The computer hardware industry is going through unprecedented conditions, and it has created a double whammy effect of sorts for many manufacturers. While most companies are enjoying record sales, there are also troubling issues in the supply chains that are preventing factories from getting the specific components needed to make products. As a result, more and more manufacturers are attempting to use alternative components that sometimes negatively impact the performance of products such as SSDs and PSUs.
Several stories about SSD performance made the headlines recently (over at Tom’s Hardware) due to manufacturers selling altered products under the same SKUs that failed to meet the specs of the original products. It was noted that SSDs from memory manufacturers including Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital, Patriot, and ADATA have been downgraded in spec and performance without much in the way of announcements.
Depending on how you look at it, these changes could be considered deceptive, or a reflection of the current market. One particular point that’s worth considering is that the products no longer match the specs of review samples and are thus deserving of lower scores, at the very least. The other issue is that the products simply don’t deliver the expected performance anymore. It will be hard for consumers to differentiate between the original “golden products” and the lesser products fresh out of the factories when buying.
Messy messy
There will certainly be legal issues with this development, since some consumers have likely purchased mislabeled products already, but manufacturers have updated their websites already to reflect the spec changes as well. The same may not be true for retailers, though. Consumers should use caution and exercise due diligence before purchasing any new SSDs. We also recommend performing benchmarks to see if your new SSDs match the performance specifications of the product.
Even Samsung’s hailed 970 series is suffering from performance issues now.
PSU PSA
In addition to SSDs, ill news on PSUs have been making headlines lately as well. Aside from Gigabyte’s explosive PSU debacle, Gamer’s Nexus also recently discovered that one of the most popular PSUs on Amazon fails to meet its advertised specifications. The ARESGAMING brand advertises cheap, 80+ Gold certified PSUs with hydraulic bearing fans. However, extensive testing by Gamer’s Nexus revealed that the PSU didn’t meet the 80+ Gold certification, cut a number of corners in safety and efficiency, and featured what appeared to be a cheaper sleeve bearing in the fan. The good news is that the PSU doesn’t blow up under extended periods of load like the Gigabyte PSU. As the time old saying goes though, you get what you pay for.
It’s recommended that you avoid the ARESGAMING brand until the company reassesses the quality of its products. The PSU manufacturer admitted that the independent testing results were accurate, but the company didn’t comment on what its next steps will be to deal with the situation.
It’s hard to say when the computer hardware market will return to a state of normality. But you may want to forgo certain purchases until the situation improves if you have quality and performance concerns. Maybe it’s time to upgrade some peripherals, or your gaming desk. At least those won’t blow up on you.
