OEM VS. Retail

[Confusednewbie1552]

What's OEM and what's retail and what's the difference?

 

[John]

Look here

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Ok so if you get a retail version you get better warranty?

 

[9KingDiamond9]

Yeah, the warranty is better plus you get a couple extra goodies depending on the product (hard drives might come with a cable, optical might come with a cable or software, processor will come with a low-grade fan).

 

[DarkAmeba]

with processors keep in mind you are voiding the warrenty if you use a fan other than the one included with the processor, so if you plan to upgrade your cooling it's not worth the extra for retail unless you really really want the pretty AMD or Intel sticker.

 

[9KingDiamond9]

ah, that's a new one on me. Is that only for retail, if you switch their fan for a better fan? Because I don't think that'd make sense for the OEM fan since you can't buy an AMD fan by itself..

 

[DarkAmeba]

Yeah only for retail. You void your extended retail warrenty by replacing the fan. Always thought that was extremely stupid, since you're putting on a better fan that will cool better than the factory crap. Seems like they should be extending your warrenty for doing thant

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Originally posted by: DarkAmeba
with processors keep in mind you are voiding the warrenty if you use a fan other than the one included with the processor, so if you plan to upgrade your cooling it's not worth the extra for retail unless you really really want the pretty AMD or Intel sticker.

So is it only with processors, if you get a different fan for a video card will it void the video cards warranty or is that only with CPU's?

 

[9KingDiamond9]

How would they know that you used an after-market fan though? You're not gonna send back your computer just for the processor heh.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Confusednewbie1552

Originally posted by: DarkAmeba
with processors keep in mind you are voiding the warrenty if you use a fan other than the one included with the processor, so if you plan to upgrade your cooling it's not worth the extra for retail unless you really really want the pretty AMD or Intel sticker.

So is it only with processors, if you get a different fan for a video card will it void the video cards warranty or is that only with CPU's?

Same with both. I OC my CPU, so wouldn't send it back anyway...but if I didn't and it died, I'd send it back in a heartbeat. I know my SK-7 nor AX-7 didn't hurt it one bit.

 

[DarkAmeba]

Originally posted by: 9KingDiamond9
How would they know that you used an after-market fan though? You're not gonna send back your computer just for the processor heh.

They'll tell you to send back both the heatsink and fan. If you save the retail heatsink, you might be able to dress it up so it looks like thats what you used, but that's how they'd tell. Also, they'd look for traces of thermal paste and whatnot cause you have to use that crap thermal interface that comes on the retail fan to keep your warrenty.

 

[9KingDiamond9]

Yeah, I thought about that. You could use it for like a day and then swap off heh

 

[imported_SpitFire]

Cleaning off a processor isnt that hard if it has a heat spreader Anyways everyone knows overclocking "voids the warrenty", but its not like AMD or Intel can really know if you overclocked the chip ;o So whats to stop you from sending it back besides a good conscience

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Confusednewbie1552
What's OEM and what's retail and what's the difference?

I usually buy the OEM stuff off Newegg - cuts the price down in most cases and I rarely, if ever, need the extra fluff included. Like, I buy nearly all of my optical drives OEM...I don't need the software or extra stuff, just the drive, since I prefer using the software I have (ie Nero 6 UE). That's the case for a lot of parts I buy.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Can I buy the retail version and sell the heatsink/fan and sell it and use the money to get a better one? Or do the better ones cost more than I can sell the retail fan/heatsink for?

 

[DarkAmeba]

you could get like 5 cents for a retail heatskin/fan

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

o...

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: DarkAmeba
you could get like 5 cents for a retail heatskin/fan

wassa heatskin..?

 

[caz67]

Go OEM, retail isn't worth it.!!

 

[Blain]

OEM is usually just the component and retail gives you all the goodies.

 

[compfreak999]

Originally posted by: SpitFire
Cleaning off a processor isnt that hard if it has a heat spreader Anyways everyone knows overclocking "voids the warrenty", but its not like AMD or Intel can really know if you overclocked the chip ;o So whats to stop you from sending it back besides a good conscience

i told amd that i swapped off their heatsink and used a bigger one and they still replaced the cpu, amd rocks!

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I like retail cause I'm a sucker for little extras and I like the longer warrenties.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: 9KingDiamond9
How would they know that you used an after-market fan though? You're not gonna send back your computer just for the processor heh.

They wouldn't know, but Jesus is watching.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

retail = shiny box and tin foil sticker

 

[tooltime]

i choose oem for software cause i don't need the box, manual and two free phone calls to "Chuck" in bangalore

hardware i choose/consider retail for a graphics card