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Ask Slashdot: What Review Sites Do You Consult For IT Equipment?

Posted by Soulskill on from the throw-darts-at-a-part-catalog dept.

JackAcme writes "Searching for product reviews via Google mostly turns up sales sites masquerading as review sites. Consumer reviews on Amazon and other big retailers are suspect since so many manufacturers are paying for positive reviews. Where do Slashdotters turn for reliable, informed reviews of new hardware and software?"

7 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Newegg by BingmanO · · Score: 5, Informative

    Newegg. Usually has the most honest reviews and manufacture responses if it's because of an RMA or a neg review.

  2. Spiceworks and expertsexchange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    I use both sites to read complaints and issues regarding equipment. Way more helpful than amazon or cnet.

  3. HardOCP by Ragnar79 · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://hardocp.com/ is a good one for reviews on hardware performance and overclocking for gaming.

    1. Re:HardOCP by rnswebx · · Score: 3, Informative

      In the past, I have relied quite heavily on reading through their forums site, hardforums.com.

  4. My top sites by PurdueThumbs · · Score: 5, Informative

    Tomshardware.com
    Anandtech.com
    smallnetbuilder.com

    And every now and then one of the others, but those are my three go-to sites.

  5. As a hardware reviewer: by Dputiger · · Score: 5, Informative

    Full disclosure up front: I currently write for ExtremeTech and Hot Hardware. In the past I've written for Ars Technica (2007 - 2009) and briefly Tech Report (2H 2005). Before that, I wrote for a now-defunct site going back to 2001.

    Obviously I could be biased and plug the sites I write for. I write for them for a reason, after all. But since no one is going to buy me telling you to read my own work, here's where I go, personally:

    For in-depth, excellent analysis (in alphabetical order)

    Anandtech (Anandtech.com)
    Ars Technica (Arstechnica.com)
    Tech Report (techreport.com)

    For ultra low-level analysis:
    Real World Tech (www.realworldtech.com)
    Agner Fog's CPU blog (www.agner.org)
    Lost Circuits (www.lostcircuits.com)

    All three of these resources update only occasionally. But the information is second to none.

    For spot-checking or specific issues:

    TechSpot.com does great CPU/GPU scaling articles. LaptopMag or NotebookCheck are great for their particular areas. CPU-World has good general database information, VR-Zone often has interesting scoops, as does wccftech -- if you're willing to filter out a lot of rumor / speculation from the latter. Tom's Hardware has useful dynamic databases for product performance. So does Anandtech.

    Don't be afraid to read a review on a site you haven't heard of, or with a layout from 1999. While established names and high-quality writers tend to go together, they are neither exclusively matched nor guaranteed. A good reviewer will document issues, give a thorough discussion of the topic, and won't come off sounding like a marketing employee.

  6. StorageReview by Pav · · Score: 4, Informative

    I haven't seen StorageReview mentioned. These guys were the first I'd seen who seemed to have a real clue about storage eg. they concentrated on latency rather than sequential transfer back in the day - latency is a much more interesting metric for most use cases. I don't follow their reviews as religiously as I used to, but they are the first guys I turn to when something new happens in storage technology.