OEM CPU OR RETAIL?

[Nitrom]

I am buying an AMD Athlon XP 3200 = Barton CPU but I am not sure if the heat sink that comes with the RETAIL version is as eficient as other heat sinks available in the market.

Is it better to get it OEM ?

Also...is there anything else in the retail package that is escential for the installation?...I will appreciate some opinions...thanks.

 

[endyen]

Some xps ship with better fans. If you are lucky enough to get a hsf from AVC, it is good enough for most OCs.
I always buy retail, because of the 3 year warranty. It has never done me any good, but it's insurance.

 

[Nitrom]

that's a very good point endyen

 

[miahallen]

I ALWAYS buy OEM...so what NOW! hehe, just kidding.
Anyway, WHO actually keeps a CPU for 3 yrs??? Especially with 64 bit becoming mainstream, yor are going to want to upgrade again in another 6-12 months anyway. Spend your savings from the OEM on a good quality aftermarket HSF that you'll be able to use now AND after your NEXT CPU upgrade...plus, you'll be able to do a little extra OCing. I'd even save yourself a few extra $s and get the 3000+, not much difference, and if you do plan on upgrading again soon........

 

[wrugoin]

I agree with miahallen, Get the OEM 3000+. Many places that sell OEM CPUs will extend the warranty to 1 year if you also buy a HSF from them. With the extra money you save over the 3200+ and by not getting retail, you can sink into a nice HSF and extend your warranty. I found that if your CPU lasts a year, it'll probably last much longer. The ones that crap out soon do so in a few months. (my expirence)

Word to the wise, if you're going OEM, make sure you use a reputable dealer. I like Newegg, <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com</A> But if you find a better deal some other place, check'em first on Resellerratings <A HREF="http://www.resellerratings.com" target="_new">http://www.resellerratings.com</A>, find their rating and read some of the customer reviews. You can spot a bad company from poor customer support and lously exchange policies.

---MY RIG---
MSI Nforce2 (K7N2) w/ Athlon XP 1700+
512MB PC-2700 Kingston Value
Asus 7700 Geforce 2 GTS 32MB
WD800JB 80GB,IMB 20GB
Sony DVD-RW, Pioneer 16X DVD, 15GB USB2.0 HDD
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by WRUGOIN on 10/25/04 09:19 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[endyen]

Well, if it's a question of which chip to get, get <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-400&depa=0" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-400&depa=0</A> It will run a whole lot cooler at 2.2 gigs than any of the other standard xps around.

 

[Crashman]

Just because you might be stupid enough to save $5 on an OEM processor doesn't mean anyone else should be, I just replaced a 2 year old P4 that died because of a power surge (internal, caused by a bad board), no visible damage so it's good for warranty. The board was also retail, Asus, and it got replaced for free too.

So save $10 getting an OEM board AND CPU, then you can cry when you get to throw the whole thing away. What's the chances of that happening?

Let me ask you another question: Why do people need car insurance? Life insurance? Home insurance? Health insurance? What's the chances of anything happening?

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[lisabob2]

"why do people need car insurance? Life insurance? Home insurance? Health insurance?"

To make Insurance companies lots of money?

Bob

I do have all of those insurances by the way.

 

[Zoron]

That's something I can't understand either. If you were saving $50+ from the cost of the CPU, I could see going OEM over retail. However, looking at the cost of both, the biggest difference in price I've seen has been $15. Might as well get a boxed product with full 3-year warranty and a decent cooler... I somehow doubt $15 will break the bank.



<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

Obviously these people saved over $200 in replacement cost by spending an extra $5-15 for retail parts.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

If you're overclocking and seeking the best processor for that, the XP Mobiles are king, and those are OEM-Only. So that's the only excuse I can find for buying a CPU OEM is when the best CPU for the application isn't available with the retail warranty.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>