online or retail

[buddylee123]

Hey folks, i am certainly going to buy a pIII 800e, but i'm torn between on-line or retail. I know retail costs mucho dinero compared to on-line, but i want that kind of reliability that retail has. The problem is, i only have about 350 or less and that means i'd probably have to get the mobo later, or new case. So is on-line buying reliable, or is it just better to dish out the extra cash and go for retail...?

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*You betta watch your back fish! Squirrel masta aint gonna be there for you next time. And next time I come for you i'ma want some cocktail.....FRUIT!!!*
-Nasty Nate

[Nutdotnet]

I think you mean on-line and OEM.

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Sir Nutdotnet
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[DoGGx23]

I think you should go with buying your stuff from online. It's perfectly fine buying from online and it's a whole lot cheaper. I buy all my computer parts and other stuff like, clothes, electronics, etc. online. Check out www.outpost.com they have free overnight shipping.

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www.DoGGx.com

[Galen_of_Edgewood]

The correct terminology is Retail and OEM. You can get both retail and OEM processors online and from the retail stores.

The general rule with retail and OEM CPUs is as follows:

• Retail CPUs come with a heatsink, thermal compound, and fan combo and a warranty. The warranty is usually 3 years. This, of course, is more expensive than OEM CPUs.
• OEM CPUs come without any form of cooling, so you must invest in the cooling seperately. (This can be a plus, since the HSF that come with retail chips are no where near high end cooling. Not good.) The warranty of an OEM CPU varies between 20 or 30 days up to 1 year. (The smaller the warranty, the lower the cost of the CPU.)

There is some discussion on whether Retail CPUs are of higher quality than OEM CPUs, but it's still a bit unfounded. Not much proof exists for either side of the argument whether they are right. The quality of the CPUs seem to be approximately the same to me.

You will likely be able to find a retail processor for less (including s/h) than from a local store. I personally would suggest that you purchase, or at least price, the cost of, a retail processor. That way, you could get the best price or know approximately the difference of the cost.

Since the warranty of the CPU would be fufilled, assuming that you did not overclock the CPU, by the manufacturer, it doesn't really matter from whom you buy it from.

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So they are no longer two, but one. -Matthew 19:6 (NIV)

[tl511]

I buy almost everything on-line. It is much cheaper. In the case of OEM vs. Retail, if your buying with intention to overclock and dont have to physically manipulate the chip then go with retail and the 3 year warrant. If your just buying to clock at 800 then I would check out oem w/ a 1 year warranty. Most of the time a processor is either bad or not. They don't often go bad on their own. Usually a thermal problem causes them to go bad. Just as a rule of thumb, I usually by retail for myself. The cost is not that much more, and you can usually buy a retail processor online for much cheaper than you can at a local retail store.

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System #1
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AMD T-bird 850
Epox 8KTA+
128MB PC-100 Micron Ram
Maxtor 20.4 GB 7200RPM HD
44X CD-Rom
Lucent 56K Modem
Turtle Beach Montego II
Intel 10/100 Nic
19" AOC Monitor
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System #2
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Intel PII 450
Aopen AX6BC
Maxtor 13.0 GB HD
Maxtor 4.5 GB HD
Memorex CD-RW
Acer 40X CD-Rom
128MB PC-100 SDRAM
ATI 8mb All-In-Wonder Pro
2 Voodoo2 8MB in SLI Mode
Yamaha Sound Card
Intel 10/100 Nic
17" Monitor

[tl511]

Ok that signature might be a little long...

[tuck2040]

If you only have 350 then get an Athlon instead of a pIII , unless of course you have already bought the motherboard. Either buy online or find a trade place near you , thats what I do. I either buy from Novatech/dabs (UK sites) or buy from A2Z a trade shop that also sells over the counter.

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