Retail vs OEM

[jsriolo]

I always buy retail box AMD chips off of zipzoom or newegg, but I am now considering getting an OEM processor. Besides the warrenty, fan, and pretty box what is the difference? Is there a quality difference? Stepping difference? Date difference? If OEM chips don't have a retail box, then what do they come in? I am assuming they are new... If there is any difference, good or bad, I would like to know.

[cx323]

I always buy retail box AMD chips off of zipzoom or newegg, but I am now considering getting an OEM processor. Besides the warrenty, fan, and pretty box what is the difference? Is there a quality difference? Stepping difference? Date difference? If OEM chips don't have a retail box, then what do they come in? I am assuming they are new... If there is any difference, good or bad, I would like to know.

there's normally a date difference, but thats it.

mine have all come in a little plastic box with foam inside and they are new.

[largon]

OEM (original equipment manufacturer) chips are basically excatly the same as the retail ones. The difference is that OEM's are aimed for commercial system builders (Dell, HP, etc.) rather than individual consumers.

AMD ships OEM chips to retailer in a tray of ~20 pieces. End users get the proc in a package the reseller chooses. Often its just a small cardboard box.

[dogsx2]

The only way that AMD knows that the cpu that you want to rma is a retail is the fan/heat sink. The bar code on it is the same number on the cpu. I just rma'ed a Winchester out of my wifes computer and they said that is how they tell it's a retail. Without the fan/hs, no warranty.

I've only had AMD back to a K-2 300 and after the way they handle this warranty, I will only have AMD. They were great. I also rma a mb to DFI and they were great. Two very good companies.

[aicjofs]

Hehe. Well my retail CPU's have overclocked better then my OEM ones. But that's probably just chance, and not scientific what so ever. The 1 year vs 3 year warranty always makes one wonder if there is a quality difference, but I haven't seen anything that fully can support that.

If you believe in the potential urban legend of max case temp, I have seen retail CPU's "on avg" having the higher max case temp, again very subjective statement on my part.

I'm sure someone else here might have some greater insight...

I like OEM, otherwise I end up with a heatsink and fan that I have no home for. Although if I ebay the CPU I always get more money with the "pretty case", heatsink, etc.

[jsriolo]

Thanks for the replies. I didn't think there was anything concrete about the difference besides the box and fan. So... I'm gonna go ahead and get the opteron 170 OEM and tell you guys how it goes in a few days! At ~$50 less OEM wins. I won't pay that much for the box.

[tatts]

to me, it doesnt bother me if i get retail or oem, who needs a fancy box sat around and a unused heatsink? also, 1 year warranty against 3, also doesnt bother me you void it when overclocking anyway so is pointless. apart from that, you wouldnt know if it was retail or not

[harpyboy]

to me, it doesnt bother me if i get retail or oem, who needs a fancy box sat around and a unused heatsink? also, 1 year warranty against 3, also doesnt bother me you void it when overclocking anyway so is pointless. apart from that, you wouldnt know if it was retail or not

it is easier to re-sell a retail... becoz of the warranty that some people out there wants, even when they are buying a 2nd hand cpu

[tatts]

it it supposed to be easier to sell yes (providing you keep the box & h/s) but i do not see why, the 3 year warranty is for the original purchaser isnt it? (it is for 99% of things) so they would have no warranty anyway.
besides, i never keep the boxes anyway, 2 much space lol

[NickS]

got my e6 off of ewiz oem :)