Alienware... surely this is illegal?

[RealEntropy]

We all know what Alienware is like.. appealing to uninformed, often new, PC users. But surely this is illegal? This simply isn't how SLI works, its just lying. At the least very misleading to 100% of alienware's demographic.

http://i.imgur.com/fquQMuD.png

[TheSLSAMG]

Surely this must be illegal? Ha, then go sue NVIDIA and AMD over it, they do the same with the Titan Z and the R9 295X2.

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

this isn't news, this has been going on for a while. If you think about it, there is 6GB of VRAM but only 3 is usable in the case of two 780s.

[thekeemo]

to be fair you do get all the vram but just as if it was a harddrive in raid

[Aniallation]

They're not lying. They didn't say it can actually all be used.

[MegaDave91]

Total, but not usable.

[DigitalHermit]

What? No option for 2x R9 295x2??

[ionbasa]

Those sentences are actually not incorrect, nor is it a lie.

[Trik'Stari]

A good lawyer could argue that it is indeed false advertising.

[RedSpade]

It's all technicalities, you tehcnically get all that vram but you can only use half of it, or in the case of the dual titan z a quarter

[Oshino Shinobu]

Marketing. They're not saying anything wrong or incorrect, they're just not pointing out the specifics. 

[RealEntropy]

to be fair you do get all the vram but just as if it was a harddrive in raid

Yeah, but you don't multiply certain vehicle stats by 4 cus there's 4 wheels that it's applied through.

[TheSLSAMG]

A good lawyer could argue that it is indeed false advertising.

Not really. They don't imply that not all 6GB is usable, just that it is there (which it is, 3GB/card).

[Toddwjp]

What? No option for 2x R9 295x2??

 

there cheap ass psu's could never handle it

[Trik'Stari]

Not really. They don't imply that not all 6GB is usable, just that it is there (which it is, 3GB/card).

Meh, legal grey area, would depend on the lawyers involved. I would say the statement 6gb (2x3gb) means that the vram stacks, which it does not. etc.

[TheKDub]

They don't quite give you the correct numbers, yes there is that amount of ram total, though you are only able to use the amount that each card gets, so if it says 2x 6GB then you would only have 3GB usable. (Each card has only 3GB)

[ionbasa]

A good lawyer could argue that it is indeed false advertising.

It isn't; they point out the Gb per card and how many cards. It is the part in the parentheses ().

[Sharp_3yE]

Of course its legal. They tell you the total amount(which is kinda useless) but also say that it's the combines amount and how many cards are workings together.

How is that not legel? They are telling you the truth.

[ionbasa]

Of course its legal. They tell you the total amount(which is kinds useless) but also say that it's the combines amount and how many cards are workings together.

How is that not legel? They are telling you the truth.

^^^This. Over sensational OP. Everything in that screen shot is not a lie.

[TheRunningOtaku]

-snip-

They actually have that much RAM in the chips in your GPU - just that they act as half that. At least (unlike some Nvidia and AMD cards) they tell you that it's 2x2GB. 

Alienware does a lot of crappy things (and overprice the heck out of their hardware) but it's not illegal.

[Trik'Stari]

It isn't; they point out the Gb per card and how many cards. It is the part in the parentheses ().

Yes, and the way they do it implies that it stacks, which it does not. Again, it's a grey area. Which any lawyer worth his paycheck will be able to exploit.

 

Example, with RAM. 8gb (2x4gb)

 

done.

[TheMcSame]

It's misleading but by no means is it illegal. Two cards with 3GB on them does add up to 6GB, it doesn't matter if it is used or not.

[Lord Pantaloons]

This isn't even news, Go back and look at the 690, 7990 and the 590 and all the way back to the GTX 295(and likely before it too) Nvidia and AMD Always advertise the amount of VRAM that's on the PCB and not the total usable amount. You didn't know and because you saw Alienware doing it you decided to plop your uninformed ass right on the Alienware hate train and without checking elsewhere spout some nonsense about illegal marketing.

[xAcid9]

We all know what Alienware is like.. appealing to uninformed, often new, PC users. But surely this is illegal? This simply isn't how SLI works, its just lying. At the least very misleading to 100% of alienware's demographic.http://i.imgur.com/fquQMuD.png

 

Not illegal at all. You get that much of VRAM with dual card.