Should we remove numeric scores for reviews?

[sneekypeet]

Maybe for you it does, but myself, I really enjoy all the conversations and feedback given, both positive and negative. I love the interaction, and if I was just doing what I wanted, there wouldn't even be a single benchmark. I see the job of a "reviewer" to provide honest and accurate information at all times, and when you're honest, people thank you for it. I personally view that comparing a $1000 high-end product with a $100 entry-level product, and then basing a score on that compare, is insane. but a simple score, as many have already said, doesn't tell you the full picture, so there might be limited value in just a general scoring system. You need a way to differentiate things.

Yet if I removed my own vote right now, the majority vote would be to get rid of the scores. I voted for no removal.

Depends on the environment too. Not many other sites have the level of comments and interpersonal relationships, ease of access to the reviewers, that TPU has. I am not arguing against any of your points, nor am I saying I do not concede to what the masses what to see in reviews. Although, with the situation I am currently in, there is little feedback outside of trolls or those who don't have the first clue, so it is quite possible I see things through different colored glasses than reviewers here do.

 

[Jetster]

What Dave said

 

[eidairaman1]

It's your opinion of how you recommend or not recommend hardware, if it is less than 5 I'd not even touch it.

Hate me all y'all want, I voted no to removing the score. (Not like my opinion matters here anyway)

 

[Aquinus]

Yes unless you seriously reconsider how to come to that numerical conclusion beyond just pulling it out of nowhere or going with what "feels right". What use is a number score when practically everything is above a 7 on a 10 point scale?

 

[qubit]

I voted no, because it gives an immediate point of reference and that's the function of a numeric score. It's very handy for that. Most reviews on different sites have some of numeric score for this very reason, so I think it's best kept.

I then read the conclusion and then the cherry pick the rest of the review for a fuller impression of the card. I always look at the noise performace section, for example and I don't have to see every benchmark for a good idea of how it performs.

 

[remixedcat]

Plox don't pull a netflix! They got rid of ratings and it's miserable. We need more brutally honest reviewers. Mfr's shouldn't get butthurt either. Xirrus got butthurt mad when I gave them a 7/10 on one of their APs. That shows the company is weak and doesn't want to use the review to improve. All companies are doing is hurting the consumers by beaing butthurt like that.

 

[SIGSEGV]

score tends to have high bias and/or subjectivity. so, i voted for yes.

 

[Caring1]

I voted No, as scores are meant to give an indication of merit and value.
Sadly the way things are scored may need reviewed, giving everything an 8/10 or higher devalues those items that truly deserve high scores.
It's on par with giving everyone a certificate for participating whether they deserve it or not, just to prevent hurt feelings.

 

[eidairaman1]

I voted No, as scores are meant to give an indication of merit and value.
Sadly the way things are scored may need reviewed, giving everything an 8/10 or higher devalues those items that truly deserve high scores.
It's on par with giving everyone a certificate for participating whether they deserve it or not, just to prevent hurt feelings.

I believe a 1-5 score would help.

 

[windwhirl]

It would be interesting to know if you have a set of rules about them, like, for example, 2 points are given if the tested product has the best performance/price ratio, 2 more points are given if it has the best performance overall, and so on and so forth. Also important is if the context at the moment of testing influences the score (for example, Nvidia RTX being pretty much impossible to fully test and benchmark because of no actual games supporting the technology at the time).

All considered, however, I think the score numbers should be kept. Maybe simplify it a bit or some other refinement, but it is a useful reference for me to say "OK, this product is probably crap, look how low it scored" or "Wow, holy cows, a 10/10 score? Probably worth its weight in gold!"

 

[eidairaman1]

It would be interesting to know if you have a set of rules about them, like, for example, 2 points are given if the tested product has the best performance/price ratio, 2 more points are given if it has the best performance overall, and so on and so forth. Also important is if the context at the moment of testing influences the score (for example, Nvidia RTX being pretty much impossible to fully test and benchmark because of no actual games supporting the technology at the time).

All considered, however, I think the score numbers should be kept. Maybe simplify it a bit or some other refinement, but it is a useful reference for me to say "OK, this product is probably crap, look how low it scored" or "Wow, holy cows, a 10/10 score? Probably worth its weight in gold!"

Yeah that is how Johnny Guru does his reviews

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

A) 1-5 makes no sense just double that and oh look 10 point scale if its a 3.5 then thats a 7 if its 4 then thats an 8 etc. Sure its simple but still just as worthless.

B) Removing them makes sense but thats mostly because companies have stopped releasing products that can be classified as utter trash. Some might not be all that GOOD but they still work 99% of the time. A few oddities of course do stand out.

For example if I review a cooler and its expensive but manages to pass all tests. Its hard to fail it since it managed to do the job especially for higher tier AIOs as of late. Even so more than a few have crossed my bench with barely a passing grade. However the inverse is true as well with something like Mini-ITX coolers where they will obviously fail the OC test and hard. You can't fault the cooler when its not designed for that to begin with.

C)Those saying products seldom score low I will just link this from me. https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/SilentiumPC/Grandis_2_XE1436/

D) I say do whatever you want boss. My jobs to review the hardware not to make tough decisions unless you put me on the spot and ask directly

 

[qubit]

Wanna add that while I think the score should stay, I think that overall they're too high, like the others on here have said. It seems almost impossible for any card nowadays to go below 8.something nowadays even when reading the review suggests that it should (eg AMD cards with underwhelming performance and serious coil whine are still over 8 when I think they should be around 6, especially for that coil whine) and that reduces the value of the score. I have therefore adjusted my own interpretation of the scores to account for this.

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

Wanna add that while I think the score should stay, I think that overall they're too high, like the others on here have said. It seems almost impossible for any card nowadays to go below 8.something nowadays even when reading the review suggests that it should (eg AMD cards with underwhelming performance and serious coil whine are still over 8 when I think they should be around 6, especially for that coil whine) and that reduces the value of the score. I have therefore adjusted my own interpretation of the scores to account for this.

I dont know about elsewhere in the world but in the States when in school 70% or 7/10 and below is a failing grade just FYI. 6.9 = failure in the States. Then again removing scores and doing as other sites do means 50 different awards that are just as worthless.

 

[Jetster]

I give this thread a 6 out of 10. If you don't like the scoring then disregard it
Just like the up vote. I don't like it, so i don't pay attention to it

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I don't think they add any value to the review.

 

[dj-electric]

I voted absolutely yes.
Scoring does nothing but gives companies a number to wave with, and because of that reviews of products that deserve low scores may not see the light of day \ would harm a connection between a company and the website.

Scoring makes a website give a 9+ out of 10 for a very problematic product for the consumer simply because of reasons out of a company's control - just like how NVIDIA's pricing is extremely high, but MSI did a fantastic job on cooling - as a whole product for a market, this may not be a true 9.5\10.

A good way to deal with not having score is a little more variety for the awards given. The way I do it is use awards for design, innovation, performance and some others besides recommended and editor's choice.

Sometimes a number just can't reflect the true value of a product.

 

[R0H1T]

I voted absolutely no.
Scoring does nothing but gives companies a number to wave with, and because of that reviews of products that deserve low scores may not see the light of day \ would harm a connection between a company and the website.

Scoring makes a website give a 9+ out of 10 for a very problematic product for the consumer simply because of reasons out of a company's control - just like how NVIDIA's pricing is extremely high, but MSI did a fantastic job on cooling - as a whole product for a market, this may not be a true 9.5\10.

A good way to deal with not having score is a little more variety for the awards given. The way I do it is use awards for design, innovation, performance and some others besides recommended and editor's choice.

Sometimes a number just can't reflect the true value of a product.

Wait, shouldn't you have voted yes? The poll is asking if review "numbers" should be removed, unless I'm misinterpreting what you said?

 

[looniam]

don't let the double negitive confuse you.

no means yes . . to numeric scoring

 

[R0H1T]

don't let the double negitive confuse you.

no means yes . . to numeric scoring

Except it isn't a double negative, it's "should" not shouldn't

 

[looniam]

Except it isn't a double negative, it's "should" not shouldn't

no is to NOT remove the scoring.

-,-

nevermind, you're right.

my bad.

 

[dj-electric]

Yeah, i meant yes to remove. Corrected myself

I'll add a further note (was in a hurry last time):

Sometimes it seems that product with fundamental issues get an extremely high, and non-reflecting score.
We, as readers are already used to bad products being a 7.0-8.0 out of 10. For us, a 7\10 is "stay away with your life".

 

[cucker tarlson]

Yes for keeping it,and yes for expanding it. I like how johnnyguru breaks the score down into 5 categories with weighted average.

 

[dj-electric]

Yes for keeping it,and yes for expanding it. I like how johnnyguru breaks the score down into 5 categories with weighted average.

There are some differences between johnnyguru and TPU in that regard.
on JG they are very technical with the scoring of the product, and scoring actually works well there.
If a certain system of the PSU is about 7\10 of the market's ability to make - it will score a 7\10
If pricing is bad - it will score a 4-6 out of 10 and it very much reflects on the overall score, like it does here for example:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=561

By removing scoring, TPU does not have to harm itself when a product does extremely bad, and users get to actually see the review.
Reviews of bad, but potentially popular products are important. A scoring system is an obstacle of that happening.

I know i'm usually the one who criticizes scoring in some reviews but its important to me to pass this message in particular.
This isn't because of the RTX ones, although it seems like even a mind-boggling high price cannot save a good product from scoring a 9.5\10

 

[W1zzard]

I'm slightly leaning towards removing the score now. The pro/con list does provide a good overview at a quick glance and it would motivate readers to read the actual conclusion than just stare at a score?