TechPowerUp is Hiring a Motherboard Reviewer

[Mussels]

Ugh i'd love to do this, but i'm also well aware i'd end up being extremely thorough on these boards and may not keep up with the pacing wanted for the reviews
the amount of BIOS bugs and issues i've found in my OWN boards is absurd, like how gigabyte somehow felt like breaking their BIOS if you enable rebar/disable CSM on their entire AM4 range

Even something as simple as lining up a kit of RAM to be 'fair' between the platforms can be tricky now, as well as how in-depth do you go with custom settings for things like RAM speed?

 

[R-T-B]

This is who I want to read stuff from. Million dollar question is, can you condense that into a readable format. Not so dry that it puts people to sleep, but somewhere in the middle. Can't appeal to everyone, just the middle ground. I miss anandtech stuff form 2004. Reading about XEONs server stuff being being overwhelmed, but I could look at all the charts and figure it out over time. Google one word and go down the rabbit hole.

God, I thought I was alone in that.... lol. I guess it's a common "coming of age" tech story.

 

[W1zzard]

Probably still looking I'd guess.

Not sure why you feel you need to make statements that are probably wrong

 

[AusWolf]

I love to test stuff, I love to write, and I meet most criteria, except for memory overclocking, which is absolutely Chinese to me. I don't very much care to learn it, either, as I don't think it's useful in any way.
Regardless, good luck to all applicants. May the best one succeed.

As for the exact time needed to complete each review, you can do the backhand math approach. For me, it's 17-40hrs per motherboard.

The advert says it's a part-time job with the requirement of 3-4 reviews per month. If it takes up to 40 hrs to write a review, and you write up to 4 per month, then it's pretty much a full-time job, isn't it?

 

[chrcoluk]

Yeah, I would love to do this type of job, but aside from my poor writing skills, the effort I would want to put into it, and doing 3-4 per month, for me thats easily a full time job.

Like ir_cow said, a review should be much more than just rehashing the marketing material.

 

[ir_cow]

Like ir_cow said, a review should be much more than just rehashing the marketing material.

That's just my opinion and what I would like to see. Wiz has the final say. Discuss it with him if you apply.

 

[ecomorph]

@ir_cow Out of curiosity, roughly how many hours would it take you to review a given motherboard? (testing, writing...). In the vicinity of 10, 20hrs? Did you find the difficulty curve very steep? (or did you already know everything needed for the job when you started?) Thanks!

 

[ir_cow]

@ir_cow Out of curiosity, roughly how many hours would it take you to review a given motherboard? (testing, writing...). In the vicinity of 10, 20hrs?

ASRock Z790 PG Sonic Edition Review - 17 HR ~​

EVGA Z790 CLASSIFIED Review - 35 HR ~​

ASRock Z690 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB4 Review - 30 HR ~​

You are responsible for the whole review. All text, graphs, pictures, formatting, benchmarking, editing, etc. Here is the thing about my hour count. I am not the fastest writer with most reviews around 8-10K in words. YOU don't have to match what I do. I've been writing reviews based on what I want to see in a proper review. Also I cut stuff like audio testing because I don't have the right equipment for it (don't use rightmark In/Out method!). It is a balancing act of what is necessary to back up your conclusion and what is more fluff that may not add much to the article in terms of helpful information.

Did you find the difficulty curve very steep? (or did you already know everything needed for the job when you started?) Thanks!

If steep is the same as different, than yes. I feel like you have to know a little bit about everything to grok it all. Though, no one starts that way. I spent a good amount of time reading XOC forums, reading CPU reviews, reading other MB reviews over the last 11-12 years of reviewing stuff. Writing a graphic card review is vastly different from a motherboard. I started with Mice, Keyboards, Cases. Eventually did a few motherboards and memory reviews, switch to GPUs for the NV 20 and 30 series, AMD 5000 / 6000. Applied to TPU afterwards and here I am doing motherboards and memory again.

Keyboards and Cases are a great way to get started, because I think are much harder. Mice and Keyboards are very subjective. If you can do a good keyboard and detailed case review, you probably will be okay to start with a motherboard.

I think the hardest part is always a product launch review. No one can really help you (besides wiz). You have a product guide of course, but you are kind of left to figure things out on your own until the product officially launches. For example when Alder Lake launched, DDR5 was new. No one had any idea what the upper limit was outsides probably the engineers. Is 330 watts CPU load normal??? AM5 comes along, DDR5 is 1 yr old, but once again what is the limits. Is DDR5-6400 suppose to work??? It says DDR5-6600 on the QVL, so what gives? These are questions you will have to traverse. However the simply solution is just not talk about it in the review.... Don't know? Don't mention it. It is better than giving the wrong information, but it comes with a hidden cost of a review lacking useful information to the readers.

 

[EarthDog]

Thanks for the "@" and those who reached out privately (internally and externally) to let me know. I'm flattered and humbled... enough to bring me out of posting retirement at TPU (for this post, lol) to comment. I'll be frank and say I won't be applying (I do this for a living, not as a hobby or side gig as this is presented).

IMNSHO as a veteran reviewer, the ideal writer for this job at TPU is one who IS NOT trying to make a living off of it (I don't imagine an hourly close to doing so with the apparent word count and imagined efforts) but would like a bit of extra change in their pocket (and play with/keep cool hardware). I do long-form reviews with testing, and it takes me around 30 hours for most boards (typically not less, but more). No clue how one can be done in 17 hours. Ideally, you're living situation allows you to put in the time needed to keep up the high-quality work that the CPU, GPU, Mobo, and PSU reviews already exude here and OK with free hardware and some spare change. Just be aware, as mentioned above, it's close to, if not a FT job already. Do the math and see if the rate you'll get works for you. When you divide it up, the hourly rate can be pretty scary, especially out of the gate as you build your efficiencies within TPUs framework. What, actually, do reviews here entail?

Is the writer responsible for photography and editing his images?

What about the benchmarking/data gathering.......is that manual or automated?
How long does testing take if it goes right?

Once you have the data, what's the process to make the charts? IIRC, there's a db here where you can dump the results and it makes the charts for you, right?

Is there a CMS system or do we write in Docs or Word?
Do reviewers produce their own work here (enter the writing/photos/charts into a CMS) or just turn it in to be produced/published?

Ballpark word count for mobo reviews? Like, what is your expectation? Stick to long-form or trim some fat?

What is the ballpark pay range for this? (Who applies for a job without knowing how much they will be paid or at least a ballpark negotiable figure /article)??!)

I've seen some curious mentions about details in reviews. Understand many of them, their target demographic isn't us (enthusiasts who post at a forum). We are but the tip of the iceberg. I agree that the standard of details should remain here, but disparaging other reviews or reviewers for a lack of some details is disappointing. Obviously, it's ok to 'want/need' more details. But there is a place for that type of review (just not here)! You don't have to like it and I do get it. But an overwhelming majority don't care, so be careful of blanket statements saying they aren't 'proper' reviews if they don't provide the level of detail a hardcore enthusiast and/or reviewer/Hwbot overclockers want compared to the overwhelming majority who struggle to care about what amounts to minutia for them. It's proper, just not for those niche users... and I can argue all day about a lack of relevance of some details, even for enthusiasts...but I won't, lol.


...now back to the Halls of Lurking... GL applicants! See you in my FS thread!

 

[ir_cow]

I've seen some curious mentions about details in reviews. Understand many of them, their target demographic isn't us (enthusiasts who post at a forum). We are but the tip of the iceberg. I agree that the standard of details should remain here, but disparaging other reviews or reviewers for a lack of some details is disappointing. Obviously, it's ok to 'want/need' more details. But there is a place for that type of review (just not here)! You don't have to like it and I do get it. But an overwhelming majority don't care, so be careful of blanket statements saying they aren't 'proper' reviews if they don't provide the level of detail a hardcore enthusiast and/or reviewer/Hwbot overclockers want compared to the overwhelming majority who struggle to care about what amounts to minutia for them. It's proper, just not for those niche users... and I can argue all day about a lack of relevance of some details, even for enthusiasts...but I won't, lol.

This is very true indeed. VAST majority of people do not care about the details, they go right to the conclusion and look for a yes buy or no, don't buy. I am guilty of this too. A short review is still proper. The author just needs to convince me they have my best interests in hand. I personally liked detailed reviews and Anand Lal Shimpi is my hero. Reading his stuff back in 1999. I may be young to some of you, but that was my early teen years. He made learning about computers assessable. Most computers are like LEGOS now and doesn't require even reading the manual. 20 years ago, you kind of had to, or have a good teacher on the "World Wide Web".

 

[R-T-B]

Not sure why you feel you need to make statements that are probably wrong

I was just guessing outloud because PSU guys are rare. Did not mean to offend. Obviously I thought it was possible or I would not have posted. Of course, if anyone could find a guy, it's you, so not surprising to be wrong either.

I don't work here anymore so I'm just guessing outloud same as any user lol.

 

[W1zzard]

Is the writer responsible for photography and editing his images?

Yes

automated?

Yes

there's a db here where you can dump the results and it makes the charts for you, right?

Yes

Is there a CMS system

Yes

 

[AusWolf]

That's just my opinion and what I would like to see. Wiz has the final say. Discuss it with him if you apply.

Nah, it's pretty much a fact. A rehash of marketing material is not a review. A review is a review. I think most of us here on TPU agree.

 

[stinger608]

Hmm, I've thought about applying for this, as I have done motherboard reviews that were very in depth.
However, the reality of doing 3-4 per month could/would be a major undertaking, to say the least.

 

[chaoshusky]

I'm right here and willing

Considering i have repaired many motherboards with SMT reworking and have then tested them, i should quality for this quite easily

Hit me up, TPU! I've been testing a PiStorm32-lite on my Amiga 1200 connected to a RasPi 4B in an external case.. Very impressive, especially with the RTG feature! I also just resurrected an old Gigabyte 970FX motherboard, which is for Bulldozer/FX CPUs.. Largely laughable but i can get 4.5GHz out of an 8320!

And was someone really blaming Gigabyte for AMD AGESA firmware? Quirks like CSM problems etc isn't much to do with the OEM, that's down to AMD more than anything, no?

 

[zlobby]

You mother boarder!

 

[chaoshusky]

My old Gigabyte board was quite funny to be honest, found a bug when i first got it over a year ago, if i went to the info page, hovered over a certain option then right clicked twice, i got the full engineering menu! I could have literally bricked it or made it think it was a laptop.. They finally fixed that in a newer BIOS though. Then i jumped ship to ASRock...not quite as high spec as a Giga board in the same price range, but i love me some Sonic and the BIOS is much, much nicer than Gigabyte's, even though i swear by them.. The ASUS ROG Strix X299 board behind me though, good god that's a tuner's heaven!

 

[Mussels]

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Oh well that helps, the benchmarking side of things is where I figured i'd be the most stuck - I'd failed to connect the dots of how you automate your GPU and CPU reviews with "oh duh, this also works for motherboard reviews"


The hardest part is going to be a database of comparison hardware - lets say i have an AM6 motherboard, i've got nothing else to compare it with or against, benchmark wise other than my existing AM4 setups.

I assume theres a way to compare those with existing reviews? I suppose something like sticking to DDR4 3600 and DDR5 6000 is an easier way to keep things equal, as long as the ram ranks/timings stay the same

 

[Shrek]

Would a review include how well a motherboard works with over-clocking? things could get excessive.

 

[AusWolf]

Would a review include how well a motherboard works with over-clocking? things could get excessive.

Besides, how do you review that? Your motherboard may allow some darn good OC, but if your CPU drew the short straw on the silicon lottery, you'll never know.

 

[ir_cow]

Besides, how do you review that? Your motherboard may allow some darn good OC, but if your CPU drew the short straw on the silicon lottery, you'll never know.

Would a review include how well a motherboard works with over-clocking? things could get excessive.

I think it depends on the type of motherboard. If your reviewing a XOC motherboard, yeah, probably want to spend a good amount of time checking out the features. If its a budget B760 MB with no overclocking, probably not. Between VRM thermal test and playing around, you will quickly find quirks. Like the Z790 Apex I've been using. Needs LLC of 6 because the vdroop is so high under load it will crash otherwise with a OC. Great MB otherwise, but that is something worth mentioning. Expect...maybe it's just me. Haven't found any forums posts of this problem. However, this isn't a problem for me on a $250 entry MB...sooo.

 

[zlobby]

Would a review include how well a motherboard works with over-clocking? things could get excessive.

Altough, with current state of affairs, i.e. PBO and stuff, it's a moot point for everything but some extreme OC.

 

[ARF]

Yeah, given that the Ryzen 7000 series CPUs are already OCed like insane from the factory, I don't think you need to specifically include, emphasize on, or even mention overclocking. Overclocking must be banned.
Instead, you can include something better - undervolting and underclocking.

About the reviewer - I really hope you find someone with excellent English both writing and speaking skills.
And then, please contact the motherboard manufacturers - MSI, ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte, etc. - only they have the people who have all the required knowledge about every single detail in their motherboards.
This guy must know all the components' suppliers, all types of components, it is an extremely difficult challenge.

 

[ir_cow]

This guy must know all the components' suppliers, all types of components, it is an extremely difficult challenge.

Nah, just the willingness to google stuff and read datasheets lol.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

Instead, you can include something better - undervolting and underclocking

Why? All of this methods of using is out of warranty of CPU.
Ps. Of course, I'm not against it, but the relevant parts of the review should include the necessary warning.