I know the most obvious response is always "you can never really go wrong with OEM", and it's a rule I generally agree with, but I've been doing some research in figuring out what the best path is for which valve cover I should get to replace my existing during my VCG and Vanos reseal.

Generally speaking I always do try to go OE, but man... ~$450+ for a valve cover that seemingly always cracks at some point. Is it absolutely terrible if I went with an amazon/ebay brand instead? Can anyone direct me to threads with people's experience? I've been trying to search both on here and e46f and haven't found much, as the two key words "valve cover" are often mixed with results regarding gaskets.

To simplify my question: Should I just bite the bullet and spend $450 on a new OEM valve cover, or spend $80 for an amazon/ebay one?
With either decision, I am using OEM gaskets anyway.

Thanks in advance!