Retail : OEM : enlighten please.
- Thread starter camieabz
- Start date
Retail means in a box, usually better, I don't know about OEm CPUs (let me know how it goes if you get one), but when I got OEM Sound Blaster Live! Value it came with no box, no manual, even No drivers! I'd go for Retail, my friend bought OEM 1.2ghz Athlon and it fried INSTANTLy after turning on the power. He got another OEM one after that and it worked fine, but with retail you have more chances.
Intel Retail: CPU, 3 years warranty (if I remember correctly), retail heatsink and fan.
OEM: just the processor, warranty provided by individual selling company.
Rob
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OEM: just the processor, warranty provided by individual selling company.
Rob
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The thing about OEM is that it is meant for manufacturers to install on their name brand machines. Quality wise there is no difference, but the OEM product doesn't come with a warranty usually over 21 days. Usually comes in a plain white box or just a bag. I wounldn't get OEM unless I had the option to purchase extended warranty.
A teacher without peer, yet a student of great discipline
A teacher without peer, yet a student of great discipline
dhlucke
Polypheme
- Feb 2, 2001
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This is discussed a lot. For more info (since others are probably too tired to rewrite everything) go to your left and search the boards in the last 6 months for this.
OEM is great if you want to save money and you are going to overclock. It's also great for gamers. It's of course great for others as well, but basically with OEM you get the same quality, but you don't get a warrenty and you don't get the stock HSF. So what though since you'll want to get a high performance HSF anyways and odds are people who game and overclock aren't about to have the same cpu 3 years down the road. Especially at today's prices. A t-bird 1 ghz 266 is $83 OEM and $112 retail minimum. I think it's clear that a oem is by far the better option unless you are in the mood to spend 35% more for a warrenty. It's the same thing as buying a warrenty on a digital camera or a camcorder. Would you buy a $350 3 year warrenty on your $1000 camcorder? Is that extra money worth it for you?
Look at the price differences though since if it's minor you could buy retail. With retail you get the warrenty (but it's void if you overclock). If you're going to buy a system for your parents or someone looking for a long term word processor internet machine it might be worth it. For a business it's probably worth it as well (even then though who knows considering that WinXP and beyond will have hefty hardware requirements).
<font color=red>Yeah, I took a crap on your lawn. Whatcha gonna do about it?</font color=red>
OEM is great if you want to save money and you are going to overclock. It's also great for gamers. It's of course great for others as well, but basically with OEM you get the same quality, but you don't get a warrenty and you don't get the stock HSF. So what though since you'll want to get a high performance HSF anyways and odds are people who game and overclock aren't about to have the same cpu 3 years down the road. Especially at today's prices. A t-bird 1 ghz 266 is $83 OEM and $112 retail minimum. I think it's clear that a oem is by far the better option unless you are in the mood to spend 35% more for a warrenty. It's the same thing as buying a warrenty on a digital camera or a camcorder. Would you buy a $350 3 year warrenty on your $1000 camcorder? Is that extra money worth it for you?
Look at the price differences though since if it's minor you could buy retail. With retail you get the warrenty (but it's void if you overclock). If you're going to buy a system for your parents or someone looking for a long term word processor internet machine it might be worth it. For a business it's probably worth it as well (even then though who knows considering that WinXP and beyond will have hefty hardware requirements).
<font color=red>Yeah, I took a crap on your lawn. Whatcha gonna do about it?</font color=red>
dhlucke
Polypheme
- Feb 2, 2001
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Yeah, in the case of the Intel PIII 1 Ghz it's $20 bucks more for the FCPGA retail, but the secc2 is cheaper as retail at $214...
This decision might already have been made for you depending on which one you're getting...
In this case (I didn't notice you had a particular processor in mind), the warrenty is probably worth the extra $20/10%...I'd get it.
<font color=red>Yeah, I took a crap on your lawn. Whatcha gonna do about it?</font color=red>
This decision might already have been made for you depending on which one you're getting...
In this case (I didn't notice you had a particular processor in mind), the warrenty is probably worth the extra $20/10%...I'd get it.
<font color=red>Yeah, I took a crap on your lawn. Whatcha gonna do about it?</font color=red>
I bought an OEM Duron and it came in a plastic thing that looked like seran wrap... but it works great and cost a little under $30.
So how do you know retail is better?
Retail, you get a nice shiny box, instructions, <b>drivers</b>, probably a bit of extra software and maybe a game demo or whatever on cd.
OEM, you get a box (if your lucky...), more than likely you get the component in a antistatic bag with the driver cd attatched with an elastic band, as for better or worse, I'd say it depends on where you buy it from more more than anything, Ive seen "companies" at computer fairs where motherboards etc are literally thrown in a box- obviously not the supplier to buy from, but I have also seen retail supplier replace a faulty item (MINE!- it was a faulty cd drive), replace it, and put the faulty one back on the shelf!!
I personally tend to buy OEM, maily because they are cheaper (cheap=good, free=better), I dont want crappy demo cd's and shiny boxes, and dont normally need instructions, I sometimes buy retail, depends on what I need and how quick I need it, but either way, I wouldnt say one is better than the other.
Next time you wave - use all your fingers
well, if i'm not wrong, the retail AMD Athlons are better for overclocking, and you'll still get a warranty for OEM stuffs, but only shorter than retails i think, but, well, if you're gonna OC, who cares abt warranty?
i'd agree, though, that oem is cheaper, and most likely i'd get oem stuffs (other than the Athlon)
someone correct me if i'm wrong...
I WoNdEr HoW, I WoNdEr WhY, I WoNdEr WhErE ThEy ArE, ThE AMD... We OvErCloCked ToGeThEr, Oh YeAh...
- Jan 29, 2001
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Wow! I've started a wee discussion here.
I think the sources I have are supplying the OEM version. I'm not too bothered about the retail if the thing works for about 12-24 months. I suppose I'll know in the first few days if the thing isn't up to much, so the warranty will still be in effect. I'm already planning a tualatin/mobo combo and will see how the 1.13 gets on. Maybe by then there will be a PIII 1.4 or something.
Drivers for a CPU??? Please explain.
<b>
"Now drop your weapons or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby."
</b>
I think the sources I have are supplying the OEM version. I'm not too bothered about the retail if the thing works for about 12-24 months. I suppose I'll know in the first few days if the thing isn't up to much, so the warranty will still be in effect. I'm already planning a tualatin/mobo combo and will see how the 1.13 gets on. Maybe by then there will be a PIII 1.4 or something.
Drivers for a CPU??? Please explain.
<b>
"Now drop your weapons or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby."
</b>
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