Support TechPowerUp on Patreon, Unlock New Features

64K · Feb 1, 2020

The Patreon Forum hardly ever gets used. It's not an incentive for me. Maybe that will change as more people become supporters and want to use that forum.
Having ads removed for me isn't an incentive because the ads were few and not intrusive at all anyway.
I don't get special treatment from the mods. It's not an incentive for me.
I don't really care about the Supporter bar in my avatar box. That's not an incentive for me.
I get a little earlier access to some reviews but that's not really an incentive for me.
What I do get by being a Supporter, and why I started it back in March, is that I get satisfaction from knowing that I'm doing my part to support my favorite tech site.
For members saying that we support this site to be put in a special class separated from the rest is a bit insulting tbh. It's akin to my fellow gamers on a gaming site that I visit calling me a sellout because I buy my games and I don't just pirate them.

rtwjunkie · Feb 1, 2020

64K said:
The Patreon Forum hardly ever gets used. It's not an incentive for me. Maybe that will change as more people become supporters and want to use that forum.
Having ads removed for me isn't an incentive because the ads were few and not intrusive at all anyway.
I don't get special treatment from the mods. It's not an incentive for me.
I don't really care about the Supporter bar in my avatar box. That's not an incentive for me.
I get a little earlier access to some reviews but that's not really an incentive for me.
What I do get by being a Supporter, and why I started it back in March, is that I get satisfaction from knowing that I'm doing my part to support my favorite tech site.
For members saying that we support this site to be put in a special class separated from the rest is a bit insulting tbh. It's akin to my fellow gamers on a gaming site that I visit calling me a sellout because I buy my games and I don't just pirate them.

You nailed it! The only reason I became a patron was to give support to the site. No special treatement is received and I wasn’t even aware I had any real incentives other than being able to read reviews as one single page.

Support is all the reward I get or want. It’s the same reason I patron a very talented up and coming music artist on youtube.

moproblems99 · Feb 2, 2020

In any case, I have a few more social experiments to run and I'll make up my mind.

I would sign up in an instant if we could get feature to whitelist members who are allowed to comment on YOUR posts. That way you don't have to sift through 90% of dangerous advice to find the useful 10%.

lexluthermiester said:
It's perfectly legal.

Perfectly legal doesn't address moral issues that people have. Consider abortion. Perfectly legal. However, massive variation in moral view points.

lexluthermiester said:
Actually, OEM copies of Windows can and are sold without hardware. The catch is it can not be REsold(ownership transfer) without hardware.

But I digress as we're steering away from the topic..

Sounds like what key reseller sites do...

Kinestron · Feb 2, 2020

Signed up and sent DM in Patreon.

Thefumigator · Feb 2, 2020

I think I'm in soon!
I Love TPU. I would love some merchandising too.

lexluthermiester · Feb 2, 2020

Thefumigator said:
I would love some merchandising too.

I have to agree with this, TPU TShirts would be excellent!

T4C Fantasy · Feb 2, 2020

lexluthermiester said:
I have to agree with this, TPU TShirts would be excellent!

I want a tpu shirt that has a GPU, cpu and Mobo on it

EarthDog · Feb 2, 2020

In on the merch too!

Thefumigator · Feb 2, 2020

lexluthermiester said:
I have to agree with this, TPU TShirts would be excellent!

Yes! we had some great graphic designers in the forums, where are they?

I would like TPU logo in a plush. We have to choose a TPU mascot

lexluthermiester · Feb 2, 2020

I was thinking, TPU should offer TShirts on the main site page. I would get a few.

W1zzard · Feb 2, 2020

Thefumigator said:
merchandising

I like the idea. Any volunteers to take over such a project?

lexluthermiester · Feb 2, 2020

W1zzard said:
I like the idea. Any volunteers to take over such a project?

Oh, that's a good point, TPU would need someone to take the responsibility to set it all up...

crazyeyesreaper · Feb 2, 2020

lexluthermiester said:
Oh, that's a good point, TPU would need someone to take the responsibility to set it all up...

We did have some Merch in the past with TheMailman having done designs and stuff but hes properly employeed these days and no longer trolls the forums.

lexluthermiester · Feb 2, 2020

For giggles looked up costs from a site I recently used.
@W1zzard I "borrowed" the TPU site logo only to create an example. Hope you don't mind.

Front

Back

TPU TShirt Costs Front only - 500 Shirts.jpg

Cost for Front or Back only.

Cost for print on Front and Back.

This is of course just an example.

R-T-B · Feb 2, 2020

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:
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

Try telling them.

TheLostSwede said:
These keys are legit, as Microsoft sells more affordable software keys in certain regions,

Which is why buying them in your region is decidedly not legit.

crazyeyesreaper said:
We did have some Merch in the past with TheMailman having done designs and stuff but hes properly employeed these days and no longer trolls the forums.

How... unexpected. And boring. Seems the man gets to us all eventually.

lexluthermiester said:
Surprise Sucka! LOL!

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.

Darn. I wonder if Alexa knows how much we despise her...

lemonadesoda · Feb 3, 2020

W1zzard said:
Merchandising. I like the idea. Any volunteers to take over such a project?

Meghan sparkle Markle

Hayder_Master · Feb 3, 2020

very nice idea, Its optional and anyone who want support can took part.

Thefumigator · Feb 3, 2020

lexluthermiester said:
For giggles looked up costs from a site I recently used.
@W1zzard I "borrowed" the TPU site logo only to create an example. Hope you don't mind.
This is of course just an example.

Wow, do they really have an embroided option? that's even cooler!

lexluthermiester · Feb 4, 2020

Thefumigator said:
Wow, do they really have an embroided option? that's even cooler!

They do which is very cool, but it's pricey!

Antykain · Feb 5, 2020

lexluthermiester said:
I have to agree with this, TPU TShirts would be excellent!

YES! I'd get one.. or 2 even!

Size: Large
Shirt Color: Black

Thanks! I'll be by later to pick it up.. :lovetpu:

Splinterdog · Feb 5, 2020

Over the years I must have signed up to hundreds of forums but only ever return to a handful. TPU is one of those, mainly for the wide-ranging and friendly forum but also for the news and articles, which, on the whole, are very well written.
I also write for another tech site, run my own forum and the biggest challenge is attracting members and readers, and keeping their attention. TPU succeeds in spades, in my opinion, so I'm only too happy to chip in for what is, after all, a free service.

robert3892 · Feb 7, 2020

I think you should also have a mechanism in place for 1 time donations. Some people can't provide 4 dollars a month.

fullinfusion · Feb 7, 2020

sorry for being a Debby downer, but an ex employee told me what this site makes a month.. I'll give to a charity that actually needs it.

Love the site so don't get me wrong, but they isn't starving like some ppl :lovetpu:

Platinum certified Husky · Feb 7, 2020

People who get salty with benchmark and GPU reviews are hilarious. If you don't understand how benchmark works and think those data useless, how about stop showing your ignorance?
The same goes for tier list, it is not useless just because you don't understand and refuse to learn.
hurr durr BeNcHmArK ArE UsElEsS!!!!111!1 MuH MiD-ReNgE GPU Is ThE BeSt BeCaUsE IT RuNs MeDiUm SeTtINg FiNe!!!111!!!1
Just stop.

rtwjunkie · Feb 7, 2020

fullinfusion said:
sorry for being a Debby downer, but an ex employee told me what this site makes a month.. I'll give to a charity that actually needs it.

Love the site so don't get me wrong, but they isn't starving like some ppl

Everybody that is in business, especially self-employed small business owners like W1zzard “need” it. Running what is effectively a small business is a precarious endeavor. Anyone that has run a business is well aware of this.

Processor	i7 7700k
Motherboard	MSI Z270 SLI Plus
Cooling	CM Hyper 212 EVO
Memory	2 x 8 GB Corsair Vengeance
Video Card(s)	MSI RTX 2070 Super
Storage	Samsung 850 EVO 250 GB and WD Black 4TB
Display(s)	Dell 27 inch 1440p 144 Hz
Case	Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNova 850 W Gold
Mouse	Logitech G502
Keyboard	Logitech G105
Software	Windows 10

System Name	Bayou Phantom
Processor	Core i7-8700k 4.4Ghz @ 1.18v
Motherboard	ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 6
Cooling	All air: 2x140mm Fractal exhaust; 3x 140mm Cougar Intake; Enermax T40F Black CPU cooler
Memory	2x 16GB Mushkin Redline DDR-4 3200
Video Card(s)	EVGA RTX 2080 Ti Xc
Storage	1x 500 MX500 SSD; 2x 6TB WD Black; 1x 4TB WD Black; 1x400GB VelRptr; 1x 4TB WD Blue storage (eSATA)
Display(s)	HP 27q 27" IPS @ 2560 x 1440
Case	Fractal Design Define R4 Black w/Titanium front -windowed
Audio Device(s)	Soundblaster Z
Power Supply	Seasonic X-850
Mouse	Coolermaster Sentinel III (large palm grip!)
Keyboard	Logitech G610 Orion mechanical (Cherry Brown switches)
Software	Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (Start10 & Fences 3.0 installed)

System Name	Wut?
Processor	3900X
Motherboard	ASRock Taichi X570
Cooling	Water
Memory	32GB GSkill CL16 3600mhz
Video Card(s)	Vega 56
Storage	2 x AData XPG 8200 Pro 1TB
Display(s)	3440 x 1440
Case	Thermaltake Tower 900
Power Supply	Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum

System Name	Epsilon
Processor	A12-9800E 35watts
Motherboard	MSI Grenade AM4
Cooling	Stock
Memory	2x4GB DDR4 2400 Kingston Hyper X
Video Card(s)	Radeon R7 (IGP / APU)
Storage	Samsung Spinpoint F1
Display(s)	AOC 29" Ultra wide
Case	Generic
Power Supply	Antec Earthwatts 380w
Software	Windows 10

System Name	Whaaaat Kiiiiiiid!
Processor	Intel Core i9-12900K @ Default
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Elite AX
Cooling	Corsair H150i AIO Cooler
Memory	Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB DDR4-3200
Video Card(s)	EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 ULTRA @ Default
Storage	Samsung 970 PRO 512GB + Crucial MX500 2TB x3 + Crucial MX500 4TB + Samsung 980 PRO 1TB
Display(s)	27" LG 27MU67-B 4K, + 27" Acer Predator XB271HU 1440P
Case	Thermaltake Core X9 Snow
Audio Device(s)	Logitech G935 Headset
Power Supply	SeaSonic Platinum 1050W Snow Silent
Mouse	Logitech G903 Lightspeed
Keyboard	Logitech G915
Software	Windows 11 Pro
Benchmark Scores	FFXV: 19329

Support TechPowerUp on Patreon, Unlock New Features

64K

rtwjunkie

PC Gaming Enthusiast

moproblems99

Kinestron

Thefumigator

lexluthermiester

T4C Fantasy

CPU & GPU DB Maintainer

EarthDog

Thefumigator

lexluthermiester

W1zzard

Administrator

lexluthermiester

crazyeyesreaper

Not a Moderator

lexluthermiester

R-T-B

lemonadesoda

Hayder_Master

Thefumigator

lexluthermiester

Antykain

Splinterdog

robert3892

fullinfusion

Vanguard Beta Tester

Platinum certified Husky

rtwjunkie

PC Gaming Enthusiast

Processor	Ryzen 7 5700X
Memory	48 GB
Video Card(s)	RTX 4080
Storage	2x HDD RAID 1, 3x M.2 NVMe
Display(s)	30" 2560x1600 + 19" 1280x1024
Software	Windows 10 64-bit

System Name	Old reliable
Processor	Intel 8700K @ 4.8 GHz
Motherboard	MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
Cooling	Custom Water
Memory	32 GB Crucial Ballistix 3666 MHz
Video Card(s)	MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X
Storage	3x SSDs 2x HDDs
Display(s)	Dell U2412M + Samsung TA350
Case	Thermaltake Core P3 TG
Audio Device(s)	Samson Meteor Mic / Generic 2.1 / KRK KNS 6400 headset
Power Supply	Zalman EBT-1000
Mouse	Mionix NAOS 7000
Keyboard	Mionix

System Name	Pioneer
Processor	Ryzen R9 7950X
Motherboard	GIGABYTE Aorus Elite X670 AX
Cooling	Noctua NH-D15 + A whole lotta Sunon and Corsair Maglev blower fans...
Memory	64GB (4x 16GB) G.Skill Flare X5 @ DDR5-6000 CL30
Video Card(s)	XFX RX 7900 XTX Speedster Merc 310
Storage	2x Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs
Display(s)	55" LG 55" B9 OLED 4K Display
Case	Thermaltake Core X31
Audio Device(s)	TOSLINK->Schiit Modi MB->Asgard 2 DAC Amp->AKG Pro K712 Headphones or HDMI->B9 OLED
Power Supply	FSP Hydro Ti Pro 850W
Mouse	Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless
Keyboard	WASD Code v3 with Cherry Green keyswitches + PBT DS keycaps
Software	Gentoo Linux x64

System Name	ICE-QUAD // ICE-CRUNCH
Processor	Q6600 // 2x Xeon 5472
Memory	2GB DDR // 8GB FB-DIMM
Video Card(s)	HD3850-AGP // FireGL 3400
Display(s)	2 x Samsung 204Ts = 3200x1200
Audio Device(s)	Audigy 2
Software	Windows Server 2003 R2 as a Workstation now migrated to W10 with regrets.

System Name	MASTER
Processor	Core i7 3930k run at 4.4ghz
Motherboard	Asus Rampage IV extreme
Cooling	Corsair H100i
Memory	4x4G kingston hyperx beast 2400mhz
Video Card(s)	2X EVGA GTX680
Storage	2X Crusial M4 256g raid0, 1TbWD g, 2x500 WD B
Display(s)	Samsung 27' 1080P LED 3D monitior 2ms
Case	CoolerMaster Chosmos II
Audio Device(s)	Creative sound blaster X-FI Titanum champion,Creative speakers 7.1 T7900
Power Supply	Corsair 1200i, Logitch G500 Mouse, headset Corsair vengeance 1500
Software	Win7 64bit Ultimate
Benchmark Scores	3d mark 2011: testing

System Name	All Switched Up
Processor	Intel Core i9-9900k @ 5.0GHz
Motherboard	ASUS Z390 Maximus XI Hero Wi-Fi w/ EK monoblock
Cooling	Custom EK Watercooling loop - 2x 360 \| 1x 240 Rads
Memory	16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 3200MHz
Video Card(s)	EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra w/ EK Quantum Vector Waterblock + Active Backplate
Storage	1x Samsung 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD - 2x Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD - 1x Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SSD
Display(s)	Viewsonix XG270QG Elite 1440p x2
Case	Lian Li O11Dynamic XL - White
Audio Device(s)	ifi Zen CAN/DAC \| Mayflower Objective2 + ODAC \| Sennheiser HD 6XX \| HiFiMan HE-5XX
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P6 Platinum
Mouse	Glorious Model O Wireless \| Model D
Keyboard	Glorious GMMK Pro w/ Holy Panda's
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
Benchmark Scores	yes

System Name	Ryzen Monster
Processor	Ryzen 5 5600X
Motherboard	Asus ROG Crosshair Hero VII WiFi
Cooling	Corsair H100i RGB Platinum
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (4x8GB) 3200Mhz CMW16GX4M2C3200C16
Video Card(s)	Asus ROG Strix RX5700XT OC 8Gb
Storage	WD Black 500GB NVMe 250Gb Samsung SSD, OCZ 500Gb SSD WD M.2 500Gb, plus three spinners up to 1.5Tb
Display(s)	LG 32GK650F-B 32" UltraGear™ QHD
Case	Cooler Master Storm Trooper
Audio Device(s)	Supreme FX on board
Power Supply	Corsair RM850X full modular
Mouse	Corsair M65 Pro
Keyboard	Corsair Strafe RGB Silent
VR HMD	Headphones Logitech G533 wireless
Software	Windows 11 Start 11
Benchmark Scores	3DMark Time Spy 4532 (9258 March 2021, 9399 July 2021)

Processor	Ryzen 5 1600 3.8GHz@1.331V
Motherboard	ASUS Strix B350-F
Cooling	Noctua NH-D15
Memory	Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 16G*2 3000MHz CL16 @1.35V
Video Card(s)	Msi RTX 2070 Super Gaming Z Trio
Storage	WD Blue 500G SSD1 WD Black 2TB1
Display(s)	ASUS ROG SWIFT PG279Q
Case	Lian Li O11D XL
Audio Device(s)	Edifier C3X
Power Supply	Corsair RM750x
Mouse	logitech G102 with modded micro switchs
Benchmark Scores	Time Spy 9943