VIP Customer Newsletter - Issue 12

NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 12 MAR 21 JAN 20

SPOTLIGHT #therealthing

our on-demand series for VIP UK resellers is now live on youtube

‘The Worlds Fastest Mouse’ Best Gaming Processors For 2021 www.vip-computers.com/uk

Sales: 01925 286 900

“

Review of Q1 2021…

As I write this, we are all looking forward to restrictions easing, and not only re-engaging with our many resellers that have been closed, but also collectively working towards the day where we can all once again meet and celebrate together. The pandemic has impacted us all, but not all consequences have been negative, across our sector we have seen immense resilience and innovation in transforming our way of working, supply chain flexibility and improved efficiencies.

We closed 2020 with demand significantly outweighing supply across the board. With a variety of factors in play such a shipment delays, customs issues attributed to Brexit and Covid 19 also in the mix, we are delighted that Q1 has seen a continued trend in demand with the issues slowly working their way through. We are grateful to our teams, vendors and customers as all channels have been supported despite the global challenges.

What to expect in Q2 2021…

Shortages and price increases are still impacted as strong demand continues. I am hopeful that these will settle over the coming months and we will continue to work with our vendors to ensure all of our customers are supported. We expect shortages to impact the channel for some time, but if we have learnt one thing over the last year, it is that with a positive approach, flexibility, and good relationships, we will find a way.

B2B demand is slowly making a comeback as the roadmap allows for the reopening of businesses and education sectors. Within VIP, we have seen a requirement to make our Covid secure environment available to more employees as the isolation of working from home is impacting people globally. We are hopeful that over the coming year we can once again return to the vibrancy and collaboration generated from social interaction within the workplace. Until then, we will continue to support our vendors, employees, and customers across digital platforms.

~

2

” Jatti

3

GENUINE WINDOWS 10, REAL ADVANTAGES 3.

Only buy genuine Windows 10 software.

Only authorised partners are able to sell genuine licensed Microsoft software.

Make sure you trust your source. VIP UK are an Authorised Microsoft Distributor and offer the best Windows 10 pricing and bundle deals available.

2.

4.

Security

#therealthing

Reputation

1.

1 in 3

For the latest Microsoft info and product news, head

4

over to vip-tech.co.uk/microsoft/

Supp

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

What are the affects of buying non-genuine software?

Place yourself at risk

May impact your future

as a resller

earnings

Reputation damage

port 5.

Productive

SPOT IT REPORT IT PREVENT IT Help our community get back to a level playing field & report websites that may be selling unlicensed Windows 10

Make this our business so we can help your business

If you suspect a website may be selling unlicensed counterfeit software report it to us at vip-tech.co.uk/microsoft-resellers-report-form/

5

WHY CHOOSE VIP UK FOR WINDOWS 10 Access to Microsoft Reseller Product Incentives Programme earning rebates of up to $4 per unit*

Exclusive competitions and prizes

6

In-store and marketing support - POS and educational content

Best Windows 10 pricing and bundle deals

Dedicated Microsoft team in-house to support where needed

Dedicated online courses for VIP UK resellers from Microsoft

VIP Computers recommends Windows 10

WHICH WINDOWS 10 IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS? 7

Artistic product rendering. Testing by AMD performance labs as of 9/2/2020 based on the average FPS of 40 PC games at 1920x1080 with the High image quality preset. R5K-002 © 2020 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Ryzen and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

8

330 awards and counting for AMD Ryzen™ 3000 Series processors.

AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series processors have also been blazing a trail and winning awards since their release in November.

If you’re not building with AMD, you’re missing out on sales The future of computing is faster than ever with the new AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series processors. The new AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series processors power the future of gaming, producing immersive experiences in the latest and upcoming titles, and obliterating any heavy multi-threaded tasks – perfect for gamers and artists alike.

Tom’s Hardware feature AMD Ryzen™ processors in all 6 places in its 2021 Top Gaming Processors for the money.

With up to 16 cores, 32 threads, boost clocks up to 4.9GHz and up to 72MB of cache, the future of gaming with AMD is fast.

AMD Ryzen™ processors dominate the UK market with 125% growth which equates to 80,000+ more desktop processors sold*

Offering a remarkable 19% IPC increase over the previous generation, these new “Zen 3” architecture-based processors redefine the highperformance desktop processor. AMD continues to innovate, breaking down barriers an delivering the best balance of price and performance.

67% UK market share*

Artistic product rendering. Testing by AMD performance labs as of 9/2/2020 based on the average FPS of 40 PC games at 1920x1080 with the High image quality preset. R5K-002 1

*according to figures by CONTEXTworld

9

Best Gaming Processors For

1.

AMD RyzenTM 5 5600X Best Overall

10

2021 2.

AMD RyzenTM 9 5950X Best High Performance Value

3.

4.

AMD RyzenTM 9 5900X Entry-Level Pick

AMD RyzenTM 5 3600X Best Mid-Range CPU

5.

6.

AMD RyzenTM 3 3300X Budget Pick

AMD RyzenTM 5 3400G Entry-Level Pick

Become an AMD expert with AMD Arena.

Learning has never been more rewarding. Enter AMD Arena to complete missons, earn badges and get rewarded today.

AMD Arena is open to employees of AMD Partners. Employment verification is required. Geographic and other limitations apply. For the full terms and conditions see https://www.amd.com/en/partner/amd-arena-terms-conditions

11

3 YEARS INCLUDED PCIe G3 ×4, NVMe 1.3 SSD PRODUCT FLYER

FIRECUDA 510 SSD BUILT FOR GAMING. Serious gamers need serious speed to boost their gaming experience.

FireCuda® 510 SSD is our fastest consumer SSD. This internal solid state drive is purpose built for pro-level gamers. It can withstand sustained abuse while providing the intense speeds, lasting endurance, and large capacity needed for the rigors of modern gaming.

PCIE G3 ×4, NVME 1.3

Best-Fit Applications

UP TO 3450/3200 MB/S

• Performance gaming desktops and laptops

READ/WRITES

M.2 2280

12

DOUBLE-SIDED

UP TO

2TB

5 LIMITED

• Creative professional systems • High performance PCs and workstations

Your Surveillance Partner

NOW MOBILE. SKYHAWK APP

for Security Professionals and Surveillance Installers Stay connected on the go, easily build estimates, quickly calculate storage, and locate your nearest reseller.

3 YEARS INCLUDED

Download the SkyHawk App today

Now available on:

13

The best monitors for a small budget

AOC has a selection of easily affordable monitors to suit any need.

Keep reading, if you want to know which one is the right choice for you!

No need to compromise The go-to option for any gamer wanting to upgrade their monitor would certainly be the 24G2AE/BK. The model combines strong performance without demanding any compromises in terms of aesthetics and image quality.

With 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, the display is capable of providing images of excellent quality even in the fastest of genres, such as RTS and FPS. While many monitors are tailored to suit the needs of fast games and make cuts when it comes to colour gamut, this display has an IPS panel which can display colours in their life-like beauty. At the same time, it erases disruptive blur effects, which makes this product practically an allrounder.

Its big brother, the 27G2AE/BK, boasts largely the same specs, keeping a perfect balance between performance and beauty. If you have a little more money and space to spare, and desire a larger model, you should consider this 27” screen instead. Games with large, immersive landscapes particularly benefit from the extra size and let you dive deeper into your favourite worlds.

Which monitor should I buy?

The answer to this question fully depends on your needs. As the prices of all these four models are not too far apart from each other, let’s focus on the fields of use to make an informed decision.

Curved comfort for less If you want to upgrade your gaming experience to a whole new level, you may want to consider purchasing a curved monitor. In contrast to regular displays, curved ones cover a wider field of view. The human eye’s perception is not perfectly flat, which is why a curved screen better helps to emulate the natural way humans see.

Not only does this create a 3D effect, making your game even more immersive, but it also reduces eyestrain. With a curvature of 1500R, AOC’s budget solution, the C24G2AE/BK, offers an elegant design, which casts you immediately at the centre of the action. Games that put you into a first-person perspective, such as FPS or racing games, benefit most from curvature.

The screen features an even higher refresh rate of 165Hz – enough to keep up with the fastest games on the market. Rather than IPS panels, the C24G2AE/ BK is equipped with VA panels. In general, VA panels offer stronger contrasts, but this comes at the cost of a slightly higher reaction time.

The G2AE/BK versions are for gamers who want a low-budget option, which gets the job done without drawbacks from graphics quality. Both options excel at competitive games such as RTS and FPS, as they grant a clear overview.

The curved option is best when used with games that require a wide field of view or those which emulate large, immersive worlds. Racing games, RPGs, but also more story-driven shooters would be typical examples of ideal games to play with a curved monitor.

In the end, it’s your choice and with AOC you can hardly make the wrong call.

14

VIP SKU: 119797

VIP SKU: 119803

15

Spotlight

our on-demand series for VIP UK resellers is now live on youtube We have 3 episodes

your time. Registration

engaging insights, ideas

available to watch now!

ended on 31st March:

and frameworks in 3 key

They offer succinct advice

areas to inspire growth –

Learn More

and real-world examples

16

so that when we come out

and what’s more you can

We’ve teamed up with

of lockdown your business

consume them at your

Microsoft and some genuinely

will be poised to achieve its

leisure. They’re only short

inspirational coaches and

potential.

so won’t take up much of

professionals

to

deliver

Unlock the Power of Goal Setting Why do some businesses go from humble beginnings to create great success? Luck, investment, great timing…Maybe, but above any of that, one of the most crucial factors in creating a more successful business is setting clear,

Get Discovered Online Having a discoverable online presence is an important component of any business. With today’s ever-changing climate, there is an increasing need for

attainable, and measurable goals.

In this session with Andy Henderson, you will discover the impact that goal setting can have for you and your business and learn the steps any business can take to generate more customers, more satisfaction, and better results.

all types of businesses to adapt and create an engaging online presence.

In this session, you will learn techniques that can be utilised to help improve how your business is discovered online.

Create an Engaging Retail Experience

opportunity and create a lasting impression with our customers.

Times have never been tougher for business owners, especially ones that predominantly rely on bricks & mortar retail. When customers can physically shop again, it is our duty to ensure we maximise the

In this episode with Chris Smith, we look at techniques you can use to create captivating retail experiences that engage people and compel customers to return.

17

did you take advantage of our fantastic rewards?

Look out for new episodes coming soon!

Learn More

18

PERFORMANCE TO DOMINATE YOUR GAME The ultimate 1440p game changer. Built on revolutionary AMD RDNA™ 2 architecture.

© 2021 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Ryzen, Radeon, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. PID# 20587117-H

19

ALL AMD PERFORMANCE. BUILT TO GAME. AMD Smart Access Memory* delivers the ultimate gaming advantage when you combine an AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series processor with an AMD Radeon™ RX 6700 XT graphics card.

20

*Smart Access Memory technology enablement requires an AMD Radeon 6000 series GPU, Ryzen 5000 series CPU, and a 500 series motherboard. For additional information and system requirements see https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/smart-access-memory. GD-178. © 2021 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Radeon, Ryzen, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Buy AMD CPU’s & Windows 10?

Don’t qualify for AMD Partner Programme or Microsoft Reseller Product Incentives Programme?

Introducing RAMP-UP VIP UK’s exclusive programme to earn rebates on your Windows 10 purchases and AMD Arena training.

Speak to your account manager to see if you’re eligible to join RAMP-UP

21

Protecting gamers & enabling lightning fast game play Why are gamers targeted?

How are gamers exploited?

From July 2018 through June 2020 Akamai, a content delivery network and cloud services provider, detected 10 billion credential stuffing attacks aimed at the gaming sector. That’s approximately a staggering 13 million attacks every single day.

•

With credential stuffing attacks cybercriminals often use credentials from old data breaches to try and compromise new accounts that may reuse existing username and password combinations.

•

Cyber

miscreants

only too well that people tend to use the same credentials across different sites and services and they buy lists of these compromised credentials from the dark web.

•

Gamers are also targeted by phishing campaigns.

Attackers develop malicious but convincing emails and websites related to a game or gaming platforms. These attacks try to trick gamers into revealing their login credentials.

•

A typical gaming account can include the gamer’s name, date of birth, address, email, mobile number, payment information, and other personal information that.

•

If a gaming account has been breached, the gamer’s other accounts, whether banking or social media, are at a much higher risk for account takeovers and fraud.

•

By combining hacked account details with other personally identifiable information a potent mix is created which can have potentially seriously damaging financial consequences.

•

Gamer tags, that gamer’s in-game identity, can also be exploited to gain virtual items, such as high-end guns, or limited edition gaming items and ingame currency. These can be traded on the dark web.

know

Hacker traps •

•

Game related chat rooms are a go-to source for gamers keen to learn about gaming tips and tricks. However, sometimes attackers either set up a chat room, or infiltrate an existing one, and build up trust among other users by offering insights into gaming mods and new skills.

•

Once trust has been built they will share a link, which is malicious, claiming that it takes a gamer through to a ‘useful’ site that provides amazing tips. In reality the link goes to a web page or site that is designed to harvest ID credentials.

Bullguard VPN 2021 - 1 Year/6 Devices

22

Protection, simple steps, greater awareness •

The first step for self-protection is for gamers to recognise and acknowledge that they are targets. They need to be realistic and move beyond the default position in which they think it won’t happen to them. It will and if they need proof 13 million attacks a day aimed at the gaming sector should be sufficient.

•

you may play with regularly but don’t know in real life. This includes the area in which you live, your address, you real name and so on.

•

Don’t give out your personal details.

Never share anything with gamers

Whether you use a console, mobile device or PC you can still be at risk. Your gamer tag is tied to your account, which in turn is linked to your account details. Think like a cyber villain, your gamer tag can lead to your account information which can lead to potential

financial fraud and identity theft.

•

Be extremely wary of people, sites, emails, chat rooms and links that promise free or cheap skins, gaming mods, game hacks, game currencies and other sought after items.

The final frontier What gaming conditions does every gamer aspire to? It’s lightning fast gaming, with no game lag, jitter or bugs.

These are essential conditions for good gaming. But there is a perception among gamers that cyber security is heavy on system resources and slows gaming down.

inevitable that cyber security doesn’t feature high on a list of priorities. As such it’s easy to understand why gamers are such a popular target for cyber villains.

BullGuard is doing something about this with its patented Game Booster, which allows gamers to continue gaming at peak performance rates while still protecting them online.

Add this to the fact that many gamers don’t think they will be targeted, and it’s almost

A feature in BullGuard Antivirus, Internet Security and Premium Protection, Game Booster: •

•

Recognises when a game is active and automatically isolates all other apps on one or two CPU cores, ensuring other CPU cores are fully dedicated to the gaming app, enabling gameplay without lag.

Tests have shown that Game Booster enables even faster FPS than computers not running antivirus protection

•

Compatible with anti-cheat engines improving support for major online games.

•

Supports broadcasting during game play for uninterrupted video performance when gamers are capturing their games.

Bullguard BG2112 Internet Security 2021 1 Year / 3 Device

23

the Tech & Durables Industries Thrived During

2020

According to a recent report from GfK, “the pandemic disrupted multiple industries in 2020 but the global market for technical consumer goods (excl. North America) displayed resilience with a value growth of +2% in the full year.

Consumers turned to tech to continue to study and work from home which led to a surge in demand for IT and Office products as well as home appliances, especially in Europe and other affluent regions.”

“An unprecedented year lies behind us – and in the end, COVID-19 turned out to be a driver of the tech and durables industry,” explains Norbert Herzog, GfK expert on the #TCGindustry. “This will have a lasting effect as household digitisation was fast-tracked and consumers invested heavily in their IT equipment and home appliances. Today, the number of products owned per household is higher than ever, pushing TCG markets to increased revenue levels long-term.”

GfK also report that Distributors proved their value to retailers as they helped to safeguard the channel’s supply. VIP UK’s demand mirrors the GfK report which showcases that the high demand was not only generated by working and studying at home but was also driven by the demand for gaming PCs and accessories.

For more insights, click to read the full article:

24

Some of our

top sellers: Cpu

S

117689

AMD RYZEN 5 3600 AM4 RET WRAITH STEALTH

Mesh networking 116294

TENDA NOVA MW3 HOME MESH WIFI SYSTEM 3PK

Monitors

WINDOWS 10 HOME 64-BIT ENGLISH

116599

RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT EDITION

AOC 21.5 TN MONITOR E2270SWHN

RAZER DEATHADDER V2 GAMING MOUSE

112073

Gaming

112892

118571

O/S

117442

RAZER BLACKWIDOW KEYBOARD GREEN

118774

RAZER 15.6 I7 W10H BLADE 15 RTX 2070 25

Razer introduces HyperPolling

Technology to power the world’s fastest gaming mouse The new Razer Viper 8KHz is the world’s first esports gaming mouse with true 8000Hz polling rate IRVINE, Calif. – Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced their new proprietary Razer™ HyperPolling Technology, debuting in the new Razer Viper 8KHz mouse, the world’s first esports gaming mouse with true 8000Hz polling rate. Razer HyperPolling Technology surpasses the industrystandard 1000Hz polling rate with a true 8000Hz polling rate for performance at the speed of thought, ushering in a new era of gaming responsiveness, speed, and reliability.

Currently, most top gaming mice support polling rates of up to 1000Hz, and whilst manufacturers have focused on making mice more accurate and responsive, little consideration has been given to the frequency with which click and positional data is transmitted to the PC. With faster PCs and higher refresh rate monitors, higher polling rates can eliminate annoying micro-stutters, significantly improving gameplay performance when a fraction of a second can be the difference between winning or losing.

VIP SKU : 119658 “Latency is a very important part of gameplay that significantly affects the overall gaming experience – and yet, it is overlooked by many companies that focused for too long on increasing DPI. Unlike DPI, lower latency benefits everyone from casual to professional players by shaving off important milliseconds from the overall reaction time,” said Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice

President of Razer’s peripherals business unit. “During our testing and development process with a large pool of competitive players and mouse enthusiasts, many reported significantly smoother and more responsive input when using the HyperPolling Technology featured in the new Viper 8KHz esports gaming mouse.”

At least 8x faster – the science behind its speed Polling rate is the frequency at which a device reports data to the PC, with an industry standard of up to 1000Hz (1000 times a second). Razer HyperPolling Technology utilizes a high-speed USB microcontroller to surpass this standard with a true polling rate of 8000Hz. This allows the Viper 8KHz to send up to eight times more data each second, effectively reducing input delay from 1ms to just 1/8th of a millisecond.

26

Razer HyperPolling Technology can send more up-to-date data to better match a monitor’s faster refresh rate. As a result, the delay between the latest report and the monitor’s frame rendering is much less when compared to that of a 1000Hz polling rate, resulting in smoother and more up-to-date cursor positions.

Higher polling rates can reduce the input delay, minimizing micro-stutters and sudden jumps in the cursor position, resulting in smooth, accurate cursor movement on the screen. Razer HyperPolling Technology not only provides the fastest click latency, but also keeps the click-toclick variance to an absolute minimum – making it superior to other leading gaming technologies.

“This technology is perfect for games that require high precision and responsiveness like CS:GO,” said Tarik “tarik” Celik, CS:GO star of Evil Geniuses.

Nikolay “Nikobaby” Nikolov from Dota2 team Alliance agreed, saying, “I’d instantly tell the difference between 1000Hz and 8000Hz.”

For more information, please see here.

First-class performance. Down to every last detail.

This groundbreaking performance and technology is packed into a solid, ambidextrous chassis, weighing just 71 grams. The Viper 8KHz is fitted with 100% PTFE mouse feet for smoother glides, and features Razer’s snag-free SpeedFlex Cable to ensure minimal drag for fluid swipes.

Through Razer Synapse 3, gamers can rebind the eight programmable buttons, assign macros or secondary functions, and save all profile configurations to the Viper 8KHz’s advanced on-board memory. With storage for up to five on-board memory profiles, users enjoy instant access to their personal settings wherever they are.

A stark upgrade over its predecessor, the Viper 8KHz incorporates most of Razer’s technology innovations to achieve a level of performance bar none.

27

Talk to us, we’d like to collaborate with you!

To support our aim to ‘help your business grow’, we would like to find out what is important to you and how VIP UK can support your business in 2021.

Speak to your account manager at your earliest convenience so we can collaborate for mutual success.

If it’s been a while since we last spoke to you, there’s no better time to speak to us as we have lots of deals available to help you buy smarter.

VIPUK

28

@VIPComputersUK

@VIPComputersUK

marketing@vip-computers.co.uk