OEM vs RETAIL

[tomars]

When eyeing up components for building my new PC, I've been looking at various websites, komplett.co.uk and dabs.com/uk

On both websites they have OEM products, could I ask what does this mean for me the buyer? As opposed to the retail, is there any difference other than the box it comes in? Do I not get a warranty or something?

http://dabs.com/uk/channels/components/cda...s.htm?catid=204

Check out that link

The OEM version of the ND-3540 is £14 cheaper than the retail!

Why is this could someone tell me? Thanks

Ta

Edited September 12, 2005 by tomars

[coconut]

exactly what you said, cheaper but no box and usually only 30 day warranty from distributor unless specified. never had a problem with oem parts myself

[skitty]

I think it just means you dont get anything with it, no ide cables etc, you only get the drive.

where as the retail it comes in a box with instructions and everything else. so if you know what your doing, go for the oem.

check out www.blankdiscshop.co.uk for dvd writers etc as well

[rikgale]

OEM you get just the item of hardware in bubble wrap, and maybe a driver CD if lucky or needed

RETAIL, you get the same item in a pretty box, with some instructions and probably a CD with some useful/useless sofware on and drivers if required, and a better warrenty.

If you know what you are doing(or know someone who knows what they are doing) when it comes to computers go OEM and spend the money saved on something nice, like a good case

[jeeva]

I can say that buying RAM, Drives and CPU (unless you need the Boxed Cooler) OEM is good, Graphics Cards and MoBos contain a great palette of Accessories that's very useful, i.e. a DVI-VGA Adaptor or some Serial ATA Cables.

I for myself bought MoBo, Graphics Card, Case and CPU boxed, RAM, DVD, DVD-RW OEM, and my DVD-RW contained also PowerDVD and Nero and also instructions and an Audio-Cable, I think boxed one has also a blanc disc and some IDE Cables.

[SilverHaze420]

Hard drives and RAM I always buy OEM. Most of the time with the hard drives you get a year+ on them even with OEM purchase. For CPU and mobo I buy Retail. Its good to have a 3 year warrantee on your chip you never know when u may tweak it to the point of thermal breakdown. I know the manufacture warrantee does not cover if you break it yourself but I have exchanged many of defective chips broken by my hands in the day.

[tomars]

OK thanks for clearing that up for me. Most of the parts I have bought in the past have been OEM (mostly from computer fairs hah) but I wasn't sure if it was just the box or the warranty or what.

Thanks

[ripken204]

almost every mobo sold now comes with a crazy amount of wires that you will never use so you should get the oem b/c it doesnt come with cables. but it also has a crappy warrenty, no help booklet, no driver. but i would still get oem.

[jeeva]

For me I was lucky to have some (8!) S-ATA Cables with my new ASUS Board, because I newer had S-ATA MoBos before - I upgraded a 800 MHz Athlon!

[JoeMSFN]

@SilverHaze420 I'm with you on the CPU... from 2nd hand personal experience (meaning someone I know ) Retail (what I also call "boxed") CPUs have a warantee. The OEM CPUs (at least Intel, and probably AMD) have either 0 (zero) warantee, or are a pain to return/exchange.

As far as anything else... just make sure it's a decent name brand component and that the distributor is willing to take it back... ask about warantee / exchange from your vendor (i.e. will they take it back within a month or at least handle DOAs, or do you have to deal with the manufacturer).

Things to consider with the HD... do they die on you often? If so, you might want to shell out a little extra for the 3 year warantee ones. (they still exist).. For Western Digital it's called "special edition" (or at least used to).

Sorry for diverting a little from the OEM vs. retail question...

edit: another thing to check out.. if your buying separate components, (sound card, etc), check out the maufacturers web site to see if they support older products with drivers from "obsolete" items. Can come in handy later.

Edited September 15, 2005 by JoeMSFN