...Forget the HID and build yourself a light, It is easier than one might think and there are solderless options available for people who don't want to learn how to solder...
OK, what we have here is 'failure to communicate.' It seems that - obviously - has got pounds of primo bud dancing in his head, but has yet to crack a single seed. He's a total noob, which he himself admits to, doing what many of us have done when we were 'total noobs'. He's investing too much of his mental efforts in the minutia of things like 'the difference in efficiency between CREE CX-whatever, and a limp sausage".
Who cares? Yes, for those electrical engineering types and advanced DIYer's who value the chase as much or more than the goal, getting down and dirty into the specs of this COB vs. that COB vs. HID vs. the sun, is all part of the fun. (Though I fail to see how 10-15 % increase in available light power correlates 1 to 1 to a 10-15% increase in final product. But that's another issue...)
But - obviously - has stated that he's NOT particularly handy, doesn't know or have any experience in electrical wiring, and has never grown weed before.
Like so many noobs, he's looking for a boiler plate instruction set on 'easy to build' instant success. And that's fine. Who hasn't colored between the lines before? But he's also getting bogged down by bad reviews, not realizing that these products, like Lumatek ballasts for example, are made and sold by the thousands, and most people DON'T post reviews on them until they have a bad experience.
obviously - Start small. Start simple. Spend more time learning how to grow first, and less time worrying about the little details. Choose products that are generally rated high by a large number of users and don't let a few bad reviews spin you off track.
A DIY LED light fixture is NOT for you, at this point!
You will have plenty of work to do setting up a system that works for you in your situation. You can improve on it as you go. And yes, you WILL be throwing money away, from time to time, on 'off the self' products that don't live up to your expectations. It's all part of learning.
If you want to throw your time and money away (and possibly your freedom or your life), tackle an advanced project like a DIY LED light fixture. It's guaranteed you'll rue the day you set eyes on this project.