An in-house lab that benchmarks PC hardware hands-on and says it won't sell reviews; just know the buy buttons earn it affiliate commissions.
What it's really for A PC-hardware site with in-house benchmarking; affiliate links and ads fund it.
What our grade covers The grade on this page is about its lab-benchmarked PC-component reviews, not everything the site does.
High Scoring Confidence Checked against primary sources. We are confident in the facts and the grade here.
Retailers and advertisers pay it most through affiliate fees and ads, but by its own disclosure ads never affect what it covers, manufacturers get no preferential treatment for advertising, and it doesn't accept payment for reviews.
Source →- Operating since
- 1996 (30 years) · source
- What it costs you
- Free to read The reviews are free to read.
- How they make money
- It makes money through a mix of display advertising, affiliate commissions on retailer links, and a paid premium subscription.
- What they do
- Tom's Hardware reviews and rates PC components and consumer electronics using in-house lab benchmarks, sensors, and hands-on testing, scored 1 to 5 with Editor's Choice badges.
- What to watch for
- It doesn't rank firms or services and it isn't a neutral price comparison; the product links you click are affiliate links that pay the site a commission.
- Composite score
- 4.50 / 5.00 → grade A
How the grade was reached
Does the site take money from the very entities it ranks? Pay-for-placement, vendor-funded data, and affiliate commissions all pull this down. The less the ranking can be bought, the higher the score.
What is the ranking actually built on? Hands-on testing scores highest, then verified first-hand reviews, then opinion or popularity surveys and self-reported figures, then pay-to-rank, which scores lowest.
Is the methodology published, specific, and reproducible? Can a reader see how a given rank was reached, or is it a black box?
Are commercial relationships, sponsorships, and affiliate arrangements disclosed clearly and near the rankings themselves, rather than buried?
How hard is it to game? Controls against fake reviews, solicited reviews, and vendor gaming raise this; an open box anyone can stuff lowers it.
Evidence
- By its own account, the staff and freelancers test in-house with specialized equipment, and: 'We do not accept payment of any kind for reviews, nor do manufacturers receive preferential treatment for being advertisers. We also do not show our reviews to manufacturers before publication.' Products are rated 1 to 5 with Editor's Choice badges. Source: How Tom's Hardware Tests, Rates and Reviews Tech Products (via inkl) →
- Tom's Hardware states 'Transparency is key. If we conduct a test, you should be able to replicate that experience,' describing both synthetic benchmarks and hands-on use for each product category. It also discloses affiliate links: 'When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.' Source: How We Test / About Tom's Hardware →
- Founded in 1996 as Tom's Hardware Guide in Canada by Thomas Pabst; owned by Future plc since 2018 (acquired via the Purch Group purchase). Future plc is a UK publisher and a member of IPSO, which regulates UK digital news. Source: Tom's Hardware - Wikipedia →