Which should I choose?

[agentsmith101]

I am shopping at this online retailer...and I have the option of getting thermal grease that they will preapply for 14.99 or for one dollar more (15.99) I can get an extended warranty on my 939mobo/cpu combo for 1 year/ and 30day prepaid dshipping return.

Which should I choose...is the thermal grease worth it?

 

[imported_whatever]

Thermal grease is NOT worth $15. Buy a tube of AS5 for $7 or something and apply it yourself many times (you get quite a few applications out of a tube)
As for the warrantly, most likely not worth it. Realize that they have to make money on the warranty service, so on average you will lose money on it.

 

[Shimmishim]

from what i understand combos either come with OEM chips (warrantied by the resaler for usually 30 days) or retail chips (3 year warranty by AMD)...

if you are getting an OEM chip in the combo then it might be worth it to pay the $15.99 for the 1 year extended warranty...

if you are getting a retail chip in the combo then it's not worth it to pay the $15.99 or the $14.99...

buy a tube of arctic silver 5 for like $6 and apply it yourself

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: whatever
Thermal grease is NOT worth $15. Buy a tube of AS5 for $7 or something and apply it yourself many times (you get quite a few applications out of a tube)
As for the warrantly, most likely not worth it. Realize that they have to make money on the warranty service, so on average you will lose money on it.

I totally agree with the AS not being worth it. Get a tube yourself and do it.

Presonally I'd go with a retail processor and get a 3 year warranty on the CPU (but if you're getting a 3rd party heatsink for better cooling I understand). I'd go with the 1 year warranty. Check to see what the price difference would be for getting a retail CPU and HS/F separately, it might be almost the same cost to get the 3 year warranty on the retail version.

 

[agentsmith101]

Originally posted by: Shimmishim
from what i understand combos either come with OEM chips (warrantied by the resaler for usually 30 days) or retail chips (3 year warranty by AMD)...

if you are getting an OEM chip in the combo then it might be worth it to pay the $15.99 for the 1 year extended warranty...

if you are getting a retail chip in the combo then it's not worth it to pay the $15.99 or the $14.99...

buy a tube of arctic silver 5 for like $6 and apply it yourself

Either way...they preinstall it...I chose the OEM chip with a fan that will all come preinstalled on mobo. So extended warranty worth it? 90 day warranty comes free...is that enough? (I can also get a 6 month warranty for 7.99?)

THanks for the help.

 

[agentsmith101]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: whatever
Thermal grease is NOT worth $15. Buy a tube of AS5 for $7 or something and apply it yourself many times (you get quite a few applications out of a tube)
As for the warrantly, most likely not worth it. Realize that they have to make money on the warranty service, so on average you will lose money on it.

I totally agree with the AS not being worth it. Get a tube yourself and do it.

Presonally I'd go with a retail processor and get a 3 year warranty on the CPU (but if you're getting a 3rd party heatsink for better cooling I understand). I'd go with the 1 year warranty. Check to see what the price difference would be for getting a retail CPU and HS/F separately, it might be almost the same cost to get the 3 year warranty on the retail version.

$27 extra for retail...and does the warranty apply to all retail boxes? Cause it doesnt say it does on this site.

 

[Shimmishim]

what webpage are you ordering from?

it might be easier to order it from two separate vendors to save money...

retail is definitely worth it if you are scared that your chip may die....

i've owned 25 plus processors in the last 2 years and i've never had a single chip die on me

 

[agentsmith101]

Can I just order without thermal grease or tape or do I have to order it?

 

[Shimmishim]

thermal grease isn't absolutely necessary but it helps in transferring the heat from the cpu to the heatsink/fan and will lower the temps of your processor.

i would say a majority of the people use thermal grease though.

 

[agentsmith101]

So should I take their thermal grease and 90 day free warranty or should I get the warranty and try applying thermal tape?

 

[agentsmith101]

And is it easy to add thermal grease or tape on my own?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

First, which e-tailer is it?

 

[agentsmith101]

monarchcomputer

 

[DAPUNISHER]

OK I presume you are configuring the combo deals here and looking forward to the software bundle they throw in, don't forget to add HL2 because they don't have it in by default Don't bother choosing the thermal compound, they are just trying to get you to pay for Shin-Etsu G675. Great stuff but certainly not worth the money for 1 application. And don't sweat it, it'll come with another compound applied, just of lower quality. That isn't a problem so just take whichever warranty you want, or go with the free 90day and stop sweating the compound because they are building and testing it for you, and certified techs use T.I.M.

 

[agentsmith101]

Ok sweet. On an unrelated note...is it a good deal? I havent seen any better. But just asking. (Just a few pms going back and forth scared me because he said that thermal paste or tape was needed or cpu would be fried. THanks)

 

[agentsmith101]

Ok another unrelated note...just thought of this...what if I returned the cpu after getting (I wont but this is a hypothetical situation) the coupons for farcry, napster and hl2 would still work right?

 

[agentsmith101]

Is a 939 combo worth more than a 750 combo if its just 8 dollars moer?

 

[agentsmith101]

Also, no one really answered the question...is the 1 year warranty worth it?

 

[agentsmith101]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: whatever
Thermal grease is NOT worth $15. Buy a tube of AS5 for $7 or something and apply it yourself many times (you get quite a few applications out of a tube)
As for the warrantly, most likely not worth it. Realize that they have to make money on the warranty service, so on average you will lose money on it.

I totally agree with the AS not being worth it. Get a tube yourself and do it.

Presonally I'd go with a retail processor and get a 3 year warranty on the CPU (but if you're getting a 3rd party heatsink for better cooling I understand). I'd go with the 1 year warranty. Check to see what the price difference would be for getting a retail CPU and HS/F separately, it might be almost the same cost to get the 3 year warranty on the retail version.

Do all retail processors come with three year warranty? And is it hard cashing in on warranty since its from manufacturer?

 

[andy nowotny]

thermal grease is now worth 14.99, usually 4 or 5