I'm a big fan of your content and eagerly look forward to the Tek each week. Perhaps one of your best qualities is that you represent the views of ordinary people and you seem to be one of us, unlike other famous people. I worry that you're loosing sight of monetary value - it's saddening to see you take your R9 280x outside in the rain and use a HD7970 as a beverage coaster. It was cool with the old card. (I am a teenager and I had to save up for ages to get, incidentally, that exact model of HD7970).
Don't forget what it's like to be ordinary, and keep up the great work!
if you are not using your video card in every way possible you are not getting your moneys worth from it. lol But they own most of the hardware they have the review samples are often sent back so I think they can do what ever they want with their things they can throw the 7970 out a second story window for all I care its not mine and I am going to guess it is not yours either. So the summary here is they do what they want.
I would normally agree with you, but they havent wasted anything. The card in the rain will be fine, a few light specks don't hurt it at all. It wasnt as if it went out in a torrential downpour or anything. As for the coaster, its fine. Sitting a cup on it isnt going to do anything. And im sure they'll use it in another computer