Are there any worthwhile hardware news sites to follow anymore?

[-]

Corentinrobin29@reddit

Tom's Hardware is still well above the average tech site imo. Their reviews are good enough for me, they test most of what I'm looking for.

Techpowerup is still the best text review site. Extremely detailed reviews with tons of charts and pictures. Very varied subject matter too. They're hiring a lot lately, so they're going nowhere.

VideoCardz is a rumor mill these days, but they do have a good track record of being the first on new info, and they're often right. They're professional too and quote their sources.

Notebookcheck is the best mobile/laptop/miniPC reviewer. They're the Techpowerup of mobile, with insanely detailed reviews with tons of data, charts and pictures. Top tier site, just ignore their non-review content.

Gamers' Nexus text site is pretty nice: no ads, runs smooth, but a bit old school and they don't review many products. But the quality of these reviews is close to Techpowerup.

PCWorld has a lot of garbage, but some articles, written by the bald asian man Steve from GN speaks to a lot (I forgot his name) are top tier. The man clearly has a lot of industry knowledge and a no bullshit attitude.

Igor's Lab, if you can take his articles with a grain of salt, often has some very interesting articles. The translation from German and his methodology can both be questionable at times, but he has the uncanny ability to always be investigating what I'm interested in at that given time. He's always investigating the latest trends, not an old-school guy by any means.

RTings don't review components, but their TV, monitor, headphone and mouse reviews are the best in the business. No one comes close to the technical level and equipment they have.

Chiphell is one of the best and last sites who review all types of PC components, if you can read chinese. If you can't, it's written in very formal/professional chinese which translates well with a browser extension. Their photographer is also clearly a pro, and their reviews are a treat for the eyes.

That's pretty much all I can think of right now.

[-]

Lingonberry_Obvious@reddit

Is AnandTech no longer reputed? I always felt they had good in depth reviews.

[-]

runfayfun@reddit

Anand and Brian leaving hurt but it wasn't terribly.

Then Andrei Frumusanu and Dr Ian Cutress left, and after that it was clear they couldn't keep going. Just too much for Gavin and Ryan to handle.

When they lost that much talent (Andrei and Ian) within a couple of years, it just got really, really hard to keep doing things in the same vein that they had been. Rather than run it into the ground, they decided to end it -- but kept the archives up.

[-]

ImAtWorkKillingTime@reddit

Anand left in 2014. The site is owned by future now and while I wouldn't say it's a bad site it's definitely not as good as it used to be. From what I understand the forums are still pretty solid though.

[-]

Intelligent-Gift4519@reddit

Anand left, and then Brian left for Apple, and then Ian left to start a consultancy, and then Andrei left for Qualcomm.

[-]

jaymz168@reddit

It's a shame because they're the only site I know of that posts DPC Latency tests on motherboard reviews but the last one they did was almost exactly one year ago.

[-]

Intelligent-Gift4519@reddit

I think it's an economic incentives problem. What you want is a site that employs people good enough to get consulting or engineering jobs, but those pay a lot more than US journalism sites do, so people get picked off by the higher paying jobs.

Notebookcheck may work because tech jobs don't pay as well in Germany so there isn't that differential. Phoronix works because it's just one super-obsessive guy's personal blog. That's my theory at least.

[-]

Strazdas1@reddit

This is a very common issue not only in journalism but in many fields like teaching or public service. You need quality specialist to do a good service, but you cant get them by paying 3 times less.

[-]

Attainted@reddit

And Gary Key left way before that for Asus, now with LTT.

[-]

Kougar@reddit

Anandtech is reputable. They simply are a ghost of their former glory. Anand went from a kid tech blogger to an investigative tech journalist that did technical deep dives on the hardware for GPUs and CPUs. The site was truly amazing in its heyday.

When Dr Cutress left Anandtech they stopped publishing content for awhile, didn't even publish Ada Lovelace or RDNA3 reviews which tells you how bad it got. They posted a Zen 5 review, but there's no technical uArch analysis.

[-]

Breadfish64@reddit

Chips and Cheese is my go-to for uArch analysis now.

[-]

ilkhan2016@reddit

Anandtech turned to complete shit when Anand left.

[-]

capybooya@reddit

Their news updates and reviews are still decent. The forums are good as well. But yeah, its not what it was.

[-]

Exist50@reddit

The forums are good as well.

I'd stop short of that, lol. The mods are mental.

[-]

NewKitchenFixtures@reddit

It’s mostly dead. I think Toms Hardware people still post there (since they purchased it).

[-]

6hf64hc76hf6@reddit

Kinda crazy to me seeing Tom's Hardware placed above Anandtech. It used to be way behind.

[-]

Corentinrobin29@reddit

I don't remember what happened, but iirc one of the main people at Anandtech left for something else (no drama), and therefore the site lost its main "brains" behind it, and they barely post articles anymore.

They're also much more into entreprise stuff now.

[-]

lupin-san@reddit

PCWorld has a lot of garbage, but some articles, written by the bald asian man Steve from GN speaks to a lot (I forgot his name) are top tier. The man clearly has a lot of industry knowledge and a no bullshit attitude.

Gordon has been in the industry for a long time. He was with Maximum PC before moving to PCWorld. I enjoyed a lot of his Apple rants even when it doesn't make sense. Dude just hates Apple.

[-]

TA-420-engineering@reddit

What's not to hate about Apple.

[-]

rzekiwuff@reddit

I've come to share your pain in being downvoted.

They're the Gucci handbags of the tech world. Priced based on the name except with more pretending like they did it first.

[-]

WizzardTPU@reddit

They're hiring a lot lately, so they're not going anywhere.

Indeed, there's a bunch of areas where I feel our coverage is lacking and I want to improve that. But oh boy .. onboarding 4 new reviewers, plus the usual review work, and everything else is not easy

[-]

TraceyRobn@reddit

Great list, thanks.

Two others I'd recommend, although both are can be very detailed are ChipsandCheese and Ian Cutress (ex AnandTech) has a blog now.

The Register is not really hardware, but provides a clear, no BS overview of the IT scene - they are sceptical of marketing claims.

[-]

madtronik@reddit

I would add Hardware Unboxed which have specially good monitor reviews.

The bald man from PCWorld is Gordon Mah Ung.

[-]

Strazdas1@reddit

So one that hasnt been mentioned which i think have pretty good and level takes on hardware, at least when it comes to gaming side of it, is digital foundry. If you prefer text, they do writeups on eurogamer.

[-]

jocnews@reddit

TechPowerUp is useful for just checking the daily churn of news, but you have to understand the stuff because there are cases where something written in the news piece is totally wrong from time to time.

VideoCardz has great news on GPUs which is what most people (gamers) care about and is reliable/knowledgeable, you won't get news pieces with completely mistaken info. So this one is likely the best place to keep checking periodiacally, because they cover processors too, now. This is the site I would recommend to basically everyone (unlike WCCFtech which is more sensational/less integrity, more spammy, less reliable).

ComputerBase has good daily news coverage, I think the authors are generally on good level, you won't see clueless mistakes on the site. Applicable for german speakers. German to English DeepL or Google TL tends to be usable but it's a hassle.

Chips and Cheese is good if you want analysis of architectures. Good quality, but possibly not what most people want to read.

I don't think popular youtubers (GN, HWU, LTT) are very good. Don't get used to having them as your main source of information, I'd recommend. Not that it's all bad, but the youtube format is dumbing-down things an often they aren't that reliable when it comes to accuracy of information and generally have the problem of looking for sensationalist spins on things because of the everpresent temptation of clickbaiting/viewbaiting.

About Tom's Hardware, AnandTech - there was a huge drop in quality, computex Intel and AMD processor coverage was realtively shallow, lots of mistakes and paragraphs making no sense at all (so it is possible they are ).

I lately have problems with Tom's Hardware news pieces too, where there were claims or takes that were completely contra-factual, as in, somebody made a mistake that said the opposite thing that the news was about. Note those were not differences of opinion or interpretation, just 100% clear brainfarts where something shorted and dude wrote the opposite of what he meant to. Or again, a possible use of AI text generation? Note that cases where a human fails or misunderstands stuff like that happen to, but usually not in the core message of the article itself.

(Edit: disclaimer: I have been working in the area of hardware/tech news for 12 years, so I have some experiences with these sites as news sources/aggregators. Note: I don't consider them competitors due to not really working in the english language sphere, so i hope I kept the assesment unclouded and useful.)

[-]

WizzardTPU@reddit

TechPowerUp is useful for just checking the daily churn of news, but you have to understand the stuff because there are cases where something written in the news piece is totally wrong from time to time.

This definitely should not happen. If you come across something that seems inaccurate, leave a comment or ping me

[-]

jocnews@reddit

I have to say it doesn't happen very often, I think like two cases I noticed in past few months. Not sure if I commented on it (I have a forum account, but not really using it much). I think I put a bit too much emphasis on the "you have to understand the stuff" part, the comment was still meant to be a recommendation to read TPU, not a recommendation to avoid TPU.

I should also add that I don't have complains about TPU reviews, that was about the news stream items.

[-]

WizzardTPU@reddit

Thanks, we definitely want to get it right, always, for all content. So yes, please report such issues.

[-]

MinSin21@reddit

I mostly use Gamers Nexus and LTT for updates. They do alot of weird stuff and experiments, but if its a review or news update it is clearly titled as such.

They make mistakes, everyone do, ltt in particular has had some major blunders, but they acnowlage it and i have not noticed them trying to hide it and i hate Linus' stance on unions but i know nothing about how unions operate in Canada so im not really in a possition to criticise him for it, but i expect his idea of how unions acually work to be completly wrong.

I dont consume alot of written tech media as im mostly interested in updates and if something piques my interest i will look for more info.

[-]

SufficientSherbet483@reddit

i only get my tech news from framechasers on youtube

[-]

GeneralChaz9@reddit

I really enjoy TechPowerUp for GPU reviews, since they include AIB models as well as the Founders/Reference Models from nvidia/AMD. Their comparison data is awesome, and the author will sometimes respond to questions/corrections/etc. in the comments sections at the end. They have good stuff besides that, but that's my favorite part of their site.

Notebookcheck is really good for laptop and smartphone reviews, especially at the hardware level. Benchmark scores, thermal tests, display brightness, etc. all with comparison data for context.

I also enjoy GSMArena for smartphone reviews but there are times where I feel they are inconsistent, such as tacking on a Con to one device but not tacking it onto every device with that same Con, but mostly just a nitpick. Their written reviews are thorough and gives you a solid walkthrough of the device with recommendations within that device class in the conclusion. Their spec sheets are very nice as well, with comparison options too which is extremely useful.

[-]

WizzardTPU@reddit

and the author will sometimes respond to questions/corrections/etc. in the comments sections at the end.

I try to read all the feedback for my reviews, there's always an opportunity to learn. I do encourage my other reviewers to do so, too, but time is limited and there's a tradeoff between following community activity and producing new content.

[-]

GeneralChaz9@reddit

From everything I've read in your reviews and responses, I would say you strike a good balance! I appreciate everything you do at TPU. One of the best in the game.

[-]

WizzardTPU@reddit

I really try. Thanks, much appreciated

[-]

mrandish@reddit

I agree with all these and would add www.RTings.com as well for monitors and peripherals. Although they are primarily a review site instead of "news", their analyses are timely, thorough and consistent over time.

[-]

GeneralChaz9@reddit

Completely blanked on them, I just used their site for comparisons today!

[-]

HandheldAddict@reddit

Most sites today have to report on rumors because it's what gets the clicks.

Even TechSpot, NotebookCheck, and GSMArena cover rumors and leaks.

It's just the nature of the business.

So you're just stuck reading rumors until reviews are out.

Personally a big fan of chipsandcheese though, because of their super technical deepdives.

[-]

HandheldAddict@reddit

Most sites today have to report on rumors because it's what gets the clicks.

Even TechSpot, NotebookCheck, and GSMArena cover rumors and leaks.

It's just the nature of the business.

So you're just stuck reading rumors until reviews are out.

Personally a big fan of chipsandcheese though, because of the super technical deepdives.

[-]

zombieautopilot81@reddit

TechPowerUp is still my favorite.

[-]

WizzardTPU@reddit

<3

[-]

somewhat_moist@reddit

RIP hexus.net. I know Club 386 exists but it’s not the same

[-]

Kougar@reddit

Corentinrobin29's post is pretty accurate, I only disagree with them about THG. THG has turned into a post-every story, rumor, or clickbait headline site and some articles have already been directly rebutted by the GN/HUB Steves. They are constantly posted to this sub and often get picked apart for it.

Wccftech and Videocardz began as rumor mill sites, I still view them as such. I gave up on tech rumor sites a long time ago, 85% of the content is inaccurate by launch day anyway, and even despite rumors we still get blindsided by things like Zen 5's true performance anyway.

Anandtech is still around. They didn't post Ada Lovelace or RDNA3 reviews, but did post a Zen 5 review. I grew up reading this site as Anand took it from a tech blog to a major, investigative and technical deep dive journalist website, I still miss what it used to be. Time will tell if the technical deep dive content comes back, but honestly anyone with the expertise to do this will probably find employment elsewhere in the tech industry which is what has always happened.

Techspot is the text site for Hardware Unboxed. I should point out they are a separate website, but they do post text versions of most HUB content.

Hardware Unboxed I do recommend as they're one of the only journalists to cover motherboard VRM testing to check for VRM temps & VRM induced CPU clockspeed throttling. Also their Monitor's Unboxed side channel is even better which uses purely empirical testing methodology and good comparative explanations for panel types, technologies, and spec differences. HUB has less saltiness without the irate attitude of GN, so I prefer them over GN.

Gamer's Nexus does have a text website, doesn't seem to get all of GN's non-technical coverage though, and it's a bit of a mess to navigate. If you watch the channel then it's all the same content.

Wendell from Level1Techs has some interesting coverage. He's a systems engineer that understands the hardware better than most, which is the reason why journalism is a side hobby for him and not his focus. Because of this he doesn't always do launch coverage, or launch day content you might want. He will sometimes delve deep into the technical stuff, knows every company's dirty little secrets and product shenanigans because he goes deep into the inner workings of things.

Can kinda lump Dr Ian Cutress and his TechTechPotato channel in too. He's left Anandtech and no longer really does the technical deep dive stuff that I look for on launch day CPU and GPU hardware. But his channel sometimes still has interesting content. Like Wendell, his channel and journalistic content is his side hobby rather than his business.

PCWorld, the Executive Editor Gordon Ung's content is pretty good, love the no BS no nonsense attitude. His is the only content I may watch or read from the site or channel.

Der8auer - Does English & German content on YouTube. Is the guy behind Thermal Grizzly products, also produces all sorts of useful things like CPU delidders and waterblocks that he demands exacting standards for before he sells them. Tends to have useful info, case in point his testing of Zen 5 with multiple settings and included power data (stuff no other channel did for launch day content, but is now coming out with after the fact).

TechPowerUp is a great website, the GPU spec pages, the teardown and bare PCB photos of GPUs, and the comparative performance rankings are all invaluable resources.

Mostly I watch Hardware Unboxed. If I need more data then GN. I keep an eye on Level1Tech content as well as Der8auer's content. If I need to research something Gordon Ung's coverage/channel discussion can be useful. Buildzoid's videos are also useful if they happen to coincide on a subject you're focused on.

I found Buildzoid his deep coverage on Zen 5 memory timings to be profoundly helpful as a crash course into DDR5 memory, timings, subtimings, and tuning. Coming from a 4790K using DDR3 to a 7700X with DDR5, it was worlds apart. But his content was excellent and I figured out how to safely fine tune the AMD ratios and Hynix subtimings for a few more percentage points of performance. CPUs and GPUs are already pretty well maxed out from the factory, but there's still a surprising amount of headroom left on the table when it comes to SK Hynix memory die.

[-]