Published , by Chris Jarrard
Published , by Chris Jarrard
Among all the fanfare surrounding Microsoft’s unveiling of Windows 11 to the general public, a note provided in the official system requirements for the new operating system piqued the interest of enthusiast PC users and gamers. For full compatibility with Windows 11 upgrades, user machines will need Trust Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 hardware installed. Because many consumer and gamer-centric motherboards do not include this module by default, add-in modules would be required for the operating system upgrade. After knowledge of the TPM 2.0 requirement became widespread, online retail supply of the modules instantly dried up with scalpers angling to cash in on the shortage.
The Trusted Platform Module is a chip that can be integrated into systems or added in later via modules. It is designed to offer hardware-level protection for encryption keys, credentials, and other important data. Its deployment is rather common for corporate and business fleet laptops or desktops. TPM 2.0 hardware in consumer-level motherboards and prebuilt PCs is much less common. Many motherboards have onboard headers for TPM modules that have gone unused until now.
Because these add-in modules were not previously a hot commodity, the available supply in retail chains was pretty low. With a major operating system upgrade on the horizon for hundreds of millions of computers, things have changed. Predictably, scalpers jumped into action and gobbled up what was available and are now using platforms like eBay, Amazon, and NewEgg to extract every last penny from enthusiasts looking to prepare their systems for Windows 11.
It is unknown if supply of these add-in modules will be able to match the demand before Microsoft begins the rollout of Windows 11. The world is still bogged down by the ongoing chip shortage with no signs of ending in the near term. Global demand for TPM 2.0 chips and hardware could potentially put further strain on a supply chain that has been near the breaking point for more than a year.