OEM vs Retail

[Fluffybob]

Hi all,

I'm sure this may have been asked before but is there a big advantage buying a retail Intel CPU over the OEM version ?

 

[tom_e]

Warranty and included HS + fan is about it.

 

[james_2k]

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/search.php?searchid=18444953

yes there are quite a few

 

[Fluffybob]

Cheers James, I'll have a trawl through them as a lunchtime treat

 

[gary996]

for the tiny price difference go Retail

 

[jonnyb1985]

Go retail, the price diffrence is a no brainer. I have just got my self a new i5 haswell CPU retail.

 

[durbs]

Plus when going retail you know you haven't got a returned item (buying a few chips and returning the bad clockers aint uncommon) that your naughty retailer (not OCUK of course!) has given a wipe and stuck in a brown box as a new 'OEM'

 

[edGfaCTor]

I don't see the point in oem and retail versions anymore the price is so close now.

In the past it used to be a larger gap and i have noticed other products have stopped offering the two.

 

[HankScorpio]

You get a sticker also.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

For the small price difference you may as well get retail for the 3 year warranty as opposed to 1 year on OEM chips. The HSF could come in useful as a temporary spare or used as a paperweight, plus you get a sticker

 

[VIPER258]

Always go retail, better warranty.

 

[HankScorpio]

Always go retail, better warranty.

If a problem doesn't arise in the first year it'll be unlikely to in the second and third. I went for OEM for this reason and saved myself a tenner.

 

[edGfaCTor]

It is odd how processors warranty works I remember other oem products used to be the ones with longer warranty and the retail boxed version shops had so they only had 12 months warranty.

 

[Hoodleader]

Always go retail, like getting it in the box and price difference is minimal