William Hornkohl wrote:

> Could someone explain what the difference would be between a retail boxed
> CPU and an OEM CPU. I found a company that is selling the OEM Pentium 233
> MMX for $140.00 without a cooling fan and a retail boxed Pentium 233 MMX
> with a cooling fan for $206.00. It seems like there has to be allot more to
> it than just a fan.

  William,

The boxed CPU probably has a longer warranty...possibly 3 years versus
1.        I have even seen a 15 day warranty! You also get piece of mind
knowing that it is genuine Intel. With an OEM there is a possibility of getting
a used or remarked CPU. There might also be software bundled with the boxed
version that shows off the MMX capabilities of the chip. And of course there's
the fancy packaging that adds a little to the cost.

Let the buyer beware. The best deal isn't necessarily the lowest price. I guess
it all boils down to how much risk you're willing to take.

Denny