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Q9450 OEM V Retail

ATLANT3AN

ATLANT3AN

ATLANT3AN

Associate
Joined
5 Mar 2008
Posts
50
Location
Midlands
Hello, I have my PC all ready to build except the CPU and Motherboard, now the Motherboard is in stock and so is the CPU OEM, I have done a little research and found the CPU OEM comes with no fan, no stickers no fancy things that you do not need if you have your own CPU Cooler.

By the way I want to buy the Ultra 120 Extreme which seems to be quoted as being the best air cooling solution available but I cannot find this anywhere in stock at anywebsite which is strange, so moving on, the OEM also has 1 year warranty instead of 3 years and I heard when its retail the CPU is thoroughly checked hence 2 extra years warranty?

Is there anything else I should know? I am really tempted to buy this but only if its the exact same identical CPU in every way but all I have listed and in no way would effect the lifespan?

Thanks, maybe someone who has brought it could share their views on it too.
 
OEM chip & retail chip are exactly the same in every way, the only difference being the lack on Intel supplied/approved heatsink/fan.
 
Deluxe1 said:
Does the retail Q9450 come with a heatsink as some places say yes others no.
Click to expand...

I've never seen a proper retail CPU come without a heatsink so take from that what you will.

ATLANT3AN - if the Thermalright is out of stock everywhere I'd assume that they are simply having problems with delivery in sufficient quantities, you could also consider the Tuniq Tower, Noctua NH-U12P or a few others as decent alternatives.

Retail and OEM are the same CPUs as VoG says, you do get a limited warranty as noted but the warranty is out the window as soon as you overclock anyway.
 
OEM CPUs as mentioned come with no heatsink, and no case sticker, and also have a one year warranty, which you'll void if you OC, and anyways, probably won't need to use.
 
If i buy a CPU Cooler and this OEM, I have heatdope so I will not need anything else? By the way how would they know you overclocked?

Out of interest?

Thanks
ATLANT3AN
 
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The chances are that Intel wouldn't know that you've been overclocking although why you'd need to clear CMOS and reformat I'm not entirely sure since you would just be sending back a burnt out CPU. However it isn't legal for you to do so which is why I'm not going to recommend it, additionally it would depend exactly how the CPU is damaged, some symptoms will probably reveal that extra voltage or similar has been pumped through the CPU.

Heatdope I'm assuming is a thermal paste? If so then you don't need anything else for the CPU other than the cooler which you've mentioned.
 
Yeah heh, I realised that after I posted you only send the CPU back so how would they know? I was just curious when ive heard people say they would know in the past. I would'nt send it back anyway and lie about OC if it was damaged due to that its my own fault, Id just get a new one.

Yeah heatdope is thermalpaste, a way a lot of american techies call it, I heard it once and it stuck :)

I am getting really tempted now to buy the OEM, buy the ASUS Rampage and buy an alternate CPU Cooler which is still great so I can build it asap.

Oh there was another question, why is the OEM more expensive than the Retail?
 
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i'd figure its because its the only one they have in stock [if it still is in stock - i heard it was out of stock already :S], and you will still have to wait for the retail version
 
I have decided to buy this and the motherboard tonight while its still in stock, I will buy a normal simple fan too, which would be the standard/normal fan/heatsink to get? just like the one that comes with the retail version?
 
semi-pro waster said:
Something like the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is pretty good for ~£15, allows a bit of overclocking and is better than the retail cooler but isn't excessively large.
Click to expand...

Brilliant for the price. I never use the retail fan anyway. I mostly buy the retail version, for some reason whenever I come to buy OEM are either out of stock, or more expensive than retail. It's weird, but just seems to work out like that.

Anyway, at the moment OCUK are the only UK stockists of any form of Q9450, so I think they can get away with a slight premium.

Once the rest of the market catches up the prices will fall in line too.
 
You would think at the price Ocuk are selling the OEM Q9450 they could afford to chuck in a free Artic Freezer 7 Pro might make the £270 price tag a little easier to swallow.
 
I'm in the same boat as you except I've decided to wait for the retail q9450 and ultra extreme to come back in stock. It's cheaper to do it that way and a better deal all around. It's disgusting the prices OEM cpus are being sold at.

Btw, the ultra extreme is due in stock on a few sites as mid-April. I'm
guessing ocuk will be getting their's around the same time if not earlier.
 
OCUK are not the only ones with Q9450 stock in the UK but are definitly one of the few and possibly the first, I think £293 is a ridiculous price, I have decided to wait for retail and ultra 120 extreme too, Now I have my motherboard I can at least build the majority of my PC :).

Mobo comes tommorow :D.

OCUK gets my respect for probably being the first to recieve the OEM tho, very good links with suppliers it seems.

Addition:
I still don't know why everywhere I look the OEM is more expensive than the retail even when there is stock in neither editions, That makes no sense to me at all.

Update:
Ultra 120 is in stock everywhere, I have just ordered it! w000t, just the CPU now.....
 
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