Wednesday, April 3rd 2024

TechPowerUp Hiring: Reviewers Wanted for Motherboards, Laptops, Gaming Handhelds and Prebuilt Desktops

TechPowerUp has four open positions in our team that we'd like to fill with talented and motivated PC gamers and enthusiasts like you! We are looking for a motherboard reviewer, a pre-built gaming PC reviewer, a gaming handheld reviewer and a laptop reviewer—that's four separate positions, for four individuals. Applicants will be required to regularly publish detailed hardware reviews in their respective roles, at a frequency that's most suitable for the type of hardware being reviewed. The position is open to individuals from the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Japan, or Taiwan.

Besides product evaluation skills, we expect our reviewers to possess good literary skills. We're not exactly looking for over-the-top creative writing, but content that's engaging and insightful to our readers, who come to us for our detailed yet straightforward writing style. The four are remote working positions, which will require you to perform hardware testing and photography in-house. Ideally you'll already have some equipment, but we can definitely help with that, also with streamlining your testing workflow, and creating the testing setup. Our team is also always here for you to discuss testing methodologies, presentation of results, etc. This is a paid, and part-time position, our role will be to keep you busy with samples of the hardware assigned to you. There are no static quotas per month, but depending on the hardware category we expect a certain minimum number of reviews we can publish, to maintain a regular cadence that keeps up with the latest developments.

TechPowerUp reviews don't just go in-depth into performance evaluations, but also include detailed photography and insights to the various components that make up a piece of hardware. Our motherboard reviewer, for example, should be able to identify and test the various onboard devices and VRM components. This comprehensive approach extends to laptops, too, which will mostly be gaming-grade ones—and prebuilt gaming desktops. For the gaming handheld reviewer, you'll need to be able to objectively review and contrast current hardware, such as the ROG Ally, or the Steam Deck, besides evaluating the experience these devices offer haptics wise, or even how supported the platforms are in the enthusiast community, who often release polished software tools or aftermarket hardware modifications for popular devices. Being an avid gamer who enjoys trying out the newest titles would suit the role, as TPU long term testing will involve regular gaming performance articles evaluating and comparing these handheld PCs.

Interested? Send us examples of your work (needn't be with big and notable publications, even personal blogs or forum posts will do); and send us a 300-word essay about recent developments in the area of work you're interested in (for example: if you're signing up for the Laptop position, give us a brief essay on recent developments from the world of laptops). If you're applying for multiple positions, you must include a writing sample for each, so we know you understand the tech. No ChatGPT writeups please, we want to learn about your skills. Prior experience in the field, especially with a notable publication, would count as a big plus, but isn't essential. Please also tell us a bit about yourself, like location, education and age, just so we can get a better idea of you as an applicant.

Contact us at w1zzard@techpowerup.com. Applications close on May 1st.
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90 Comments on TechPowerUp Hiring: Reviewers Wanted for Motherboards, Laptops, Gaming Handhelds and Prebuilt Desktops

#1
HOkay
Oh man, if I didn't already have a well paid stable job (which I can't very well give up due to having a family to feed) I'd be so in! Handhelds have given me a new gaming life, since I can't use my desktop anymore due to having a baby sleeping in that room now :oops: It's a really interesting space, especially with Intel solutions now out to complete with AMD & all the work being done in the Operating System space for them. I look forward to reading the output of whoever snaps that role up!
Posted on Reply
#2
ir_cow
As the posts says already, we are all here to help with feedback and best practices if asked for. Don't feel that you are completely alone or need to know absolutely everything about a subject. Just need a willingness to learn, question everything and adapt.

Best of luck to applicants.

P.s I have no hiring powers here, please don't PM me about giving a good word on your behalf. Your application will speak for itself.
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#4
Fahad
Good to see handhelds on the agenda. Hopefully in time for the ROG Ally 2.
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#5
freeagent
I would love to do this. This would be up my alley. Hm..
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#7
stinger608
Dedicated TPU Cruncher & Folder
I think I'll be submitting an application.
My essay might be well over 300 words, so I hope that will be okay?
Posted on Reply
#8
ir_cow
stinger608I think I'll be submitting an application.
My essay might be well over 300 words, so I hope that will be okay?
This is my opinion on the 300-word essay. Two reason to keep it short. 1: reading long applications often get passed up. TL;DR. 2: This soft limit could be a test. How well does someone follow instructions.

On the other side, you want to make a good impression. What better way than to put all you have into it.

For me when I've hired people (unrelated to this). I often picked people who did short direct route. TL;DR just didn't make the cut if it was #50. Maybe the first five I would read fully.

If the short cover letter peaked my interest, they either got a interview or a follow up phone call.

Can't tell you what wiz thinks. So do whatever you think is best.

I think mine was like two paragraphs and a bunch of links to my previous articles.
Posted on Reply
#9
Protagonist
I've been interested in multiple positions here at TPU, each time announcement is made I've applied.

I would love to apply for the motherboard or gaming laptop position, the only thing keeping me from applying this time is region restrictions, at least it has been stated clearly.

Possibly region restrictions has been an issue before too.

Good luck to all.
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#10
twometre
Good luck for the searching! I used to run a tech/hardware media in Thailand since high-school for many years and had TPU as an idol back then. My destiny drifted me off from PC Masterrace industry to a neighbouring one with editorial sense remains. Testing hardware is hard and mundane stuff that you do the same thing over and over. Also need to be attention to details. I keep supporting you guys!
Posted on Reply
#11
LazyGamer
I owned OG GameBoy and Nintendo DS Lite. And my sister is a proctologist. Is that enough qualifications for handhelds position?
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#12
Sunlight91
extends to laptops, too, which will mostly be gaming-grade ones
Who would want to review Gaming Laptops in the current market? I'm share Tim's opinion from Hardware Unboxed that they make no sense. They are quite heavy and bulky while also offering significant lower performance/$ than a small desktop build. Additionally noise and battery life will be bad.

Modern iGPUs are good enough for the vast majority of games. The success of handhelds proofs this.
Posted on Reply
#13
HOkay
Sunlight91Who would want to review Gaming Laptops in the current market? I'm share Tim's opinion from Hardware Unboxed that they make no sense. They are quite heavy and bulky while also offering significant lower performance/$ than a small desktop build. Additionally noise and battery life will be bad.

Modern iGPUs are good enough for the vast majority of games. The success of handhelds proofs this.
Sure, unless you travel a lot. If you're getting planes or trains a lot, regularly working away from your office, regularly staying in hotels or places you don't have a mouse, keyboard & monitor ready to go, then a laptop is by far the easiest thing to carry & can give you a good work & gaming experience. I do love my handheld, but it's not a laptop replacement, it just doesn't have the power or convenience for doing real work or gaming. Many people don't have any of these use cases & for them it doesn't make sense to get a laptop. That said, there's a lot of people who want to sit on the sofa at home & work or play, my partner is one of them! She's got a decent desktop in the small office room upstairs, with a dock if she wants to dock her laptop up to the monitor, keyboard & mouse, yet she chooses to work on her laptop on the sofa! Drives me slightly crazy, but it's personal preference & a laptop is the only solution for her preference.
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#14
Arcdar
Sunlight91Who would want to review Gaming Laptops in the current market? I'm share Tim's opinion from Hardware Unboxed that they make no sense. They are quite heavy and bulky while also offering significant lower performance/$ than a small desktop build. Additionally noise and battery life will be bad.

Modern iGPUs are good enough for the vast majority of games. The success of handhelds proofs this.
While this is true this doesn't make it unnecesary to test new releases to see how the market evolves, right?

Just because a product is bad or not up to the task you want it to be doesn't mean it isn't interesting to see what is happening right now and how the next generation of products evolve. See electric cars. Just because a lot of people didn't like them or see the use in them (especially battery/charging/range) didn't make it useless to test all available options and new releases to see how it changed over time or if some even got worse.

For some people those heavy bulky ones are still a good option. Especially if you commute a lot and spend only a few days a week in certain places but want to enjoy your game in the evening none the less you'd be O.K. with low battery life and less perf/$ compared to the other option of spending a few nights a week in a hotel with only netflix/amazon which is not a great option for a lot of people :P ;)
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#15
ir_cow
Sunlight91Who would want to review Gaming Laptops in the current market? I'm share Tim's opinion from Hardware Unboxed that they make no sense. They are quite heavy and bulky while also offering significant lower performance/$ than a small desktop build. Additionally noise and battery life will be bad.
If people didn't buy them, these products wouldn't exist. My buddy games on a RTX 4070 laptop. His wife doesn't like him having a desktop taking up space. He puts the laptop on his lap and away we play.
Posted on Reply
#16
Arcdar
HOkaySure, unless you travel a lot. If you're getting planes or trains a lot, regularly working away from your office, regularly staying in hotels or places you don't have a mouse, keyboard & monitor ready to go, then a laptop is by far the easiest thing to carry & can give you a good work & gaming experience. I do love my handheld, but it's not a laptop replacement, it just doesn't have the power or convenience for doing real work or gaming. Many people don't have any of these use cases & for them it doesn't make sense to get a laptop. That said, there's a lot of people who want to sit on the sofa at home & work or play, my partner is one of them! She's got a decent desktop in the small office room upstairs, with a dock if she wants to dock her laptop up to the monitor, keyboard & mouse, yet she chooses to work on her laptop on the sofa! Drives me slightly crazy, but it's personal preference & a laptop is the only solution for her preference.
Beat me to it :D ... totally agree :). There are a lot of use cases for this, even though the points he made are true it doesn't mean there isn't a market for it none the less

(( I mean, there even is a market for 14900ks - and what are the real usecases for that? :D ;) ))
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#17
qlum
Good to see among the tech publications getting bought up / dying, this site is healthy enough to expand it's team.
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#18
W1zzard
stinger608My essay might be well over 300 words, so I hope that will be okay?
Part of being a good writer is getting your thoughts across without being too wory, but sure .. absolutely, if you have more to say, impress me :)
ir_cowIf people didn't buy them, these products wouldn't exist.
QFT
qlumGood to see among the tech publications getting bought up / dying, this site is healthy enough to expand it's team.
Site activity, business and money has never been better, and I'm still loving what I do after 20 years :)

added
"Japan"
"If you're applying for multiple positions, you must include a writing sample for each, so we know you understand the tech"
Posted on Reply
#19
huggi
btarunrThe position is open to individuals from the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Japan, or Taiwan.
:cry:

As always, Australia gets shafted... To be fair, I'm just an enthusiast and have no experience in anything similar to journalism so unlikely I'd even pass the first stage, but it'd be nice to see remote working positions be more accessible to those of us living down under.
Posted on Reply
#21
Wirko
ProtagonistMaybe include more regions?... Africa!...
The difficulty of sending stuff to some regions and back is to blame here, I think. Not even India is on the list, regardless of the fact that TPU's Chief-News-Officer is situated there.

@W1zzard Are there any members of the staff in Australia? Does the "TPU everywhere" world map on the Contact Us page need updating?
Posted on Reply
#22
W1zzard
WirkoAre there any members of the staff in Australia?
yes
WirkoThe difficulty of sending stuff to some regions and back is to blame here
Correct
huggiAustralia gets shafted
I picked @Mussels for mobo reviewer last year and there have been constant issues/poisons/natural disasters/infrastructure outages/etc etc
Posted on Reply
#23
Merluz
Sunlight91Who would want to review Gaming Laptops in the current market? I'm share Tim's opinion from Hardware Unboxed that they make no sense. They are quite heavy and bulky while also offering significant lower performance/$ than a small desktop build. Additionally noise and battery life will be bad.

Modern iGPUs are good enough for the vast majority of games. The success of handhelds proofs this.
I've heard about the useless gaming laptop story in the last 15 years, but they still exist and getting better time to time... Maybe because there are people who buy them because they need them, instead of a desktop computer.
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#24
remixedcat
Count me in for laptops! I'm a music producer that pushes laptops to the limits with complex sound design and I use the most complex software, bitwig studio, to make my music in! Music production is the most demanding thing on laptops because it requires the lowest DPC latency and optimizations to work with synths without poppin n crackin!
www.youtube.com/shorts/HJNxA3RCMqs doing thermal testing on my inspiron 3525 for exmple with one of my complex tracks!

I also rehab laptops and sell them so I'm comfy taking them apart to look at how well they are internally designed.

Also beta tested for big brands so I'm comfy telling companies where they need to improve.

also.. blog in sig for all the reviews on networking hardware I've done!

also one thing I forgot in the email and this is even part of reviewing is adding some things after the fact is that I can also test how good the laptops work in Linux too!!
Posted on Reply
#25
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
So how much does it pay? How many reviews per month do you have to do to get a livable wage?
Posted on Reply
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