Are Retail Chips a Little Better than OEM?

[AMDGuy]

I was just wondering if the Retail chips were the "cream of the crop" so to speak. Maybe tested to a higher tolerance and thus overclock better? Or are you just paying $30 for the pretty box? It seems like the Retail chips tend to do better from what I've read. Anyone have experience with this??

[UnseenMenace]

I cant see how retail chips can be the 'cream of the crop' as when you look at this logically do you think Dell or any other OEM would be happy buying what is effectively second rate CPU's.
The difference in price I believe can be put down to packaging and the bulk discounts OEM obtains.

Out of interest I have a OEM Duron 800 @ 1050 and my friend has an identical pc (I built it, same mobo, ram, hsf, case, fans, Geforce etc) and the only difference is that the CPU is retail and this pc can only obtain 1000 mhz and runs at a higher temprature.
my OEM Duron seems to perform as well as any retail Duron without mobo voltage modifications

[el]

If it costs more it must be better. ;)

[zoopa_man]

el (Jul 02, 2001 03:09 p.m.):
If it costs more it must be better. ;)


Well if that's the truth then I'v got a 90mhz Pentium i'll sell you for $1200 :) ???

I'v seen no difference between the OEM and Retail chips that I'v had. The difference with Retail is that you can send the chip back to Intel/AMD for a new chip if something goes wrong, OEM goes back to the OEM seller. Retail warranties are also longer. But then again we all void them as soon as we overclock so there again why pay more for the same chip?

[TT120]

The only difference between the 2 is that with the retail version, you get the box, book, the crappy HSF, and an AMD case badge. Not worth the extra money if you ask me. They put the same exact chips in the box as they do in the OEM pack.

[bdf24]

el (Jul 02, 2001 03:09 p.m.):
If it costs more it must be better. ;)

It cost's more cause your paying for a warrenty! Just like if you buy an OEM chip and add the warrenty on it's raised the price a lot.

[Colin]

I have had both in Birds. Actually had better luck with OEMs.

[dozier768]

i serriously doubt there is a difference. they just save a ton shipping them in bulk not having to package them and supplie a fan and a manual

[dozier768]

i serriously doubt there is a difference. they just save a ton shipping them in bulk not having to package them and supplie a fan and a manual

[el]

It was a joke but the P90 is tempting at only 1200 dollars ;-) If the retails were better we would all be buying them instead of oem chips and I dont' see many people doing that.

[!-=sky=-!]

TT120 (Jul 02, 2001 03:38 p.m.):
The only difference between the 2 is that with the retail version, you get the box, book, the crappy HSF, and an AMD case badge. Not worth the extra money if you ask me. They put the same exact chips in the box as they do in the OEM pack.

i got the crappy hsf and the amd case badge in my OEM duron 750

corrrection : i got warranty too, forgot to mention that

[sneakyfart]

your paying for a warrenty + retail comes with a good hs/fan OEM does not