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The short version is that my laptop is dying and I don't have a backup. I need to purchase a new computer soon in order to keep making the content you enjoy. All proceeds will go towards purchasing said computer. Thanks for your support!

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If you clicked on this fundraiser, you likely know who I am: reporter, author, podcaster, all that jazz. I've been working in this sphere for nearly 20 years, have written for numerous publications, and founded the publishing house Terror House Press. I'm currently the editor-in-chief of Debateless, which also produces my podcast, The Matt Forney Show. I also host the retro video game review series Society of Sensation and author the investigative Substack The Visa Files.

I bought my current computer---an HP Pavilion---at the end of 2021 and the hardware is failing. The thermal interface has been dying for the past few months, which is overheating the laptop, causing stuttering issues that last up to 15 minutes as well as random crashes, even when I use it for basic tasks like word processing and browsing the Internet. Using a cooling pad and cleaning out the fans with a gas duster has done nothing. Testing with HWiNFO shows that my CPU is running at 65-75 degrees Celsius even while idling, which is 20 degrees higher than a CPU normally runs. See pictures and video above. (I dropped the laptop last summer and damaged the casing, which probably didn't help the internal hardware.)

The issue has slowed down my ability to write new articles. It's also preventing me from restarting Society of Sensation because the thermal throttling is so severe that video editing is basically impossible and even games from the 2000s are unplayable.

I freelance for a number of businesses, but work is thin right now and I make enough to cover my bills, not for large expenses like a new computer. The skyrocketing cost of RAM and SSDs aren't helping (thanks, AI). My savings are depleted from my recent move to Texas to work for Debateless and I don't have a backup computer. I've also been deplatformed from multiple funding platforms. Without a laptop, I can't work at all, nor can I publish new articles or podcasts, so I'm asking for your help to replace my computer before it fails entirely.

I have my eye on an HP Omen laptop in the $1,000-2,000 range, such as this one: https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/omen-gaming-laptop-16-am0065nr

My current HP Pavilion retailed at about $950 in 2021 (about $1,150 today, adjusted for inflation), though I paid closer to $1,400 ($1,700 today) because I was living in Mexico at the time, where electronics are more expensive.

My preference is for HP because my last two computers were HP models that lasted me five years each and I'd like a new computer to last me the same amount of time, but I am open to suggestions if you have a better idea. My requirements: it has to be a laptop so I can take it with me when I travel, it has to have a GPU for video editing/gameplay recording (NVIDIA 50-series or equivalent preferred), and it has to have at least 32 GB of RAM because upgrading it myself tacks another $400-500 onto the cost (I can upgrade to 64 GB later, if prices go down). I'd also prefer a large SSD, but 500 GB-1 TB should be enough as I have external hard drives for excess storage.

I've set the goal at $2,000 to cover my price range plus costs such as shipping and taxes. If I exceed the goal, I'll put the money towards a more expensive laptop.

If you enjoy my writing and other content, I'd greatly appreciate your support so I can keep doing it. Thanks for reading and supporting my work throughout the years!