TESTWhat's going on?
You may have seen misleading claims about us on social media, YouTube, Reddit, hardware magazines, and even on Wikipedia. These are not random. They are part of a coordinated effort to undermine our credibility.
Why? Because we are the only major PC hardware publisher that is not paid by brands. That makes us inconvenient.
Are reviewers paid by hardware brands?
Yes. Most "reviewers" are sponsored, directly or indirectly, by the same brands whose products they cover. Payments include:
- Free products and early access
- Payment for reviews and placements
- Shill networks boosting their image online
We do not accept any of these.
Is UserBenchmark completely independent?
Yes. We do not take money, gifts, or influence from hardware brands. Our funding comes solely from:
- Ads that are unlinked to our editorial decisions
- User support through subscriptions
- Transparent affiliate links
Our loyalty is to our users, not to PC brands.
Why is UserBenchmark a target?
When our data exposes weak products:
- Brands lose sales
- Influencers lose reach
The marketing machine depends on silence or praise. Our refusal to play along makes us a problem.
How are the smears being spread?
Tactics include:
- Coordinated negative comments on Reddit, YouTube, TrustPilot, and Twitter
- Influencers implying we are biased
- Search engine manipulation via systematic pollution of any results that include UserBenchmark
- YouTube bots triggering recommendations of smear content after users engage with our brand
These are not genuine actions, they are part of a coordinated campaign.
Who else is a target?
Independent reviewers, board makers and retailers, also face smear tactics, including:
- Fake outrage driven by bots, paid comments, and YouTube hit pieces
- Psyops (psychological operations) via threatening or manipulative messages
- Cyber attacks, including DDoS attacks, data leaks and account breaches
The goal is to control the narrative and conceal inconvenient truths.
Why should this matter to you?
Because your money is on the line. Without independent data, you risk buying:
- Overpriced hardware
- Hardware that looks good on paper but performs poorly in practice
- Products that simply aren’t fit for purpose
Remove independent data, and you're left with salesmen pretending to be reviewers and social media grunts pretending to be users.
How can you help?
- Consider who is ultimately funding your sources of information
- Validate information with real users rather than just online
- If you value what we do, support us by subscribing or just spreading the word
What's next?
We’ve been here 15 years, and we’re not going anywhere.
We’ll continue publishing independent data because truth matters. Integrity matters. And your right to objective information matters most of all.
Contact us for details on any of the issues raised in this FAQ.
2025 Hardware Rankings
 PC Score |
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