AnandTech Closing

[TooNice]

Oh wow. Anandtech was my most used tech site over the years. Didn't realise at the time, but it looks like I started using that site near their very beginning.

They were my first stop for reviews, but I also liked their tech articles. Like explaining in details new CPU/GPU architectures, multiple articles on SSD, and later on, their coverage on SoC.

But the truth is that as device became "good enough for me", I became a lot less interested in reading about tech news. I used to check tech site like Anand and Hexus multiple times per day while now, I can go months without.

As far as YouTube reviews go, I haven't really got into it for PC / laptops. I started using a bit more for various mobile devices, but GSM Arena remains my first stop for phones. That said, one of my friend (same demographic) primarily use YT for all his tech reviews needs including PC builds.

TBH, since I've been using laptops exclusively for about 15 years, the loss of Notebookreview (esp. the forum) was the biggest loss for me. I started using Reddit more, but I'd say it is more out of necessity than preference.

Well, life goes on.

[cptwhite_uk]

Lisa at MobileTechReview on Youtube was always a decent source for laptop and mobile reviews, her format hasn't changed for years, very dated by modern standards but has an authenticity about it. She's covered hundreds of devices over her 16 years on YouTube, 1897 videos apparently.

[Jonj1611]

Not going to lie if I need quick answers, like superfast, will use chatgpt. For the most part its normally right!

[AGTDenton]

For me a large problem when it comes to reviews these days is that chip manufacturers now force all partners to follow the same set of stringent rules.
They have such a hold on manufacturers to the extent that nVidia designs all the box art for their board partners so you can't even reivew that because they've been designed by 1 company, and probably the same team across all partners.

We will never see the likes of DFi or Abit ever again, for instance defying intel by developing a dual socketed board when intel said it couldn't be done, or maxing out memory bus speeds when intel had no idea it was possible. Because if any partner deviates from those rules they get punished as highlighted by EVGA.

The creative freedom and soul in the industry has to me been stripped out and really the only thing left to review on computer parts is the incompetance of manufacturers using inferior capacitors or other poor quality materials.

Comparing a like for like motherboard for example there's nothing really between them, 1 or 2 FPS. As a consumer all I'm doing is choosing between do I want 4 USB ports or 8, or do I want a PCIe slot in a certain location. I don't even look at performance figures any more because they're just so meaningless as no-ones allowed to push the boundaries of what's technically possible.

[Rob_B]

You're not wrong, I'm not sure what the market would be nowadays, bigger market but I feel like the desire for janky mods was greater back then (maybe?) so clearly 'we' as the public didn't want it enough to make it viable?
/old_man_mode It really was more fun in days gone by wasn't it ? Cold cathodes, zip ties holding CPU slotkets in place, the Zalman gold heatsink style that was huge for so long, aah the good old day /old_man_mode

[Jonj1611]

I think because of lot of things were actually new. Dual cores! New slots, new sockets, cga, ega, vga, Nvidia TnL. Everything was something new. Now its just a new iteration with a little bit extra than before. Nothing really new and amazing to report now.

[jimbouk]

I think because of lot were actually new. Dual cores! New slots, new sockets, cga, ega, vga, Nvidia TnL. Everything was something new. Now its just a new iteration with a little bit extra than before. Nothing really new and amazing to report now.

Very much so, and whilst there are some games which push the boat out in terms of requirements (mostly due to poor optimisation!) most are just using the same game engine so you really can get away with using a 10 year old machine for the newest titles by turning a couple of settings down. Console unification as a PC without the general purpose OS (and to a tiny extent things like the Steam deck) are keeping things fairly stagnant as well.

High inflation really drove home the point when % increases in performance where matched with % increase in price.

[TooNice]

On the laptop side of things, I lament the trend of making everything being super thin, outside a couple of 17+" desktop replacement monstrosity. The thing with thin and powerful is that they tend to sacrifice noise, cooling.

My current laptop, one of the last MSI GT63, is quite honestly the perfect format for me. A fat 15.6" laptop that with plenty of performance, plenty of connectivity options, nice keyboard, and reasonable noise/cooling for a gaming laptop (certainly better than the ultra thin options) and also quite easy to open up. But it looks like MSI has discontinued the range in favour of a bunch of "thin and powerful" (but likely hot and noisy).

Another downside is that those thinner laptops is that they are usually quite hard to maintain (e.g. open up to clean the dust), and all my previous laptops had to be retired because the fans eventually died from having to work too hard as they get clogged as you had to dismantle half the laptop to get inside.

[Saracen999]

....

Another downside is that those thinner laptops is that they are usually quite hard to maintain (e.g. open up to clean the dust), and all my previous laptops had to be retired because the fans eventually died from having to work too hard as they get clogged as you had to dismantle half the laptop to get inside.

And the cynic in me supposes that that's partly why the trend is to ultra-thin. I call them iPad-alikes, 'cos they seem to be trying to out-thin Apple. Sadly, it seems to come with the same lack of repairability, meaning of course, we have to buy new ones.

And that internal cynic also thinks, while generational improvements in speed kept us renewing laptops regularly because of what the extra performance allowed us to do, I'm struggling to think what a new laptop would let me do that the current one can't. They might do it a bit quicker, but there's not much this (relatively recent) machine can't do a decently quick job of .... including video editing.

So now that increased functionality from better performance is minimal incentive to upgrade, I'm not surprised manufacturers are drawn to devices that are hard, expensive or impossible to fix .... even for pretty trivial problems. Except Framework of course, but they have a different category of issues to be concerned about. Mainly, price, because it seems to be you sure do pay a premium for that 'upgradability', compared to like-for-like hardware that isn't (upgradeable). I guess we can vote with our wallets on that.

[AGTDenton]

Agreed, and they all went for the Apple chiclet keyboard as well. I miss a proper keyboard on laptops and regularly plug one in especially when the mouse pad now invisibly seems to be active on the whole area in front of the keyboard which never works correctly and interferes whilst typing. Synaptics are just awful.

[cptwhite_uk]

Recently bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T480s - it's an Intel 8th gen, business class device. New enough to have NVME and USB-C, and definitely fits into the 'thin and light' category, but maintains that comfortable keyboard and physical trackpad buttons, along with a solid metal chassis to all areas. I wish laptops didn't sacrifice the tactile aspects of design these days.