OEM vs Retail Box

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs OEM vs Retail Box

Enermax

What is the difference between an OEM CPU and a Retail Box CPU? Is it worth the savings in price to buy an OEM processor?

Thanks

Reply to Anonymous

With the retail package you'll get a 3 year warranty from the manufacturer and a HSF which is adequate as long as you don't plan to OC. With OEM you'll usually get a 15 or 30 day warranty and you'll have to buy a HSF, which offsets a lot of the difference in price between OEM and Retail.

My opinion is, go retail if you don't plan on OCing, go OEM and get a good HSF if you do want to OC.

"There's no such thing as gravity, the Earth just sucks"

Reply to bdaley

The exception being Pentium 4s, which come with a great heatsink.

If you don't buy Windows, then the terrorists have already won! - Microsoft

Reply to FatBurger

Maybe that's why I couldn't find any OEM Northwood 1.6A in PriceWatch.

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Reply to Kennyshin

Because of the heatsink? Doubt it, more likely that they're just too rare. Or perhaps Intel didn't release any OEMs?

If you don't buy Windows, then the terrorists have already won! - Microsoft

Reply to FatBurger

the price difference between the the oem and retail P4 1.6A is almost negible (like $15 at best)...i would suggest just getting the retail because not only does it have a great HSF...the fan is hideously quiet...

ATI's drivers are like a broken faucet, they both keep on leaking... :cool:

Reply to pr497

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