A Original & Honest Magazine. (Custom PC Magazine)

Member Name: boredindunoon

Product:	Custom PC Magazine
Date:	03/10/08 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Honest & Fair Product Reviews. Well Written & Structured.

Disadvantages: A Bit Expensive.

Custom PC is a monthly specialist computer magazine that describes itself as "The Essential Read For Performance Hardware & Customisation," an exacting statement that sums up the excellency of a magazine with hopes of world domination (see inside magazine for explanation).

We seem to be in the age where printed paper is becoming replaced by the Internet, and while I agree that the Internet is a fantastic place to get information, there are times where this is neither practical, nor the easiest way to do something. Custom PC is one of those times. Sure you can more than likely get the same wealth of information online for free. But from a practical point of view, how long would it take you, and more to the point can you trust you're sources. Custom PC on the other hand is a magazine you will grow to trust. It offers up to date detailed reviews and benchmarks that are honest and fair. If something is great, they will tell you it's great (look out for their 'Custom PC Approved' and 'Crazy but Cool' logos) but more to the point if a product is rubbish they won't hesitate to tell you that, and why. Custom PC also offers comprehensive reviews and group tests with accurate benchmarks that are easy to understand and compare to similar products. They also offer a brief but entertaining "If Only It Was True" article which is a humours 'what if' scenario. But most importantly, the reviews are all very well written and well structured. They don't overly complicated things while at the time don't dumb things down. Your also more likely to come across things in Custom PC that you're unlikely to find on the Internet. I've been a dedicated reader since the third issue and I still eagerly await the next issue. I really do find the magazine extremely useful, having studying the magazines to pick the best components for my PC before building it.

That's the good and now for the bad. The price is a bit on the high side considering other cheaper computer magazines also offer a cover disk of software and utilities (Custom PC does not). I personally feel that the price is well worth it and the cost does drop if you subscribe to the magazine. Also because it is a specialist magazine catering mainly to hardware enthusiasts, and overclockers, it will automatically alienate some readers who prefer say software reviews, or are looking for the bog standard reviews of printers and scanners that all other computer magazines seem to do time and time again.

For you're reference the following is a list of just some of the things that Custom PC offers, and while it's content may vary slightly from issue to issue you can still relay on the magazine to delivery every single month.

- News from the computing industry.

- Game news and game tests.

- CPU elite lists (the pick of the best hardware available).

- Reviews, benchmarks, and lab tests of computer hardware.

- Custom Kit (the latest and coolest gadgets)

- Hands On (guides on how to do things like remove heatsinks & heatpipes, and setup RAID)

- Customisation (features reader's own modified computer)

Custom PC is a unique magazine that was brave enough to break the mould and be different. I do really enjoy reading Custom PC, and I hope I have successfully conveyed this to you in this review.

Summary: Thanks for reading.