Hmmm, really. I wonder what the differances are between the hsf's are exactly. I would think that it would be a bit tough to make a 'exact' copy of the heatsink part of the hsf. The fan, easy to cheap out on already.
Well, I don't think it's difficult for them to duplicate the heatsink. The Intel heatsinks do not have any fancy designs. Besides, the heatsink was probably manufactured by one of the factories in China!
Everyone knows that Intel retail processors not only come with a certified cooler but also a much longer warranty. However, you must first be sure that you have a genuine retail processor. Some greedy retailers have been selling counterfeit Intel boxed (retail) processors to make more money. So be sure to check out this handy guide on how to spot a genuine Intel retail processor and avoid the counterfeit units. Here's a quote from the article :- We revamped the guide and added a report about ES processors being used in these fake processor kits. Check out the new, improved guide! Link : Counterfeit Intel Retail Processors
Counterfeit Intel Boxed Processors Rev. 3.1 Everyone knows that Intel retail processors not only come with a certified cooler but also a much longer warranty. However, you must first be sure that you have a genuine retail processor. Some greedy retailers have been selling counterfeit Intel boxed (retail) processors to make more money. So be sure to check out this handy guide on how to spot a genuine Intel boxed processor and avoid the counterfeit units. In this revision, we have added more details about Chinese ES processors that are being used in these fake processor kits. Link : Counterfeit Intel Boxed Processors Rev. 3.1
You can always take a closer look at the box. If you have a fake unit, take it back to the retailer and have it changed. OEM processors are the same as retail processors, but you lose out on the warranty. But if you end up with an ES processor (instead of an OEM one), then it's even worse, as many ES processors are not fully-functional.
