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)
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.
263 Comments on Thanks to Windows 11, Scalpers Buy Out Add-on TPM 2.0 Modules
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.
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?
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 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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
Ohh... this is not going to go well...
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