I'm gonna be working on a new PC build very shortly.
It'll be my first computer fully built by myself. When I buy my OS do I need to buy the OEM version or the complete package DVD?
With an OEM version, you're going to pay a little less for the media but it will only activate on one motherboard. You can make system modifications, but once you change out your motherboard, you need to purchase a new copy of Windows.
With the retail version, you're going to pay more for it, but you can uninstall it from one machine and then install it on another machine according to the EULA.
Windows 7 Ultimate - Retail (Black) is going for £168. So for £70 it's definitely not going to be the full version. Having said that the Home Premium upgrade is £82.
With an OEM version, you're going to pay a little less for the media but it will only activate on one motherboard. You can make system modifications, but once you change out your motherboard, you need to purchase a new copy of Windows.
Just to make it clear though, should your motherboard fail and you need to replace it, you are able to reinstall with the new motherboard. MS just wants to make sure you don't try and transfer the key form system to system.
Careful it isn't used, make sure it explicitly says new and sealed, otherwise the key will have been taken and either sold on seperately or used. I would not, under any circumstances trust Ultimate to cost £70, the saying "too good to be true" applies
There is lots of the online stores listing it as this. I dunno why this is.
"SEALED AND BRAND NEW NEVER BEEN OPENED 100 % GENUINE towards microsoft website, activate, update, registered guaranteed or (money back from 1 week of sale)"
"Brand new and sealed. Full retail version containing 32 and 64bit versions. Includes Certificate of Authenticity. Sent via Recorded Delivery."
I wondered myself how a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate could be so cheap...
A lot of the sellers are newly created accounts, which raises a huge red flag. Only a few had 50+ reviews. One of those sellers was Planet Techno, seems they have quite the lineup so you know it's a legit small business. (40 Products)
In the comments customers note that this is an OEM version. There were a few comments about how the keys weren't legit, but with at least 101 of those reviews being positive, sounds fairly good.