Linus Tech Tips (LTT), the channel of YouTuber Linus Sebastian, is one of the most recognized in the tech space. Almost daily, the more than 15 million subscribers are provided with new videos there. Gamers Nexus (GN), another tech channel, now claims that accuracy and ethics suffer due to the high output.
What were the accusations? In a nearly 45-minute long video, Steve Burke, the editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus, explained what issues he sees in the working methods of Linus Tech Tips. He accuses the team behind the channel of prioritizing quantity over quality in their testing and video production.
The accusations range from false and misleading data to unethical behavior.
Update 20:15 – A former employee has raised further allegations against Linus Tech Tips. She reports high workloads and a toxic environment.
You can watch the entire video in English here. We have summarized the key criticisms for you:
Time Pressure, Mistakes in Videos, and Lack of Accountability
- Incorrect data and benchmarks: Burke accuses LTT of being sloppy in data collection. Quality control is also said to lack sufficient scrutiny, as these errors keep making it into the finished videos.
- The handling of mistakes: The numerous and significant errors, according to GN, are often only corrected late or incompletely by LTT. Faulty recordings are not re-recorded or edited out; corrections are not always made sufficiently visible. Additionally, accountability for mistakes is not adequately taken.
- The marketing: LTT markets itself as data-driven and professional, yet fails to live up to that claim with the listed blunders and could potentially mislead buyers.
- Time pressure: These mistakes, according to GN, are attributed to the time pressure under which LTT operates. However, this pressure is largely self-inflicted and therefore avoidable.
A personal assessment of the allegations is provided by our colleague Nils Raettig from GameStar Tech.
Valuable Prototype Was Incorrectly Tested and Then Sold
What was the prototype? Specifically, Burke addresses a case in his video where LTT tested the prototype of a water cooling system for GPU and CPU. The nearly 800 Euro MonoBlock from billet Labs did not fare well.
Linus himself judged: At best, the thing would achieve slightly lower temperatures than comparable coolers, but the connection was a nightmare and the advantages negligible.
The mistake, according to GN, was here – as is often the case in the tech world – with the user: Linus tested the MonoBlock with an RTX 4090 instead of the intended RTX 3090. The YouTuber apparently felt no guilt and said in retrospect that he could not apologize for not spending more money on his employees’ labor time when the product shouldn’t be purchased by anyone anyway.
Following the video, the cooling block did not return to the manufacturer but was auctioned for charitable purposes without their consent. This was communicated to billet Labs in an email sent on August 10, 2023.
In a post on the LTT subreddit, the manufacturer states that they responded to the email within 30 minutes and explained that this course of action was not acceptable. The question of whether they intended to compensate for the expensive prototype remained unanswered.
The prototype was apparently a unique item, whose loss slowed down billet Labs in the development of their product. Only on August 14, after the release of Gamers Nexus’s video, did they receive a response, and the exact monetary value of the prototype was offered as compensation.
Linus Sebastian: “We Know We’re Not Perfect”
What does LTT say about the accusations? Shortly after the video was published, Linus Sebastian from Linus Tech Tips posted a detailed statement in his own forum. We have summarized the key points for you:
- Linus admits to some mistakes and acknowledges having been careless in certain areas: “We know we’re not perfect.”
- However, they are transparent about these mistakes.
- Although Linus is no longer the CEO of the company behind the channel, he feels responsible as the mentioned mistakes occurred under his leadership.
- They have already worked internally to improve processes and place great importance on care.
- Linus criticizes GN for not contacting him before publishing the video, which could have avoided misunderstandings.
- The YouTuber accuses GN of hypocrisy and says it saddens him how quickly the proverbial pitchforks were drawn.
In conclusion, Linus writes: “Believe it or not, I’m a real person just like the rest of my team. We do our best, and if what we do were easy, everyone would do it.”
Fans Wish Linus Would Take More Responsibility for Mistakes
How is the statement received? In another video, Steve Burke describes the statement as a tirade in which Linus shirks responsibility and blames others. He plays “semantic games” and misrepresents the timeline to present himself in a better light.
Also, the mood in the LTT subreddit is rather negative after the revelations. In a post with over 32,000 upvotes, a user asks why Linus doesn’t just own up to his mistakes, apologize, and work on improving processes.
It remains to be seen how the situation will develop further.
Meanwhile, other tech YouTubers can shine:
YouTuber builds invisible gaming PC with display, keyboard, and mouse – Here’s how he did it
