Microsoft’s Windows 11 reveal has sent prices for a little-known security chip soaring on eBay. That’s because the same chip is necessary to run the upcoming OS.
The chip is called the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. On Thursday, Microsoft revealed a PC will need the component to run Windows 11 once the OS begins rolling out to Windows 10 users as a free upgrade.
The new requirement is causing some consumers to flock to eBay to obtain TPM 2.0 modules for their PCs. And at least one merchant is capitalizing on the demand.
On Thursday, two listings for Gigabyte TPM 2.0 modules from an Israeli electronics shop called KSMTop dramatically increased from $24.90 to $99.00.
During the same period, KSMTop sold 42 units when sales for the component were previously a slow trickle. The product is now sold out on both listings.
“Thanks to Windows 11, people are scalping TPM2.0 modules as well now,” tweeted Shen Ye, a senior director at HTC, who noticed the sale on eBay.
On Thursday, consumers also flocked to buy the security chip from several other eBay sellers. Fortunately, the pricing remained unchanged. However, the same merchants also quickly sold out of the product. Not helping the matter is the current chip shortage, which is constraining supplies for PC components.
But before you panic, know this: Your PC may already have a TPM 2.0 chip built in. The technology was first introduced in Oct. 2014. So a laptop or desktop from the last five to seven should have a TPM 2.0 function. However, the security chip isn’t always turned on by default. To enable it, you’ll need to go into your PC’s BIOS settings, and look for the feature. On AMD motherboards, it’s called “fTPM.” Intel, on the other hand, can sometimes dub it as “IPTT.”
To learn whether your PC has the security chip, you can go to the Windows 10 search bar and type in “tpm.msc.” If you have the chip, you should see an option for “tpm.msc Microsoft Common Console Document.” It’ll then let you know the chip’s version, and whether it’s ready to use.
If you do need to buy a TPM 2.0 module for your PC, we’d recommend you first do some research on your specific product model before buying the chip from a third-party seller on eBay. It’s possible your PC’s motherboard may not even possess the connector necessary to slot in a TPM module.
At the same time, Microsoft may release more details about the TPM 2.0 requirement. So things could change.
