Hardware Testing and Benchmarking Methodology On many hardware
review websites explanations of the methodology used for testing
and the amount data displayed in the review are lacking in
quality and quantity. I'll attempt to show what needs to be
addressed to improve the quality of these reviews, what you
should find in high-quality reviews, and how to find misleading
information. Qualitative vs. Quantitative When a reviewer states
'Product X is the fastest/most quiet/best value,' this is a
qualitative statement. The reviewer is using statements that are
unquantifiable, that is they can't be put into numbers. This is
bad because these statements can't be tested or proven true, and
therefore it misleads the reader. However, these statements can
be quantified, the reviewer might say 'Product X is the most
quiet because it performed at 18 dB@1m at such and such speed
compared to product Y (See Table Z).' This may not be as flashy
or as eloquent as a simple 'This is the best' statement, but
with correct testing m