A simple question: is there any difference between these besides the fact that retail ones have the stock hsf?
Recently (8-10 months ago) Intel announced a flat pricing scheme, i.e. ending volume discounts to try to squelch some of the gray market profiteering... the problem is that what the OEMs do and the distributors/retailers do is not illegal as they purchased the processors and they are now the owner.
Get OEM if you plan to use your own cooler for better temps and overclocking. And it saves you money.
So far I really haven't had anything replaced for failure of operation, especially a CPU.
So far I really haven't had anything replaced for failure of operation, especially a CPU.
I just think its totally stupid topay more for an OEM CPU with no sink and no warranty than the retail CPU cost.
I've actually seen guys post threads "buying tomorrow, what do you think of these parts" and link to Newegg with an OEM CPU, even when Newegg charged less for the retail boxed CPU.
Occasionally the retail CPU was around $1 more but with free shipping, where the OEM was $1 less but with $4 shipping. Give me a break.
Then you point that out and they buy the OEM CPU anyway. Why? Because people keep telling them its a better deal IN THESE FORUMS. In fact, you can tell people IN THESE FORUMS "I can get a Retail Boxed E4300 for $143, or an OEM E4300 for $145, which should I buy" and they'll say "buy the OEM because it's cheaper and you don't need the cooler anyway".
The smaller number is less money in spite of what people say.
Overclock the snot out of the thing and when it breaks, get it replaced. Pretend the system got too hot because of extreme weather
Oh, you don't have the warranty.