What are OEM laptop parts?

OEM which also stands for original equipment manufacturer can be a great way to save some money on laptop repair as you get these parts directly from the source.

Here’s what this acronym means and why it is important to know the difference between the retail version and the OEM version.

What is Original Equipment Manufacturer aka OEM?

OEM, or original equipment manufacturer, refers to the company that manufactured or created a product before being marketed through a retailer or used as a part of another product.

This acronym is used in many different contexts, but when used in internet commerce, it usually refers to a product sourced directly from the original manufacturer instead of a retailer.

It is important to remember that an OEM product is often identical to a retail product.

The difference between OEM and retail is that OEM lacks the marketing aspect which includes retail packaging, value-added reseller, and other components that attract buyers based on exclusive deals and other marketing efforts.

OEM products are usually cheaper than the retail version and are one of the popular tech tips to save money for computer enthusiasts.

For example, builders of pre-built desktops will often buy processors in bulk from Intel.

However, they might not be able to clear their entire stock before the next iteration rolls around.

In order to ensure they can cover their costs, some of them will resell these “OEM” chips on the market.

These chips will generally perform similarly to retail equivalents but are in plastic packaging instead of a box with a warranty.

How to find genuine OEM products?

You can find OEM products in a variety of places.

There will be a local computer shop that sells them or you can also buy them at online retail sites.

The other way is to look at the reseller markets.

However, it is common for these markets to produce counterfeit items or use counterfeit parts or faulty parts in their products.

To avoid this from happening, the key here is to look for OEM keys or a license key of the OEM software or OEM hardware to ensure it is genuine.

Reviews or other additional resources should be researched thoroughly before making the purchase.

You can find OEM equivalents of many computer parts, including processors, graphics cards, RAM, storage, or laptop power bricks.

For closed systems like laptops and phones, replacement parts are also OEM-sourced.

If you want to repair your computer screen or replace the battery, you’ll generally want to find an OEM of the same part as your device.

There are instances where OEM products can be unique and not have a retail equivalent.

For example, in previous generations, AMD manufactured OEM-only “G” processors with powerful integrated GPUs, primarily intended for productivity desktops in offices.

Since AMD didn’t allocate these chips for consumer retail, you would need to buy a desktop through a system builder or buy the chip on a plastic tray from a third party.

OEM in Hardware

In the hardware industry, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) usually refers to a company that builds a product designed for end-users, like a PC, laptop, or printer.

Examples of original equipment manufacturers include Apple, HP, Dell, Canon, and Brother.

OEM hardware, on the other hand, is the term for individual computer hardware that makes up the products mentioned above.

This includes processors, fans, motherboards, memory chips, hard drives, and much more.

Companies who build these components usually sell them as OEM hardware to the OEMs.

Although processors, motherboards, and so on can also be sold to individuals as retail products, OEM hardware is generally cheaper than its retail counterparts.

However, the vice of purchasing OEM hardware instead of retail is that they rarely come with customer support, and if there is a warranty, it is usually very short and usually lacks some parts needed to combine it with other components of whatever system you’re building.

For example, DVD drives might lack cables or ribbons for connecting to the motherboard.

This is because OEM hardware or OEM physical parts are primarily designed for OEMs and those manufacturers are expected to add things like warranties, tech support, and other components when they build complete systems and sell them to end users.

OEM in Software

An example of OEM in software is when manufacturers like HP, Dell, and Samsung purchase Windows as OEM software from Microsoft and then package it together with the PC or laptop they manufacture.

Companies that build other electronic devices such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras will purchase OEM software which is usually bundled with an accompanying application.

Just like OEM hardware, some OEM software such as Microsoft Office can be purchased as a standalone product—and as with OEM hardware, they are sold at affordable prices.

However, as there is no tech support or a user manual provided, it will become challenging once you encounter any technical issues.

How Do OEM parts and Aftermarket parts differ?

In the computer industry, OEM can be defined as a company that buys computing products, incorporates them into their products, or rebrands them into a new product for sale.

OEM is a company whose equipment, goods, or products are used in the products of other companies that sell the finished products to users.

Aftermarket, on the other hand, is equipment, goods, or product made by another company that consumers can use as a replacement.

For example, if company A produces a computer component such as microchips for a computer manufacturer, then company A is an OEM.

However, if company A sells similar microchips to another company then it is considered an aftermarket company.

Aftermarket products are usually cheaper and more convenient to obtain.

Should you buy OEM or retail?

Products from an OEM are normally cheaper thanks to economies of scale.

As the company partners with others to manufacture goods in large numbers, both the price and production time are significantly reduced.

However, you need to verify what you’re getting when you purchase a product from an OEM.

While the products are cheaper and deliver the same features and performance, you may not receive some of the “extras” like tech support, which would normally be handled by a PC company.

Therefore, the conclusion is, if you want to save money, OEM could be the way to go, unless you need additional support or warranties.