- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 12,560 (1.91/day)
- Location
- Nebraska, USA
| System Name | Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0 |
| Cooling | Quality case, 2 x Fractal Design 140mm fans, stock CPU HSF |
| Memory | 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance |
| Video Card(s) | EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5 |
| Storage | Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD |
| Display(s) | Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2 |
| Case | Fractal Design Define R4 |
| Power Supply | EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold |
| Mouse | Logitech M190 |
| Keyboard | Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050 |
| Software | W10 Pro 64-bit |
It is not just about finding someone who knows electronics in general and PSUs in particular. One must have access to the necessary test equipment (scope, PS analyzer, quality volt and dB meters, hot-box, etc), plus the know-how to set-up and use that equipment, and know how to interpret the results. Then they must be able to write up the analysis/report without a bunch of misspellings, grammar errors and of course, without any technical inaccuracies. If the report is full of errors, it will not look professional and it will not be taken seriously.
I used to do a bunch of technical writing. It is always important to "know your audience". But it can be a real challenge to write technical papers when your audience goes from the total newby all the way up to highly educated, highly trained, highly experienced professionals. You don't want to write over the heads of the newbies, but sound totally condescending to the pros (that said, pros need to be aware the writing is not just for them - many seem to forget that!
).Lastly, and this is often the most challenging, the testing and analysis must be free of personal biases. For example, should a PSU be down-rated because it includes a BERG connector for internal floppy drives? Should a PSU be down-rated because it is hard-wired even though it is not marketed as modular?
In other words, the qualifications and job requirements are pretty stiff.
Sadly, I have seen many reviews that are little more than a re-listing of the manufacturer's published specs. They don't test under a variety of loads, they don't test for ripple, or hold-up times or under rated ambient conditions and more.
I guess this is why it is important to read as many reviews as you can find, and not depend on just one.
*****
Side gripe 1 - One complaint I have with just about all review sites is they never come back in a couple years to retest the products to see how they have held up after a couple years use.
Side gripe 2 - It would be good if the reviewer could buy the products "off-the-shelf" from Amazon, Best Buy or Newegg just like normal consumers do. But often the test units are provided directly by the maker. These are not supposed to be "cherry-picked" units, or units that have been "tweaked" to shine in specific tests. But there's no way the reviewer can tell. Buying off the shelf eliminates even the appearance of impropriety. But of course, buying test units takes money. And I personally will not pay a site to read their reviews. Oh well.
