What exactly is TPM and do I need it?

Posted by miles197@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 23 comments

I heard Windows 11 requires PCs have TPM for them to be eligible to upgrade. I have a PC I built a while ago with an intel core i5 4670, which doesn’t have TPM. Is this a problem? Am I more vulnerable to online threats or being hacked because I don’t have TPM? What exactly is it/what does it do?

Lastly what are these in this screenshot? Why would one have to pay for TPM activation? And what is a dedicated hardware TPM module? Isn’t TPM built into newer CPUs? What’s the benefit of having a “dedicated hardware” TPM, and is it worth it for a whopping $210? (Screenshot below).

https://i.imgur.com/Yb7qIPL.jpg