What OS Should I buy? PLEASE HELP!

hey guys so I have been reading alot on the different operating systems out there. I would like windows 7 and I know it needs to be able to handle 32 gb's of ram. I mainly just want to know what the heck is OEM and what other option is available besides OEM because everything that I have read about OEM is that there is no support if you have it, you can't upgrade it, and if your motherboard or anything like that fails you have to buy another copy of windows 7. Please Help! I'm so confused!

Welcome to the forums TribulationFu.

OEM disks can be used by the owner alone if you purchase a copy. Your key will continue to work and/or MS will have you jump thru and on-phone or on-line re-issue of your License. No problem there.

Win 8.1 is the latest full blown MS OS out currently and if you're going to spend the money, 8.1 has better memory handlers anyway.

If you'd like to go for a free ride, Linux just issued their latest offering this week: open source, works with most hardware and is great for the price. Free.

I dont know anything about linux. I know it is supposedly the most secure but you have to be really tech savy and know how to setup firewalls and such which I don't know how to do yet. If it has better memory handlers then I will probably go with 8.1. That being said do I have to buy a key or something with the oem version because I don't have one or is there a different version I should get besides oem? Basically what would you recommend?

just get a win7 oem or 8.1 oem. I'd get 8.1 at this time as win 7 is comming to end of life.
oem means it's win? whatever only, no crapware or shovelware, it comes with a "key", it's just a code on a sticker. you can reuse the "key" when you reinstall.

linux is great also.
you don't "have" to be tech savy, you just have to be able to use a cd or dvd burner and perhaps ask a few questions here in the forum.
I just built my first linux folding box and the people here took me by the hand and in no time it was up and running.

Another good question you have to ask yourself is what version of an OS do you want to run? Or which best suits your needs?

There are Home versions, Professional/Pro versions, and Ultimate versions (in the case of 7 (I'm not sure if 8/8.1 has an Ultimate version) for usage by an average user).

OEM=Original Equipment of Manufacture. Technically speaking, the OEM license restricts the installation of the OS to the machine it was originally installed on. It's not transferable to another machine according to the license guidelines but as someone else said all you have to do is call Microsoft's automated phone activation service to put it on another machine and activate it. When the automated attendant asks you how many computers it has been installed on just say "one." Then the automated attendant will give you a new license key to type in that will allow you to activate the new machine. Microsoft does not seem interested in actually policing this. There are some legal gray areas here and each individual needs to decide for themselves what to do in these cases. If Microsoft would simplify their licensing policies we would all be a lot better off. There are signs with Windows 10 that they are moving toward making the their OS a free upgrade like Apple does.