What is the difference between OEM and Retail?

[ByMRK1]

Why is there a price difference? Would I be better off buying a OEM?

 

[Surveyor]

Retail has a longer warranty (3 years usually instead of 1) and comes with a stock CPU cooler in a sealed box.

OEM is just a bare chip with no fancy packaging or cooler and a shorter warranty (usually 1 year).

 

[Reaper 392]

the retail version comes with the standard cooler with pre-applied thermal paste all boxed up with the manual and everything. it comes with a 3 year warranty

the OEM version is literally the processor on its own. no manual, no box, no cooler. it comes with a 1 year warranty.

generally the retail is the best to go for because of its extended warranty and better resale value (having some sort of a cooler would help with selling it on i assume)

 

[Vorash]

I think you just need to ask yourself if it's worth spending the extra £10 for another 2 years on the warranty. I go for retail unless it's a huge difference in price

 

[spankingtexan]

As above but that's hardware, be carful with Operating systems though as oem windows is only good for the system you first install it on, if you upgrade your computers mobo then you are required to buy another OS where as retail windows can be used as many times as you like.

 

[Surveyor]

As above but that's hardware, be carful with Operating systems though as oem windows is only good for the system you first install it on, if you upgrade your computers mobo then you are required to buy another OS where as retail windows can be used as many times as you like.

As this post is in the CPU section we've based our advice on CPU's.

If the OP means something else then no doubt they'll let us know.