VIP Customer Newsletter - Issue 17

NEWSLETTER

www.vip-computers.com/uk

Sales: 01925 286 900

ISSUE 17 JAN 20 JUNE

22

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There’s no denying it, the past few months have been tough. In the last newsletter, I touched on the drop in demand we’d begun to see in March and this has continued, with VIP set to come in short against a quarterly budget as a result, for the first time in 3 years. The general consensus, is that spending has dropped by around 25-30%, driven by the current state of the economy and the cost of living rises. However, there are some additional obstacles that have hit our sector in particular, over the past few months, with excess stock in the channel and price realignments seeing sales grind almost to a halt, at points, in certain product categories.

As disappointing as this is, at the time of writing, VIP are still set to come in 12% over our target for the year, which ends 30th June. We of course, had aspirations to do better, given how we started the year but it’s also important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. VIP will post another record year, for the third year running and this is something we are immensely proud of. As always, a huge thank you, to you, our customers. We wouldn’t be able to achieve this, without the loyalty and support we receive from yourselves.

VIP have also been working hard to support our customers through this tougher period, rolling out our AMD stock rotation offer to all VIP Club customers, in addition to all AMD partners, giving customers peace of mind, that they won’t get stuck with stock. Similarly, we undertook an SOR programme on GEO notebooks, to again, allow customers to take stock into their stores, risk-free.

We’ve also been working hard with vendors to support existing stock in the channel, through price protection and sales promotions. Lastly, we’ve further expanded our VIP Partner Programme, which aims to bring ‘Tier 1 support’ to our independent customers .

In other news, May saw our colleagues in Finance win ‘Finance Team Of The Year’ in the Robert Walters Finance Awards North West 2022, recognising their excellence in the field and proven examples of collective successes over the last 12 months. The implementation of relevant and innovative processes and structures over the past year, has supported not only VIP but our customers and has been big factor in our

growth over this time. It’s great to see this work recognised by experts within the industry.

It was great to see so many of you at last weeks Tech Max event in Sheffield. We had a fantastic day, thank you to everyone that visited us and to Phil and Jenni at Tech For Techs for arranging the show. We’re already looking forward to Tech Max 2023.

Finally, the date is now set for our second ‘VIP Connect’ event on 15th September. Following the success of our inaugural edition, we are going bigger, with twice as many attendees and an even greater schedule of activities. VIP Connect looks to bring key stakeholders from across our supplier and customer base together, to share ideas, discuss opportunities and socialise in a less-formal setting.

As we come to the end of our financial year and the halfway point of 2022, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for the upcoming months and thank you for taking the time to read this. As always, we are always keen to hear from our customers and continuously improve. As such, any feedback you have for us, is always welcomed. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

~

Elliott

Sales Director

”

30th s d n E June

Last chance to enter!

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The microSD mark and logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SD-3C, LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Pictures shown may vary from actual products. ©2021 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

4

TECH MAX EVENT It was great to see so many resellers face to face at Tech Max. We hope you all enjoyed the day, and took time to pick up one of our fantastic goodie bags.

The Tech Max team included Carl, Callum, David, Alex, Elliott, Tom (Geo) and Yemi (WD) and they were thrilled to speak everyone throughout the day.

The Battle of the Distributors was a great session, and we hope that Elliott answered all of your questions?

We look forward to seeing everyone at next year’s event, if not before then!

E

GA R

AX

JO

M

GETTING TO KNOW...

H ET

…let’s find out all about the boys.

If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in something, what would it be?

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

Max: Film making, Investing.

Max: “If you don’t buy a ticket, you won’t win the raffle” – heard on things like football commentary!

Reminds me to give things a go no matter what.

Joe: Either the Guitar or Film making.

Gareth: Excel formulas at Harpreet’s level.

Joe: Worrying yourself sick will never help any situation, especially over things you can’t control – my dad.

Gareth: If he dies, he dies - Ivan Drago.

What do you do to turn things around when you’re having a bad day?

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Max: Take a break, try to focus on something different and return to things later.

Joe: I’d like to visit South America one day, maybe try trekking through the Andes.

Joe: Take a few minutes out to get some headspace, so I can reassess my problems with a fresh set of eyes and a cooler head. Then break down the bigger problems into smaller, more manageable tasks I can rattle through and feel good about completing, helping me through the day.

Gareth: Mount Kilimanjaro.

Gareth: Look at the positives.

Max: Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia etc.

SHOP NOW

SHOP NOW

SHOP NOW

AGON BY AOC’S ACCLAIMED G2 MODELS NOW IN 165 HZ The AGON by AOC portfolio offers a wide variety of options for different kinds of gamers. Casual gamers are best served with the flat IPS panels or curved VA panels from the G2 series, and the more aggressive 1000R curvature of the G3 series.

Monitors such as the 60.5 cm/24” 24G2U and its 68.6 cm/27” sibling 27G2U are two of the best-selling gaming monitors on the market thanks to the exceptional value and high performance these models offer to ambitious and adventurous gamers.

Both have been critically acclaimed and have received numerous awards such as “Best gaming monitor” by many reviewers worldwide.

GAMING FOR EVERYONE

Better, faster, stronger...

AGON by AOC ups their hand and revamps these models with 165 Hz refresh rates. Arriving late July, the 24G2SPU and 27G2SPU will replace the 24G2U and 27G2U. Equipped with ergonomic stands allowing height, tilt, swivel, and pivot adjustments, these monitors can be positioned optimally for an improved gaming experience, also giving gamers the option to employ several displays in a multi-monitor setup.

The IPS panels used in all models offer crisp Full HD resolution, with which gamers can achieve high framerates without taxing their GPUs. The 165 Hz refresh rate produces a much smoother gaming experience than their counterparts’ 144 Hz, giving gamers the competitive edge when things get hot.

A 1 ms MPRT response time practically eliminates ghosting for sharp, blur-

As the fully decked-out models from the bunch, the 24G2SPU and 27G2SPU feature an integrated 4-port USB hub, so gamers can connect keyboards and mice directly to the monitor, reducing clutter on their desks. Both these models are also equipped with two 2 W speakers.

free visuals, while the Adaptive-Sync support eliminates stutter and tear by using a variable refresh rate. The sleek, 3-sides frameless design of the models radiates “gaming” flair, fits modern battle stations perfectly, and enhances versatility of multi-monitor setups.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE 27G2SPU - SKU: 121732

STOCK EXPECTED LATE JULY

24G2SPU - SKU: 121731

STOCK EXPECTED LATE JULY

27M1F5500P - SKU: 121922

27M1F5800 - SKU: 121921

Philips Monitors takes gaming engagement to the next level with the launch of two new Momentum models The premium Momentum 5000 gaming line by Philips monitors is welcoming two new products: The Momentum 27M1F5500P – 27” (68.5 cm) – and the Momentum 27M1F5800 – 27” (68.5 cm).

Designed to offer today’s gamers the thrilling, immersive experience they seek, as well as a real competitive advantage over other players, the Momentum line is packed with cutting-edge features guaranteed to amaze.

To offer a more complete experience, and meet the needs of all gamers, these models are also a great tool for powering user’s productivity, sustaining long working hours.

To unlock the full experiential potential of next-gen games, serious gamers require serious equipment. The

Philips 27M1F5500P and 27M1F5800 have it all. IPS panel technology delivers crisp images and full colors with extra wide viewing angles, even in 90° pivot mode. Ultra Wide-Color Technology offers a vast color spectrum for a more brilliant picture with colors so vivid and realistic they virtually leap off the screen.

And Philips’ exclusive

M5000 SERIES

“These two new Philips gaming monitors from the Momentum line are jam-packed with features specifically designed to offer gamers everything they need to get the most out of even the most dynamic and visually rich video games on the market. With the 27M1F5500P and the 27M1F5800, gamers are certain to enjoy the highest intensity gameplay available thanks to an array of peak-performance features that deliver stunning graphics and smooth, ultra-fast, low latency gameplay. This is gaming as it was meant to be experienced.”

– says César Acosta, Gaming Product Manager for Europe at MMD Monitors & Displays.

Next-level features for mind-blowing gameplay SmartContrast feature analyzes content in realtime and automatically adjusts colors and backlight intensity, heightening contrast to ensure that gamers enjoy the best visual experience possible.

But show-stopping visuals aren’t the only key to truly immersive gameplay.

Today’s high-speed games demand technology that can keep up. Equipped with a rapid 144 Hz or 240 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time and AMD

FreeSync™ Premium, the Philips 27M1F5500P and 27M1F5800 are designed to deliver ultra-smooth, tear-free, stutter-free, low latency gaming. Both monitors also include multiple features designed specifically for gamers’ needs, such as the EasySelect menu toggle key for quick and easy onscreen monitor settings adjustments, MultiView for simultaneous dual connect and view, and built-in frontfacing stereo speakers for rich sound and even more immersive gaming.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

And because passionate gamers necessarily spend multiple hours in front of their monitor, the Philips 27M1F5500P and 27M1F5800 are both equipped with effective comfort-enhancing features including LowBlue Mode and Flicker-Free technology to protect viewers’ eyes from the harmful effects of blue light and a SmartErgoBase to enable ergonomic adjustments for maximal comfort.

Did you join the CORSAIR team for the live Q&A on Tech Talk on Thursday 19th May? For resellers wanting to stock CORSAIR, they took you through all of the ways that they can support you to make stocking and selling their products easier.

If you missed it, you can catch up here.

In short, Corsair are offering support to Independent resellers through VIP on their most popular products, including: • • • • •

4000 & 5000 Series Cases RM PSU Range SP RGB Elite Fans Elite Capellix Coolers Extensive range of the latest Corsair Peripherals

Simply reach out to josh.dawson@corsair.com to register your interest.

WATCH HERE

Norton 360 Deluxe

VIP SKU: 121715

Multiple layers of protection for your devices, online privacy features including our Secure VPN, plus Dark Web Monitoring§ – all in a single solution.

Opt-in to Cyber Safety.

Norton 360 Deluxe includes malware protection for up to 5 PCs, Mac®, Android™ or iOS devices, Secure VPN for 5 devices for online privacy, Parental Control‡ to help protect your kids online, SafeCam‡‡ to help block unauthorized access to your Windows PC’s webcam, Password Manager and Windows PC Cloud Backup.

BUY NOW>> ‡ Parental Control can only be installed and used on a child’s Windows PC, iOS and Android devices but not all features are available on all platforms. Parents can monitor and manage their child’s activities from any device – Windows PC (excluding Windows 10 is S mode), Mac, iOS and Android – via our mobile apps, or by signing into their account at my.Norton.com and selecting Parental Control via any browser, except Internet Explorer. § Dark Web Monitoring is not available in all countries. Monitored information varies based on country of residence. It defaults to monitor your email address and begins immediately. Sign in to your account to enter more information for monitoring. ‡‡Norton SafeCam features are only available on Windows (excluding Windows 10 in S mode, Windows running on ARM processor).

It’s an exciting end to the year for CPU and GPU enthusiasts with new launches rumoured for:

NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 40 Series.

Delays rumoured. Click To Read More

AMD Ryzen™ 7000

Intel Arc Desktop

AMD Radeon™ 7000

Intel 13th Gen Core Raptor Lake-S

New Hidden Wiring Concept for Motherboards An interesting concept with 2 of the major PC component manufacturers, MSI and Gigabyte, is to modify the design of motherboards and other components to hide the wiring. There aim is to move all cables out of sight to

create cleaner airflow and design.

Project Stealth is Gigabyte’s codename, whereas for MSI it goes by Project Zero. Both manufacturers previewed systems at Computex earlier this year.

As this concept requires the design of cases to change and a new standard of motherboards and GPU to fit

the same chassis, it may be some time before this ever becomes the new standard.

For more information Click here.

AMD has been hard at work with the release and announcement of several GPUs in the last couple of weeks, and even as an avid consumer or clued-in buyer, it can still be a lot to keep up with. So, we have put together a little guide of everything you need to know about the latest Radeon GPU releases.

Keeping a Low Profile At the end of April, we saw the release of the AMD Radeon RX 6400. The card is rated at half the power of the RX 6500 XT, at just 53W, and with 4 less compute units than its XT counterparts’ 16. However, where the cards are similar is in their lack of hardware encoding, no overclocking capability, and no AV1 decoder. All of this coupled with a Navi 24 GPU, that was originally designed for laptops, means this entry-level card struggles with achieving 60fps in AAA titles at 1080p on medium settings. Nonetheless, it is fully capable of delivering a great gaming experience on older titles and less graphically intensive games, like Fortnite.

Although slower than the RX 6500 XT, the decrease in performance is somewhat negated by the fact that the card can draw

all of its power from the PCIe slot. This makes it a great choice in smaller form factor PCs, explaining the recent slew of lowprofile Radeon 6400 GPUs from partners like ASRock, Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI and more.

As a reseller or system integrator, this could play a significant role in helping ship out smaller cases while the potential combinations with low-power CPUs could create affordable yet compelling entry-level gaming machines. NVIDIA is looking at their own entry-level GPU as a GTX 1050Ti replacement and competitor to the RX 6400. However, the new GTX 1630 has been delayed, and if history is anything to go by, chances are high that the RX 6400 will still be the more cost-effective purchase.

BUY HERE

With the lower end of the GPU market addressed, AMD released 3 new Radeon RX 6000 series video cards. This mid-generational refresh brings us the RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6950 XT. All three of these cards are minor upgrades to existing AMD Radeon GPU’s previously available on the market (RX 6600 XT, RX 6700 XT & RX 6900 XT) and look to leverage the increasing availability of newer 18Gbps GDDR6 memory for increased memory bandwidth, and higher TDPs to enable slightly higher GPU clock speeds.

The RX 6650XT is the only addition that is replacing another card from the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series, the RX 6600 XT, and will be taking over AMD’s midrange selection as the fastest Navi 23 card in the series. The RX 6750 XT and RX 6950 XT are on the higher end of AMD’s 6000 series cards, based on the same Navi 22 and 21 chips as their respective RX 6x00 XT counterparts.

AMD is not only improving on their GPU lineup but also competing fiercely with NVIDIA. According to some 3DMark benchmarks posted on WCCFTech, the RX 6950 XT outperformed the NVIDIA RTX 3090 Ti in most tasks (synthetic benchmarks such as Time Spy and Fire Strike, 11), except for those that involved ray-tracing, like Port Royal.

With the other new RX 6000 series cards performing similarly well against their team green counterparts; the RX 6750 XT is faster than the RTX 3070 Ti and the RX 6650 XT is faster than the RTX 3060 Ti. Although the differences aren’t world shattering, with the RX 6950 XT only averaging a 3% boost over the RTX 3090 Ti in gaming performance.

For resellers and system integrators looking to provide lower-cost high performance prebuilt systems, the new RX 6000 series cards are a great option to consider, especially with the recent improvements to AMD’s FidelityFXTM Super Resolution. Call us at VIP, and we’ll help find the right components for you.

Liquid cooling - MAG CORELIQUID 240R V2 White - SKU 121671 •

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PC Case - MPG GUNGNIR 110R White SKU: 121239 •

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The front panel’s LED light strip is capable of showing an abundance of colors, stunning onlookers with its striking looks.

The MPG GUNGNIR 110R WHITE's ARGB lighting is fully supported by MSI Mystic Light.

Use the 1 to 6 ARGB LED control board to have more attractive ways to decorate your

•

• •

Mount the cold plate at any orientation, turn the water blockhead up to 270 degrees The pump has been integrated into the radiator for sound dampening and noise reduction Constructed with three layers of netted plastic tubing and a reinforced mesh exterior

gaming rig.

Premium-grade 4mm thick tempered glass that guarantees window durability and viewing capability.

The MPG GUNGNIR 110R WHITE can mount up to 6 fans.

The magnetic filter on top is designed to give users an easy un-installing and cleaning experience.

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•

A split liquid pathway through the radiator rapidly dissipates heat.

Cooled liquid is then pumped back into the loop Compatible Sockets & CPU: Intel Socket LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, LGA1200, 1700, LGA1366, LGA2011, LGA2011-3, LGA2066 / AMD Socket AM5, AM4, FM2+, FM2, FM1, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2

Powerful.

Productive.

Profitable.

Available with Windows 11

• It’s profitable for resellers with great sales opportunities available.

Windows 11 was built with useability, efficiency & security in mind, reimagining the way a PC should work.

• Stay productive with a fresh perspective & maximise productivity.

• Instantly connects users to the people they care about.

• What you need, when and where you need it.

• The latest in PC gaming performance.

Windows 11 has been beautifully simplifed.

VIP Computers recommends Windows 11

With a streamlined UI & that’s a great thing.

• It’s got a fresh new feel and tools that make it easier to be efficient.

• Focus on what’s important: so you can get the job done, communicate & collaborate with ease.

• Stay productive with a fresh perspective – Less noise, clutter, or chaos.

• Easily access the news, information, and entertainment faster with new Widgets.

Windows 11 can improve the speed of your PC via multiple performance benefits available, such as memory management for apps tuning in the background.

It’s easy to upgrade.

Check your system compatibility Download PC Health Check App

All you need is: • A recent 1GHz processor.

• A prebuilt laptop or PC manufactured

after 2016 when Microsoft enabled the TPM requirement in Windows 10.

Most off-the-shelf motherboards from the last few years come with firmware TPM. Users will be able to adhere to the Windows 11 TPM 2.0 requirement by enabling the firmware TPM within the motherboard BIOS.

It’s profitable for resellers.

Refresh: Upgrade the processing, graphics & storage power of existing devices.

Device refresh: A new device built by you, with advanced processing capabilities & features like touch and pen.

Services attach: Cloud-based deployment, management and support including zero-trust ready identity & security services.

VIP Computers recommends Windows 11

Microsoft Unlicensed Reseller Report Form.

Ready when you are.

Windows 11 is powerful for employees, consistent for IT and secure for all.

• Simple, yet powerful with snap layouts.

• Easy and consistent with cloud

management.

• Microsoft Teams and Teams Rooms integration.

If you suspect a website may be selling unlicensed counterfeit Windows 11 software, report it anonymously here.

Report.

PC Mag “A radically modernized, more consistent design for Windows belies what it is really more of an evolutionary update to the world’s most popular desktop operating system.”

Tom’s Guide “Windows 11 refines what’s good about Windows 10 without changing too much about Microsoft’s operating system in the process. Many of the new features can help you be more productive — once you learn how to use them.”

Expert Reviews “One of my favourite things about Windows 11 is how snappy it feels. It boots quickly, and when you’re using the Start menu or Explorer, windows seem to spring up and respond to your input with impeccable promptness. Search results come up almost instantly, too.”

VIP Computers recommends Windows 11

120898 Windows 11 Home

Buy Now

Windows 11 is the most secure version to date.

It’s built with Zero Trust principles for the new era hybrid work.

120899

Buy Genuine

Windows 11 Pro

Buy Now

VIP UK is your destination for genuine Windows 11

VIP SKU: 121531

STOCK EXPECTED END OF JULY

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 2022.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

@VIPComputersUK

@VIPComputersUK

marketing@vip-computers.co.uk