I am with you to an extent. I don't buy much of anything over $100 that isn't necessary to sustain life. When I do, perhaps to buy a laptop... I will spend some time researching mostly on forums where the enthusiasts hang out, they usually have sticky threads that cover the basics. I will also read 10 or so of the terrible reviews on Amazon or newegg (1 star) as someone else mentioned. Easy way to filter.