Do Retail Box Intel P4's Still Come Shrink-wrapped ?

[Midnight Rambler]

Newegg claims they don't.

Intel's support reps say they do. I gotta believe the Intel people, as they tried very hard to get me to name the vendor from whom I purchased the CPU.

 

[JohnAn2112]

I got mine from Fry's and I don't think it was shrinkwrapped. The box was still sealed though. I think I had to pull on of those perforated strips from the side to open the box.

 

[tallman45]

No shrink wrap on a 3.2E and a 3.0E that I got a few months ago. As ZePHyRaNTHeS said there is a pull strip to open the box. The CPU is sealed inside the box in a clamshell package

 

[Yourself]

Originally posted by: Midnight Rambler
Newegg claims they don't.

Intel's support reps say they do. I gotta believe the Intel people, as they tried very hard to get me to name the vendor from whom I purchased the CPU.

Funny that Intel would say that as I have an RMA boxed processor straight from Intel with no shrink wrap...😀

 

[Duvie]

I bought many online plus I saw some at PCClub and the boxes have no shrink wraping just the silver hologram like seal at the end of the box. Now the Plastic container for the cpu and heatsink should be sealed and should be easily distinguishable if it has been opened...

 

[SinfulWeeper]

Intel has two methods of packaging their SPU's for the retail market, and it seems all manufactures do it or something very simalar.

1. The master box they send has the CPU's ready for retail sale. ie.. they shrink wrap it @ the factory. Or use some other method to seal them.
2. The master boxes they send are not ready for retail, not sealed (though the outter CPU box is glued shut) so that the retailer may bundle the CPU (or whatever) with something, but the master box itself was sealed.

In either case you are getting the authentic CPU wether it is shrink wrapped or not. Getting the shink wrapped CPU's cost very little more. But when you sell 10 of thousands of them a year, that little bit adds up quick so most retailers opt not to get the shrink wrapped ones.

It's common practice. You dont have to worry about authenticity.

 

[SinfulWeeper]

well... unless the box was obviously opened. The materials they make the box with and how it's glued will be very easy to tell if it was tampered with though.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Funny that Intel would say that as I have an RMA boxed processor straight from Intel with no shrink wrap...

I'm beginning to wonder who the heck staffs the phones at Intel CS (1-800-538-4473). Obviously the people I talked to (Vince, Jeff, the 3rd one's name I couldn't even attempt to spell ...😕 ) aren't very well informed.

1. The master box they send has the CPU's ready for retail sale. ie.. they shrink wrap it @ the factory. Or use some other method to seal them.
2. The master boxes they send are not ready for retail, not sealed (though the outter CPU box is glued shut) so that the retailer may bundle the CPU (or whatever) with something, but the master box itself was sealed.

Didn't know about item #2, thanks for the heads up ... makes sense.