Did you buy an octa-core an FX Bulldozer or Piledriver processor? You could be due compensation from AMD

It has been a few years since we reported on the AMD Bulldozer and Piledriver class action, with the case being first brought in 2015. If you have forgotten what the fuss was about, AMD marketed some of these chips as octa-core processors without telling consumers that the architecture had four modules, which each contained two interlinked cores. These linked cores share the same caches, frontend and floating-point unit (FPU). In short, these eight cores could not operate independently, and people felt that they had been mis-sold.

It may have taken many years of litigation and hundreds of hearings, but AMD has finally agreed on a settlement of US$12.1 million, with it being scheduled for final approval by the Northern District of California San Francisco Division District Court. The settlement figure includes court and administration costs too, with attorney fees alone totalling up to US$3.63 million.

People will only be eligible to claim if they bought a Bulldozer or Piledriver processor in California or directly from AMD's US website. Moreover, the settlement restricts the settlement to the FX-8120, FX-8150, FX-8320, FX-8350, FX-8370, FX-9370 and FX-9590, despite AMD releasing more octa-core processors under the Bulldozer and Piledriver architectures.

Angeion Group will handle the administration of the settlement, which you can find on Facebook or Twitter. The company will contact eligible people by post or email and will run a digital marketing campaign when the settlement has been finalised. However, it is worth keeping in mind that its information may be outdated, with the company obtaining it from subpoenaed vendor records. Hence, it may be worth contacting them if you have recently changed your primary postal or email address.

Overall, it remains unclear how much compensation each claimant will receive, as it depends on how many people claim and the value of the settlement after litigation costs have been deducted. We shall keep you updated with any changes as and when we hear of them.