How do you trust customer PC reviews online?

I try to read the reviews and determine if the reviewer is technical savvy enough for me to pay attention to. Some people just don't understand how some components work. I was just reading reviews on DDR4. Several were complaining the computer wouldn't boot if set to the rated 2800 speed. The X99 chipset changes settings when ram is set over 2666 and they couldn't figure that out. I discount those. Also, as was mentioned before, I look for reviewers who have owned the product more than a week. Tell me how it runs when it has been in use for a year and I'll listen. Most things will run right out of the box. It helps to know something about the products you are reading about. In the example above, if I was not familiar with the X99 Chipset, I may think that ram was no good. In the end, I think you have to read a lot of reviews before you get good at sorting the good from the bad reviews.

derekimo said:

Lady Fitzgerald said:

...often, Amazon will lump similar reviews together. For example, a particular line of HDDs, say a WD Black, will have reviews for all sizes of Blacks lumped together.

They do that with vendors too, I bought some batteries and they sent me a request to leave a review (After I already did) and it directed me to a vendor who sold the same batteries but not the one I bought from.

I wouldn't have a problem leaving a product review (a review of the product itself) with a different vendor. A vendor review (a review of how well the vendor fills the order, how quickly the product gets shipped, how well the shipment is packaged, how well the vendor responds to problems, etc.) is a whole 'nuther story. Too many people do not know the difference between a product review and a vendor review. I always check the vendor reviews for Amazon Marketplace vendors before ordering from one. I have to read the actual reviews and look for patterns because the ratings are skewed by the large number of eejits that don't understand the difference between product and vendor reviews.