OEM vs Retail ?

[melon]

I notice misco and scan are selling he same i5 2500 sandybridge except one is retail and the other OEM , both have 36 months warranty , so really is there any drawbacks to choosing one over the other ?

melon

[badass]

I notice misco and scan are selling he same i5 2500 sandybridge except one is retail and the other OEM , both have 36 months warranty , so really is there any drawbacks to choosing one over the other ?

melon

IIRC there's no Cooler with the OEM CPU's. I've always gone retail. I'm surprised by the 3 year warranty on the OEM one though - I thought they only has a 1 year warranty.

[Jay]

one has a fan and one doesn't. I would double check that 3 year on the OEM though.

[scaryjim]

OEM won't have a stock heatsink / fan with it, so you'll need a third party cooler. Otherwise, not as far as I know

[Urbanite]

If the price is the same then go retail. If not then you have to decide if its worth the extra, for me it's normally not and I go OEM (but sometimes the longer warranty or better cooling is worth it).

[melon]

OEM won't have a stock heatsink / fan with it, so you'll need a third party cooler. Otherwise, not as far as I know

Hey everyone,

Yes- I wasnt expecting OEM to have a shorter warranty or something , although im still planning to get the Artic pro 13 , it couldn't hurt to have backup i suppose, it even works out cheaper by a couple of quid i think.

thanks

melon

[Tim_UK1]

the oem warranty is often with the supplier rather than manufacturer, a boxed one will give you a definite 3 year warranty with intel, some info here:

___.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-020033.htm

I would be surprised if a seller gave you a 3 year warranty on an oem one.

Personally I would go for the retail one for the small increase - no harm in having a spare h/s&fan just in case your one ever goes noisy etc.

[Top_gun]

Go for OEM if you're planning to upgrade in a year's time or retail if keeping the product for much longer.

[bobfoc]

Personally, I'd go for retail if it's only a few quid difference.

That extra 2 years warranty is worth it for peace of mind.

Even if you upgrade in a years time, at least you can sell the chip with warranty rather than without if you bought an OEM chip.

All for the price of a McDs value meal typically

[biscuit96]

No stock cooler in OEM

[Pob255]

Please note, strictly speaking, warranties are not transferable.
I've not had to claim on an intel warranty, but it is standard practise to ask for a copy of the original invoice to prove both the purchase date and that you are the original purchaser.

[bobfoc]

Please note, strictly speaking, warranties are not transferable.
I've not had to claim on an intel warranty, but it is standard practise to ask for a copy of the original invoice to prove both the purchase date and that you are the original purchaser.

I've sold a few CPU's with warranty, where I've been happy to step in and help if there were any issues.

It does make the sale of that CPU easier as it gives peace of mind to the prospective buyer.

Funny thing is that the CPUs I've sold are ones you have lotsa fun overclocking (E8400, Q6600, 2600K), so for the buyers a warranty is probably the last thing on their minds

[imbann]

Retail indeed, there is no cooler in OEM version, you gonna buy a cooler by yourself...

[ZaidSaleh]

normally get more perks with the retail than you do with the OEM I guess.its about 5% in price.

[siliveshere]

As others have said, OEM won't have the stock intel heatsink and (usually) a shorter warranty. I usually buy retail so I can have a spare heat sink in case my existing one gets damaged, as it usually costs 5-6 quid extra which you can easily save elsewhere. I've not had a CPU break yet so the warranty is probably not a major concern, but that's just my experience.

[MiiCK90]

OEM processors come in a tray with 20 other processor chips, and it's what is shipped to manufacturers, Retail is in a box with HS and Fan, instructions etc.. OEM's normally come with 1 year warranty, and Retail with 3.. so go with whatever you need, if your going to upgrade from the stock cooler then go for OEM and save a few quid.