasts to purchase consoles manufactured after May 2008 (or marked "Q2 2008") and avoid consoles manufactured before this point, but the Tonasket (AKA "Jasper Kronos" or "Jasper V2") motherboard revision is generally considered to be the most reliable of the original "phat" model Xbox 360 consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nadaman |last2=et al. |date=8 Jun 2025 |title=Xbox 360 - Buying Guide |url=https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:Buying_Guide |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=ConsoleMods Wiki}}</ref>

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with its Nvidia-based RSX GPU. Many consumers who had bought launch models- what are now commonly known as "PlayStation 2 backwards compatible" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when attempting to turn their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would continuously blink red without booting the system. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires troubleshooting by connecting to the System Controller (Syscon) and checking for error codes- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":14" />

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay out of their own pocket if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. However, that was rare; the PS3's fan table accommodated better for the temperature changes than the Xbox 360 did, so it took longer for the defect to break the console. Depending on how frequently the console was used, some consumers could have had their console for a few years before it displayed symptoms.

According to one of the individuals interviewed in BBC's Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, they would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and they would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one, which they were able to do for some consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Icferrum |date=2 Feb 2020 |title=Frankenstein PHAT PS3: CECHA with 40nm RSX |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/frankenstein-phat-ps3-cecha-with-40nm-rsx.28069/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref> In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Instead of admitting that there was a defect and issuing an extended warranty to consumers (like Microsoft did) Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. Specifically, it was only 90nm GPUs that appeared to have low Tg underfill- and hence, the defect.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their likely Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models. The only reason that consumers know that the RSX was likely afflicted by Bumpgate is thanks to console repair and modding enthusiasts- who had to do extensive research to find out the true cause of the problem. It was clear from the timeline of what systems have been observed to be reliable or unreliable revisions,<ref name=":4" /> as well as tests performed by console repair and modding enthusiasts,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> that this was a Bumpgate-related defect.

====Dell's and HP's Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
HP and Dell both distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also offered free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. Both companies also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they offered this even to customers whose warranties already expired, from the date the initial warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BlueScreenDeath |first= |last2=Menchaca |first2=Lionel |date=23 Sep 2008 |title=Dell Warranty Extension Due to Nvidia Defect |url=https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/locked-topics-laptops-general/dell-warranty-extension-due-to-nvidia-defect/647e9a01f4ccf8a8de2c999e |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Dell Community}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. It just so happened that this was one of the GPUs affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors were indeed defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Martin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures impacted by this defect, but the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=3 Jul 2008 |title=Lots of Nvidia Laptop Graphics Cards Are Overheating, Dying |url=https://gizmodo.com/lots-of-nvidia-laptop-graphics-cards-are-overheating-d-5021713 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, reporter for ''The Inquirer'', firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repair, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their multi-chip packages (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also confirmed that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

As Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained, if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Sony switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm Nvidia RSX,<ref name=":6" /> and it also seems to be consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, by 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded to the point that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as Settlement Class Members were presented with three options to be compensated:

#A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
#A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
#Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

Of course, all the settlement benefits for Class Members were paid for by Nvidia.

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that Microsoft would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. After Microsoft's explanation and confirmation of the exact issue that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''<ref name=":3" />, many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue felt further validated, restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand. The release of this information also helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue not only in early Xbox 360s, but even in Sony's early PlayStation 3 systems- as this helped to elucidate the true cause of the early PS3s' problems.

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there were a defect. Instead, Sony refused to acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", denied how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault. Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to simply consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every consumer knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. Of course, the reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades. In recent years, a breakthrough was made with the discovery of officially repaired early PS3s by transplanting a non-defective 65nm or 45nm RSX into the consoles, and the subsequent development of the "Frankenstein Mod" that is effectively the same procedure.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable.

===Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults===

There was a lot of speculation among affected consumers as to why so many GPUs were failing, and theories tended to vary between communities for devices. For example, consumers who purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. Many blamed it on the more brittle nature of non-leaded solder balls compared to traditional leaded ones. Others thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console getting too hot and literally "desoldering" the GPU. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the Jasper and Falcon revisions of the Xbox 360, and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles. They were dispelled entirely with the release of Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''<ref name=":3" />, where hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem.

With the PlayStation 3, much of the same speculation happened as with the Xbox 360. However, because the defect was never acknowledged as such by Sony, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault in consumers' machines. Long after the PS3 was no longer supported by Sony, this led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. By 2018, many owners were also convinced for some time that the fault wasn't even related to their RSX GPU, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naked_Snake1995 |date=15 Jul 2019 |title=(Research/Experimental) - NEC/TOKIN Capacitors Replacement - YLOD |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/research-experimental-nec-tokin-capacitors-replacement-ylod.25260/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. Some general hardware failures can be caused by the PS3's NEC-Tokin capacitors failing (primarily due to age), but Sony had designed the motherboard correctly when placing the NEC-Tokins- so they would not fail prematurely. It was not until 2022-2025 that this misconception was largely corrected amongst the community, and the true defect was identified as likely to be Bumpgate-related.<ref name=":4" />

With the help of Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki), YouTube user "RIP Felix" performed various experiments to confirm his theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" />

A common bad practice between both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 was to reflow the entire motherboard. Even alleged professional repair technicians did this, as shown in BBC's Watchdog segment for the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1" /> However, because this fault was caused by a defect in the GPU, this would only fix the problem ''temporarily'', if at all. In addition, a motherboard is not designed to go through this process more than once (specifically, at the time of manufacture), so this would damage the motherboard over time until it would be impossible to fix the system again.

The only way to permanently fix systems with a Bumpgate-affected GPU is to replace the defective GPU with one that doesn't have the defect. How possible that is, however, depends much on a person's skills, tools, and how easy or difficult it is for regular consumers to repair and modify the system. For example, the PS3 has a modification called "Frankenstein", which makes it possible to replace a defective 90nm RSX GPU with a non-defective 65nm or 40nm GPU from one of the newer PS3s. This modification was inspired by an "official" fix that Sony performed on some faulty PS3s. However, for a person to perform this repair, they would need a BGA rework station (and the skills to use it properly) and a softmodded PS3. A similar modification is also possible for early Xbox 360s, but it requires the same tools and modding experience as the PS3 does. Due to the specialized nature of such modifications, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-14T16:09:25Z

Vindicator4021: clarification on the public to-do list

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

As for why I don't just make stubs out of these... ''mainly'' because I'm not 100% sure if all of these are Wiki-worthy, but I also just personally don't like making stubs. When I make a page, I consider myself the "head" of that project and I want to only be focused on the main topic of that one page instead of dividing my attention too much between other major projects. If you want to take an idea from here and make a stub for others to edit, that's fine with me- I just won't make a page until I'm ready to write it.

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024, hence why I thought of this when I thought of "platform-exclusives".
*Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix (presumably) doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. I'd be VERY surprised if there wasn't already a dedicated page for it (or Google, where it could be mentioned). Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

===Shopping Stuff===

*AliExpress - I've heard a lot about this one being really bad for consumers, but I was reminded of it when I watched a MattKC video last night. He tried to turn a Surface Studio into a really big, nice monitor, and he had a ridiculously horrible time with an AliExpress seller and the company itself. I know they aren't US-based (pretty sure they're Chinese?) but they of course do sell internationally, and I think folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing).

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-14T15:49:00Z

Vindicator4021: Another idea on the "public to do list"

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024, hence why I thought of this when I thought of "platform-exclusives".
*Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix (presumably) doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. I'd be VERY surprised if there wasn't already a dedicated page for it (or Google, where it could be mentioned). Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

=== Shopping Stuff ===

* AliExpress - I've heard a lot about this one being really bad for consumers, but I was reminded of it when I watched a MattKC video last night. He tried to turn a Surface Studio into a really big, nice monitor, and he had a ridiculously horrible time with an AliExpress seller and the company itself. I know they aren't US-based (pretty sure they're Chinese?) but they of course do sell internationally, and I think folks should be aware of their practices- especially since their products are usually very cheap (and hence, enticing).

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-14T02:37:53Z

Vindicator4021: sarcasm directed at epic not being very epic

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem), but ''no~ooo'', we had to be Mr. "no internet means no fun" for no reason. >:| The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024, hence why I thought of this when I thought of "platform-exclusives".
*Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

===Tech Industry Stuff===

*YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. I'd be VERY surprised if there wasn't already a dedicated page for it (or Google, where it could be mentioned). Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

Talk:Bumpgate

2025-06-14T02:29:28Z

Vindicator4021:

Bumpgate

2025-06-14T02:28:01Z

Vindicator4021: Added consumer response for Nvidia and outcome of the class action lawsuit. Also have some brief info on claims and Nvidia's rebuttal and relevant citations.

[[File:Underfilled Die.png|alt=The image shows a diagram of a computer processor. On the bottom, there is a green rectangle labeled "substrate". On top of the substrate, there is a black rectangle labeled "chip", which refers to the die. Between the die and the substrate, there are small silver bumps equally spaced apart, encased within a white "filling". The bumps are the solder bumps connecting the die to the substrate, and the white filling is the underfill- meant to strengthen the solder bumps.|thumb|A diagram of a computer processor. When the underfill becomes too soft at any point in the processor's normal operating temperatures, the solder bumps under the die ("chip") can crack, disconnecting the die from the substrate. This leads to the processor failing, and in turn, leads to a critical system failure for the device it's in.]]
'''Bumpgate''', also known as '''Nvidiagate''', was a scandal where [[Nvidia]] and ATI Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were prone to high failure rates due to a design flaw that led to cracked solder bumps under the die.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the "Nvidiagate" name, this defect not only affected many Nvidia GPUs made from approximately 2006 to 2010, but it also affected ATI GPUs from 2006 to 2008. Among retro console enthusiasts, the defect is best known to have been the likely culprit behind the high failure rate of Nvidia GPUs in [[Sony]]'s early PlayStation 3 models<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |first= |date=23 Dec 2022 |title=A PS3 Story: The Yellow Light of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7WTNwAX0c |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and ATI GPUs in [[Microsoft]]'s early Xbox 360 models.<ref name=":3" /> Individuals interested in other retro computers may know of the defect from certain models of Dell and HP laptops manufactured as early as 2005 and as late as 2010, as well as certain Apple Macbook Pros made from May 2007 to September 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Affected Models |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080616/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/affectedmodels.html |archive-date=1 Oct 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>

==Background==

===Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Faults===
From approximately 2005-2010, GPU manufacturers Nvidia and ATI developed some GPUs that had a serious design flaw. This flaw led to failures in many of their GPUs during that time period, and Nvidia even saw a lawsuit from it. In order to understand what truly happened during this controversy, though, it's important to understand what exactly led to the faults.

These manufacturers had engineered GPUs that electrically connected the silicon chip (die) to the substrate (the "green square part") using high-lead solder bumps. High-lead solder bumps were chosen in order to fit the power delivery specifications that these GPUs needed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rob |date=29 Sep 2008 |title=NVIDIA at a Disadvantage Due to their Choice of Solder? |url=https://techgage.com/news/nvidia_at_a_disadvantage_due_to_their_choice_of_solder/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=Techgage}}</ref> To give these solder bumps more strength (especially when operating at high temperatures), it's standard to use an epoxy with silica filler known as underfill. Underfill needs to fit certain specifications, depending on how hot the processor it's used on is expected to get. If it's too hard, the underfill will crack the die. If it's too soft, it'll crack the bumps. It also needs to still fit within the right specifications at both high and low temperatures.

In 2006, IBM and Amkor published a study that explained that use of a low Tg underfill was not acceptable with high-lead solder bumps, and high Tg would be necessary to avoid defects.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=S. |last2=Kiyono |first2=S. |last3=Waite |first3=K. |last4=Nicholls |first4=L. |date=2006 |title=Qualification of low-K 90nm Technology Die with Pb-free Bumps on
a Build-up Laminate Package (PBGA) with Pb-free Assembly Processes |journal=56th Electronic Components and Technology Conference |pages=139-144 |via=IEEE}}</ref> Therefore, because Nvidia and ATI chose to use high-lead solder bumps, they needed a high Tg underfill. However, this study was not out at the time that GPUs from 2005 were made, and the companies ended up using low Tg underfill in these processors.

This low Tg underfill would become too soft at high, but normal operating temperatures for these GPUs. When the processor went through normal thermal changes, the solder bumps would soften under heat and harden as they cooled.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=1 Sep 2008 |title=Why Nvidia's chips are defective |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520152257/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1004378/why-nvidia-chips-defective |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=1 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref> This would happen over and over again until they cracked under the thermal stress. When enough solder bumps cracked, it would cause a failure in the unit, hence the term "Bumpgate".

==Companies involved and responses==
Bumpgate was a worldwide issue for any consumer that purchased these defective graphics processors. However, it's not fully clear who was the most responsible for the incident. Building a GPU is a specialized process that requires it to go through multiple partner companies before ultimately ending up with the company that sells the unit (i.e., Microsoft, Sony, etc.). With this in mind, it is still important to note the response of each of the companies that were the public faces involved in this incident.

====Microsoft's Response - The "Red Ring of Death"====
[[File:GPU early.jpg|alt=An image of a 90 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has dark greenish low Tg underfill under it, indicating that it is defective.|thumb|200x200px|A ''defective'' 90nm "Xenos" GPU from an '''early''' Xbox 360 (Xenon revision). Note the large die in the center of the chip, and the dark greenish underfill. The color of the underfill is one way to tell if the chip has the low Tg underfill.]]<blockquote>''"The breakthrough came when we understood that the connections that were being broken were not located on the motherboard, but they were actually located inside the components."''

- Leo Del Castillo, member of Xbox's hardware engineering group; ''Power On: The Story of Xbox (2021)''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Xbox |date=13 Dec 2021 |title=Power On: The Story of Xbox {{!}} Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/power-on-the-story-of-xbox/The+Story+of+the+Xbox+-+Chapter+5/Power+On+-+The+Story+of+Xbox+-+Chapter+5+-+The+Red+Ring+of+Death.mp4 |archive-date=13 Dec 2021 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 with the ATI Xenos GPU. According to leaked internal Microsoft documents from the time, 1.2 million 360s shipped out to consumers by November 30th, 2005. 3% of customers had some type of issue with their system. Out of that 3%, 19% had three flashing red rings, and 24% had freezing problems. 

Therefore, 43% of consumers shortly after launch had these familiar symptoms to retro console enthusiasts: the "Red Ring of Death"- which is what consumers around the world called the Xbox 360's Bumpgate-related fault. However, "three flashing red rings" on the Xbox 360 simply means "core digital error"- in other words, a general hardware failure. As it takes multiple power-on cycles to cause a failure in the solder bumps, it is unlikely that these systems were failing specifically because of the Bumpgate defect. 56% of systems worked on the first try, and after component reworks, that number improved to 71%. Only 200,000 consoles went to what Microsoft termed "the bonepile", a collection of broken consoles that still did not work after a component rework. However, it is also worth noting that some afflicted Xbox 360s will work again after a "reflow"- which is effectively redoing all of the components on the motherboard at once. In addition, Microsoft wasn't aware that the "Red Ring of Death" was a specific widespread problem yet, so they would not have been taking major note of consoles with a GPU problem. At the height of the Bumpgate-related defect, approximately 600,000 to one million Xbox 360s were suffering from the "Red Ring of Death".
[[File:GPU late.jpg|alt=An image of a 65 nanometer graphics processing unit from a Microsoft Xbox 360. The die is in the center of the green square, and the eDRAM is located to the left of it. The die has a light, whitish underfill- indicating that it is not one of the defective units.|thumb|204x204px|A ''non-defective'' 65nm "Xenos" GPU from a later revision of Xbox 360 (Jasper V2 on "Kronos 1" package). Note the smaller die and the light, whitish underfill.]]
For several months, Microsoft had consumers pay to repair their consoles. However, in 2007, they chose to extend the warranty for Xbox 360 consoles displaying an E74 error (an on-screen error also associated with "Red Ring of Death") from one year from date of purchase, to three years from date of purchase. This allowed most consumers who had consoles with the issue to get their consoles refurbished. In addition, they refunded any consumers who had paid to have their afflicted systems repaired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Peter |date=2007 |title=Open Letter From Peter Moore |url=http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023004948/http://xbox.com/en-ca/support/petermooreletter.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2007 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=Xbox}}</ref>

Microsoft primarily seemed to have done this to protect the Xbox brand. The Xbox 360 was only their second console, and the original Xbox hadn't done as well as they'd hoped it would. Microsoft confirmed this in Chapter 5 of their 2021 documentary, ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''.<ref name=":3" />

By 2009, the cause of the issue was confirmed to be "within the components"- the low Tg underfill. ATI and Microsoft completely fixed the issue in Xbox 360s made after this point.

====Sony's Response - The "Yellow Light of Death"====
<blockquote>''"We entirely refute the suggestion that PS3 consoles have an inherent defect or other design issue which is akin to any warranty issue experienced by another console manufacturer. [...] We think it is highly unfair to suggest that from an installed base of 2.5 million that the numbers you mention somehow are evidence of a 'manufacturing defect'..."''

- Ray Maguire, managing director and senior vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 2009; in a letter responding to a BBC Watchdog segment covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=BBC |date=18 Sep 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219154020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8263063.stm |archive-date=19 Feb 2025 |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=BBC NEWS}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matt |date=17 Sep 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}}</ref></blockquote>In November 2006, Sony released the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the early models of PlayStation 3 had what consumers believe to be Bumpgate-related issues with their Nvidia-based RSX GPU. Many consumers who had bought launch models- what are now commonly known as "PlayStation 2 backwards compatible" models- found that their systems were malfunctioning. PlayStation 3 systems that were exhibiting the issue may freeze suddenly during gameplay and shut off, but all users who dealt with the defect had a common experience: when turning their PlayStation 3 on, the LED power indicator would turn green for a moment, then the system would beep three times, very briefly flash to a yellow light, then it would blink red. This was coined by consumers as the "Yellow Light of Death".

BBC Watchdog aired a segment in 2009 covering the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=HelpForPS3 (Reuploader) |last2=BBC |date=17 Dec 2009 |title=Sony PS3 Yellow Light of Death - BBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ef8bDQktI |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> The hosts stated that when viewers called Sony because their console was malfunctioning, Sony told them that it could have been for a variety of reasons, and they couldn't determine exactly what the problem was without disassembling the console having the issue. While all of this is true- the LED indicators do simply indicate a general hardware failure that requires detailed troubleshooting- it is worth noting that by August 2008, Sony was building consoles with the 65nm RSX<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=R. |date=26 Jun 2008 |title=PS3 graphics chip going 65nm this Fall |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101930/https://www.engadget.com/2008-06-26-ps3-graphics-chip-going-65nm-this-fall.html |archive-date=24 Sep 2021 |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NVIDIA Playstation 3 GPU 65nm Specs |url=https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/playstation-3-gpu-65nm.c1682 |url-status=live |access-date=3 Jun 2025 |website=TechPowerUp GPU Database}}</ref>, which has been confirmed by enthusiasts to not suffer from the theoretically Bumpgate-related fault.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=15 Jan 2024 |title=A 360 Story - The RED Ring of Death & the 7th Generation Console War |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKtS_uxdcU |url-status=live |access-date=2 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

Sony never issued a recall or extended warranty for these systems; all consumers had to pay out of their own pocket if they wanted their consoles repaired, unless the system failed during the standard one-year warranty period. According to one of the individuals interviewed in BBC's Watchdog segment, if the system was outside of its one year warranty period, they would have to pay £128 (~$173) to get the system fixed, and they would only provide customers with a three-month post-repair warranty. If it failed again after that point, they would have to pay out of pocket again. Keeping in mind that the fault was very likely caused by a GPU defect, this possibility was very likely unless Sony's repair technicians replaced the defective 90nm GPU with a non-defective one, which they were able to do for some consoles. In addition, the console would also be reset during the repair, meaning that the owner would lose all data that was not backed up prior to the failure, such as game saves.<ref name=":1" />

Instead of admitting that there was a defect and issuing an extended warranty to consumers (like Microsoft did) Sony simply quietly fixed the defect around the same time that Microsoft did for the Xbox 360, so PS3 "slim" revisions and newer were not affected. Specifically, it was only 90nm GPUs that appeared to have low Tg underfill- and hence, the defect.

As of 2025, Sony has still never made a statement confirming that "Yellow Light of Death", their likely Bumpgate-related issue, was a widespread problem in early PlayStation 3 models. The only reason that consumers know that the RSX was likely afflicted by Bumpgate is thanks to console repair and modding enthusiasts- who had to do extensive research to find out the true cause of the problem. It was clear from the timeline of what systems have been observed to be reliable or unreliable revisions,<ref name=":4" /> as well as tests performed by console repair and modding enthusiasts,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=RIP Felix |date=9 Jun 2025 |title=A PS3 Story 2: Defending BumpGate Theory |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjtRjGPLhI |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref> that this was a Bumpgate-related defect.

====Dell's and HP's Responses - BIOS Updates and Free Repairs====
HP and Dell both distributed BIOS updates for affected systems with Nvidia GPUs that according to The Inquirer, "[ran] the fan all the time".<ref name=":5" /> The purpose of this was to attempt to prevent the problem from occurring so that consumers wouldn't have to get their systems repaired. However, both companies also offered free repairs for systems already exhibiting symptoms of a failing GPU, such as no video output to the monitor or the computer failing to boot. Both companies also offered varying limited warranties after impacted devices were repaired. HP offered a limited warranty for 24 months (two years) after the start of customers' original limited warranty or 90 days (approximately three months) after the notebook was repaired- whichever was later.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=HP |date=2008 |title=HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement |url=http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710172852/http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=c01087277 |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=HP Customer Care}}</ref> Dell extended limited warranties for systems with these issues for 12 months (one year) from the original purchase date, with a maximum of up to 60 months (five years). In addition, they offered this even to customers whose warranties already expired, from the date the initial warranty expired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BlueScreenDeath |first= |last2=Menchaca |first2=Lionel |date=23 Sep 2008 |title=Dell Warranty Extension Due to Nvidia Defect |url=https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/locked-topics-laptops-general/dell-warranty-extension-due-to-nvidia-defect/647e9a01f4ccf8a8de2c999e |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Dell Community}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=David |date=19 Aug 2008 |title=Dell extends warranties after GPU fault |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/dell-extends-warranties-after-gpu-fault/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=ZDNet}}</ref>

====Apple's Response - Macbook Pro, May 2007 - September 2008====
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the aluminum Macbook Pro that used the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT GPU, and manufactured the computers with this GPU until September 2008. It just so happened that this was one of the GPUs affected by Bumpgate. Unlike the issues with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where the system wouldn't even boot, consumers ran into distorted video or no video output on their devices. Nvidia had assured Apple that the graphics processors were not defective, so Apple initially ignored reports expressing that possibility.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple: NVIDIA chips to blame for MacBook Pro video problems |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-nvidia-chips-to-blame-for-macbook-pro-video-problems/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=10 Oct 2008 |title=Apple Confirms Failing Nvidia Graphics Cards in MacBook Pros, Offers Free Repairs and Refunds |url=https://gizmodo.com/apple-confirms-failing-nvidia-graphics-cards-in-macbook-5061605 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> However, after doing their own investigation, Apple had found that the processors were indeed defective. Because of this, Apple offered extended repair coverage adding up to four years from the date of original purchase, and refunded customers who already paid to repair systems affected by this defect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apple Support |date=18 Nov 2014 |title=MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues |url=http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202230527/http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203254 |archive-date=2 Dec 2014 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Apple}}</ref>

====Nvidia's Response - Inquirer Accusations and SEC Report====
[[File:Nvidia G80, G84 and G86 size comparison.jpg|alt=Three GPU dies are lined up in a row, from largest to smallest, left to right: the Nvidia G80, then the G84, then the G86. The internals of the dies are visible.|thumb|Image of the Nvidia G80, G84, and G86's dies (left-to-right). The G84 and the G86 GPUs are known to have been impacted by the Bumpgate defect.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Demerjian |first=Charlie |date=9 Jul 2008 |title=All Nvidia G84 and G86s are bad |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710121746/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad |archive-date=10 Jul 2008 |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=The Inquirer}}</ref>]]
''See also: Lawsuit(s)''<blockquote>''[As of July 2, 2008, all] newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. [...] We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.''

- Martin Burkett, Nvidia Chief Financial Officer, Form 8-K report to SEC.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Burkett |first=Marvin |last2=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date=2 Jul 2008 |title=Form 8-K |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045810/000119312508145974/d8k.htm |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=SEC}}</ref></blockquote>Nvidia processors were not the only ones affected by the defect (i.e., the Xbox 360's ATI Xenos GPU), but they seem to have been the most heavily impacted. There were a wide variety of Nvidia graphics processors across multiple architectures impacted by this defect, but the earliest confirmed system with the defect appears to have been manufactured in December 2005, and the latest systems were manufactured in late February 2010.

The defects were being noticed broadly amongst consumers around July 2008, particularly when ''The Inquirer'' published reports that drew attention to the problems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Matt |date=3 Jul 2008 |title=Lots of Nvidia Laptop Graphics Cards Are Overheating, Dying |url=https://gizmodo.com/lots-of-nvidia-laptop-graphics-cards-are-overheating-d-5021713 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Jun 2025 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> Charlie Demerjian, reporter for ''The Inquirer'', firmly presented claims and evidence that every G84 and G86 GPU was defective- including desktop GPUs- even accusing Nvidia of attempting to cover up the problems.

On July 2nd, 2008- a few days before Demerjian's article was published- Nvidia filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).<ref name=":10" /> The report explained that the corporation would pay a $150-200 million one-time charge to cover customer warranties, repair, returns, replacements, and other notable expenses caused by poor packaging material in some of their multi-chip packages (MCPs) and GPUs exclusively used in laptops. This report also confirmed that all of their newly manufactured products from that point forward would have a more suitable material set.

As Joel Hruska from Ars Technica explained, if Nvidia ''was'' trying to cover up the defect- as Demerjian claimed- with this report to the SEC, they not only attempted to avoid responsibility and accused their suppliers of causing the problem, they also committed financial fraud by intentionally lowballing their expected financial losses. This is a major accusation that could have had severe consequences for Nvidia.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Hruska |first=Joel |date=16 Jul 2008 |title=NVIDIA denies rumors of faulty chips, mass GPU failures |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/07/nvidia-denies-rumors-of-mass-gpu-failures/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 Jun 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> However, it is difficult to verify if Nvidia was lying or simply not fully aware of the scale of Bumpgate. Nvidia's public acknowledgement of the defect in the SEC report is consistent with when Sony switched the PlayStation 3 to the non-defective 65nm Nvidia RSX,<ref name=":6" /> and it also seems to be consistent with when Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> discovered the problem. The only company it does not appear consistent with is Apple, who discovered the defect in their Macbook Pro systems after their own investigation in September 2008.<ref name=":9" /> Even so, it is possible that Nvidia did not know that the GeForce 8600M GT GPUs in the 2007-2008 Macbook Pro were impacted yet when Apple asked them about it.

Regardless of if Nvidia was truthful in their report or not, they denied the claims that individuals like Demerjian were making- that their GPUs were defective and failing en masse.<ref name=":11" /> However, by 2010, consumers' trust in Nvidia had eroded to the point that a class action lawsuit was filed because of the defect.

==Nvidia Class-Action Lawsuit (2010)==
In 2008, individuals and companies began filing lawsuits against Nvidia. A total of nine cases were filed that were found to be related, and by 2010, these became a class-action lawsuit.

===Claims===
Class members claimed that Nvidia had manufactured defective GPUs and knowingly failed to compensate them.

Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
Nvidia denied all allegations of wrongdoing and tried to defend their actions. 

The response of Nvidia or counterclaims.

===Outcome===
Nvidia opted for a settlement<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - What can I get from the settlement? |url=http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001080625/http://www.nvidiasettlement.com/faq.html |archive-date=1 Sep 2010 |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=The NVIDIA GPU Litigation}}</ref>- though, asserted that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Consumers who participated as Settlement Class Members were presented with three options to be compensated:

# A replacement GPU inside their affected notebook;
# A replacement HP notebook computer with one "similar in kind and value" to the one they owned;
# Reimbursement of either the whole cost of repairing the notebook due to a previous GPU failure or a portion of that amount (dependent on how many people submitted valid claims for reimbursement).

Of course, all the settlement benefits for Class Members were paid for by Nvidia.

The majority of people got their notebooks repaired, but some HP laptops could not be repaired, so they had to be replaced. Many of the systems eligible for the settlement were high-end laptops, originally valued around $1,000 USD. Unfortunately, they were given a budget Compaq Presario CQ56 that was not equivalent in specifications or original value, because it costed approximately how much the three-year-old, defective laptops they replaced were valued at by the time the settlement was reached. Outraged, some of those Class Members contacted Ted Frank from the Center for Class Action Fairness, who promptly filed a complaint with the court. However, US District Chief Judge James Ware ruled in Nvidia's favor, because the Compaq Presario CQ56 "[came] with an advanced operating system, new warranty and other programs".<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=DeCarlo |first=Matthew |date=3 May 2011 |title=Customers get shafted in Nvidia class action suit |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/43614-customers-get-shafted-in-nvidia-class-action-suit.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=TechSpot}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
[Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts. General Consumer Response (frustration at/satisfaction with Microsoft, Sony, etc.)]

===Xbox 360/Microsoft Consumer response===
At first, consumers were angry at Microsoft. During the months that Microsoft would not acknowledge the widespread "Red Ring of Death", many consumers felt as if they'd been tricked and made a bad investment when they purchased an Xbox 360. However, when Microsoft extended the warranty on Xbox 360s experiencing an E74 error to three years after purchase, consumer sentiment improved. After Microsoft's explanation and confirmation of the exact issue that caused the "Red Ring of Death" in ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''<ref name=":3" />, many consumers who remembered dealing with this issue felt further validated, restoring some trust in Microsoft and the Xbox brand. The release of this information also helped enthusiasts learn more about how to fix the issue not only in early Xbox 360s, but even in Sony's early PlayStation 3 systems- as this helped to elucidate the true cause of the early PS3s' problems.

===PlayStation 3/Sony Consumer Response===
Consumers who experienced the "Yellow Light of Death" were upset with Sony for their poor response. Some, such as PS3 modding and repair enthusiast "RIP Felix", described Sony's response as "gaslighting"<ref name=":2" />- saying that Sony had manipulated consumers into thinking that there was no widespread defect. The six-page letter from Ray Maguire to the BBC following their Watchdog segment takes a tone that supports Felix's claim<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" />; By 2009, Sony had stopped producing PS3s with the defective 90nm RSX- which left many consumers suspicious that Sony was trying to cover up the problem to avoid taking responsibility for it.

In 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was new, the console costed $599 USD for the 60GB model ($499 USD for the 20GB model).<ref name=":3" /> This was a major price to pay for a game console; the Nintendo Wii launched at $249.99 USD in November 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |last2=Casamassina |first2=Matt |date=14 Sep 2006 |title=US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/14/us-wii-price-launch-date-revealed |url-status=live |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=IGN}}</ref> and the Xbox 360 launched in late November 2005 at $399 USD ($299 USD for the Core System version).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surette |first=Tim |date=17 Aug 2005 |title=Xbox 360 pricing revealed: $299 and $399 models due at launch |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013951/http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-pricing-revealed-299-and-399-models-due-at-launch-6131245 |archive-date=5 Jun 2013 |access-date=10 Jun 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Because of the extremely high price compared to competitors, consumers felt that they were making a major investment in a high quality system that would be well-supported if there were a defect. Instead, Sony refused to acknowledge the "Yellow Light of Death", denied how widespread it was in their only official rebuttal, and made consumers pay for an issue that was never their fault. Some consumers who dealt with the "Yellow Light of Death" paid Sony to repair their systems, but others decided to simply consider it a loss. For consumers whose systems failed after the "Slim" models came out, some of them chose to re-purchase the cheaper, allegedly more reliable Slim models. At the time, it was assumed that these models were not prone to "Yellow Light of Death" (they have since been confirmed completely non-defective), but there was still some uncertainty among the community at the time. However, others gave up on Sony entirely, switching to other platforms- particularly, the Xbox 360.

As a result of the poor response from Sony, consumers largely took things into their own hands. When the PS3 was still supported, informed consumers were sure to warn prospective buyers that the "backwards compatible" and "phat" models of PS3 were prone to the "Yellow Light of Death", that Sony wouldn't fix it for free, and even if they were willing to send it in for repairs, the system would be reset. In the United Kingdom, there was the BBC Watchdog segment that- while misguided on the cause of the problem- did inform consumers across the UK about the issues, so they knew to avoid these early PS3s and choose a newer Slim model if they wanted a PS3.

As of 2025, nearly every consumer knows about the reliability issues of the early, "backwards compatible" PlayStation 3s. Despite this, though, these systems are quite popular among retro console repair and modding enthusiasts particularly for their ability to play not only original PlayStation games, but also PlayStation 2 games. This is especially enticing to consumers who own a PlayStation 5, which is capable of playing PlayStation 4 games, so a person could play any PlayStation game across any generation on legitimate hardware with only two consoles. Of course, the reliability issues of these early PS3s is a major downside, so the community has been looking for ways to permanently repair these systems for nearly two decades. In recent years, a breakthrough was made with the discovery of officially repaired early PS3s by transplanting a non-defective 65nm or 45nm RSX into the consoles, and the subsequent development of the "Frankenstein Mod" that is effectively the same procedure.

===Nvidia Consumer Response===
Many consumers were uncomfortable with purchasing Nvidia's products for several years, because they saw Nvidia as untrustworthy after their perceived response to the Bumpgate scandal. A GPU is one of the most expensive components in a computer, and it's an investment expected to last for approximately as long as the component remains technologically relevant. Therefore, consumers had some right to be cautious when hearing about defective Nvidia GPUs- especially before the defect was publicly acknowledged.

If a product does not last because of a defect, then the company should respect their customer's investment by honoring the warranty- or by recalling the product if the defect is found to be common, as with Bumpgate. Nvidia's SEC report<ref name=":10" /> shows that they appeared to have this intention, and the company informing Dell<ref name=":8" /> and HP<ref name=":7" /> of the defect also seem to demonstrate this. In addition, based on the fact that Bumpgate affected some non-Nvidia processors (such as the Xbox 360's ''ATI'' graphics processor<ref name=":3" />), Nvidia was likely not fully responsible for the underfill defect. In fact, they alleged in the SEC report that it was their packaging company that caused the problem. However, this did not quell consumers' anger at Nvidia, and a class action lawsuit was filed. Unfortunately, the results of that lawsuit and subsequent settlement left consumers still angry and frustrated at the company- especially those who received insufficient compensation, like those who ended up with a budget laptop to replace their high-end laptop.<ref name=":15" /> This only fueled consumer distrust for Nvidia. Although the defect may not have fully been Nvidia's fault, their failure to properly compensate some Class Members when they agreed to settle was unacceptable.

===Misdiagnosis/Poor Repair of Faults===

There was a lot of speculation among affected consumers as to why so many GPUs were failing, and theories tended to vary between communities for devices. For example, consumers who purchased an Xbox 360 from this era<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enever |first=Liam |date=1 Oct 2017 |title=Why has my got the red ring of death (sic) |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/430460/Why+has+my+got+the+red+ring+of+death |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=iFixIt Answers Forum}}</ref> and even some independent repair technicians<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Apr 2014 |title=Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death: Why Lead-Free Solder or Solder Failure Are the Problem |url=https://electronicfix.com.au/console-repairs/what-does-the-rrod-mean/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=The Electronic Fix}}</ref> assumed that the issue was caused by Microsoft using lead-free solder balls- used to connect the Xenos GPU to the motherboard- in order to meet new-at-the-time RoHS standards in the European Union. Many blamed it on the more brittle nature of non-leaded solder balls compared to traditional leaded ones. Others thought it was related to the solder balls' melting point, and that the console getting too hot and literally "desoldering" the GPU. These misconceptions largely faded into obscurity when Microsoft released the Jasper and Falcon revisions of the Xbox 360, and announced their extended warranty on their defective consoles. They were dispelled entirely with the release of Chapter 5 of ''Power On: The Story of Xbox''<ref name=":3" />, where hardware engineers for Xbox during this era explained the problem.

With the PlayStation 3, much of the same speculation happened as with the Xbox 360. However, because the defect was never acknowledged as such by Sony, it was far less clear to consumers what exactly was causing the fault in consumers' machines. Long after the PS3 was no longer supported by Sony, this led many retro console and repair enthusiasts to make poorly informed choices in how to attempt to repair their devices. By 2018, many owners were also convinced for some time that the fault wasn't even related to their RSX GPU, but rather, the NEC-Tokin capacitors surrounding it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naked_Snake1995 |date=15 Jul 2019 |title=(Research/Experimental) - NEC/TOKIN Capacitors Replacement - YLOD |url=https://www.psx-place.com/threads/research-experimental-nec-tokin-capacitors-replacement-ylod.25260/ |url-status=live |access-date=4 Jun 2025 |website=PSX-Place}}</ref> The reason for the misconception was because Toshiba laptops from the same era had their NEC-Tokins fail prematurely due to a design flaw specific to those laptops. Some general hardware failures can be caused by the PS3's NEC-Tokin capacitors failing (primarily due to age), but Sony had designed the motherboard correctly when placing the NEC-Tokins- so they would not fail prematurely. It was not until 2022-2025 that this misconception was largely corrected amongst the community, and the true defect was identified as likely to be Bumpgate-related.<ref name=":4" />

With the help of Xbox 360 repair and modding enthusiast Josh Davidson (Octal450 on the ConsoleMods Wiki), YouTube user "RIP Felix" performed various experiments to confirm his theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX was affected by Bumpgate. They tested the solder bumps under the 90nm RSX's die to confirm the use of high-lead solder bumps, and also performed a variety of tests on the underfill, comparing it to similar defective and non-defective GPUs from the same era- such as the Xbox 360's GPUs and Nvidia's GPUs. The tests included simply shining an ultraviolet light on the underfill to see the similarities in color and luminescence, poking the underfill of each of the GPUs with a soldering iron at various temperatures to compare the reactions, and even using a UV visual spectrophotometer to visualize the difference between compositions in various underfills. The results strongly support Felix's theory that the PS3's 90nm RSX's defects were due to Bumpgate; each test showed that the 90nm RSX was remarkably similar to known defective GPUs, but distinct from non-defective ones.<ref name=":14" />

A common bad practice between both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 was to reflow the entire motherboard. Even alleged professional repair technicians did this, as shown in BBC's Watchdog segment for the "Yellow Light of Death".<ref name=":1" /> However, because this fault was caused by a defect in the GPU, this would only fix the problem ''temporarily'', if at all. In addition, a motherboard is not designed to go through this process more than once (specifically, at the time of manufacture), so this would damage the motherboard over time until it would be impossible to fix the system again.

The only way to permanently fix systems with a Bumpgate-affected GPU is to replace the defective GPU with one that doesn't have the defect. How possible that is, however, depends much on a person's skills, tools, and how easy or difficult it is for regular consumers to repair and modify the system. For example, the PS3 has a modification called "Frankenstein", which makes it possible to replace a defective 90nm RSX GPU with a non-defective 65nm or 40nm GPU from one of the newer PS3s. This modification was inspired by an "official" fix that Sony performed on some faulty PS3s. However, for a person to perform this repair, they would need a BGA rework station (and the skills to use it properly) and a softmodded PS3. A similar modification is also possible for early Xbox 360s, but it requires the same tools and modding experience as the PS3 does. Due to the specialized nature of such modifications, most people will still recommend for consumers to find someone skilled enough to do the modification for them, buy a system that is already modified, or to simply avoid purchasing consoles impacted by Bumpgate.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Placeholder box|[[mw:Help:VisualEditor/User_guide#Editing_categories|Add a category]] with the same name as the product, service, website, software, product line or company that this article is about.

The "Incidents" category is not needed.}}

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-14T00:39:21Z

Vindicator4021: Another idea in the "public to do list"

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

==Article Ideas (Public To-Do List)==
DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

===Car Stuff===

*JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
*Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
*Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

===Gaming Stuff===

*Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
**This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
**Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
*Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
*Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem). The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.
*Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

=== Tech Industry Stuff ===

* YouTube - This is a goldmine (junk-mine?) of consumer rights violations. This is a topic Louis talks about frequently, so there's plenty of options to adapt videos to articles as well. I'd be VERY surprised if there wasn't already a dedicated page for it (or Google, where it could be mentioned). Maybe if any of those videos aren't adapted yet, I'll do one after Bumpgate's done before a bigger article as a "break". :P

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin, or a mod, or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

===Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes?===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-12T21:11:45Z

Vindicator4021: Added a section for article ideas I have that folks can steal. lol

Hi. You can call me "Vindicator" or just "V". Normally, on pages like this, I ask "how the heck did you find me", but you probably found me on the leaderboard thing because I edit this wiki a fair bit.

''Discord notice:'' I don't use [[Discord]]. Privacy policy and all that rubs me the wrong way. If you need to get ahold of me, feel free to post on my [[User talk:Vindicator4021|discussion]] page. If it's relevant to a specific article I've edited or made, you can also @ me on the article in question's discussion page; every page I edit is on my watchlist, so it should notify me.

==Statistics==

===Created Pages===

#[[Bumpgate]]

===Notable Edited Pages===

*[[Nintendo 3DS]] - First edit! (otherwise minor lol)
*[[Crash Team Racing]] [Nitro Fueled] - Various major edits (also, fun fact: the 1999 version was basically my first video game lol)
*[[Nintendo]] - The Big House Online Tournament (2020)
*[[Minecraft account migration]] - Introduction

===Milestones===

*Account created & first edit - May 17th, 2025
*Account confirmed - May 29th, 2025
*Created first article - June 1st, 2025

''See also: [[Special:Contributions/Vindicator4021|User contributions for Vindicator4021]]''

== Article Ideas ==
DISCLAIMER: These are just ideas for topics potentially worth researching in the future for documented cases of consumer rights violations. In other words, I have not researched these topics (yet); they are based on anecdotes and hearsay (for now). I'm posting them on my page here publicly because I am just one person with limited time, and someone else may see this and go "oh, hey! That sounds like a good idea!" and then I don't have to do it. :P Do note, though, I may remove any of these ideas at any time if I think at some point that they're not worth mentioning on this Wiki or I find out there's already an article or a good enough mention of it, or I may move them to the discussion page of a relevant article. Also note that some of these topics may be already mentioned on the Wiki; I have not read every page. (I know, shocker lol)

=== Car Stuff ===

* JATCO (Nissan) CVT transmissions - These transmissions have a bit of a reputation for being unreliable. Might be worth looking into.
* Northstar Engine (General Motors) - Back in the early 2000's, there was a rather infamous engine used primarily in Buick vehicles that blew head gaskets like crazy. Basically, there were these bolts held the motor head down that had threads that were too wimpy to do their job- hence, blown head gaskets. Clearly a defect. Lots of those cars still have this issue, which makes me wonder how GM actually responded to it...
* Hyundai/Kia engine issues - I've heard these things have certain engines that fail left-and-right- to the point that the companies recalled those motors. May just end up being a mostly positive incident, but I think we need more of those, too.

=== Gaming Stuff ===

* Ideas for the Switch article (some may be moved to the article discussion later) -
** This was many years ago, and probably an isolated incident, but I will mention it: I recall that MrMario2011 had to send his launch Switch to Nintendo to get fixed ''at least'' three times. I'm thinking I should go back to these videos to see what happened and investigate if there were many others experiencing the same issues.
** Joy-Con Drift - There needs to be a dedicated article, because there's red links on the Switch article, and it was a major debacle. Basically, there was a major defect with the Joy-Cons' joysticks that made them very prone to stick drift that Nintendo staunchly refused to acknowledge or admit to for a long time. If nobody beats me to it, I'll write this one after Bumpgate's done.
* Platform-exclusive games - I don't ''know'' if this is something that should be on the wiki, but I'm dropping it here. Personally, I find that it hurts consumer choice and even ownership because some platforms don't like it when you own things. May be good for a general topic article that connects to other issues.
* Epic Games putting online-only DRM on singleplayer games - Lookin' at you, Kingdom Hearts series Epic Games version. I wanted to play overcomplicated w(h)acky key game on my Steam Deck while waiting in the car for my mom at the optometrist before the Steam version came out (which does not have this problem). The PC version of these games were exclusive to Epic from 2021-2024.
* Oxenfree access revoked - I think there's something on the wiki about game licenses being revoked already, but I don't think this specific instance was mentioned. Last year, in 2024, the game Oxenfree was pulled from various storefronts- including DRM-free ones. Because Potatoes. But seriously- I don't think it was ever officially explained ''why'' (or at least, I didn't see anything when I tried looking into it last year). Folks ''guessed'' it was probably because Netflix bought out the developer (or might've been the publisher) and Netflix doesn't want people owning stuff because "profit number not go up". This is very notable because the game was part of the Black Lives Matter bundle on itch.io back in 2020. Definitely worth looking into.

==Yapping time==

===What do you do on the wiki?===
I ''mostly'' edit existing wiki pages for grammar, spelling, formatting, and clarity. Might add onto a page or make one if I'm feeling particularly passionate about a topic. Despite how much I edit, I am not an admin or anything; I'm just some rando who likes editing pages. :P In fact, I'm pretty new to this. This is my first wiki editing account, and I don't think I've ever edited any other wikis anonymously in the past.

You also will notice that I may have one (usually minor) edit right after another sometimes. This is just because I almost always finish editing and then realize I forgot to do something minor on the page (i.e., put a period somewhere) and I'm a forgetful perfectionist who has to fix it immediately, lol. I know this does kind of bloat my edit count a bit, but it's not my intention to manipulate the leaderboard thing (I don't really care about being high up on it).

===Why'd you decide to start editing the wiki?===
Probably the same reason you likely visited or started editing: saw one of Louis Rossmann's videos where he mentioned it and wanted to help out. It wasn't until I kind of started editing in detail that I remembered that I sort of have skills and interests that would help a lot with this project.

===What kind of "skills and interests" do you have that would help?===
Almost ten years ago now, I edited articles and wrote a monthly editorial for my high school newspaper (that nobody read except the Boomer teachers at the school, lol). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it so much that I'd wanted to pursue journalism in college. There are many (mostly personal) details to why that fell through that I won't get into, but the significant thing that I ''will'' mention is that I had some concerns with the integrity of the field that made me hesitant to get into it. Once again, without too many details, though my personal beliefs have shifted much in (almost) ten years, I'm not convinced that my younger self's concerns were totally unfounded.

I don't think I'd go as far as to call editing wiki articles "journalism", but editing and making wiki articles for a project like this really isn't much different from writing an unbiased news article, so it kind of satisfies the same interest for me. You need to try to follow a lot of the same base standards to make a good article: present the facts and let people come to their own conclusions without leading them in one particular direction. Also, research. (So much research...)

===How'd you come up with your username?===
Technically, a username generator on a password manager. Probably about a year or two ago, I made a "throwaway" account on another website, and needed a username. I usually click until I find something that I'll remember, and for that website, it came up with... "Vindicate". I just changed it to "Vindicator".

What's funny is that I use this pseudonym on many websites- with random number combinations on the end ("4021" does not mean anything). That was actually my intention here as well, just to maintain a vague sense of anonymity, but then I accidentally ended up making myself known from editing a lot and ending up on the "Top Contributors" page. Whoops! :P

=== Why do you put so many links and comments on article discussions sometimes? ===
I treat the article discussion pages a little bit like notes that anybody can read. Though, I will admit- I can be a little prone to going overboard at times. Come to think of it, when I was in school, I was the one in the group project who put a bunch of links in the Google Doc for everyone to potentially reference, so I guess it's a bit of a habit. I don't think it's necessarily bad to do it, but I do worry it crowds out the discussion page a bit too much. Again, I'm pretty new to all this, so I'm still finding a happy medium for it.

User:Vindicator4021

2025-06-11T19:38:51Z

Vindicator4021: Added Statistics section.

Happiest Baby

2025-06-11T18:54:27Z

Vindicator4021:

{{Incomplete}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Happiest Baby
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2001
| Industry = Electronics
| Official Website = https://happiestbaby.com/
| Logo = Happiest baby logo.png
}}
'''Happiest Baby''' is a smart-technology company based in Los Angeles, CA, founded in 2001 by Dr. Harvey Karp and Nina Montée-Karp. Its stated mission is to use technology to "[help] parents… [raise] happy, healthy children."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250130023159/https://www.happiestbaby.com/pages/our-mission "Happiest Baby - Our Mission"] - archive.org - archived 2025-01-30</ref>

'''Notable products''':

*Released the '''SNOO Smart Baby Sleeper''' in 2016.

==Summary of anti-consumer practices==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Controversy
!Year
!Background Info
!Aftermath
!Related Article
!Related Video(s)
|-
|Features "Paywalled"
|2025
|The SNOO Smart Baby Sleeper is a product with a price tag of $1,695.00 USD. The purchasing page was not updated to have a "subscription plan" until June 11, 2024. The wording was changed on July 15, 2024 to add a limit to the free premium subscription of nine months.
|Unknown
|https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202166/snoo-premium-subscription-happiest-baby
|
|}

==References==
<references />2. [https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202166/snoo-premium-subscription-happiest-baby The Snoo’s best features are now behind a premium subscription | The Verge]
[[Category:Happiest Baby]]

BMW's heated seat subscription

2025-06-11T18:45:05Z

Vindicator4021: Minor grammar and clarity edits.

In July 2022, [[BMW]] started charging a subscription for their heated seats as part of their Functions on Demand system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BMW ConnectedDrive seamlessly integrates your mobile devices, smart home technology, and your vehicle's intelligent interfaces into a complete driver's environment. |url=https://www.bmwusa.com/explore/connecteddrive.html |url-status=live |access-date=1 Apr 2025 |website=[[BMW]]}}</ref> BMW's Functions on Demand system operates on a user opt-in/out subscription to enable various functions inside their vehicles. In September 2023, BMW stated they are no longer charging a subscription for heated seats.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Attwood |first=James |date=7 Sep 2023 |title=BMW will not charge extra to activate existing functions in cars |url=https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/bmw-will-not-charge-extra-activate-existing-functions-cars#:~:text=What%20we%20don%E2%80%99t%20do%20any%20more |url-status=live |access-date=1 Apr 2025 |website=AutoCar}}</ref>

==Background==
Heated seats first appeared in cars in 1966. However, it wouldn't be until 1972 that some cars would come with heated seats as standard, with others charging for optional packages to include them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guthrie |first=Susanna |date=29 Jul 2022 |title=As much of Australia battles through a particularly nasty winter, one feature on our cars is getting a thorough workout – heated seats. But how do they actually work? And are they bad for your health? We answer the burning questions. |url=https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/how-do-heated-seats-in-cars-work/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Apr 2025 |website=DRIVE}}</ref>

==Heated seat subscription==
[[File:Bmw-heated-seats-subscription.jpg|thumb|370x370px|South Korean heated seat subscription pricing. Photo by motor1.com taken from BMW South Korea.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Padeanu |first=Adrian |date=11 Jul 2022 |title=BMW Heated Seats Subscription Is Real And It Costs $18 Per Month |url=https://www.motor1.com/news/597376/bmw-heated-seats-subscription/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 Apr 2025 |website=Motor1}}</ref>]]
BMW stated that around 90% of customers would order the optional heated seat package.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Christopher |date=14 Jul 2022 |title=BMW USA Won't Have Heated Seat Subscription If Option Is Already Chosen |url=https://www.motor1.com/news/598281/bmw-usa-heated-seat-subscription-if-option-chosen/#:~:text=As%20premium%20vehicle,ConnectedDrive%20store%20online. |url-status=live |access-date=1 Apr 2025 |website=Motor1}}</ref> In order to streamline their factories, they started installing heated seats in all vehicles. Ordinarily, the costs saved by streamlining factories would be passed on to customers with lower vehicle pricing, or by offering advanced features at a more competitive price. However, BMW's approach is to continuously charge customers for such features, using recurring fees rather than a one-time purchase.

BMW started testing the waters with their heated seat subscription in South Korea. South Koreans' monthly pricing is ₩24,000. Using the 2022 currency conversion to USD, this works out to approximately:<ref name=":1" />

*$18/mo
*$176/yr
*$283/3yr
*$406 for unlimited use

A similar subscription is offered for heated steering wheels, with costs at:<ref name=":1" />

*$10/mo
*$92/yr
*$161/3yr
*$222 for unlimited use

==Legal impact==
Introduced in September 2022, New Jersey's Assembly proposed a bill to make it illegal for automobile manufacturers to offer subscription services for any motor vehicle feature that:<ref>https://legiscan.com/NJ/text/A4519/2022</ref>

#utilizes components and hardware already installed on the motor vehicle at the time of purchase or lease by the consumer; and
#would function after activation without ongoing expense to the dealer, manufacturer, or any third-party service provider.

The bill later died in committee.<ref>https://legiscan.com/NJ/bill/S3271/2022#:~:text=2022%20%2D%2025%25%20progression%2C-,died%20in%20committee,-Action%3A%202022%2D10</ref>

==Consumer response==
Many BMW owners found it unacceptable to pay a subscription for a feature that was physically present in their vehicles. A common feeling between consumers was that they were being "charged twice for something they already owned". There were also concerns over privacy and security, as the vehicles are connected to the internet and can be controlled by the manufacturer. This led to questions about data privacy and potential intrusions.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Prakash |first=Timothy |date=11 Sep 2023 |title=BMW Drops Heated Seats Subscription Due To Customer Backlash |url=https://thesun.my/motoring-news/bmw-drops-heated-seats-subscription-due-to-customer-backlash-JD11478313 |url-status=live |access-date=1 Apr 2025 |website=The Sun}}</ref>

==BMW's response==
In September 2023, following severe consumer backlash, BMW suspended their heated seat subscription model. However, they still plan to look to explore other options regarding their Functions on Demand system.<ref name=":2" /> Some of these other options include dashcams and remote start functions, according to a BMW statement.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:BMW]]

Frontier Airlines

2025-06-11T18:38:01Z

Vindicator4021: Minor grammar and spelling edits.

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Frontier Airlines, Inc.
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1994
| Industry = Airlines
| Official Website = https://flyfrontier.com/
| Logo = Frontier Airlines logo.svg.png
}}

[https://www.flyfrontier.com/ '''Frontier Airlines, Inc.'''] is a major American airline known for its ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) model. In spite of its no-frills approach to air travel, Frontier Airlines has faced increasing criticism from consumers, journalists, advocacy groups, and the media for its unfair business practices. In 2023, Frontier Airlines was the most complained-about airline.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Alex |date=16 May 2025 |title=Airline complaints hit record high, but a new report has tips to avoid travel headaches |url=https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-05-16/airline-complaints-hit-record-high-but-a-new-report-has-tips-to-avoid-travel-headaches |url-status=live |access-date=9 Jun 2025 |work=NPS News, Colorado}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grubola |first=Heather |date=1 Aug 2024 |title=Pa. woman frustrated with Frontier after getting involuntarily bumped from flight |url=https://6abc.com/post/berks-county-woman-frustrated-frontier-airlines-after-getting-involuntarily-bumped-flight/15133908/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250512212909/https://6abc.com/post/berks-county-woman-frustrated-frontier-airlines-after-getting-involuntarily-bumped-flight/15133908/ |archive-date=12 May 2025 |access-date=9 Jun 2025 |work=6abc Action News}}</ref> Since 2022, Frontier Airlines received almost 6,500 BBB complaints, many of which consisted of specific issues like "customer service," "repair."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frontier Airlines, Inc. |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/co/denver/profile/airlines/frontier-airlines-inc-1296-55000095/complaints |url-status=live |access-date=9 Jun 2025 |website=Better Business Bureau}}</ref> Frontier Airlines customers have heavily-criticized the airline because of its history of prioritizing profits over passengers due to the airline's deceptive and exploitive business practices.

==Consumer-impact summary==
Over the years, Frontier Airlines has earned itself a budget-focused reputation because of its controversial business practices and business operations. The most well-known of these issues are:

*Denying boarding for customers due to the voluntary overbooking of flights
*Not compensating passengers or providing worthless forms of compensation to passengers for operational shortfalls (e.g., lost/mishandled luggage, canceled flights)
*Engaging in bait‑and‑switch tactics by charging passengers for "extra" services during checkout
*Charging customers for medical supplies
*Charging customers for speaking to a human
*Charging customers inconsistent fees without transparent price posting
*Charging customers succeeding fees in addition to the already-paid fee after the initial sale
*Temporarily removed its phone support in 2022, but reintroduced it in 2024 because of high customer demand
*Collect personal data on passengers before setting the price as part of their "dynamic pricing" approach
*Forcing customers to waive their right to sue or join class actions if they enroll in their fly pass program
*Sells passengers' personal information to third parties without providing passengers a way to opt-out
*Making it difficult to check-in for flights online via [[Frontier Airlines Obfuscates Web Check-in Form|web-based check-in]]

==Incidents==

===Deliberately selling more seats on flights than available, then denying boarding for passengers===
Compared to other airlines, including other airlines with a ULCC model, Frontier Airlines has the highest involuntary denied-boarding rate among carriers in the United States. <ref>{{Cite news |last=Turner |first=Matt |date=August 22, 2024 |title=The Airlines That Deny the Most Passengers |url=https://www.travelagentcentral.com/transportation/airlines-deny-most-passengers |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250324104445/https://www.travelagentcentral.com/transportation/airlines-deny-most-passengers |archive-date=March 24, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |work=Travel Agent Central}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Alex |date=September 23, 2024 |title=The Airlines Most Likely To Bump You [2024 Data + Survey] |url=https://upgradedpoints.com/news/airlines-most-likely-to-bump-you-2024/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250413204317/https://upgradedpoints.com/news/airlines-most-likely-to-bump-you-2024/ |archive-date=April 13, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |work=Upgraded Points}}</ref> In 2023 to 2024, Frontier had 3.21 involuntary bumps, the highest recorded number of involuntary bumps from 2023 to 2024. As a comparison, American Airlines follows this number with a rate of 0.6, a rate 400% lower than Frontier Airlines. At about 3.21 involuntary bumps per 10,000 passengers, this means that a paying Frontier Airlines passenger is about eight times more likely to be denied boarding than an American Airlines passenger because of Frontier Airlines' practice of deliberately overbooking flights.

The following is an account from Frontier Airlines passenger, Erin Woltjen, who was denied boarding while attempting to board her flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta:<blockquote>"''I scanned my boarding pass from my phone and it didn't work. He looks at the computer and he says to us, 'I'm sorry, the plane's been overbooked.' And he goes on to explain that none of us are getting on the plane at this time."''</blockquote>The passenger was ultimately given a refund after speaking with a Frontier Airlines spokesperson.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Klisauskaite |first=Vyte |date=August 3, 2024 |title="You Were Not There": Frontier Airlines Tells Passenger They Were A No Show After Overbooking Flight |url=https://simpleflying.com/frontier-airlines-passenger-no-show/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250409000628/https://simpleflying.com/frontier-airlines-passenger-no-show/ |archive-date=April 9, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |work=Simple Flying}}</ref> Many other passengers share Miss Woltjen's experience of being denied boarding due to Frontier Airlines' budget-focused practice of overbooking flights.

===Failing to compensate passengers for cancelations and delays===
Frontier Airlines has a large history of refund complaints by customers. In 2022, Frontier Airlines accounted for 13% of all refund-related complaints filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT), and only 2.9% of all boarded U.S. airline-boarded passengers were Frontier Airlines passengers. This indicates an extremely high complaint rate.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Teresa |date=April 24, 2023 |title=REPORT: Frontier, Spirit, JetBlue have worst complaint ratios |url=https://pirg.org/media-center/report-frontier-spirit-and-jetblue-have-worst-complaint-ratios/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114061400/https://pirg.org/media-center/report-frontier-spirit-and-jetblue-have-worst-complaint-ratios/ |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |work=PIRG}}</ref> Additionally, the airline was fined $2.2 million by the DOT, only 0.066% of the company's revenue in 2022. This equates to a person making $100,000 per year being fined $66.

There are numerous examples of Frontier Airlines providing worthless or inadequate compensation to customers, especially in the form of vouchers. Aviation outlet ''Simple Flying'' has warned consumers about Frontier’s unfair and “highly restrictive” compensation practices, advising passengers to decline vouchers and request cash refunds when they are legally entitled to them. In 2024, Frontier Airlines issued travel vouchers in an attempt to compensate bumped passengers. The vouchers were often only valid for 90 days, and excluded taxes, fees, the cost of seat selection, and the cost of baggage, rendering these forms of compensation effectively "worthless" in many circumstances.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Roberts |first=Michal |date=May 10, 2025 |title=Why Airlines Sometimes Offer Money To Switch Flights |url=https://simpleflying.com/airlines-offer-money-switch-flights/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250511140110/https://simpleflying.com/airlines-offer-money-switch-flights/ |archive-date=May 11, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |work=Simple Flying}}</ref>

The DOT has implemented a new rule that airlines must follow that mandates airlines to:

#Automatically rebook passengers on the next available flight for free in the event of a cancelation due to a controllable circumstance or provide a refund to the original payment if the passengers chooses not to accept the new travel plans.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2024 |title=DOT Launches Rulemaking to Protect Passengers Stranded by Airline Disruptions |url=https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-launches-rulemaking-protect-passengers-stranded-airline-disruptions |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250422010803/https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-launches-rulemaking-protect-passengers-stranded-airline-disruptions |archive-date=April 22, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |website=U.S. Department of Transportation}}</ref>
#Issue a voucher or flight credit that is transferrable and valid for 5 years if the passengers opts for one.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2024 |title=Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees |url=https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-rule-requiring-automatic-refunds-airline |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250607025328/https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-rule-requiring-automatic-refunds-airline |archive-date=June 7, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |website=U.S. Department of Transportation}}</ref>

In 2024, ''Mighty Travels'' ''Premium'' reported a YTD flight cancelation rate of 1.7%. Frontier ranked among the highest of airlines with a cancelation rate in August and October with a rate of 3.3% and 3.1% respectively according to DOT Air Travel Consumer Reports.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2024 |title=Frontier Airlines Introduces New Rebooking Process for Canceled Flights |url=https://www.mightytravels.com/2024/07/frontier-airlines-introduces-new-rebooking-process-for-canceled-flights/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126121213/https://www.mightytravels.com/2024/07/frontier-airlines-introduces-new-rebooking-process-for-canceled-flights/ |archive-date=January 26, 2025 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |website=Mighty Travels Premium}}</ref> Though not explicitly stated, the recent implementation of these DOT rules allude to the obvious shortcomings of Frontier's current rebooking practices.

===Bait-and-switch practices===
It is common for ULCC airlines to advertise low fares, and then add strict fees after the fact, making the posted fare difficult to purchase as-is. Frontier Airlines is exceptionally notorious for this. In 2023, Frontier constantly advertised low base fares for flights, but pressed fees for additional services. After declaring baggage and choosing seats, passengers may ultimately pay a total price about three to five times higher than the advertised base fare.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Barbara |date=May 29, 2019 |title=How to Avoid Airline Fees |url=https://www.consumerreports.org/airline-fees/how-to-avoid-airline-fees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811053634/https://www.consumerreports.org/airline-fees/how-to-avoid-airline-fees/ |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |website=Consumer Reports}}</ref>

===Charging customers for speaking with a human agent & ending phone support===
Frontier Airlines has a history of charging passengers a $20 to $25 "Airport Assistance Fee" for communicating with their in-person support staff.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lincoln |first=Ashli |date=December 4, 2024 |title=More passengers say Frontier Airlines employees extorted them |url=https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/more-passengers-say-frontier-airlines-employees-extorted-them/GWO7GZU4ENHV3P7PEYM7567P4A/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124122218/https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/more-passengers-say-frontier-airlines-employees-extorted-them/GWO7GZU4ENHV3P7PEYM7567P4A/ |archive-date=January 24, 2025 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |work=WSB-TV Atlanta}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Winter |first=Emily |date=April 11, 2023 |title=Yes, an airline can charge you a fee for help at the airport |url=https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/travel-verify/airline-charge-fee-help-assistance-bags-boarding-pass-at-airport-frontier-spirit/536-9b0e1578-d626-482c-b805-fac1902ebc24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002235820/https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/travel-verify/airline-charge-fee-help-assistance-bags-boarding-pass-at-airport-frontier-spirit/536-9b0e1578-d626-482c-b805-fac1902ebc24 |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |website=VerifyThis}}</ref>

There is also a history of charging $35 fee for talking to customer service agents over the phone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=A. |first=Ayah |date=July 21, 2022 |title=Airlines Charging As Much As $35 To Speak To A Phone Rep |url=https://travelnoire.com/airlines-charging-as-much-as-35-to-speak-to-a-phone-rep |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211131942/https://travelnoire.com/airlines-charging-as-much-as-35-to-speak-to-a-phone-rep |archive-date=February 11, 2025 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |website=Travel Noire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Towey |first=Hannah |date=July 19, 2022 |title=Customers unable to navigate this summer's flight chaos online are getting stuck paying $25 fees to buy or change their tickets over the phone |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/flight-delays-cancelations-25-phone-fees-jetblue-united-customer-service-2022-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717220503/https://www.businessinsider.com/flight-delays-cancelations-25-phone-fees-jetblue-united-customer-service-2022-7 |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |website=Business Insider}}</ref>

As of June 2025, passengers are still charged a $25 "non-refundable" fee for speaking with Frontier airport agents.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2025 |title=Optional Services |url=https://www.flyfrontier.com/optional-services?mobile=true |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250515220732/https://www.flyfrontier.com/optional-services/?mobile=true |archive-date=May 15, 2025 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |website=Frontier}}</ref> They may qualify for an exemption, though.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2025 |title=Airport Agent Assistance |url=https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel/travel-info/airport-agent-assistance/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250503201933/https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel/travel-info/Airport-Agent-Assistance |archive-date=May 3, 2025 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |website=Frontier}}</ref>

In 2022, Frontier shut down its customer service phone hotline, leaving customers only the option to seek support via live chat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Britt |first=Phil |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Frontier Airlines Hangs up Customer Phone Support. What's the CX Message? |url=https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/frontier-airlines-hangs-up-customer-phone-support-whats-the-cx-message/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250412183716/https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/frontier-airlines-hangs-up-customer-phone-support-whats-the-cx-message/ |archive-date=April 12, 2025 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |website=CMS Wire}}</ref> This has since been reversed in 2024.

===Unfair treatment of passengers with disabilities and medical conditions===
Multiple passengers have expressed their disappointment with Frontier for their egregious treatment of passengers with medical needs. Perhaps one of the most notable of these instances was when a Frontier agent forced a paralyzed passenger to pay in cash to check a medical-supply despite a confirmation from TSA that it contained no prohibited items.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leff |first=Gary |date=May 30, 2025 |title=“Yes, I’m Discriminating”—Frontier Agent Caught Illegally Charging Wheelchair Passenger For Medical Bag |url=https://viewfromthewing.com/yes-im-discriminating-frontier-agent-caught-illegally-charging-wheelchair-passenger-for-medical-bag/ |url-status=live |website=View from the Wing}}</ref>

On more than one occasion, Frontier has mishandled mobility aids.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boey |first=Valerie |date=July 28, 2023 |title=Frontier Airlines returns missing wheelchair to paralyzed Florida man who went without it for 3 days |url=https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/another-person-says-frontier-airlines-lost-their-wheelchair |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241107012825/https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/another-person-says-frontier-airlines-lost-their-wheelchair |archive-date=November 7, 2024 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |work=Fox 35 Orlando}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wakeman |first=Lauren |date=November 14, 2023 |title=Lawsuit filed against Frontier Airlines for losing, damaging disabled woman’s custom wheelchair |url=https://www.salvilaw.com/press-release/lawsuit-filed-against-frontier-airlines-for-losing-damaging-disabled-womans-custom-wheelchair/ |url-status=live |website=Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.}}</ref>

===Incentivizing gate agents to squeeze passengers on bag fees===
It is a common practice for ULCC airlines staff to audit passengers' bag dimensions while they queue for boarding at airport gates. However, Frontier Airlines is arguably a great deal more predatory in this practice. In a 2024 U.S. Senate Committee Meeting where several major airline executives were present, Senator Josh Hawley raised a question about whether the airlines paid a "bounty" to their employees for catching passengers with bags that were too big at airport gates. Bobby Schroeter, who is the officer in charge of Frontier Airlines' commercial operations, states: "We charge them an incentive... we recognize this [gate-side baggage auditing] is a hard job and therefore, we incentivize them to do that... '''$10 per bag."'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2024 |title=Sen. Josh Hawley to Airline Executives: "Flying on your airlines is horrible." |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5144527/sen-josh-hawley-airline-executives-flying-airlines-horrible |url-status=live |website=C-Span}}</ref> According to a Frontier Airlines spokesperson, the commision-based bonus is "simply an incentive for our airport customer service agents to help ensure compliance with our policies and that all customers are treated equally.”<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitehead |first=Joanna |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Frontier Airlines admits it pays agents a bonus for charging passengers for oversized baggage |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/frontier-airlines-baggage-policy-airport-b2299842.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116201224/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/frontier-airlines-baggage-policy-airport-b2299842.html |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=June 10, 2025 |work=The Independent}}</ref> Many customers argue that the incentives create financial motivation to not treat passengers "equally," but rather to be overly critical, and even aggressive in some circumstances over enforcing bag size limits.

Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines cumulatively spent $26 million between 2022 and 2023 paying gate agents incentives to catch passengers with bags that did not fit in the airlines' gate-side sizers.<ref name=":0" />

Frontier Airlines tends to be more predatory in bag auditing at airport gates because they target passengers at the moment before boarding. Not only are passengers caught off-guard at this moment, the fees they pay at this time are a great deal higher, sometimes $99 compared to a lower fee when paid earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 17, 2025 |title=Frontier Airlines Begins Charging for Carry on Bags |url=https://www.cheapair.com/blog/frontier-airlines-begins-charging-for-carry-on-bags/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425230421/https://www.cheapair.com/blog/frontier-airlines-begins-charging-for-carry-on-bags/ |archive-date=April 25, 2025 |website=CheapAir}}</ref> In addition, a class-action lawsuit alleges that Frontier gate agents utilized the gate-side bag-sizers smaller than the posted size to mislead passengers into paying fees for bags that were actually within size limits.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pradelli |first=Chad |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Lawsuit accuses Frontier Airlines of bogus baggage fees {{!}} Investigation |url=https://6abc.com/frontier-airlines-bag-policy-class-action-lawsuit-flight-fees/14085587/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326031459/https://6abc.com/frontier-airlines-bag-policy-class-action-lawsuit-flight-fees/14085587/ |archive-date=March 26, 2025 |access-date=Junie 10, 2025 |work=6abc Action News}}</ref> To further push Frontier's budget-focused business model, the bag fee incentives, coupled with their bait-and-switch practice of cheap tickets, and multiple fees, appears to be an overarching strategy to exploit their customers as much as possible so that the airline can make as much money as possible.

===Obfuscating web-based check-in and charging passengers for it===
To be written.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Frontier Airlines]]

Poco X3 series

2025-06-11T18:24:10Z

Vindicator4021: Minor grammar and clarity edits.

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year =2020
| Product Type =Mobile Phone
| In Production =No
| Official Website =https://www.po.co/global/poco-x3-nfc/
| Logo =QuestionMark.svg
}}{{StubNotice}}
The POCO X3, X3 NFC and X3 Pro are smartphones developed by [[Xiaomi]] and released under their POCO brand. These models are particularly prone to randomly rendering themselves unusable ("bricking"), either because of bad software updates or bad quality soldering. The company usually ignores customers' complaints or requests for help if the warranty period is expired, even if forced updates caused the phone to become unusable.

==Consumer impact summary==
Some incidents show that the company doesn't care if changes to software make the phone unusable, nor does it care about the longevity of the devices manufactured by them.

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Bad quality solder joints cause the phone not to start at all just around the time when warranty expires (''2022 and onwards'')===
Bad quality soldering caused chips to partially detach from the main board, rendering the phone completely defunct, or in mild cases only causing it to lose some functionality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Complaints on POCO's official forum |url=https://c.po.co/global/topicdetail/10049}}</ref> The issue requires board level repair to fix. In the best cases, this can restore the phone to working order for about 2 years, but in the worst cases, the phone only survives for about a day before not turning on again. The outcome of the repair can't always be determined in advance, so the phone isn't reliable anymore even after the repair.<ref>{{Cite web |title=iFixit thread on the issue |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/736918/Phone+is+dead,+it+doesn't+starts?utm_source=chatgpt.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Forum thread discussing the viability of reballing |url=https://xdaforums.com/t/experience-after-reballing.4569279}}</ref>

===MIUI 13 update causing phones to bootloop (X3 Pro) (''2022-07-25'')===
After the MIUI 13 update, POCO X3 Pro phones were stuck in a bootloop. Customer support ignored customers who were out of the warranty period.

==See also==

[[Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program]]

[[Pixel 9a Battery Health Assistance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Products]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

Google Play Integrity API

2025-06-11T18:18:15Z

Vindicator4021:

The Play Integrity API is an API provided by [[Google]] for the [[Android]] Operating System that allows applications to verify the genuineness of the app's binary and Android version.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overview of the Play Integrity API |url=https://developer.android.com/google/play/integrity/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250607124755/https://developer.android.com/google/play/integrity/overview |archive-date=2025-06-07 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Android Developers}}</ref> It is the successor of the now deprecated SafetyNet Attestation API.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the SafetyNet Attestation API deprecation |url=https://developer.android.com/privacy-and-security/safetynet/deprecation-timeline |website=Android Developers}}</ref> The API offers 4 device integrity labels, which are detailed in the table below.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Integrity verdicts |url=https://developer.android.com/google/play/integrity/verdicts#device-integrity-field |website=Android Developers}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Integrity Level
!Bootloader Can Be Unlocked
!Customized OSes Allowed
!Description
!Requirement(s)
|-
|<code>MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITY</code>
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes}}
|The app is running on a device that passes basic system integrity checks. The device may not be Play Protect certified.
|Attestation root of trust provided by Google
|-
|<code>MEETS_VIRTUAL_INTEGRITY</code>
| style="vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" |Unknown
| style="vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" |Unknown
|The app is running on an Android-powered emulator with Google Play services.
|The emulator passes system integrity checks and meets core Android compatibility requirements.
|-
|<code>MEETS_DEVICE_INTEGRITY</code>
|{{No}}
|{{No}}
|The app is running on a genuine Play Protect certified Android-powered device.
|Hardware-backed proof that the device bootloader is locked and the loaded Android OS is a certified device manufacturer image.
|-
|<code>MEETS_STRONG_INTEGRITY</code>
|{{No}}
|{{No}}
|The app is running on a genuine Play Protect certified Android-powered device with a recent security update.
|Android 13+: <code>MEETS_DEVICE_INTEGRITY</code> and security updates in the last year for all partitions of the device, including an Android OS partition patch and a vendor partition patch.
Android 12 and lower: Only hardware-backed proof of boot integrity
|}

==Consumer impact summary==
Since the Play Integrity API relies on Google to certify devices, any apps requiring <code>MEETS_DEVICE_INTEGRITY</code> or <code>MEETS_STRONG_INTEGRITY</code> are only allowed on operating systems that Google allows. This allows Google to exert [[Monopoly|monopolistic]] power by not certifying competitors' operating systems, since many apps choose to use the Play Integrity API instead of the Key Attestation API that is built into Android.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apps & Games need PI |url=https://xdaforums.com/t/4677050/ |website=XDA Forums}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Verify hardware-backed key pairs with key attestation |url=https://developer.android.com/privacy-and-security/security-key-attestation |website=Android Developers}}</ref>

Notable examples of apps requiring Google-certified operating systems:

*Google Wallet
*VPN by Google
*Netflix
*McDonald's
*Uber Driver
*Twitter/X
*Twilio Authy Authenticator
*ChatGPT<ref>{{Cite web |title=PlayIntegrity Verification failed - ChatGPT / Bugs |url=https://community.openai.com/t/1267945 |website=OpenAI Developer Community}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Question - ChatGPT error: Preauth Playintegrity verification failed |url=https://xdaforums.com/t/4737618/ |website=XDA Forums}}</ref>

This has led to users being unable to use apps on privacy-focused forks of Android, like [[GrapheneOS]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wallet - Google Pay |url=https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/475/ |website=GrapheneOS Discussion Forum}}</ref>

==See also==
[https://mayrhofer.eu.org/courses/android-security/selected-paper/2024/Comparing_key_attestation_and_Play_Integrity_API.pdf Android System Integrity: Comparing Key Attestation and the Play Integrity API]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Android]]

Subway footlong pass ineligibility

2025-06-11T18:14:01Z

Vindicator4021: Minor clarity and grammar edits.

[[File:Subway Footlong Pass.png|right|thumb|200px]]
The '''Footlong Pass''' is a [[subscription service]] for the [[Subway]] app initially released in August 2022.<ref name="SubwayNews">{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.subway.com/Sold-Out-No-More-Subway-Brings-Back-Fan-Favorite-Footlong-Pass|title=Sold Out No More: Subway Brings Back Fan-Favorite Footlong Pass|date=2023-03-17|work=Subway Newsroom|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628141146/https://newsroom.subway.com/Sold-Out-No-More-Subway-Brings-Back-Fan-Favorite-Footlong-Pass|archive-date=2024-06-28|url-status=live}}</ref> The subscription allows subscribers to theoretically get 50% off the price of one footlong sandwich every day at a majority of Subway stores in the span of a month.<ref name="SubwayNews" />

==Background==
Due to how Subway stores operate, any store can refuse coupons or discounts due to franchise licensing agreements that involve stores to pay out of pocket for remodels<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mashed.com/1060259/heres-why-some-subway-locations-wont-accept-coupons/|title=Here's Why Some Subway Locations Won't Accept Coupons|first=Chase|last=Shustack|work=Mashed|date=2022-10-18|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327110341/https://www.mashed.com/1060259/heres-why-some-subway-locations-wont-accept-coupons/|archive-date=2025-03-27|url-status=live}}</ref> and the potential negative impact coupons make on individual store profits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/why-dont-all-subway-stores-accept-coupons/article_4964b248-63d1-11ee-8bbc-5b7532c14c71.html|title=Why don't all Subway stores accept coupons?|first=Kate|last=Bieri|date=2023-10-05|work=Fox 13 Memphis|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://archive.ph/mQHDW|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2023, the subscription was brought back again for $15, and only 250,000 were made available between March 21st and March 25th.<ref name="SubwayNews" />

In 2025, the promotion returned for the third time to be purchased between May 20th and May 25th, with the pass being usable in the month of June.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.subwayfootlongpass.com/post-program|title=Post Ended - The Subway Footlong Pass|work=Subway|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://archive.ph/3KErR|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref> The pass price would be increased to $18.25.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://snippdocs.blob.core.windows.net/docs/Subway_CA_Footlong_Pass_Promotion_2008106/en-terms.pdf|title=TERMS AND CONDITIONS - en-terms.pdf|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250610213226/https://snippdocs.blob.core.windows.net/docs/Subway_CA_Footlong_Pass_Promotion_2008106/en-terms.pdf|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Footlong pass ineligibility==
[[File:Subway Footlong Pass screenshot.webp|thumb|right|150px|Screenshot of footlong pass being denied (2025)]]
In 2023, it was reported by a user that the "place order" button in the Subway app would not function with the footlong pass active.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/subway/comments/128q364/footlong_pass_is_a_scam/|title=FOOTLONG PASS IS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!! |author=u/ArgonianSwagLord|date=2023-04-01|work=Reddit|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://archive.ph/Fh7iY|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref> Other users during this time, however, have reported the pass worked correctly for them.

In 2025, many more users complained that their local Subway stores were not accepting the coupon through the app.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/subway/comments/1l5ntr1/footlong_pass_is_officially_a_scam/|title=Footlong Pass is Officially a Scam|author=u/PancitCanton243|date=2025-06-07|work=Reddit|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://archive.ph/iMLVH|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref> A workaround some users mentioned was to scan your profile QR code to activate the pass in-person.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/subway/comments/1l3vq41/footlong_pass_is_actually_a_scam/|title=Footlong Pass is actually a scam|author=u/PlumpAF|date=2025-06-05|work=Reddit|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://archive.ph/jPqWo|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Subway's response===

In December 2023, the corporate office sent an email to franchises stating "Effective Dec. 28, 2023, all restaurants will be required to honor all digital programs and promotions, including loyalty rewards and digital discounts, [...] In addition, loyalty incentive programs designed to attract new loyalty members are mandatory and will not be reimbursed by Subway."<ref name="ktla">{{Cite web|url=https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/subway-franchises-wont-be-able-to-reject-the-companys-digital-coupons-or-promotions-report/|title=Subway franchises won’t be able to reject the company’s digital coupons or promotions: report |date=2023-12-03|first=Iman|last=Palm|work=KTLA5|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222142321/https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/subway-franchises-wont-be-able-to-reject-the-companys-digital-coupons-or-promotions-report/|archive-date=2025-02-22|url-status=live}}</ref> However, as previously mentioned, franchisees were rejecting the footlong pass promotion in 2025.

==Consumer response==
Customers on sites such as Reddit believe that the Footlong Pass was a scam, as a majority of stores were not accepting a coupon that costed a one-time charge of $15. Many have demanded refunds from the company, with one user initially being charged twice for one pass.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/subway/comments/1kr6t30/footlong_pass/|title=Footlong pass|author=u/Comfortable-Claim861|date=2025-05-20|work=Reddit|access-date=2025-06-10|archive-url=https://archive.ph/xGK9L|archive-date=2025-06-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Subway]]

Stellantis

2025-06-11T18:07:34Z

Vindicator4021: Minor formatting, spelling, and grammar corrections.

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =Private
| Founded =2021
| Industry =Automaker
| Official Website =https://www.stellantis.com/
| Logo =Stellantis.png
}}'''Stellantis N.V.''' (commonly known as '''Stellantis''') is a international car manufacturer which was an outcome of the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Peugeot SA Group (PSA).

It was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in the Netherlands.

Stellantis owns and manufactures cars under the brands [[Abarth]], [[Alfa Romeo]], [[Chrysler]], [[Citroen]], [[Dodge]], [[DS]], [[Fiat]], [[Jeep]], [[Lancia]], [[Maserati]], [[Opel]], [[Peugeot]], [[Ram]] and [[Vauxhall]].

==Consumer-impact summary==

*User privacy
*Market Control

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Limited recall of airbags (2024)===
In France, Stellantis announced that 530 000 DS 3 and C3 vehicles were fitted with faulty Takata airbags that when initiated may propel sharp components into the vehicle cabin. France's automotive watchdog announced that the actual number was closer to 1.4 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Scale of Stellantis safety scandal in France larger than previously thought |url=https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/06/07/scale-of-stellantis-safety-scandal-in-france-larger-than-previously-thought |website=Euro news}}</ref>

===In-car Advertising (2025)===
''Main article: [[Stellantis In Car Advertisements]]''

In 2025, Stellantis started adding whole-screen advertisements in the infotainment displays of some of their vehicles. The advertisements primarily promote Mopar (a car parts subsidiary of Stellantis) warranty services and appear when a vehicle comes to a complete stop.
==See also==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]