Linus Tech Tips (LTT), YouTuber Linus Sebastian’s channel, is one of the most well-known in the tech space. The more than 15 million subscribers there are supplied with new videos almost every day. However, Gamers Nexus (GN), another tech channel, now claims that the high output means that accuracy and morale are neglected.
What were those allegations? In a nearly 45-minute video, Gamers Nexus Editor-in-Chief Steve Burke outlined the problems he sees in the way Linus Tech Tips works. He accuses the team behind the channel of relying on quantity over quality when conducting their tests and producing their videos.
The allegations range from false and misleading data to unethical behavior.
Addendum 20:15 – A former employee has made further allegations against Linus Tech Tips. She reports a high workload and a toxic environment.
You can watch the entire video in English here. We have summarized the most important points of criticism for you:
Time pressure, mistakes in the videos and a lack of responsibility
Our colleague Nils Raettig from GameStar Tech provides a personal assessment of the allegations.
Valuable prototype was incorrectly tested and then auctioned off
What was that prototype? In his video, Burke specifically addresses a case in which LTT put the prototype of a water cooling system for GPU and CPU to the test. The MonoBlock from billet Labs, which costs almost 800 euros, did not fare well.
Linus himself judged: At best, the thing would reach slightly lower temperatures than comparable coolers, but the connection was a nightmare and the advantages are negligible.
According to GN, the fault lay here – as is so 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 was apparently not aware of any guilt and said in retrospect that he was cannot apologize for not having spent any more money on the working hours of its employees when nobody should buy the product anyway.
Following the video, the cooling block was not returned to the manufacturer, but was auctioned off for charity without their consent. billet Labs was informed of this in an email dated August 10, 2023.
In a post on the LTT subreddit, the manufacturer says they responded to the email within 30 minutes, stating that it was not okay to do this. The question of whether they intend to compensate them for the expensive prototype remained unanswered.
The prototype appeared to be a one-off, the loss of which slowed billet Labs in the development of their product. It was not until August 14, after Gamers Nexus released the video, that a reply was received and the exact monetary value of the prototype was offered as compensation.
Linus Sebastian: “We know that we are not perfect”
What does LTT say about the allegations? Shortly after the video was published, Linus Sebastian from Linus Tech Tips posted a detailed statement in his own forum. Here, too, we have summarized the most important points for you:
Linus concludes: “Believe it or not, I’m a real human being, just like the rest of my team. We do our best and if what we do was easy, everyone would do it.”
Fans wish Linus was more open to 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 timing in order to put himself in a better light.
The mood after the revelations is also rather negative in the LTT subreddit. In a post with over 32,000 upvotes, a user asks why Linus doesn’t just own up to his mistakes, apologize and work to improve processes.
It remains to be seen how the situation will develop further.
Meanwhile, other technology YouTubers can shine:
YouTuber builds invisible gaming PC with screen, keyboard and mouse – Here’s how he did it