Support TechPowerUp on Patreon, Unlock New Features

[W1zzard]

People have often asked how to thank us through donations, to show their appreciation for our PC enthusiast content, free software and databases, but we could never find a good mechanism for that. Today we're officially launching our Patreon page, which gives you an easy method to financially support us in a simple way, and get some nifty site-wide features as our own way of saying thank you.


Over the past weeks I've worked on site engine changes to include additional benefits with Patreon membership, so you can actually enjoy tangible returns for your contribution. If you've never heard of Patreon before, it's a platform that lets creators receive voluntary payments for their work directly from the audience — a virtual tip jar. This does not mean TPU is in financial trouble, quite the opposite, we're doing better than ever, and our readership keeps growing — we're not going away. Some forum members have already discovered our Patreon campaign in the test phase and have contributed to it, and we greatly appreciate all the feedback they provided in the past few months that has helped shape this platform.

You can help us do what we do best, by supporting TechPowerUp on Patreon.

I've created three pledge levels that each unlock incremental features, so you may choose according to your financial situation. As always, we appreciate your time and consideration here, even if you are not able to sign up at this time.

• Bronze: For as little as $4 a month, the entry-level tier, all ads on TechPowerUp are removed, including banners and sponsored content. You also receive a shiny new "Supporter" badge for our forums, and can access the otherwise hidden Patron-only forum where you're free to discuss anything.
• Silver: Take it up a notch for $7 per month. In addition to all the features of the "Bronze" tier, you get the "single page view" feature in our reviews and articles. You can now read them seamlessly, by simply scrolling down, no more clicking "next page." We also let you pick a custom user title on TechPowerUp Forums.
• Gold: This $9 per month tier brings with it early access to most of our unpublished reviews. Read coverage of products to help make your purchase decisions before others! You also get all the features of the "Bronze" and "Silver" tier.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Dammeron]

Wouldn't "gold" variant get in the way of NDAs?

 

[librin.so.1]

I wonder how Gold tier's unpublished review thing works, seeing how most reviews are posted as soon as the NDA expires. i.e. ain't this gonna break some NDAs? Unless the reviews get otherwise delayed with a kind of review exclusivity period for Gold-tier members, but that has its own problems.
:big_th0hk:

 

[W1zzard]

Wouldn't "gold" variant get in the way of NDAs?

I wonder how Gold tier's unpublished review thing works, seeing how most reviews are posted as soon as the NDA expires. i.e. ain't this gonna break some NDAs? Unless the reviews get otherwise delayed with a kind of review exclusivity period for Gold-tier members, but that has its own problems.
:big_th0hk:

Obviously we won't break the NDA for reviews, there's still a lot of reviews that are finished and waiting to be posted, check out the new box on the frontpage.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I 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?

It's not the first time that this certain individual has been called out about his writing. He did it with an MSI article when there was a rumor floating around that they were locking off older boards from being compatible with the newer ryzen series. These are just two examples off the top of my head but I'm sure there are a few more....

TPU has got to evolve and bring the standards of writing back up. Some reviews occasionally feel pretty lazy and uninspiring. I understand that often the reviewers might not have have all the time in the world to pour into the reviews but sometimes going above and beyond that really puts the quality out there.

There's a lot TPU could learn from GN rather than write articles accusing people of being paid shills.

GN hasn't struggled for backers on patreon the same way that TPU has since they started up their patreon page.

Make TPU Great Again

 

[R-T-B]

I feel the above but I also still am a gold member. I feel like if if you want to have your words carry some weight here, you should chip in.

That being said I totally agree with the above but I also see moment where bta is trying to do better. If he keeps that up, it's all just a learning experience as far as I am concerned.

I'm more upset about the choice of software key "partners" frankly.

Make TPU Great Again

That was my sig for a bit, but I got a bad vibe from it, lol

 

[SetiroN]

I'd gladly participate if you didn't spam the news section weekly with grey markey key store "promotions".

 

[W1zzard]

I'd gladly participate if you didn't spam the news section weekly with grey markey key store "promotions".

We created the first tier for you: "all ads on TechPowerUp are removed, including banners and sponsored content", you can now put your money where your mouth is

 

[Gungar]

I 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?

It's not the first time that this certain individual has been called out about his writing. He did it with an MSI article when there was a rumor floating around that they were locking off older boards from being compatible with the newer ryzen series. These are just two examples off the top of my head but I'm sure there are a few more....

TPU has got to evolve and bring the standards of writing back up. Some reviews occasionally feel pretty lazy and uninspiring. I understand that often the reviewers might not have have all the time in the world to pour into the reviews but sometimes going above and beyond that really puts the quality out there.

There's a lot TPU could learn from GN rather than write articles accusing people of being paid shills.

GN hasn't struggled for backers on patreon the same way that TPU has since they started up their patreon page.

Make TPU Great Again

The problem of TPU is that Wizzard is what makes it a good website, if he retires it's over for TPU. And yes, too much clickbait articles this past years.

 

[notb]

The problem of TPU is that Wizzard is what makes it a good website, if he retires it's over for TPU. And yes, too much clickbait articles this past years.

Clickbait, dodgy keys, mistakes, flood of HR/PR news, lack of technical articles.
At least the cryptocurrency trend died. That was sad as well.

As for reviews: more and more accessories (dozens similar RGB mice lately), but less things TPU did so well earlier (like cases).

And on the forum front (also part of experience): very aggressive, subjective moderating, removing posts without notice. Lately I got points because a mod didn't understand my comment. Like, seriously, WTF?

 

[Space Lynx]

We created the first tier for you: "all ads on TechPowerUp are removed, including banners and sponsored content"

I really think this is the most technically well done forum on the internet, it's just a shame to me you have to resort to this. Does TPU not generate enough traffic to encourage bigger advertisers? Perhaps paid promotions like LinusTechTips does, but we could just put in the review its a paid review, etc. I feel like a lot of people have creative ideas to increase growth, and TPU already has the foundation, it just needs that push.

edit: I'm referring to the cheap buy windows license type adverts, not the Patreon. Patreon is great idea.

 

[W1zzard]

paid review

we're not influencers, we actually test the stuff we review, and our readers trust in that.

 

[JAB Creations]

Add a like/dislike feature for news posts or maybe a 1-5 star rating. I'm finally getting to the point where I'll be able to contribute financially later on this year so make sure that Patreon button is visible please!

 

[PLAfiller]

It's perfectly normal evolution of the site as far as I am concerned. It took quite a while to try to monetize it properly actually. When you put in so much time, effort and equipment something has to trickle back. I am not going to chip in though. It is by far the only tech forum I am active at, but I am too small to contribute something super meaningful to identify with the "cause". Now there will be private-closed discussions for the paid members, but that's to be expected.

 

[dj-electric]

This is a loaded one...
uhmmm...

I really hope TPU would listen to its community, and while "the money" doesn't come from it, this is a core that is a pillar to this site, i feel.
W1zz is a very technically talented individual, and he is the main reason i like opening TPU a bunch of times a day, but other aspects of the website feel alien and changed for me since what they were just a few years ago.

Forum moderation changes is a big part of it - many of us "gave up" on being more active due to some unfortunate decisions from staff.
While i never got punished, i see many other users who do, over stuff they shouldn't.

With reviews - I have no idea why the pipe is so damn long from when a review is written to the moment its published. I know for a fact that some reviews in recent years waited months to be published. Why? That's a dis-service to both the community and reviewers. There are a bunch of talented individuals here.

We already have some review aspects stuck in 2007 with how products are tested and how results are being produced. Its 2020 and we don't have noise regulated case and cooler testing, we don't have min 1\0.1% lows and deeper frametime analysis of GPUs, we don't even have in-depth deep-dives into driver features and important tweaking tools. Not anymore.

In front page - The waves of meme PR news, regarding stuff that's pretty far away from common interest. I know people bash mr news editor, and 2019 would definitely be a year to learn from, but i know he can produce great content, he clearly has the technical capability of doing so. We're all human, we all can slip at times. 2020 is a year to improve.

I'd love to support TPU financially when some of those crucial issues will be addressed.

 

[R-T-B]

At least the cryptocurrency trend died. That was sad as well.

I just didn't have the time to finish the articles with my new job. W1zzard probably would've loved more.

we're not influencers, we actually test the stuff we review, and our readers trust in that.

Yeah. I really don't think we want to erode our reputation with ads disguised as reviews, even if we admit it.

 

[Naito]

I think TPU needs to reinforce it's core draw card - reviews of 'big ticket items'. Reviews of mice, keyboards, headphones and the occasional fan are a great supplement and gap filler, but let's face it, they're a dime a dozen and with the saturation in the market and the fact everyone has a difference taste, they're not going to get the reader count. During the long wait between GPU and CPU launches (and their subsequent brilliant reviews), I feel TPU needs to focus more on case, cooler and power supply reviews as these are components most will generally keep for 3 or more builds. For example, the level of technical detail in PSU reviews is excellent and greatly appreciated, with ripple tests, load regulation, temperatures and efficiency. Perhaps this Patreon expansion can help make this happen?

 

[W1zzard]

I am not going to chip in though. [..] but I am too small to contribute something super meaningful to identify with the "cause"

and that's perfectly fine. This site is made for you, not for a small elite, don't worry

 

[Imouto]

You could make a Kickstarter for several goals too. For example:

- $500: Interactive charts like the ones at computerbase.
- $1000: Choosing sensible game graphic settings for GPU reviews.
- $2000: 0.1% lows charts in GPU reviews.
- $3000: Stop the clickbaiting and senseless rumors in the main site by firing btarunr.

 

[Rahnak]

@W1zzard Right now I can see open all of the "Patreon Early Access" reviews on the homepage even though I'm not a patron.

 

[NRANM]

Does TPU not generate enough traffic to encourage bigger advertisers? Perhaps paid promotions like LinusTechTips does, but we could just put in the review its a paid review, etc.

In my opinion paid reviews are always a bad idea if a website has a reputation for being trustworthy and objective. The moment I see a paid review (text, video, whatever), I immediately consider it worthless. I also don't trust any articles or videos that may be sponsored by Company X, even if they are not directly related to the subject matter, like for example "Let's build a gaming PC. This video is sponsored by be quiet!." And then the case, PSU, CPU cooler and case fans are all be quiet! ones. That isn't a "let us help you build a well balanced gaming PC (for a certain budget)" video; this is "let me advertise these components to you" video.

The way I see it, services like Patreon actually help reviewers who want to be objective to remain that way. When one has independent funding, one is much less reliant on the benevolence of hardware manufacturers. It is what allows Gamers Nexus to still review hardware if they are unhappy with how a manufacturer is handling NDAs or cannot take criticism and blacklist them, etc. "You don't want to provide a sample for review because you are butthurt over something? No problemo, we are going to purchase it with our own money, and do whatever we want."

 

[W1zzard]

@W1zzard Right now I can see open all of the "Patreon Early Access" reviews on the homepage even though I'm not a patron.

Correct, working as intended

Interactive charts like the ones at computerbase

so people can no longer link to them? when i look at social media / other forums, all i see is our charts

Choosing sensible game graphic settings for GPU reviews.

huh? first time i hear about that, please make another thread to further discuss it

0.1% lows charts in GPU reviews.

Sure, if I bring down the number of games to 5, at 2 resolutions, with 3 other cards compared.. and we'll be like everybody else.
27 comparison cards x 21 games x 4 resolutions = 2268 test runs currently

firing btarunr

send me your resume and some sample posts

 

[Dave65]

I admit my first website I visit in the morning is TPU. But some of the articles are pure click bate-ish, and the hit piece on Gamers Nexus really put a damper on my feeling for this site.
It has the makings to be great and would love to see it expand but for me, TPU has to re-prove itself a bit before I would consider becoming a patreon member.

 

[Frick]

In my opinion paid reviews are always a bad idea if a website has a reputation for being trustworthy and objective. The moment I see a paid review (text, video, whatever), I immediately consider it worthless. I also don't trust any articles or videos that may be sponsored by Company X, even if they are not directly related to the subject matter, like for example "Let's build a gaming PC. This video is sponsored by be quiet!." And then the case, PSU, CPU cooler and case fans are all be quiet! ones. That isn't a "let us help you build a well balanced gaming PC (for a certain budget)" video; this is "let me advertise these components to you" video.

I'd be fine with sponsored content if the content is good. Like a storage deep dive sponsored by Seagate and there are like stuff from a really technical perspective. Why is this drive and this kind of drive different, and how? I mean if there has to be ads they might as well teach me something.

And it's way less clickbaity than it was some years ago. Also Clickbaits and reddit conspiracies are just signs of the times. There are no bastions of light, we all have to eat. Even bta.

The moderation stuff people talk about are complete unknowns to me, and that is coming from someone who recieved a ban with no end date set.

 

[Blitzr]

Great idea TPU. Your site and content is great and while there's obviously going to be ads and sponsored content (tpu staff needs to eat like the rest of you), the toxic community centered around passive aggressiveness and drama is what's holding tpu back. I wish there was a free trial so I could see how the Patreon sponsored threads look like toxicity wise.
There's times in the past where I've needed feedback on my builds and went to this site only to see similar type of forum questions turn into personal attacks. I hope this Patreon weeds out the older, disgruntled accounts.