TechPowerUp is Hiring a Power Supply (PSU) Reviewer

[ir_cow]

It's not that hard, actually. Hard part is that you put your review in an intersting presentation, so it doesn't just sound like you're reading a lab test report. @jonnyGURU has this gift to make you chuckle while you are reading about, say, bridge rectifiers.

I want the opposite for PSU. Give me the details and write it for dummies like me. Don't care for any jokes. I just need to know if it will handle 100% and for how long.

 

[GreiverBlade]

@crmaris thank you for your reviews and all the best for your next adventure!

to the candidats, big shoes to fit but all the best to them too!

 

[Shrek]

He went so much further with his PSU 101
PSUs 101: A Detailed Look Into Power Supplies | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

 

[fishie36]

LTT is gearing up their lab with a PSU testing suite that will hopefully be on par.

 

[Mussels]

This is one of the hardest jobs there is to do at a top tier level


The electronics knowledge to identify parts, known crap parts and so on is a rare skillset to have

I want the opposite for PSU. Give me the details and write it for dummies like me. Don't care for any jokes. I just need to know if it will handle 100% and for how long.

This
The best approach is to give you the summary first, then the why after

2.1 Jiggawatt capacitor: B grade at best
[Technical boring reasons why, because it requires you to feed it a rare dying breed of bananas every 2.61 days or it strands you in the 1880's with a broken delorean]

An editor can help a technical person make it easier to consume, but no one can add-in that level of hardware knowledge except the person testing it


I've seen some amazing reviews with all the raw data, but comparing it to the other provided examples i just cant understand *why* the author has the views they do - sometimes it feels like you read "wobbly line has more wobble than the other which is bad, 9.5/10 highly recommend"

Those of us after different facts (maximum peak wattage, maximum sustained wattage, consistent noise levels with varying loads) want to know how each part performs seperately, then have the conclusion slap em all together

I've read reviews on really cheap PSU's that performed amazing but had noisy fans - and it's quite simple for a user to replace that fan safely, if they're willing to void the warranty on that unit

Same thing for if a PSU has short cables or long cables - dont just give a measurement, tell us if its above or below average. Tell us if the SATA connectors are spaced closer than normal for smaller cases, or at the far ends of extra long cables making it a nightmare for mATX users - we can't tell just by numbers alone and need someone experienced to tell us how these values differ, and why they matter

 

[zlobby]

This is one of the hardest jobs there is to do at a top tier level


The electronics knowledge to identify parts, known crap parts and so on is a rare skillset to have


This
The best approach is to give you the summary first, then the why after

2.1 Jiggawatt capacitor: B grade at best
[Technical boring reasons why, because it requires you to feed it a rare dying breed of bananas every 2.61 days or it strands you in the 1880's with a broken delorean]

An editor can help a technical person make it easier to consume, but no one can add-in that level of hardware knowledge except the person testing it


I've seen some amazing reviews with all the raw data, but comparing it to the other provided examples i just cant understand *why* the author has the views they do - sometimes it feels like you read "wobbly line has more wobble than the other which is bad, 9.5/10 highly recommend"

Those of us after different facts (maximum peak wattage, maximum sustained wattage, consistent noise levels with varying loads) want to know how each part performs seperately, then have the conclusion slap em all together

I've read reviews on really cheap PSU's that performed amazing but had noisy fans - and it's quite simple for a user to replace that fan safely, if they're willing to void the warranty on that unit

Same thing for if a PSU has short cables or long cables - dont just give a measurement, tell us if its above or below average. Tell us if the SATA connectors are spaced closer than normal for smaller cases, or at the far ends of extra long cables making it a nightmare for mATX users - we can't tell just by numbers alone and need someone experienced to tell us how these values differ, and why they matter

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Let alone who'd be interested in the typical payment fo this job. A person with such skillset can land a way better paying job.
Only e-thot outlets like LTT can turn this into real money.

 

[RobotR]

This is a big loss on the review front :/
TPU was basicly the one point to go for me to get some real data on PSUs to compare to my own results.

But i can definitily understand this, if his other projects take a lot of time, you have to set priorities. PSU testing ist the most challenging thing to do in PC Hardware reviews. And let's be honest, the payment in media is bad.

To replace Aris ist a Task for years. Fist you need all the equipment that is worth up to 100.000 Euros. a decent AC Source is allready around 25K. On top you constantly need lots of money for replacement parts, calibration etc.

Then you need someone who knows how to use the equipment. Because there are tons of pitfalls with testing PSUs. I know first hand that even most of the manufacturers have lots of errors in their testing. Just take a look at LTT, they dumped 100k into the chroma auto tester that isnt really very usefull for the task, because it's an autotester for mass testing, and not for in depth analytical testing. They think they can just plug in the PSU and get the results, but it doesnt work this way. If you have ever seen an output report from the chroma ATU, then you know what i mean. You get a bunch of numbers and PASS/Fails. Good for RMA, not really usefull for reviews.

Testing serveral PSUs a month for someone who is not an expert in this and hasn't done this for years, that is not a part time Job, that is a well payed full time job!

 

[grammar_phreak]

Wish Aris the best... thanks for such good work.

The internet is severely lacking in PSU reviews. I don't really care for having to look up the Clutists tier list which doesn't always cite sources for their findings. Honestly I'd like to see PSU's put into a database the same way a GPU is.
12 years ago I bought a Thermalfake 850w TR RX PSU that ended up damaging a motherboard and taking out two graphics cards. I wouldn't have bought it if I knew how much of a pile it was. I had no problems once I replaced this PSU with a Seasonic X-1250 that I had just got back from an RMA. I've also had good luck with EVGA's Super Flower made units along with the Corsair AX and HX series.

 

[Hattu]

Don't worry about the equipment part, email W1zzard about it either way if you are interested.

I'm still pondering...

My self criticism level is so high, that I don't feel comfortable if I'm not in total control or know everything of things need to be known. That is professionally, irl I'm quite easy person.

And then it affects my motivation.

I'm still interested in this position, but I'm afraid I don't have it. I'm quite sure I don't.

 

[Mussels]

I get the impression no one would ship expensive testing equipment to Au to have me test everything at 240V, even if i did take the time to learn how the electronics work

The easier stuff to review has all been taken already, like that W1zzard guy stealing all the GPUs

 

[Shrek]

I get the impression no one would ship expensive testing equipment to Au to have me test everything at 240V

Most every American household has 240V for the range and dryer.

 

[Mussels]

Most every American household has 240V for the range and dryer.

Still not exactly where you go connect your PSU, is it?

Also being a 4 prong 60Hz socket, it's not comparable to the rest of the world and how their sockets work (2 + prong + ground, 50Hz, here)

 

[dirtyferret]

The internet is severely lacking in PSU reviews. I don't really care for having to look up the Clutists tier list which doesn't always cite sources for their findings.

the list is way over hyped, virtually all the rankings are based off of reviews from Aris but are repurposed to fit someone else's MO. Seriously the guy should be mailing Aris a commission check for each time someone looks at that list

 

[Avro Arrow]

I'll do it!

 

[Mussels]

I'll do it!

If they wanted someone to drop screwdrivers into PSU's and wire up solar panels with Cat6 cabling, i'm the most qualified here for testing, with how often i electrocute myself

I get the feeling they want the PSU's alive after the review, as well as the reviewer

 

[Avro Arrow]

If they wanted someone to drop screwdrivers into PSU's and wire up solar panels with Cat6 cabling, i'm the most qualified here for testing, with how often i electrocute myself

Keep at it, that's how the Flash got his powers!

I get the feeling they want the PSU's alive after the review, as well as the reviewer

Awww, they're no fun then!