Custom PC Mag gone to the dogs

savemejebus

Just finished reading the newest issue of Custom PC and have to say it's really really gone downhill. I don't know if it's just a lack of decent material or what but the last 2 issues have sucked the big one.

Last months mag had a 16+ page advert for webhosting in it and a really bad article on building a laptop as it's main piece while this months issue is just well ...dull.

By rights it should be brimming with interesting articles when you consider conroe and the amd price cuts but they only review the highest end conroes and even at that are nowhere near objective, just reeking fanboism. The main article (€250 PC) is already out dated and while they review conroe they don't really provide any interesting details, I would have expected at least a comparison of the Amd x2s and conroes in a price & performance test (factoring in the price drops) but no mention of any of this, just AMD is dead style comments.

Oh and the custom case section this month is hopeless, there were some excellent ones a few months ago (f117 one springs to mind) but this months one was basically a guy saying how he bought a case, paid other people to do the work on it, got it back installed parts, and then installed watercooling wrong and drenched his mainboard. To me that doesn't really seem worthy of publication.

Anyone else notice the decrease in quality or is it just me

knipex

The quality has gone downhill since the first year.

After their first "Modfest" (where I have serious issues with them) turned out to be a PC world advertisment where one of the questions asked to compeditors by a judge was how many parts did you buy from PC World and another judge went on record as saying he added points for each neon light or lighted fan I cancelled my sub.

K.O.Kiki

Sounds like someone sold out!

I stopped buying only cos of lack of money & ownership of a Mac. Glad I didn't get a crap issue then.

Anti

well they have covered pretty much every aspect of overlcocking/modding your pc. I do know one of their writers josh blodwellhas gone freelance, but that was months ago. Maybe the problem is your getting used to the magazine. I still read it religiously every month. I have noticed some spelling mistakes in the last couple of issues. but genrally im happy with the content of the mag.

hopeful

savemejebus wrote:

Just finished reading the newest issue of Custom PC and have to say it's really really gone downhill. I don't know if it's just a lack of decent material or what but the last 2 issues have sucked the big one.

Last months mag had a 16+ page advert for webhosting in it and a really bad article on building a laptop as it's main piece while this months issue is just well ...dull.

By rights it should be brimming with interesting articles when you consider conroe and the amd price cuts but they only review the highest end conroes and even at that are nowhere near objective, just reeking fanboism. The main article (€250 PC) is already out dated and while they review conroe they don't really provide any interesting details, I would have expected at least a comparison of the Amd x2s and conroes in a price & performance test (factoring in the price drops) but no mention of any of this, just AMD is dead style comments.

Oh and the custom case section this month is hopeless, there were some excellent ones a few months ago (f117 one springs to mind) but this months one was basically a guy saying how he bought a case, paid other people to do the work on it, got it back installed parts, and then installed watercooling wrong and drenched his mainboard. To me that doesn't really seem worthy of publication.

Anyone else notice the decrease in quality or is it just me

Damn...you've spoiled the surprise of this months issue now :mad:

You're right though...quality has gone down...still going to buy it

savemejebus

anti wrote:

I have noticed some spelling mistakes in the last couple of issues. but genrally im happy with the content of the mag.

yeah i noticed that too, but don't really mind it. it's things like 'stacking the deck' when it comes to reviews that gets me. When they compare a conroe e6800 system with a 7950gx2 with an fx55 system (their own testing rig which usually has a 6800gt but they don't say what it's running in thetest) and then start saying how great it is, I can't help thinking 'yep conroe is fantastic, but why arent they comparing the e6800 systen with a similarly equipped am2 fx62'.

I'm sure the e6800 would trounce the amd so why not compare each companys flagship chip, instead of the current intel and a 3 generation old amd chip.

little things like that are pi$sing me off.

@hopeful, sorry if i spoiled anything, didn't mean to

TempestSabre

Its always been dire. You're only realising it now.

unklerosco

savemejebus wrote:

but why arent they comparing the e6800 systen with a similarly equipped am2 fx62'.

They do but only briefly...

I think the prob is, the mag is written a good bit in advance of it hitting the shelves.. by that time the news n reviews n it are old.. u can get reviews n news on the net every day n its fresh...