What is OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)?
OEM products are bulk packaged products that are sold to companies for re-branding, installation in a PC, and/or other special purposes. They may or may not come with some of the niceties of the retail version since they were not originally designed for the retail market. In the PC industry, many OEM products are offered directly to consumers to pass on savings. For example, an OEM drive is bulk packaged and may or may not come with cables, a manual, or software; this makes it significantly cheaper than the retail version. Also, some manufacturers have different warranty terms on their OEM products; for example, an OEM CPU has a 30 day warranty which we pass onto our end users, while the more expensive retail box version has a three year warranty directly from Intel or AMD. Besides CPUs and motherboards, all of our OEM products carry 90 days warranty through us unless specified otherwise.
What is OEM Recertified?
Some products are returned to manufacturer due to damaged boxes in transit, cosmetic blemish such as scratches on product surfaces, or minor defects. In many cases, a perfectly functional item is returned because of user error, not because of a problem with the item itself. These products are retested by manufacturer or its authorized third party. Any defective parts are replaced, and the product is tested to make sure it meets industry standards.
Retail Box
This is identical to the version you would get at a store like Best Buy, Circuit City , etc. Retail packaged items typically include product manuals, software, and accessories, and carry a manufacturer warranty.