Featured Products
  Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 32-bit Operating System, Full Version with SP3, 3pk, OEM
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 32-bit Operating System, ...
Only $254.99

*$20 Mail-In Rebate and $10 Instant Rebate* Black CoolMax 600W ATX12V v2.0 Computer Power Supply, SLI Ready, Support SATA, PCI-E, Model: CXI-600B
*$20 Mail-In Rebate and $10 Instant Rebate* Black CoolMax 600...
Only $69.99

Black/Blue Cooler Master Elite 310 ATX Mid Tower Computer Case RC-310-BKR2, w/ 120mm Fan and 420W PSU
Black/Blue Cooler Master Elite 310 ATX Mid Tower Computer Cas...
Only $49.99

CoolIT Domino A.L.C. Liquid CPU Cooler with High Contrast Backlit LCD. Model: DM-1000
CoolIT Domino A.L.C. Liquid CPU Cooler with High Contrast Bac...
Only $62.99

Black SilverStone FT-01-BW Aluminum ATX Mid-Tower Uni-body Computer Case, w/ Window.
Black SilverStone FT-01-BW Aluminum ATX Mid-Tower Uni-body Co...
Only $199.99

In Win AMMO 2.5in SATA to USB 2.0 External Hard Drive Enclosure, RFID Technology
In Win AMMO 2.5in SATA to USB 2.0 External Hard Drive Enclosu...
Only $26.99

Enter keyword(s):

Home >> Resources | Support >> Computer Glossary >> 

We Specialize in OEM Products!

"Best value available on the Web. Found it very easy to order what I wanted and I wasn't slammed with a ridiculous shipping charge like a lot of the on-line retailers. My purchased was 35% less than anywhere else I could find it on the web. A word of advise to anyone reading this...Don't be afraid of OEM products,they are the best values you'll ever get. I would never pay for pretty packaging if I didn't have to." --Bill W., Jacksonville, FL

What's OEM? What does OEM mean?

OEM generally means "original equipment manufacturer." Sometimes it is referred to as "open-ended market" and used interchangeably with "bulk-pack," "white box," "brown box," and "gray market."

Almost all PC component and software vendors make two versions of the same product based on a difference in the distribution channels.

One is the retail-boxed products that are sold mainly through retailers (the big stores). Guess who is paying for the nice-looking packages which cost vendors extra material and labor to produce (and adds to the world's pollution problem)? Retail packages also takes up more space and costs more to ship.

The second one is the OEM products which are sold mainly to system builders--large ones such as HP and Dell (the OEMs) and many smaller ones such as the mom-and-pop shops and DIY builders. These bulk-pack products do not have fancy packaging materials and are often produced in much higher volume, both of which result in much lower prices that have not been available to the public. The OEM products are of the same quality and often carry the same manufacturer warranty as their retail counterparts (the single-pack). They also often include supporting materials such as manuals and drivers when applicable.

So in short, are you willing to save up to 35% and not have the box? Or do you want to pay for the pretty packaging that ends up in the trash anyway?

Whenever we can, Directron.com distributes and sells the OEM versions for products such as microprocessors, memory, network cards, hard drives, and video cards, letting end-users and customers share the low cost. Finally, OEM quality and prices for the "little guys!"

Besides the packaging and prices, there are sometimes other subtle and not-so-subtle differences between the retail and OEM versions of a product. Here are a few examples:

Bundled Software: Sometimes the retailed version comes with bundled applications software, which the OEM version may not. This is especially true for high-end video and audio cards. The usefulness of the bundled software, however, is often questionable.

Manual and Support: The hard-copy manual for the OEM version may be limited to one per shipping box. However, most of the information is on a CD or on manufacturer's web site. Some manufacturers claim that they do not support their own OEM products. The OEMs are supposed to do the support. In such cases, Directron.com will provide the technical support.

Warranty: Most OEM hardware components come with the same warranty as retail boxed ones. One well-known exception is microprocessors. The retail boxed processors often come with three-year warranty while the OEM ones come with a much shorter one, typically 30 days for Intel and 90 days for AMD. Please check the product page for Limited Warranty information where applicable. We believe the extremely low failure rates of microprocessors justifies the difference in the warranty.



Customer Feedback through Yahoo!
Join our Newsletter

Shipping Policy Customer Services Payment Policy
  • Est. Shipping Cost
  • Time-in-Transit Map
  • FAQ - Shipping
  • Top Reasons for Delays
  • UPS, FedEx, Postal Office
  • Walk-in Sales
  • APO/FPO Shipping
  • International
  • Tracking Orders
  • Return Rates
  • Store Statistics
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Account Applications
  • Frequent Errors
  • FAQ-Services
  • FAQ-Tech Support
  • Newsletter
  • Order Status
  • Credit Card via Phone
  • Purchase Order
  • Prepay, PayPal
  • Resellers
  • Corporate
  • Schools, Government
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Price & Tax
  • FAQ-Payment
  • Top Brands
    Abit, Acer, AMD, Antec, AOpen, Asus, ATI, Biostar, Buffalo, Cooler Master, Corsair, Creative, Dell, D-Link, Enermax, FSP, Gigabyte, Hauppauge, HP, Intel, InWin, Kingston, Lenovo, Lian-Li, Linksys, Lite-On, Logisys, Logitech, Maxtor, Microsoft, MSI, Mushkin, Netgear, OCZ, Seagate, Shuttle, Sony, SuperMicro, ThermalTake, Vantec, ViewSonic, Western Digital, XFX, Zalman.

    Have a question about our products, services or technical issues?
    Find the answer instantly! Type your question or key words in English:
                
                 (Recommended for finding a product in our web store or FAQ pages).
                
                (Recommended for sales, tech-support, & CS questions).
                 Advanced Search in HelpDesk
    95% email/ phone questions already have answers on our web site.
    Please check the answer online before calling or e-mailing.

    Directron.NET- Help Desk Directron.ORG - Resources Short Cuts
  • Sales Support
  • Tech Support
  • Knowledge Base
  • Customer Service
  • Open Forums
  • How to Choose?
  • FAQs, Glossary
  • BYO
  • Installation
  • How to Upgrade?
  • Troubleshooting
  • Drivers
  • Top Sellers
  • New Products
  • Future Products
  • Quiet Computers
  • Water Cooling
  • Overclocking
  • Case Painting
  • Copyright (c) 1997-2009 Directron.com, Inc., Houston, Texas
    Buy - Sell - Trade - Build - Repair - Upgrade - Help - Troubleshoot - Shopping
    Computers - Laptops - Servers - Hardware - Parts - Software - Peripherals - Services
    High Quality - Low Prices - Discount Shop - Large Selection - Free Products - Fast Shipping
    Affiliates: Dallas Computer Store - San Antonio Computer Store - K12 Education Computer Systems
       My Cart

    Enter Order #:
     

    Similar Items
    White Nextar N7-111 7-inch Digital Picture Frame, Supports Se...
    Only $29.99

    Hyundai 19in Widescreen Computer LCD Monitor X93W, 5ms, 300 c...
    Only $112.99

    Acer AspireRevo 1600 AR1600-U910H Desktop PC PT.SCL05.004, In...
    Only $204.99

    Rocket Red Toshiba 2.5in 640GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard...
    Only $109.99

    Crystal Black ASUS Eee PC 1101HA Seashell Netbook 1101HA-MU1X...
    Only $419.99

    Biostar G41 DVI 6.x LGA775 mATX Motherboard, Intel G41 Chipse...
    Only $56.99

    Intel X25-M Mainstream 2.5in 160GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Solid State D...
    Only $489.99

    Shuttle SA76-G2-BK-V1 AMD 760 Socket AM2 XPC Barebone System,...
    Only $195.99

    Arkview USB 2.0 10/100 Ethernet Networking Print Server, Mode...
    Only $19.99

    *$15 Mail-In Rebate* OCZ Technology 1GB DDR3 1066 (PC3-8500)...
    Only $19.99

    Black Logitech Performance Mouse MX, Darkfield Laser Tracking...
    Only $89.99

    Kingston SSDNow V Series 64GB 2.5in SATA II MLC Internal Soli...
    Only $139.99

    Black A-data Classic Series C803 4GB USB Flash Drive, P/N: AC...
    Only $10.99

    WD Scorpio Blue 2.5in 250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Ha...
    Only $47.99

    Black LG GH22NS50 22X SATA Super Multi DVD Burner, 8X/6X DVD...
    Only $26.99

    Black Broadway Com Corp Sonic SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Comput...
    Only $44.99

    White Cooler Master Wireless Laser Mouse C-WM01-W2, 3 Buttons...
    Only $19.99

    FSP Group Power-MOD 700 ATX12V / EPS12V 700W Modular Computer...
    Only $99.99

    *$25 Mail-in Rebate* OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EP...
    Only $69.99

    *Free Ground Shipping* Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz...
    Only $174.99