Installation & FAQ

UEFI motherboards manufactured between roughly 2013 and 2018. The exact boundary is the TPM header bus: our module uses the LPC bus, which vendors used until around 2018.

Around 2018, motherboard vendors switched their TPM headers from the LPC bus to the SPI bus. An LPC module physically cannot communicate over an SPI header, regardless of pin adapters. If your board is from 2019 or later, this module will not work — but those boards almost always have working firmware TPM (Intel PTT / AMD fTPM) built in, so you likely don't need a module at all.

Windows 11 requires UEFI with Secure Boot capability in addition to TPM 2.0. Many pre-2013 boards have legacy BIOS only, so even with a working TPM module they cannot meet the Windows 11 requirements.

Yes — this is one of the most common reasons people buy a discrete TPM module. On some AM4 boards, the firmware fTPM periodically accesses SPI flash and causes system-wide stutters or audio crackling. A discrete hardware TPM on the LPC header bypasses fTPM entirely: install the module, then select the discrete TPM (and disable fTPM) in the BIOS.

Power off the PC, pull the module, flip it over and reinsert it. One side carries an Infineon SLB9665 running TPM 2.0 firmware 5.66.19374.2, the other side runs TPM 1.2 firmware 4.43.259.0. No software flashing is involved. Note that switching TPM versions clears any keys stored in the previous TPM — suspend or decrypt BitLocker first.

A 64-bit CPU, UEFI boot with CSM disabled, a GPT-partitioned system disk, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. The 2-in-1 reversible module covers the TPM requirement for either version — TPM 2.0 on one side, TPM 1.2 on the other (Windows 11 still runs on TPM 1.2); the rest is BIOS and disk setup. Older PCs with CPUs not on Microsoft's supported list cannot be upgraded in place — the upgrade installer blocks them. Instead, do a clean (fresh) installation onto an empty or reformatted drive: a fresh install does not run the CPU supported-list check, so the TPM module plus the settings above is all you need.

First, confirm the module is fully seated and correctly oriented. Line up the blocked (filled) hole on the module's socket with the missing pin on the board's header — that keyed alignment tells you it's the right way round; never force it. On an older PC the header contacts can be dusty or oxidised: blow out any dust, then seat and unseat the module a few times to wipe the contacts clean before fitting it for good. Second, enable the TPM (sometimes called "Security Device" or "TPM Device Selection — discrete TPM") in the BIOS. Third, update the BIOS to the latest version — early BIOS releases for some boards had TPM 2.0 bugs. Then check Windows with tpm.msc.

Yes. Every kit ships with the reversible 20-1 pin module plus the adapter board for your brand: ASUS 14-1 pin, Gigabyte 12-1 pin, MSI 14-1 pin, or ASRock 18-1 pin. If your board has a native 20-1 pin header, plug the module in directly and keep the adapter as a spare.

Yes — that's how every order starts. Email us your motherboard brand and exact model number and we'll check it against our compatibility data before you pay.