CrAsHnBuRnXpPeople being butthurt over that is ridiculous. There is legit 0 issue with it and ive been running on a key off one of those sites for both Windows 10 and Office 2019 with ZERO issues for over a year.

If you wanna pay out the ass for that software, be my guest. No one is stopping you.

They aren't actually legit though. Just because they activate doesn't mean you have a license to use them, which is what it's really about.

64KWhat about the reviews? You can take from TPU just what you think is worth reading. There are quite a few forums that I never read because I have no interest in the topic.

agreed.
a lot of them are good,just thanks to the sheer number they do.

Imouto- Revisit the methodology once a year or six months if you are bored.

seems your proposed methodology should be revisited very often ,maybe weekly, as gpu prices fluctuate unpredictably ; due this your proposed methodology will fail also

back to topic who want to support will and who don't, won't

@W1zzard in post #50 @damric proposed "ability to obtain/purchase old review samples " i'll go further by making a raffle ,only for patreons, of old reviewed hardware, if is allowed of-course

laszloa raffle ,only for patreons

I thought of that and like the idea, but Patreon's rules for that are "nothing with a random chance element". Maybe we could come up with some sort of alternative

FreedomEclipseI think there's some fundamental things that need to be addressed as far as news reporting before one decides to support the site.

Im talking about clickbait and 'sensationalist' articles and of course who could forget the hit peice on GamerNexus earlier in the year...

Do you know how badly that knocked TPUs reputation?

None at all if you ask me. Today is the first time I heard about that story.

I watched some Gamers Nexus videos prior to October 2019 to see if there is a base for those accusations... and that dude seems to show off Nvidia's products quite often.

Product placement or not, we can never know, its between private parties. And even so, its accepted form of advertisement, used a lot in movies.

I like TPU very much! Thanx Mr. Wizzard+Mods for keeping it up since a lot of years.
just wanted to say something positive.

Just sign a deal with Scroll like everyone else.

www.theverge.com/2020/1/28/21111865/scroll-ad-free-website-subscription-launches

Imouto- $3000: Stop the clickbaiting and senseless rumors in the main site by firing btarunr.

People really need to let that crap go and quit holding a grudge. It was an honest mistake.

bascoI like TPU very much! Thanx Mr. Wizzard+Mods for keeping it up since a lot of years.
just wanted to say something positive.

:):toast::rockout::clap::peace::lovetpu:
I'll join you there. Everyone has their complaints and quibbles, but on the whole TPU is great place to read up on new advancements and industry news. It's also a great resource for learning, whether you're new to technology or a seasoned veteran of computing.

Oh and for the record, I have no problems with the Software "Key" sites. I've done the research and it's not illegal or shady. It's different from the way things once were. The world is changing and some people just don't understand that or know how to adapt.

gamefoo21Steve is a shill at times and is a rabid fanboy at times.

He does sensationalist articles/videos.
He does click bait articles/videos.
He doesn't disclose where and when he gets 'gifts' or massive 'discounts' by vendors/suppliers/etc.
He will beat around the bush, saying he 'aquired' and the item is 'worth'. If he actually buys it he says so.
He is self interested and is a massive divo.
He takes cash and items directly from manufacturers and vendors.

He has stated, multiple times in many videos that he does not accept gifts nor any sort of compensation for his content (unless it's a paid advertiser spot. And in those cases he always makes sure that the advertiser does not compete in the same space as the product being reviewed).
When he's beating around the bush about acquiring something, it's because he's protecting his source. He got some Ryzen processors early, but not from AMD. So he had to keep those people who provided the processors to him quiet in order to protect their seller partnership with AMD. Also stated clearly in his videos.
I don't see much "Diva" behavior, but that's on you.
He doesn't take cash directly from manufacturers unless it's a paid advert spot. When he's provided with samples he uses them for reviews.
Sensationalist articles and videos and click bait are all part and parcel of trying to get eyeballs on content. When he rants, it's usually very justified.

RegenerationNone at all if you ask me. Today is the first time I heard about that story.

I watched some Gamers Nexus videos prior to October 2019 to see if there is a base for those accusations... and that dude seems to show off Nvidia's products quite often.

Product placement or not, we can never know, its between private parties. And even so, its accepted form of advertisement, used a lot in movies.

And of course he had a lot of videos on NVIDIA products in that time frame. NVIDIA was launching new product and all the vendors were providing samples for review. Have you never seen a product/news cycle before?





As for the actual OP here. @W1zzard , I know you state that the Patreon tier to remove ad content and gray market key seller ads is for people that dislike the gray market key sellers from appearing. I still can't condone them being here in the first place. Yes it's nice that you allow people to "not see it" by paying, but the fact remains that they are still advertising here, and that they are a blight (IMO) on the market.

SlizzoHe has stated, multiple times in many videos that he does not accept gifts nor any sort of compensation for his content (unless it's a paid advertiser spot. And in those cases he always makes sure that the advertiser does not compete in the same space as the product being reviewed).
When he's beating around the bush about acquiring something, it's because he's protecting his source. He got some Ryzen processors early, but not from AMD. So he had to keep those people who provided the processors to him quiet in order to protect their seller partnership with AMD. Also stated clearly in his videos.
I don't see much "Diva" behavior, but that's on you.
He doesn't take cash directly from manufacturers unless it's a paid advert spot. When he's provided with samples he uses them for reviews.
Sensationalist articles and videos and click bait are all part and parcel of trying to get eyeballs on content. When he rants, it's usually very justified.

I agree with all your points but I find Steve to be a diva and his rants are his shtick. I like reading Patrick's case reviews on GN and while I may not agree with Steve's CPU/GPU reviews all the time I do enjoy reading them and find them very thorough. That said GN written reviews are becoming less and less and the last CPU written reviews I recall was done by Patrick not Steve. Watching Steve play with his hair for 25 minutes while he goes on repetitive rant after rant and constantly changes thought mid sentence becomes tiresome. Obviously the video review is their bread and butter, the results speak for themselves, but personally I wished they would put up a written review on the web site as well.

SlizzoAs for the actual OP here. @W1zzard , I know you state that the Patreon tier to remove ad content and gray market key seller ads is for people that dislike the gray market key sellers from appearing. I still can't condone them being here in the first place.

But that is not ignorance on the part of W1zzard and TPU staff. Lots of people thought Steam and GOG were illegal because no physical disc was being supplied. It took years for people to get it into their heads that digital downloads are just as valid as a store bought copy. These software key sites are no different. It's just a new business model. It's perfectly legal.

SlizzoHe has stated, multiple times in many videos that he does not accept gifts nor any sort of compensation for his content (unless it's a paid advertiser spot. And in those cases he always makes sure that the advertiser does not compete in the same space as the product being reviewed).
When he's beating around the bush about acquiring something, it's because he's protecting his source. He got some Ryzen processors early, but not from AMD. So he had to keep those people who provided the processors to him quiet in order to protect their seller partnership with AMD. Also stated clearly in his videos.
I don't see much "Diva" behavior, but that's on you.
He doesn't take cash directly from manufacturers unless it's a paid advert spot. When he's provided with samples he uses them for reviews.
Sensationalist articles and videos and click bait are all part and parcel of trying to get eyeballs on content. When he rants, it's usually very justified.

You do know he has to negotiate directly with those companies whom he places ads for in his videos. Depending on how they feel about him, the money paid for those highlights can go up, down, or even stop.

Sorry, I should have said products in return for loose agreements around maybe you can review these at some point in time or feature them. Not a gift then right?

As for 'Divo' behavior, look at anything that might impinge on his image. The most recent is his ranting outburst video about the 5600XT where he can't even keep the performance delta straight... He flip flops from saying it's from the original 5600XT bios to the 5700 and back again, using the same number. Towards the end he even says that his biggest or one of the issues is that people might blame him.

I'm sorry but protecting his source of long since available Quadros makes no sense.

I was fine with him shitting on the Radeon VII because it's not a n amazing gaming card, but it's the king of compute performance per dollar. I could fit six of them in a TR40 motherboard, watercool them all, add a bloody chiller, and still pay less than a single headless V100.

Why you ask... Well he didn't care about workstation or compute performance until he 'aquired' 2 V100 cards, worth $20K USD. Then he makes a big song and dance about the 2060 KO being so much faster at workstation tasks...

Yeah... Then he has nothing but NV in his personal boxes... He's human he's got bias built in, but there are things he does that doesn't leave him beyond reproach or skepticism.

Like I won't use him as a sole source for thermal paste wisdom. I do watch his videos for the year down parts and his news videos are a handy congregation of news stories, some of them I miss.

Steve knows his stuff, but I view him as a source of information, to be taken as part of several sources.

If he buys those samples from 'protected' sources, then he just has to say so. If he's given it for the review or to feature in a video series he should declare it. He should declare everything, every time, not rely on well I declared it once in a video ages ago.

Yeah, I still chuckle about how he had a X299 Gigabyte motherboard ad when he was reviewing AMD that was thumping the Intel CPUs that go in that motherboard... LoL

FrickThey aren't actually legit though. Just because they activate doesn't mean you have a license to use them, which is what it's really about.

My office key is tied to my Microsoft account. If Microsoft didn't like the key I'm sure they would have deactivated it by now

lexluthermiesterBut that is not ignorance on the part of W1zzard and TPU staff. Lots of people thought Steam and GOG were illegal because no physical disc was being supplied. It took years for people to get it into their heads that digital downloads are just as valid as a store bought copy. These software key sites are no different. It's just a new business model. It's perfectly legal.

So why are these keys so much cheaper than what MS offers on their website? How much is MS making on each one? :p

And when will you finally post your sources? We would like to admire all the great research you've done. :)

CrAsHnBuRnXpMy office key is tied to my Microsoft account. If Microsoft didn't like the key I'm sure they would have deactivated it by now

Keys are fine. License is not. That's the point.
Microsoft has no easy and sensible way to check if you're eligible to use a particular key. That's a disadvantage of offering bulk licenses to schools and institutions.

notbSo why are these keys so much cheaper than what MS offers on their website? How much is MS making on each one? :p

And when will you finally post your sources? We would like to admire all the great research you've done. :)

Keys are fine. License is not. That's the point.
Microsoft has no easy and sensible way to check if you're eligible to use a particular key. That's a disadvantage of offering bulk licenses to schools and institutions.

If it was illegal I think Microsoft would say something about it... TPU is like the 3rd or 4th most popular tech site on the internet.. TPU wouldn't get away with illegal activities.

I don't know how any of it works but I would assume it's not illegal at all.

T4C FantasyTPU is like the 3rd or 4th most popular tech site on the internet.. TPU wouldn't get away with illegal activities.

What...? :o

notbWhat...? :eek:

Alexa ranks us above linustechtips, anantech, guru3d, gamersnexus.. by A LOT and everyone else besides tomshardware and pcpartpicker

notbWhat...?

Surprise Sucka! LOL!

T4C FantasyAlexa ranks us above linustechtips, anantech, guru3d, gamersnexus.. by A LOT and everyone else besides tomshardware and pcpartpicker

I had to look that up. I didn't realize just how popular TPU is. That's very cool! Not surprising really, just didn't know.

T4C FantasyAlexa ranks us above linustechtips, anantech, guru3d, gamersnexus.. by A LOT and everyone else besides tomshardware and pcpartpicker

PC enthusiasts' sites != "tech"
But yes, in this niche TPU is around top 3. Which wasn't enough to get a 3950X for testing. :)

SlizzoHe has stated, multiple times in many videos that he does not accept gifts nor any sort of compensation for his content (unless it's a paid advertiser spot. And in those cases he always makes sure that the advertiser does not compete in the same space as the product being reviewed).
When he's beating around the bush about acquiring something, it's because he's protecting his source. He got some Ryzen processors early, but not from AMD. So he had to keep those people who provided the processors to him quiet in order to protect their seller partnership with AMD. Also stated clearly in his videos.
I don't see much "Diva" behavior, but that's on you.
He doesn't take cash directly from manufacturers unless it's a paid advert spot. When he's provided with samples he uses them for reviews.
Sensationalist articles and videos and click bait are all part and parcel of trying to get eyeballs on content. When he rants, it's usually very justified.

And of course he had a lot of videos on NVIDIA products in that time frame. NVIDIA was launching new product and all the vendors were providing samples for review. Have you never seen a product/news cycle before?

Don't know the person, but it sounds rubbish, there are no saints in the western world. A man gotta eat.

Production of hardware YouTube show requires resources and manpower.

Reviews must be published after the product launch (and not too late) to remain competitive with the other sites. He must get review samples from the vendors.

Google AdSense doesn't pay enough for this caliber. Most people use ad-blockers these days.


He probably does accept gifts and other forms of compensation and there is no problem with it as long as the reporting remains natural.

lexluthermiesterOh and for the record, I have no problems with the Software "Key" sites. I've done the research and it's not illegal or shady. It's different from the way things once were. The world is changing and some people just don't understand that or know how to adapt.

is a grey market selling good keys which they don't own; a lot of companies buy thousand of keys with multiple activation and why not selling a few for own benefit...

CrAsHnBuRnXpMy office key is tied to my Microsoft account. If Microsoft didn't like the key I'm sure they would have deactivated it by now

Microsoft like it because they sold it already so they had no problem activating it; however you may have problems in case real owner will announce Microsoft that your key was lost(stolen) and than guess what ?

notbSo why are these keys so much cheaper than what MS offers on their website? How much is MS making on each one? :p

And when will you finally post your sources? We would like to admire all the great research you've done. :)

Keys are fine. License is not. That's the point.
Microsoft has no easy and sensible way to check if you're eligible to use a particular key. That's a disadvantage of offering bulk licenses to schools and institutions.

are cheaper because the it guy from a big company "borrowed" a few ones... i'm sure you understand...

correct keys are fine but licensing not; they don't check who is activating it as are sold and expect them to be activated but it may come a day when my above post will affect the buyer..

T4C FantasyIf it was illegal I think Microsoft would say something about it... TPU is like the 3rd or 4th most popular tech site on the internet.. TPU wouldn't get away with illegal activities.

I don't know how any of it works but I would assume it's not illegal at all.

Is a shady business and in court for sure will be declared as illegal ; none of these sellers are authorized by Microsoft,this is the point

we had a thread about this and i made more digging...for example scdkey , cdkoffers seems to belong to AMZGAME CO.,LTD , a UK based company; they had a lot of sites not only the key selling ones...

so these two above mentioned sites provide the same owner located 14 WELLS VIEW DRIVE LONDON UNITED KINGDOM BRJZ 9UL ; i didn't found the company at that address but the uk gov. has the AMZGAME CO.,LTD as registered under no.09703095 at Unit G25 Waterfront Studios, 1 Dock Road, London, United Kingdom, E16 1AH :

beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09703095

here we can see the company will be dissolved latest on 03.02.2020 as applied to strike off from registry; on filling history we can see who the owner is and also that company was declared as "dormant" ; dormant is good as they're excepted from taxes; is interesting how can dormant company can keep so many sites and sell....i'm sure is legal...now they're milking the cow on last days and vanish but sure will re-appear under other name but again dormant....

laszlowe had a thread about this and i made more digging...for example scdkey , cdkoffers seems to belong to AMZGAME CO.,LTD

www.whois.com/whois/scdkey.com
www.whois.com/whois/cdkoffers.com

You were saying?

T4C FantasyAlexa ranks us above linustechtips, anantech, guru3d, gamersnexus.. by A LOT and everyone else besides tomshardware and pcpartpicker

Which is why I asked if this site is monetized properly. I know how much we make and were not maximized... and if this site is several times bigger...


So, what is this additional money going to be used for? Was that ever answered? I think you may get more volunteers knowing specifically what this is going for as compared to the 'perks' that wont push people over the edge. :)

lexluthermiesterwww.whois.com/whois/scdkey.com
www.whois.com/whois/cdkoffers.com

You were saying?

i know what i'm saying, you? since when a domain shall be owned by same company who use it?

laszlois a grey market selling good keys which they don't own; a lot of companies buy thousand of keys with multiple activation and why not selling a few for own benefit...



Microsoft like it because they sold it already so they had no problem activating it; however you may have problems in case real owner will announce Microsoft that your key was lost(stolen) and than guess what ?



are cheaper because the it guy from a big company "borrowed" a few ones... i'm sure you understand...

correct keys are fine but licensing not; they don't check who is activating it as are sold and expect them to be activated but it may come a day when my above post will affect the buyer..



Is a shady business and in court for sure will be declared as illegal ; none of these sellers are authorized by Microsoft,this is the point

we had a thread about this and i made more digging...for example scdkey , cdkoffers seems to belong to AMZGAME CO.,LTD , a UK based company; they had a lot of sites not only the key selling ones...

so these two above mentioned sites provide the same owner located 14 WELLS VIEW DRIVE LONDON UNITED KINGDOM BRJZ 9UL ; i didn't found the company at that address but the uk gov. has the AMZGAME CO.,LTD as registered under no.09703095 at Unit G25 Waterfront Studios, 1 Dock Road, London, United Kingdom, E16 1AH :

beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09703095

here we can see the company will be dissolved latest on 03.02.2020 as applied to strike off from registry; on filling history we can see who the owner is and also that company was declared as "dormant" ; dormant is good as they're excepted from taxes; is interesting how can dormant company can keep so many sites and sell....i'm sure is legal...now they're milking the cow on last days and vanish but sure will re-appear under other name but again dormant....

Dude, you clearly have no idea how software licensing works these days.
These keys are legit, as Microsoft sells more affordable software keys in certain regions, so what you're paying is most likely full price or more.
However, said keys are technically not supposed to be used outside of those markets, i.e. China, Indian, Indonesia etc. so if someone in the west buys one of these keys, they're being naughty, but have not committed some kind of crime and haven't done anything illegal.
Just have a look here, as a great example of this policy from Steam. They charge a wide range of price for the same game, depending on where people live.
steamdb.info/app/582010/
Someone in Russia or Brazil pays a lot less than someone in Switzerland or Israel for that game. Although, weirdly enough it's really expensive in India.
Take another game.
steamdb.info/app/292030/
And Argentina and Turkey gets the best deal, with Japan and New Zealand paying the most.
Seriously, you and your friends bitching about this needs to get out more...

EarthDogWhich is why I asked if this site is monetized properly. I know how much we make and were not maximized... and if this site is several times bigger...


So, what is this additional money going to be used for? Was that ever answered? I think you may get more volunteers knowing specifically what this is going for as compared to the 'perks' that wont push people over the edge. :)

They are currently looking for more staff, so that might be one thing.