Look at user reviews but do NOT put too much stock in them. With user reviews, it is important to note happy users don't complain. That may skew the results. And most reviewers don't come back after they have used the product for a while to write reviews. That means we don’t learn how the product holds up over time. I have often been asked to write a review right after ordering it, but before I even received it and had a chance to install it.
Also, users typically don't have comparable products to compare it with for proper side-by-side (A-B) comparisons, nor do they have properly equipped testing facilities, or the necessary technical skills for a proper evaluation.
Often times you will see products down-rated because it was a different color than shown on Newegg or Amazon. Or the Post Office delivered it to the house next door, UPS delivered it a day late, or the box looked like it fell off the FedEx truck. So if I am considering a product, I read the user reviews but I don't put a lot of stock in them,
UNLESS there are several complaining about the
EXACT SAME genuine fault/defect with the same model number product.
So when doing your research, search for the exact model number you are considering and add the word "review" to your search string. Then review the professional reviews, like those done by
TPU and other sites. But be careful there too. Often, at some sites (not TPU) those so called reviews are essentially a reprint of the marketing fodder and/or published specs.
How can you write a review of a product you have not recived yet,that is madness.
That goes for the majority of people who buy stuff on there.Thats mostly people who buy on ebay on the feedback.Most people say on there eBay that is just about the delivery and not about the product,Another well thought out piece once again Bill