What is OEM and is it bad?

[deBoor]

First of all, thanks everyone for your input on my last post! Now Im looking at some of the 9700's and some are OEM and others are retail. The oem is always cheaper, so whats the big difference? Thanks in advance!

-Your Friendly Neighborhood Mathematician!

 

[eden]

OEM is often the stripped down version, only drivers and some software, and often a downclocked version.
OEM by definition is for companies who supply the equipment. In this case a company takes ATi's GPUs and make their own boards with their own features and CDs/drivers. It may be a good OEM but personally I trust nVidia's OEMs more than ATi's, and would stick with ATi's personal boards, more reliable, may cost more but definitly top quality.

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I guess I just see the world from a fisheye. -Eden

 

[Ghostdog]

"Original equipment manufacturer". Which I think is a bit of a missleading name, since it´s the manufacturers that have licensed the "original" manufacturers technology. Right? I´m not even sure myself.

<font color=red>I´m starting to feel like a real computer consultant.</font color=red>

 

[eden]

True, I also have trouble getting why'd they call it that way and why is the word now employed for the version that's stripped down.

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I guess I just see the world from a fisheye. -Eden

 

[knowan]

If you're looking at the 9700's, just look for the PRO version. The non-pro version is stripped down (slower clockspeed).

ATI is finally allowing OEM's to make pro versions now. I woyuld image that an OEM version has just the card and the drivers, no manual (unless it is on the CD), no box and no "extras" like games included in some retail versions. That's why they're cheeper.

Oh, and OEM's buy the chips and manufacture equipment using those chips. That's the Origional Equpiment part of OEM.

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Knowan likes you. Knowan is your friend. Knowan thinks you're great.

 

[UsHeR_564]

OEM? IMHO that is PC stuff that is usually sold to companies that build and sell computer systems. That is the reason you don't get the fancy box and the associated software that usually comes with the "retail box" version of, say, a video card. Why would Dell, for instance, want all the extra stuff anyway. It would only serve to raise the price of the system. OEM versions of Windows can only be purchased with a piece of hardware, ie, hard drive, motherboard, etc and as such, have no tech support with them from Micro$oft. The computer builder usually supplies tech support. If you have a Windows problem with an HP computer you don't call M$, you call HP. I've used both retail boxed and OEM stuff and from what I've found out, there's no noticable difference in the piece itself, just the stuff that comes with it and it's usually much cheaper.

UsHeR_564

"You can run, but your punk ass will only die tired!"

 

[Stiffler]

UsHeR_564 what you have said does hold true for a number of components, but in some cases OEM products are not up to full spec as the full retail is, and this is particulary true in the case of Graphics cards!

Tim

I can call you Betty, and Betty when you call me... You can call me Al

 

[Crashman]

An OEM is a system builder. As someone explained, system builders don't need the color box or manual, in fact that stuff generates either more trash or more packaging cost when they sell a complete system. It's cheaper not to get the stuff they don't need, so OEM's buy stuff with no extra's. IN fact, MAJOR OEM's don't even get a "white box", they buy a large box of cards (maybe 100 per box) in antistatic wrapers. Some distributors buy them this way and add the white box themselves. An option for smaller OEM's (mom & pop shops) is to get the card in a white box with any cables and the driver CD, this is generally the way OEM cards are sold to end users through online distributors.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[pane00]

If you buy OEM to save money that's a smart move. Just make sure you buy from a well known company with a good return policy. Don't always go for the cheapest OEM product. Visit sites and read carefully about restocking fees and the RMA policy.
Good luck and remember BUYER BEWARE!

 

[Clarentavious]

As most people have already explained here (though I did not read the responses thoroughly), when you buy OEM you're basically getting a stock board with reference drivers. Nothing that is up to date.

Depending on the circumstances, this may mean your video card might not perform as well as a fancy vendored card, and may be more likely to break down.

OEM is the opposite of brand name.

It's like saying, well you buy a car. An OEM car could come from a used car salesman who just does a shoddy job and wants to sell you something. Now if you buy it from someone who cares, they may give it a new paint job, make sure the tires have enough air, put a CD player in it for you, etc....

In some cases there is little difference as when looking at the base of things, you are still getting the original and same chipset (no matter what vendor it comes from, or if it came directly from ATI's production factory). In other cases it makes a HUGE amount of difference.

IMO it really depends on the part you are buying. For things like CD-ROMs and keyboards, OEM is ok. For important parts that effect performance/stability/compatibility OEM is a big no no (important parts would be like your motherboard or video card).

With a brand video card you might get a much better cooling fan and heat sink, the latest drivers, bundled software, tweaking tools (like overcloking software), and possibly additional card features like video capture (though most ATI cards come with video capture originally).

I would not recommend OEM for a video card (or motherboard). You could see a significant frame rate difference. Though I feel it is ok for things like floppy drives that don't effect your system very much.


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Benchmarks don't lie