Friday, June 25th 2021

Thanks to Windows 11, Scalpers Buy Out Add-on TPM 2.0 Modules

Most modern PC platforms include an fTPM (firmware trusted platform module) of some form. Those that don't, have a TPM 2.0 compatible header on the motherboards. Microsoft's requirement of a hardware TPM for Windows 11 has scalpers go after add-on TPMs, which are typically priced around $20, but now marked up to $100, according to price-tracking by Shen Ye, a senior HTC VIVE exec, who has been tracking prices of add-on TPMs on Twitter.

Scalpers possibly anticipate a rush of ill-informed buyers out for add-on TPMs, who haven't spent 5 minutes digging through their UEFI setup programs for the fTPM toggle. Below is a screenshot of a Ryzen 7 2700X-based machine, paired with an AMD B450 chipset motherboard (a platform from 2018), with its fTPM toggle turned on. The PC now meets Windows 11 system requirements. Windows 11 uses hardware TPMs for secure storage of credentials. "Microsoft, can you not impose a TPM requirement during a silicon shortage? Especially considering most desktop motherboards support TPM only as a purchasable accessory," Shen Ye tweeted.
Source: Shen Ye (Twitter)
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263 Comments on Thanks to Windows 11, Scalpers Buy Out Add-on TPM 2.0 Modules

#76
Hachi_Roku256563
totalfreqbye
It's littreraly got a button for local accounts unlike windows 10
Posted on Reply
#77
Bones
trparkyAre you f**kin' kidding me? Seriously, these scalpers need to burn in hell already.

Thankfully, I don't need a TPM chip; it's built into my processor.
I'm just waiting for the next "Pro-Scalper" bullshit post about them providing a source of what you want when no one else has them as if it's some kind of service, which it isn't.
OK and let's watch the dog chase it's own tail, the scalpers created the scarcity themselves and are turning around to exploit us with it in return.

"Gee, that's a GREAT service Mr. Scalper - What else can you do for (to) us?"

I believe I mentioned elsewhere something scalper-related would be happening soon and it did, just like I'm predicting DDR5 once released WILL be scalped to hell and back too.
I said it and you saw it here before it happened. :D
As for these modules, I'm sure MS themselves will feel the sting too when their planned release of Win 11 falls WAY short because there are no modules for anyone to buy for a fair price.

Geez - I mean it's like the release of Win 11 with it's issues and now this, MS is looking to run a train for real on us users and all the others are lining up for their turn to ride the user's "Choo-Choo".
No my name ain't Thomas either but sux for you if yours is.
Posted on Reply
#78
trparky
BonesI'm just waiting for the next "Pro-Scalper" bullshit post about them providing a source of what you want when no one else has them.
Exactly. These scalpers are a plague, nothing but a bunch of bottom feeders that price gouge us normal folk.
Posted on Reply
#79
lexluthermiester
windwhirlNGL, it's weird reading that with Agent Smith's voice lol
Fair enough. Glad I could bring a smile to your face. :laugh::roll::toast:
Posted on Reply
#80
freeagent
What if scalpers were just miners who are pissed off at gamers? Using the power of BC to ground pound the USD on web marketplaces everywhere..
Posted on Reply
#81
sam_86314
Meh, I won't even touch Win11 until all this crap can be easily bypassed. I have my reasons to keep secure boot off and I see no reason to have a TPM in any of my personal desktops.

Laptops are a different story, but I still think I'll be staying away from 11 on them too.

Why is scalping a problem now, but it wasn't a problem years ago?
Posted on Reply
#83
lexluthermiester
Isaac`Secure boot is not mandatory
microsoft says it is. See below.

They are very welcome to back-track on all this fraking nonsense. These are really my only complaints about 11 over 10. But good fraking grief are they whoppers!
sam_86314I have my reasons to keep secure boot off and I see no reason to have a TPM in any of my personal desktops.
Right there with you. I also have very good reasons to keep TPM & SecureBoot disabled(and that's NOT going to change), and I know of many people who are in a similar position. These are nothing to do with user security. This is microsoft trying to assert more control over user machines.
Posted on Reply
#84
sam_86314
lexluthermiestermicrosoft says it is. See below.

They are very welcome to back-track on all this fraking nonsense. These are really my only complaints about 11 over 10. But good fraking grief are that whoppers!
Here's the link to where @lexluthermiester got that image for those who want to check for themselves: www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11
Posted on Reply
#85
yotano211
ixiSometimes I wondor. Are there scalpers between techpowerup users :D.

Looks like scalping will be a big problem for a while...
Yes there is, what do you want to know.
Posted on Reply
#86
Hachi_Roku256563
lexluthermiesterRight there with you. I also have very good reason to keep TPM & SecureBoot disabled, and I know of many people who are in a similar position. These are nothing to do with user security. This is microsoft trying to assert more control over user machines.
Or they are trying to establish a minimum age for hardware?
Posted on Reply
#87
lexluthermiester
Isaac`Or they are trying to establish a minimum age for hardware?
Perhaps. Either way, it's unacceptable on every level.
Posted on Reply
#88
InVasMani
NashIt's literally two steps to change from Windows S. That OS was never intended to be a general purpose consumer OS for powerful PC's. It's a purposefully locked down, secure, efficient OS for lower end laptops (aka chromebooks) in large enterprises, schools. Microsoft can't guarantee the security or performance for users who are downloading crapware and files from all over the net.
Not everyone buys a computer to restricted to Microsoft's store and apps and it's web browser and search engine. Then you don't want or like that they want to proceed to collect data information on you in order to turn it off and use. Technically more steps especially if you haven't done it before. Just because it's cheaper system doesn't mean you should be penalized and forced to only use Microsoft Edge web browser and Bing search on it.

Not everyone using more affordable hardware is infested with malware simply because they run great programs that aren't on the Microsoft Store things like Foobar, Firefox, LMMS, MIXXX, BB4WIN, GIMP, Audacity, VLC Media Player, Shortcut, SumatraPDF, VirtualBox, Notepad++, FileZilla, DropBox, Blender 3D, Handbrake, 7-Zip, and many others I missed none of which will run by Windows S Mode standards at least w/o first being converted over to the Window Store into app. I'm sorry, but it's absurd. That's just open source mind you there Steam and your entire Steam library which never mind if the system could play the game or not Microsoft will not allow it in the name security. Apparently security only matters in Windows S Mode though to Microsoft. If you've got a expensive RTX laptop by all means you're just asking to be the victim of malware hence no Windows S Mode laptop on best buy at all. Apparently if you want to run DAW or DJ software on a laptop you should be expected to dish out for a RTX Windows 10 malware laptop.

Step 1) Look up how to switch out of S Mode.
Step 2) Download Microsoft store app to switch out of S Mode.
Step 3) Launch setup Microsoft Account thru email verification process in browser because they force it on the end user and a bit of multi-step process itself with all the hurdles of that.
Step 4) Sign into Microsoft Account.
Step 5) Launch the Store app to turn of S Mode.
Step 6) Turn off Microsoft Account sign in so so it boots straight into Windows without a password prompt because it's a home computer and it's way more convenient. (More a Windows 10 general issue really)
Posted on Reply
#89
Bones
lexluthermiestermicrosoft says it is. See below.

They are very welcome to back-track on all this fraking nonsense. These are really my only complaints about 11 over 10. But good fraking grief are they whoppers!


Right there with you. I also have very good reason to keep TPM & SecureBoot disabled, and I know of many people who are in a similar position. These are nothing to do with user security. This is microsoft trying to assert more control over user machines.
Exactly, and don't forget how with Ryzen USB ports quit working with Win 7 but do fine with Win 10 even though the hardware itself is fully capable of supporting them with ease as has been long proven as fact by now.
My ports were working fine with Win 7 and my Ryzen so I know it's a total crock about the drivers and Ryzen - MS told AMD to include the microcode in their chips for not allowing/disabling USB drivers to newer hardware to forcibly make us switch to Win 10 and all it's crap.
It's just MS trying to force people into doing what THEY WANT us to do and they don't give a shit, much less two about the cost of it to us which we, not them has to bear the burden of.
With this if you think MS is going to back off, think again.
It's been planned all along and they already knew folks would be finding ways to work around it and with each one found they'll happily close that loophole.

And let's also not forget the forced updates, lack of user control out of the box, features you could not get rid of (Cortana), user settings/preferences being zapped with each and every update and the same for drivers too getting borked.

Speaking of drivers, it would be beyond funny (NOT) if the driver for your TPM module gets zapped in an update.
They knew once the word got out these modules would be sought after but didn't think (Or care) that scalpers would be watching too.

And the same for having anything that is trusting enabled by default as it is with remote registry as an example, that's a real security risk and you'd better believe that registry setting gets disabled everytime here along with alot of others that's "On" by default.

Yet another reason why I will not use Windows from now on for anything.
Posted on Reply
#90
Jack1n
Just stay on Windows 10 until 2025 when official support for it ends, Windows 11 is just 10 with more telemetry.
Posted on Reply
#91
Tomgang
Scalpers will never change. Where there are a chance of making money, scalpers will be.

Scalpers sucks and I will never change my opinion on them. It might not be illegal. But it's so morally wrong.

I mean scalpers hurt the market by buying up all or at least as much inventory as possible and that raising prices and those greddy bastards can make a profit and us that really need it. Either can't run windows 11 or just as with gpu's, have to pay way over msrp.

At least this time, I am prepared for windows 11 with my new zen 3 build. So I don't have to be concerned about that.

But scalpers still sucks. I hope they burn in with all there inventory and have a big lose on profit. Don't support scalpers, by buying from them. What ever it's a Tom module, gpu, a console or any other thing. Buying from them, only motivate them to continue there doing.
Posted on Reply
#92
ypsylon
Scalpers are hot air skulls. When W11 hits the market every new motherboard will have it on board or come with module included. That's 1. TPM is buzzword now because only selected corporations ever employed that.

2. I have no intention being sucked into W11. It clearly is designed to create M$ walled garden a la Apple, but at least Apple is not hell bent focused on spying on you every second of your life like M$ or Google.

3. Will never activate Secure Boot under any circumstances. Feature conceived (+UEFI) to take away all control over the system from the user.

4. TPM is relevant in corporate environment. For home PC it's completely meaningless (unless you're mafia Don, banker or a politician which is the same thing), to make a requirement out of it is a travesty.

5. Yet again M$ stole UI ideas from MacOS and implemented them badly into Winblows.

W11 announcement = for me nothing more that sticking with 10 for as long as possible and exploring how I can move stuff to Linux, I know that 3D modelling software native to Winblows is not exactly thrilled to work under WINE.

I really expected that this (in the end laughable) keynote will deliver something really tangible. Removing ancient compatibilities for things which are no longer supported (floppies or A: partition still cannot be assigned to the system partition, 20 years after floppies died which is beyond retarded, user control over User directory during install process so it doesn't require sideloading script to work) or introducing new file system which will be more suitable for NAND and NVMe than ancient NTFS. F M$ all I have to say about W11.
Posted on Reply
#93
lexluthermiester
Jack1nWindows 11 is just 10 with more telemetry.
Actually, that's one thing they haven't done. At least with the leaked dev build. The telemetry is the same and just as easily disabled.
Posted on Reply
#94
Aura24
Microsoft is going to back track on this (just watch), because the average PC user is not going to know what the hell is "TPM" Tonight, I use the "PC Health Check" only to get the result that I don't meet the requirement because I don't have TPM. I know that my motherboard has a TPM Header, but I said to myself, "Why the hell would I need a TPM Module when I have a Ryzen 3900XT" Sure enough, after researching, the Ryzen 3900XT has a built-in TPM, but it is disabled by default in the BIOS on my ASRock B540 Steel Legend. I enabled it and now I meet the requirements. Again, the average PC users is not going to take the time to research or have the "know how" and enabling TPM. So what is going to happen is someone is going to panic and buy a overprice TPM module (when they don't need it) plug into their motherboard, turn on the PC, and nothing happens (thinking that this a plug and play device), not realizing that the module needs to be enabled in the BIOS.

Ohh... this is not going to go well...
Posted on Reply
#95
lexluthermiester
Aura24Ohh... this is not going to go well...
True!

Welcome to TPU!
Posted on Reply
#97
qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
Makavelii'm curious to see how this will work for older motherboards that you can buy the TPM and add it. Because even with doing that Haswell doesn't meet the cpu requirements for windows 11.

Intel 8th gen and up.
I’ve got a 2700K. Pity me.
Posted on Reply
#98
Solid State Soul ( SSS )
lynx29will be going to Linux anyway now, so scalpers and M$ can eat it. damn, it feels good to be free once and for all. Linux to the moon!
Linux is fine, if your time is worthless :p
Posted on Reply
#99
InVasMani
Solid State Soul ( SSS )Linux is fine, if your time is worthless :p
Have you seen the number of people on smartphones...
Posted on Reply
#100
RJARRRPCGP
Aura24I know that my motherboard has a TPM Header, but I said to myself, "Why the hell would I need a TPM Module when I have a Ryzen 3900XT" Sure enough, after researching, the Ryzen 3900XT has a built-in TPM, but it is disabled by default in the BIOS on my ASRock B540 Steel Legend. I enabled it and now I meet the requirements. Again, the average PC users is not going to take the time to research or have the "know how" and enabling TPM.
I think you mean "B450" for the chipset. Look in the security section and look for the "fTPM" option and enable it.
Posted on Reply
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