I was wondering if anybody could tell me if there is a better OEM replacement fuel filter then a AC Delco?

Nope. All the filters that fit our duramax are made by the same company in the same plant and relabled. You can add additional filtration such as the nictane.

The filters with the black stripe around them offer better filtratation then those without. It might be getting hard to find them without the stripe now.

thanx for reply Max Power, My local auto parts store offers 4 different filters and there all between $40 and $50 bucks. I just wanted to know if any of them was more worth the money. not ready to chang the filter yet but i want to have on on hand just in case. my truck only has 3,500 miles on it. should a fuel filter really cost around $45?

Go here: http://www.gmdieseltech.com/store2/cart.php?target=category&action=view&category_id=252

$25 for the regular and $35 for the dual pleat.

This is my first diesel. How often should the fuel filter be changed? Is it more often than the gassers?

Oh yes,

If you don't have an extra filter on the fuel line coming from the tank, you should change about every 10,000 miles. You can stretch it to 15,000 miles but you're pushing it.

A diesel produces it's power by adding more fuel to the cylinders. If it can't get the fuel past the filter, then the engine will not produce any more power than what can be delivered. It will appear as a loss of power or "lay down" on a higher demand.