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

[btarunr]

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.



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[Space Lynx]

will 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!

 

[XiGMAKiD]

Another nail to my Windows 11 upgrade coffin

 

[zlobby]

Laughs in built-in TPM (and not fTPM by AMD).

will 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!

Torvaldcoin? Hodl!

 

[HisDivineOrder]

The reason I know Microsoft will walk this back for non-business users is because I ask myself the question, "Do I need Windows 11 more than Microsoft needs me to want it?" And the answer is no. I remember how desperate they were to get users to upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 to 10. They gave it away. They begged. They pleaded.

I don't think Windows 11 is going to have that TPM requirement by the end, not for consumers. Maybe for business versions where it makes more sense. I half-expect them to remove the requirement when users do an upgrade from an earlier version of Windows to 11.

 

[Paganstomp]

MSI B450-A Pro MAX motherboard. Passed.

 

[ironwolf]

Yup, checked the net last night for a TPM module for an ASRock H97 Performance board with a i7-4790K on it. $40 from 3rd party on Newegg was cheapest I could find from a quick look. Nuts!

 

[BorisDG]

Humans are such a nasty thing.

 

[TheOne]

You know on the bright side if you don't properly enable TPM 2.0 in BIOS you probably wont be "forced" to upgrade to Windows 11.

 

[Makaveli]

Yup, checked the net last night for a TPM module for an ASRock H97 Performance board with a i7-4790K on it. $40 from 3rd party on Newegg was cheapest I could find from a quick look. Nuts!

i'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.

 

[trparky]

Are 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.

 

[opteron]

Humans are such a nasty thing.

Greedy Scalpers are the bane of humanity...

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

You know on the bright side if you don't properly enable TPM 2.0 in BIOS you probably wont be "forced" to upgrade to Windows 11.

As if, they'll likely auto update at some point, force wiping your shit, fail to put 11 on then fail a rollback.
BSD no drive found.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Yup, checked the net last night for a TPM module for an ASRock H97 Performance board with a i7-4790K on it. $40 from 3rd party on Newegg was cheapest I could find from a quick look. Nuts!

Doesn't matter, as you apparently need an 8th gen Intel CPU at the very minimum as well...

The really amusing part here is that a Celeron (read Atom) N4000 is supported...

Windows processor requirements Windows 11 supported Intel processors

This specification details the Intel processors that can be used with Windows 11 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

docs.microsoft.com

It would seem no non Zen architecture AMD CPUs are supported.

Windows processor requirements Windows 11 supported AMD processors

This specification details the AMD processors that can be used with Windows 11 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

docs.microsoft.com

 

[Zubasa]

Doesn't matter, as you apparently need an 8th gen Intel CPU at the very minimum as well...

The really amusing part here is that a Celeron (read Atom) N4000 is supported...

Windows processor requirements Windows 11 supported Intel processors

This specification details the Intel processors that can be used with Windows 11 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

docs.microsoft.com

It would seem no non Zen architecture AMD CPUs are supported.

Windows processor requirements Windows 11 supported AMD processors

This specification details the AMD processors that can be used with Windows 11 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

docs.microsoft.com

FYI there are no Zen+ APUs, all of the 2000 and 3000 series APUs are 14nm Zen1 Raven Ridge.
So yeah M$ just went and set some arbitrary cut off date.

 

[TheLostSwede]

FYI there are no Zen+ APUs, all of the 2000 and 3000 series APUs are 14nm Zen1 Raven Ridge.
So yeah M$ just went and set some arbitrary cut off date.

Sorry? I think you misunderstood my point. I was talking about anything older than Zen architecture processors from AMD, be that a CPU or APU or whatever they call them.

 

[Metroid]

It seems my b450 gaming plus has also tpm, so looks like I will be able to upgrade to windows 11. I wonder how beneficial windows 11 will be, I guess right now, I'm only interested in direcstorage, loading times is important to me.

 

[trsttte]

this is hilarious

TPM modules are not hard to manufacture and their scarcity is dictated mostly by their uselessness so these scalpers will most likely only help retailers clear out old junk. specially when microsoft walks this back as they surely will

I honestly find this super amusing

 

[Nash]

Haha, looking at you scalper should have gone artisan 5g Fighters Plus.

Asus TPM on hand.

 

[Anoniem]

People will figure out something to crack it, it's Windows But damn, people were on the ball right after the announcement, A-holes. Imagine people walking into a store to get their PC updated and being told to pay another 50-150 besides the labour, that really sucks. Oh, and great eco friendly move from Microsoft now that I think of it. Wouldn't surprise me if people just bought a new laptop because their old one wasn't supported. Most older laptops can run Windows 10 just fine (2nd gen Intel and above, first gen Ryzen and above) provided that they have an SSD. I have no doubt that those machines can run Windows 11 just fine too. Thanks Microsoft! /s

 

[Octopuss]

What does the TPM thing do anyway? I have never ever heard it mentioned as being useful for anything.

 

[tabascosauz]

i'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.

Doesn't matter, as you apparently need an 8th gen Intel CPU at the very minimum as well...

The really amusing part here is that a Celeron (read Atom) N4000 is supported...

Windows processor requirements Windows 11 supported Intel processors

This specification details the Intel processors that can be used with Windows 11 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

docs.microsoft.com

It would seem no non Zen architecture AMD CPUs are supported.

Windows processor requirements Windows 11 supported AMD processors

This specification details the AMD processors that can be used with Windows 11 customer systems that include Windows products, including custom images.

docs.microsoft.com

It's not a hard requirement that you have the CPUs listed:



It'll still let you install, but it'll warn you of the risks (e.g. not actively supported) beforehand. Doesn't seem like much of a problem, the older CPUs (even Ryzen 1000 to an extent) never needed the level of intricate firmware/scheduler/hardware CPPC handshaking that goes on in Ryzen 3000 and 5000 these days.

However, the Secure Boot flag (not Secure Boot being enabled itself) is a hard requirement, so IIRC early pre-Secure Boot UEFI platforms like Sandy Bridge probably won't work without modding the installer. And obviously non-UEFI capable systems, but that's not new.

 

[Zubasa]

Sorry? I think you misunderstood my point. I was talking about anything older than Zen architecture processors from AMD, be that a CPU or APU or whatever they call them.

https://allthings.how/how-to-install-windows-11-on-legacy-bios-without-secure-boot-or-tpm-2-0/
Anyway, people have already managed to bypass whatever BS M$ tried to pull.

 

[Frick]

Just gonna go ahead and quote myself:

There are new minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. In order to run Windows 11, devices must meet the following specifications. Devices that do not meet the hard floor cannot be upgraded to Windows 11, and devices that meet the soft floor will receive a notification that upgrade is not advised.

Hard Floor:

• CPU: Core >= 2 and Speed >= 1 GHz
• System Memory: TotalPhysicalRam >= 4 GB
• Storage: 64 GB
• Security: TPM Version >= 1.2 and SecureBootCapable = True
• Smode: Smode is false, or Smode is true and C_ossku in (0x65, 0x64, 0x63, 0x6D, 0x6F, 0x73, 0x74, 0x71)

Soft Floor:

• Security: TPMVersion >= 2.0
• CPU Generation

Compatibility for Windows 11- Compatibility Cookbook

Learn how to enable your apps are compatible for Windows 11

docs.microsoft.com

 

[TheDeeGee]

Well the TPM requirement was downgraded to 1.2 already.

Sooner or later it won't be needed at all.