The house brands are not all bad. Almost all, because of cost, will be hydrotreated, based on petroleum stocks that are rearranged at the molecular level, using a similar base as Castrol Syntec. The additives then make the difference for pour point and wear. Almost all of the cheapie synthetics will be better than straight dino oil, but not nearly as good as Mobil 1, Valvoline, Amsoil, Redline, or other true synthetics. The "blends" are a different story: you have no assurance of proportions. In this area, stick with Mobil.