#148 - Question/Answer: OEM vs. Non-OEM Computer Products

[wodka450]

ok that creates more questions than t answers... what do you mean by pc upgrades? do you mean that it wont work with new cpus, gpus etc?

[pmilleroly27]

do you happen to have a copy of both versions? Amazon doesn't explain whether the copy is oem or retail. Can you tell based off the packaging?

[Ubrales]

Good information in a well done video!

[skaterguy1423]

i dont wtf this guy is talking about i changed everything in my pc. new eveything...new motherboard cause myn was a non upgradeable dell peice of shit. new intel i7 16 gb ddr3 tri gtx 570 and 2 ssds...now thats a computer :D

[glenncol]

@dxproductions100 Looks to me like 15888 views not over 1 mil

[glenncol]

Rodney, you are a complete fucktard, who the fuck do you think you are talking to people like they are morons. Crawl back in your shit hole running box openings that you call reviews, and those fucking moronic polls you run, seriously dipshit go away

[knowledgeispowerfful]

Thanks for sharing. Now what about non - oem ink cartridges vs oem ink. whats the difference?

[jinchurikione]

i building my first computer so im gonna have a fresh/new hardrive, can some one tell me what windows 7 i need to use. and give me the newegg link if you can thx.

[bm5k]

So does the retail version of Windows 7 have limitations? I'm still confused on what the difference is really...

[fmpanic000]

im building a rig thats costing me $4000 and having some oem products to lower the price a but is not a bad idea. anything like Hdds and Processors (if you have the cpu fan already, because oem processors olny come with with the chip and thats it) thats fine but for things such as software i recomend buying retail.

[GooberProductionz]

Does the Same "Time Limit" with upgrading Hardware also go For OEM Windows 7 also????

And, How long is the time limit(30 days,20 days,10 days, OR...WHaT???

[Gahman900]

so oem only works on home built computers?

[bradahbob]

does oem windows 7 come with a reinstall disk?

[Jarvile]

Firstly upgrade your parts then the OS...

[upagainstinsanity16]

One question is retail considered still new??or is it used??

[anonyingteen]

on vista oem can i upgrade the mother bord?

[abooguh]

No, unless you buy a new operating system, I bought a new os (windows 7 retail version) and installed it on my old computer, then 2 months later decided to put the os on my upgraded computer (motherboard, ram, and cpu was upgraded) and was very easy to reactivate windows 7. But oem version of any windows will not allow you to upgrade your motherboard.

[acidspoodie]

@abooguh Lucky Xp OEM can, I've upgraded my mobo 5 times and had no issues with XP Pro 32bit OEM. It's just as well I checked up the difference between OEM and Retail for Win 7. Looks like I'll be forking out for the retail which I'm not to happy about paying extra for 32bit and 64bit discs when I only want 64bit. The price in New Zealand sucks $493. Blow me Microsoft.

[abooguh]

$493, shit, what are they making you pay over there, in the us, it is only $200, and I thought it was kind of expensive!!! Microsoft seems to be more money hungry!!! now a days!!!

[acidspoodie]

@abooguh yeah there are shipping costs involved but it's still way too much, since we have a chunck of Microsoft here in Wellington so there shouldn't be any middle men throughout the import process. But it should be priced more or less the same to keep it relative to our pockets. $200 USD is quite a bit of money once it's converted to NZD. And the OEM Win7 Pro is $254. But I'm more annoyed at having to pay for 32bit disc when I don't want it or need it.

[archy9752]

OEMs SUCK!

[jetpack1986]

I've bought the OEM without knowing about the upgrade limitation..shit :(

[EDKsurly]

So if I never upgrade my pc, I can reinstall OEM vista on that same pc as many times as I want? I just want to be safe if I need to reformat.

[DarkCraft41]

as long as you don't upgrade the motherboard then yes. You can upgrade anything else, but not the motherboard.

[abooguh]

@EDKsurly yes you can. I have reinstalled windows vista home premium (OEM) more than once, and works completely fine. Note that I didn't change the hardware, and I am not sure about reformatting the hard drive!

[grey2fox]

Just wondering how about an OEM processor? I was looking for a phenom II x4 945 (seem rare), seen a pair on ebay for £130 (OEM) but the retail versions go for around £160 - £200. These seem a bit rare reflecting the high prices, in fact they are close to the x4 955 BE. At £130 is it a good choice? would appreciate info as this is my first game rig.

[ikcti]

OEM CPU - often shorter warranty, no stock cooler

[grey2fox]

Might as well go for OEM then, stock coolers pretty much suck if I was planning on getting a CM V8 cooler.

[kevM124]

I believe you can change any hardware in your PC EXCEPT the motherboard. You can change your GPU, CPU, RAM, or whatever. Except the motherboard.

Info from Tomshardware :p

[ApocDevTeam]

Hmm I bought OEM of Vista with my new PC, I recently upgraded to a GTX 285 so it probably won't work anymore.

Good thing I have XP 64bit right now, waiting for Windows 7 - I wasn't a fan of Vista. :p

[Terminox89]

Thank you for telling me this difference between retail and Oem...found it usefull

[SmokeyRain0722]

Mr.Reynolds,

I'm looking forward into building my first gaming PC, I have most of the hardware, but what risk am I taking with purchasing an Vista 64-bit Home Premium OEM product?

I am willing to buy this from newegg.

Is there an issue with this? If so, what do you recommend?

[TheFlygt]

If you upgrade your hardware in vista OEM the license will stop working. You can get 3 OEM's for the price of one retail so you'll have to plan ahead. Personally I use an OEM, never had an issue :)

[CoreyPL]

OEM Windows System bounds to the hardware you have. When you first install and activate the Windows it will make a sort of digital signature for your hardware - signature consists of 10 components Vendor ID's. So if you have for ex. ASUS graphic card, you can change it in the future for another ASUS GPU - signature will be the same. You can change up to 3 vendors in your PC for the license to be valid (in case of breakdown). Go and buy OEM - it's 3 times cheaper and adequate for 99% of the ppl.

[IxAMxUNKNOWN]

and because of vista oem issues.. I've chosen to use Vista Activation cracks via BIOS.

[bobo182025]

Thanks man, exact question that I needed answeredcan you read minds?

[golem72002]

no phenom II lol that 810 x4 oem cost more then retail lol

I've got vista oem, don't think my cheapness would be like that i bought ultimate you can't limit something and still call it ultimate .

I did however get some kinda reactavate thing once when I modded a file for AMD over drive tool and it said I altered windows lol I didn't touch windows lol.

[KlasicKumputerz]

Kewl!

[coliwood]

Buying an OEM is a gamble, but you save sooo much money, especially if you buy them online. For example, I bought a Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB HDD for $90 from EBAY, it would have cost $140, had I gone to Best Buy.

[TheGnomeLocker]

Generaly speaking any hardware which does not require its own driver, its best to buy OEM and save you the money since your not really losing much anyway.

If its a Video Card, or a DVD rom drive..etc.. Then its best to go wtih NON OEM retail, so you get the information you may need.

[SonsOfHateSphere]

Okay, my upcoming gaming built... Vista OEM 64-bit, or Vista non-OEM (Full system)...?

[jedidavid5]

I was going to buy an OEM Version of Vita for $109, that way I'd save about $200+

Than my Dad said that he didn't recommend it so I just left it alone...

[nyfan33]

Good info man. Thank God for OEM hardware and software. Saves me money. :)

[chino555]

wow 3dgame man it would be cool if u made another video but a more specific video about o.e.m and retail lol....true theirs only so much a man can do lol

keep up the good job bro your the few people that actually talk about computer tech stuff unlike computer tv that gives tech updates with no tech

[lowIQ04]

i overclocked my pc to 10.5Mhz

[rinaa09]

was it an 8088 o.o

[marcusnns]

or maybe you have underclocked your brain:)

[GTAfreAk112]

10.5 mhz is slower than an Commandore 64? rofl

[munesh23]

thxs for the info

[17projects]

nice video. I would like to see more video reviews though

[3DGAMEMAN]

One man can only do so much ;)

[freiermuthj]

@3DGAMEMAN im amazed that you can keep up with 1000 videos

[Artas1984]

That does not answer ANYTHING, too much buz

[k4ZE106]

at oscarw89

this will only haappen when changing Mobo or CPU i think. i upgraded my ram without probs, but i had to call the customer service to reactivate after the installation of my new Mobo and CPU

[SimonLuvsMetal]

Thats correct.

[oscarw89]

I have Vista x64 Ultimate OEM and about a year ago i did some hardware uppgrades. After each uppgrade I had to call custumer support to re-activate my OS.

But i think that MS has removed this iritating feature, because I recently installed a HD 4870 and Ballistix RAM (major uppgrade for my system) without having to re-activate my OS.

[chino555]

so if i get the oem vista and i plan in upgrading to 2 more cards i can do it right??? it only matters if u replace something not upgrade right mr 3dgameman???

am kinda worried wish one i should get so if i plan to upgrade how many times can i and how long is the wait period??? assuming its not random

[MugenRac1ng]

Are you going to Tri-SLI your rig? Is your CPU fast enough? Cause you will get a bottleneck if not.

[SmokeScreen37]

I have upgraded a computer with oem vista, it takes a major compont change to trigger it or a lot of changes over a short period of time. BUT all it did to me was deactovate windows and that can be fixed by ether reactovating online or a call to microsoft. Hope this helps :P

[KlasicKumputerz]

Kewl!

[TheKoreanX]

Yo Rodney, what kind of chair do you have for your PC?

[pixaloop]

Warranties on OEM products versus retail is another consideration. Some OEM hardware does NOT have the same warranty as a retail product. Check with your vendor to verify their policy.

[etherealeyes]

some OEM products have no warranty at all, kinda like what dell or compaq would buy for their packaged computers and provide their own warranty.

[iheartcomps]

rawdney u dawg

[Bulletinjection]

I didn't know that an OEM vista could limit your upgrades. Good thing to know now =D

[etherealeyes]

yeah man, i had it installed. I then proceeded to change mother board and processor. It told me i have a few remaining installations (it did a slight reinstallation/check process).

[AdzProductions]

Thanks for this

[hsew]

So I can't make too many upgrades on my OEM vista? what's the time period I have to wait with each upgrade?

[etherealeyes]

if enough hardware changes, say if you change something big like the motherboard and processor, then there will be a notification saying "this computer has been modified to a certain extent" (or something similar) and will get you to not so much "reinstall" but do some kind of check process. I think you can only run that sequence a few times. 5ish...but that number is coming from absolutely nowhere.

[toblarone45]

You have to love OEM stuff!! Not only is is cheaper but you don't get all the rubbish packaging and boxing that comes with it! - I think i'll order my next processor OEM XD

[chiefdarklord69]

lol processors oem come in the boxes without fans most of the time dont they? just wondering

[toblarone45]

tbh i'm not 100% sure - i know they come without fans but they might just come in a antistatic bag - the hd and gpu i've got have!

[etherealeyes]

it comes in some cardboard thing kinda like gameboy games used to. And that cardboard is in an antistatic bag.

knowledge is power!

[jfrydom]

they really dont come with a heatsink u have to buy one

[mantecadas]

Thank you for the clarification

was asked what were the differences OEM and Non-OEM

[TheFusionIcon]

OEM Vista = Fail! Especially for Gamers!

[brandonsexywhitaker]

hows it a fail?

[TheFusionIcon]

You can't upgrade a lot of hardware with in a certain amount of time...I mean seriously what if you wanted to install new ram, a new GPU, and a new HDD or SSD? Would you have to stagger the installs...because that would suck.

[Himom2032]

if you have everything, in my case, it would probably take me about 20-30 minutes to do it all.

[Himom2032]

Ohh, nevermind. didnt watch the entire video.

[TheFusionIcon]

NP, I also have a bad habit of commenting before I finish watching. LOL!

[DesertwarriorReg]

you would just have to reactivate windows it's no big deal if you own the licence for your machine

[mrdrastic]

good information. i did not know that before.

because i've only had OEM versions of XP, I had no idea that retail versions didn't have that restriction.

Good to know, thanks for the info!

[Santiagosony]

or maybe "I could go to Linux" which is really open and free.

Which version will I choose? i dont care, i dont have to pay

[baricade1993]

I suggest Kubuntu 8.10.

[Santiagosony]

Ubuntu 8.10 here, but its the same thing (I mean free software, without expensive costs!!!!!!!!).

Bye!

[kainaussie]

yea and ubuntu suxs

same with any linux

[kainaussie]

any linux suxs

[danpluso]

I thought you could change all the hardware you wanted and then when your OS stops working you just call up MS and they get it sorted out for you..

[Lvaneede]

I wish I had have known this before I got vista, I bought the 32bit OEM and now Im stuck with it :(

[mk553]

This is good info. Thanks for sharing!

[glacius9]

question??

hmm how does dual gigabit lan work?

my extreme rampage has it..

but how do you put it in use?

[Lvaneede]

You will only get gigabit speeds if you have it plugged into a router/switch that supports gigabit, otherwise you will just get 10/100 speeds

[r31ncarnat3d]

Quick question: Is the dying economy affecting your reviews at all? Is it harder for you to get free samples from companies, easier because they want to get more publicity, or is it about the same?

[3DGAMEMAN]

I personally haven't noticed much of a difference during these difficult economic times. Although I believe I will if the Canadian and USA economies don't improve. It's hard times for many in both Canada, the USA and even in other parts of the world, so let's hope that things start improving really soon.

[freiermuthj]

@3DGAMEMAN ya dammit lets buy computer parts. stimulus!

[Vanderoze]

thank you mr. Rodney :)

[Santiagosony]

damm, I hate Microsoft, they are always blocking you! blocking the pc if you do upgrade it too fast? come on, is it a joke??

thats why a lot of people get the pirated copy of Microsoft OS (no limitations!)

[MrSpartan1717]

i have changed motherboard in the past and still been able to use my windows xp oem copy heck i even used my old dell windows xp cd key and cd on a non dell machine and microsoft still lets me use it

[Rowdyeh]

OEM Vista hobbled? That's not nice!

[taltigolt]

so non oem is better

[3DGAMEMAN]

Not necessarily. If you build or get someone else/store to build a complete computer system for you then OEM is fine. As long as you are not upgrading any major hardware components, like the motherboard for example in the near future. You can still call MS and explain the situation, but that's a bit of a nuisance. In any case Windows 7 is on it's way, so I would hold off and get that instead. I had a question regarding buy vista now or wait for Wind 7. I've meaning to so a Q&A on it.

[taltigolt]

so is it wourth gettng vista ultimate 64 bit or wait for windows 7 i heard a rumor that windows vista users will get windows 7 for free as a sorry from microsoft becouse of vista

thankyou

[GreenyPoop]

after July 7, people who buy vista will be able to Upgrade to windows 7 for free. But i recomemend to wait till the retail version comes out since you will have options. And don't don't buy Ultimate, its usless (I bought it for the 64-bit cd and it was $32 more expensive than the home premiume). The only diffrence you will see is the extra desktop pictures and the bit-locker (if you are not using raid).

[brandonsexywhitaker]

what about gpus and cpus?

cause i would hate to buy oem and be restricted to upgrading

plz reply thanx 3dgameman

[Call1us]

OEM Cpus are generally just the CPU itself and no stock heat sink and I've not really seen an OEM GPU but I'd assume it's just a graphics card with non of the leaflets and driver discs. I doubt either one would prevent you upgrading your hardware though as they aren't physically different from normal ones just lacking accessories.

[soulcrackerz]

So for OEM vista, i can install it only once? As were retail i can do it multiple times within a limit?

[LucrativeFuture]

You will have to call Microsoft if you make a major upgrade to your computer to get a new activation code. OEM DOES have support, but you must have proof of purchase of the os.

[sindiewen]

when im gonna build my gaming computer, im gonna use OEM vista (or 7 if it comes out) so that the extra junk dosent get to me

[InternetSandman]

I'm gonna wait till after windows 7 to build my rig. cause I don't wanna install vista and then a while later have to upgrade my rig already

[sindiewen]

yea good idea. ill wait for 7 also.

[brandonsexywhitaker]

u can get windows 7 beta version now

[sindiewen]

oh yea, i have it and it kicks ass

[gr1moire2112]

Microsoft have now stopped the downloads for Windows 7 Beta, so the only thing you can do now is register or retrieve a key for it.

[MetalGhost360]

I knew that :)

[Heartagramerz]

Hi Rodney :D

I'll try to bump into you outside out there xD

[staticxmako]

oem ftw

[Vereonis]

?? You mean OEM ftl, as OEM is missing vital parts for builds etc. Sure you get less crap, but you need that crap its why its there.

[LucrativeFuture]

No, same code on retail and oem discs. They just have different licenses.

[Manoscool45]

Wow thanks for explaining the diff between OEM and Non-OEM

Rodney rockz!!!

[asilayloathing]

OEM Vista is perfectly fine!, and just the same as boxed. Only thing is the licence. If u wanna, for example, go from 32 bit to 64 bit, Microsoft will charge you much more if you have an OEM vista ...

[ThingsontheWeb]

exactly, stock CPU fan becomes more trash for our environment.

[iheartcomps]

rodney get your facts straight that last bit about the upgrading is a load of horse poo. Ice upgraded 25 things one month (swapping things) no issues.. please stop trying to get people to waist money on retail vista.

[3DGAMEMAN]

And he did this without hacking Vista OEM or calling MS?

[Lvaneede]

If you change the mainboard to something with a different chipset, windows wont startup, you will have to do a windows repair and then it will ask you to activate again.

[LETHLSS]

oem vista is bad news! it don't work, hundreds of bugs!

[Lvaneede]

Why would it be any different fro a non-oem version?

I have the oem version on my computer, there is nothing wrong with it.

[3DGAMEMAN]

There nothing wrong with OEM. I'm not sure why you think that. It's just the Vista OEM was really designed to be installed on new computer builds. Vista OEM has restrictions on major hardware upgrades, so it can be a nuisance if you are upgrading a lot.

[maetosult]

thanks for explaining the oem rodney. i always wondered what it meant, a friend asked me and i tried to dig it up but wasn't sure.

[ThingsontheWeb]

OEM and Retail is exactly the same when talking bits. The only difference is that you have to call MS if you change hardware for OEM. Did you sleep through this video? LMAO

[Ballero0]

When buying oem version of vista, you will only get either the 32 bit version or 64 bit, retail you will get both. (doesnt really matter though, you should get 64 bit for any modern computer nowdays) The oem vista is tied to the motherboard of your computer, however if it breakes, you can call microsoft.

[Cezarijus]

Nice

[zurikaten]

kewl