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"I need a New PC!" 2011 Thread of reading the OP. Seriously. [Part 2]

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·feist·;32963586 said:
I'm not big on Antec fans, but those are supposed to be decent.


You can save $40 on the ram by switching to 2 sets of this 2x4GB kit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Same timings, same voltage.

Change your case to either of these:

$49 - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGvBjEmXJnI

$80 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R White
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0EZYMvNVdk

The separate black 500R deal is over. I've been highly recommending the CM 690 II Adv. for about two years now. Nothing at ~$49 can touch that. The white 500R is a great deal, as well. Better than the 400R you have listed, while being around $20 less.

Well that sucks. Maybe the spreadsheet should be updated. Bought the 500R, though. Looks like I'll just send back the 400. Wasn't $80, though. It was $109.
 
Well that sucks. Maybe the spreadsheet should be updated. Bought the 500R, though. Looks like I'll just send back the 400. Wasn't $80, though. It was $109.
"$79.99 after mail-in rebate card
Receive a $30 prepaid card by mail from Corsair! Expires on 11/27/11"


Contact Newegg customer service soon, and have them adjust your order before it's processed, and shipped. Should be able to avoid the 400R being sent out.

The OP's a guideline. You don't have to follow it to the letter. Same goes for many of the recommendations that any of us make in the thread.
 
I currently use an MX518 mouse...

I want a Wireless Mouse though but I've never found a mouse that suits me quite like this one.

Anyone recommend me a mouse to upgrade too?

I've been thinking the Razer Mamba, is it worth the absurd cost?
 
BF haul.

i2500k - $150 + tax
Asus P8Z68-V Pro - $150 + tax
2x2x4 GB Corsair 1600 Ram - $70

Time to retire my E8400+EP45-UD3P. Lasted me a good 3 years or so.
 

jstevenson

Sailor Stevenson
Went with the ASUS GTX 570 from Amazon (no tax or shipping, unlike Newegg in CA) - as it looks like the ASUS rebate works with any retailer.

Photos when I get it all assembled and runnin!
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Well that sucks. Maybe the spreadsheet should be updated. Bought the 500R, though. Looks like I'll just send back the 400. Wasn't $80, though. It was $109.
General guide line.
I'm not going to change and update it every hour based on Black Friday availability. Half the things are out of stock already.

I was at BestBuy today and saw LG 23" IPS for $180 though. Haven't picked up anything yet, don't think I will.
 

rxdco07

Member
This thread has helped me so much, Thanks OP and everyone else!!!

I'm starting out from scratch aside from my Dell S2209 Monitor that I've had for a while. I bought the i5 2500k processor paired up with a P8 Z68-V mobo from Microcenter (149.99 + 119.99 after 60 dollar cpu/mobo bundle discount) today, and ordered the rest on newegg.

I still have a few items that I need to build my very first rig (since 2004). If any of you have any recommendations on Storage/Graphics Card/Heatsink/Sound Card. Please let me know.

311726_10150382082992471_668537470_8814269_2000945968_n.jpg
 

JJBro One

Member
Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.44 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($22.52 @ Amazon)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.84 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $704.75
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-11-25 23:59 EST-0500)
This is my first build, I'm making this for my brother so he can play battlefield 3. I plan on overclocking the cpu and gpu and may sli in the future. He has an hdtv with a pc input so we don't need a monitor. I'm looking for a case that best suits this build. I was looking at this one but he wants something with 3 usb slots instead of 2. I would like to keep the cost down so is there anything that's unnecessarily expensive? I'm not seeing that many black friday deals that interest me, will I fair better on cyber Monday? Please take a look over my parts and recommend me a case. Thanks.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
This thread has helped me so much, Thanks OP and everyone else!!!

I'm starting out from scratch aside from my Dell S2209 Monitor that I've had for a while. I bought the i5 2500k processor paired up with a P8 Z68-V mobo from Microcenter (149.99 + 119.99 after 60 dollar cpu/mobo bundle discount) today, and ordered the rest on newegg.

I still have a few items that I need to build my very first rig (since 2004). If any of you have any recommendations on Storage/Graphics Card/Heatsink/Sound Card. Please let me know.
Storage depends on what you want and can afford to pay... or find on sale. Just avoid the WD Green drives.
Graphics I'd say try to fit in a 560ti or 6950. A better (and more expensive) 560Ti will be out shortly, but I still think that $220 range is a nice sweet spot for graphics.
Heatsink is up to you. The CM 212+ is still a great value, but there are some really nice $40 and $45 heatsinks. Any rifle heatsink on sale will do a great job.
Soundcard use onboard or get a Xonar DG
Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.44 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($22.52 @ Amazon)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.84 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $704.75
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-11-25 23:59 EST-0500)
This is my first build, I'm making this for my brother so he can play battlefield 3. I plan on overclocking the cpu and gpu and may sli in the future. He has an hdtv with a pc input so we don't need a monitor. I'm looking for a case that best suits this build. I was looking at this one but he wants something with 3 usb slots instead of 2. I would like to keep the cost down so is there anything that's unnecessarily expensive? I'm not seeing that many black friday deals that interest me, will I fair better on cyber Monday? Please take a look over my parts and recommend me a case. Thanks.
I don't know any cases off the top of my head that have more than 2 USB front ports (if that is what you mean), or do you mean USB 3.0 front ports? I think the updated CM 690 has them. A few of the cases in the OP have them, I'd suggest taking a look at all of them, as they are all good choices. Just depends on your budget and what you like.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Arc midi has 2 USB 2 and 1 USB 3 that works off a header, and it looks like your mobo has a 3.0 header on it. That's 3 total. 600T has 4 and 1 3.0.
 

n0n44m

Member
1322301587.jpeg





Nvidia roadmap made by some Japanese sites based on what they heard from OEMs, so decide for yourself if you want to believe it or not ;)

I assume position relative to current generation cards is based on price not absolute performance ... unless the 580 reigns supreme for about another year on the Nvidia side of things

GK112 is gonna be mine baby :p

also note the GK110 seems to be a dual GK104 design ala GTX590
 

Hoplatee

Member
At the moment I am using a Radeon 4870X2 and it looks like it is about to die. It is very loud, I get artifacts and what not. I am preparing for the worst so I am looking for something to replace it when it finally dies.

Crhistmas 2012 will be the time I go out to buy a completely new computer(parts) but I am sure the card won't last that long so I am already looking for a temporary replacement card cause deals might pop up in the next few weeks over here. Would a 6850 1GB be any decent to last me in those few months? It's only 110 euro at this moment. I do not want to spend more than 125 euro on it cause I will buy something else a few months later so this one seems to be pretty decent for the moment or should I pick something else? There are so many benchmarks out there and it all seems so close to each other that it wouldn't matter much but I want to be sure!

I have no idea how my current card even holds up nowadays as it's excluded from many tests but I seem to run most heavy games still at stable enough framerates so it seems like it would be pointless to upgrade it but I have no choice it seems. Everytime I buy a new computer I make sure I get one of the best GPU at that time so it would last for a long time. Probably not the most ideal thing to do but it worked for many times now. Untill it breaks of course. :)
 
I'd like to buy a skyrim/emulation machine and I found this deal on newegg that seems too good to be true. Any thoughts?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...rue&Keywords=(keywords)&Page=1#scrollFullInfo
6670 isn't a very powerful card.

plus this from some quick googling
"The system is powered by a 500 Watt Turbolink branded switching power supply with model number ATX-TL500W-BK. This is a brand that we haven't heard of before. It has two +12V rails with +12v1 being rated at 16 Amps and +12v2 being rated at 18 Amps. This power supply doesn't have any PCIe 6-pin power connectors for video card expansion, which is a bit of a bummer as we always like PCs to have an upgrade path. We took a look around the system and found all the power connectors were used except for one 4-pin molex connector and a SATA power connector."

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1762/4/
 

mkenyon

Banned
I'd like to buy a skyrim/emulation machine and I found this deal on newegg that seems too good to be true. Any thoughts?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...rue&Keywords=(keywords)&Page=1#scrollFullInfo
Looks like a crappy mobo and a super budget GPU. Would be better off with the build in OP. If it had a nicer mobo, it might be worth it with a GPU upgrade. As it is, I'd pass.

Oh man, with that info on the PSU above, definitely not worth it.

At the moment I am using a Radeon 4870X2 and it looks like it is about to die. It is very loud, I get artifacts and what not. I am preparing for the worst so I am looking for something to replace it when it finally dies.

Crhistmas 2012 will be the time I go out to buy a completely new computer(parts) but I am sure the card won't last that long so I am already looking for a temporary replacement card cause deals might pop up in the next few weeks over here. Would a 6850 1GB be any decent to last me in those few months? It's only 110 euro at this moment. I do not want to spend more than 125 euro on it cause I will buy something else a few months later so this one seems to be pretty decent for the moment or should I pick something else? There are so many benchmarks out there and it all seems so close to each other that it wouldn't matter much but I want to be sure!

I have no idea how my current card even holds up nowadays as it's excluded from many tests but I seem to run most heavy games still at stable enough framerates so it seems like it would be pointless to upgrade it but I have no choice it seems. Everytime I buy a new computer I make sure I get one of the best GPU at that time so it would last for a long time. Probably not the most ideal thing to do but it worked for many times now. Untill it breaks of course. :)
Well, to give you an idea of where your card stacks up, in DX10 titles with crossfire profiles, you are about equal with a 6950. A 6850 would be a downgrade. Have you considered putting on an aftermarket cooler? Would be cheaper than a holdover part.
 

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Is there any game out there where a 2600k@4.5 bottlenecks a rig at 2560x1440? I'm trying to rationalize a higher OC ._.
 
Thanks for the quick feedback. When I try to build the ones in the OP I am always several hundred dollars over. (I'm in Canada and can't use the list as-is) Basically I want more mhz for emulation and I think I'll have to give up on that.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Thanks for the quick feedback. When I try to build the ones in the OP I am always several hundred dollars over. Basically I want more mhz for emulation and I think I'll have to give up on that.

You want a 2500k for emulation at the minimum, IMO. An FX CPU would be a distant second because it would probably work just as well for emulation, but it's power consumption would be significantly higher and it's worse in most other usage.

I put a build together for somebody that was relatively cheap for emulation, will have to see if I saved it.
 
Thanks for the quick feedback. When I try to build the ones in the OP I am always several hundred dollars over. Basically I want more mhz for emulation and I think I'll have to give up on that.
Intel builds are generally considered better for emulation anyway (from what I've heard) as emulators like Dolphin tend to be better optimized for intel.
 

knitoe

Member
Is there any game out there where a 2600k@4.5 is bottlenecks a rig at 2560x1440? I'm trying to rationalize a higher OC ._.

Don't know about that res, but on 1080p running CF 6970 when testing with Witcher 2, I get ~5 fps more going from 4.5 to 4.8 GHz. Best way and simplest way is too just overclock and test.
 
You want a 2500k for emulation at the minimum
Eh no. PCSX2 and Dolphin still only use two cores. The former has a beta than can use more cores but the difference in performance between 2 and 4 isn't that great.

i3-2100 is minimum. It's the cheapest dual core Sandy Bridge out there (and the best dual core), and has some room to extend thanks to HT. The cheapest i5 with clocks that can match it is the i5-2300 but there is a huge price gap due to two extra physical cores.

People seriously need to stop thinking that a processor is either a 2500k or a shit one.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Eh no. PCSX2 and Dolphin still only use two cores. The former has a beta than can use more cores but the difference in performance between 2 and 4 isn't that great.

i3-2100 is minimum. It's the cheapest dual core Sandy Bridge out there (and the best dual core), and has some room to extend thanks to HT. The cheapest i5 with clocks that can match it is the i5-2300 but there is a huge price gap due to two extra physical cores.

People seriously need to stop thinking that a processor is either a 2500k or a shit one.
IIRC, they only use two cores but they like blazing fast ones. Being able to OC a 2500K to the 4.5 region easily is why folks suggest it. Don't do any emulation myself though, so I could be wrong.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Eh no. PCSX2 and Dolphin still only use two cores. The former has a beta than can use more cores but the difference in performance between 2 and 4 isn't that great.

i3-2100 is minimum. It's the cheapest dual core Sandy Bridge out there (and the best dual core), and has some room to extend thanks to HT. The cheapest i5 with clocks that can match it is the i5-2300 but there is a huge price gap due to two extra physical cores.

People seriously need to stop thinking that a processor is either a 2500k or a shit one.

You can't OC a 2100, if Intel hadn't gimped all their CPUs I'd happily recommend a dual core. But even a 2100 is going to run into problems with Dolphin where it simply isn't fast enough. (Might be okay for PCSX2 though, IIRC it's not quite as intensive)


And I don't have the config anymore, but it was basically a combination of parts from the budget recommendations in the OP but swapped in a P67 board + 2500k, came to $650.
 

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
Hmm, I wonder why I only went up to 4.5 to begin with. Gotta check my temps/settings. Maybe there was a reason I didn't go higher.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Hmm, I wonder why I only went up to 4.5 to begin with. Gotta check my temps/settings. Maybe there was a reason I didn't go higher.
What kind of cooler are you running? I even dialed back my OC recently to 4.5 because I'm only playing Tribes and a small amount of DOTA 2. Probably thought, "no way I need more than this".
 

noire

Unconfirmed Member
Looks like my motherboard only supports crossfire, not sli. Is that a compelling reason to stick with ati?

Only getting one card for now, but in terms of planning for the future.
 

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
What kind of cooler are you running? I even dialed back my OC recently to 4.5 because I'm only playing Tribes and a small amount of DOTA 2. Probably thought, "no way I need more than this".


That was one of the reasons I settled with 4.5, I always think that my gpus will cave waaay before my cpu does. I'm using a noctua dh14.
 
Being able to OC a 2500K to the 4.5 region easily is why folks suggest it.
Well yes, obviously its OC ability is one reason why 2500Ks kept getting recommended. But the cost of entry is not worth it for everyone.

Just go compare the price if i3-2100+H61 vs i5-2500k+P67/Z68+maybe CM212. You'll looking at spending nearly twice more.

And yes, I do wish Intel just added K versions for their 2nd gen i3 lineup.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Well yes, obviously its OC ability is one reason why 2500Ks kept getting recommended. But the cost of entry is not worth it for everyone.

Just go compare the price if i3-2100+H61 vs i5-2500k+P67/Z68+maybe CM212. You'll looking at spending nearly twice more.

And yes, I do wish Intel just added K versions for their 2nd gen i3 lineup.
Cost isn't the sole factor in determining whether or not a proc is suited well for a job. If emulation runs like butter on an i3, you've got a point. Anyone run across benches for emulation? If not, I might just pick up an i3 and do it, would be great info for the OP.
 

rxdco07

Member
Storage depends on what you want and can afford to pay... or find on sale. Just avoid the WD Green drives.
Graphics I'd say try to fit in a 560ti or 6950. A better (and more expensive) 560Ti will be out shortly, but I still think that $220 range is a nice sweet spot for graphics.
Heatsink is up to you. The CM 212+ is still a great value, but there are some really nice $40 and $45 heatsinks. Any rifle heatsink on sale will do a great job.
Soundcard use onboard or get a Xonar DG

Thanks Man,

I'm going to disregard the sound card and use the stock heat sink right now. I don't plan on doing any overclocking (don't even really know what it means really atm)

Still searching for a good vid card before MIR online and maybe cyber monday.
 

scogoth

Member
How do you guys recommend I clean my keyboard and mouse? I think I'm going to clean my entire computer area today.

Compressed air for the quick and lazy keyboard clean. Otherwise pop off all the keys and use some qtips, watered down rubbing alcohol and patience. For my mouse I just wipe it down from time to time to prevent grime building up.
 

JVIDICAN

Member
Basic Desktop Questions:
Your Current Specs: Way Outdated (Pentium 4 2.9GHz w/ integrated graphics, 1.5GB RAM, Vista Ultimate 32Bit)
Budget: $500-$600 U.S.
Main Use: Gaming, Emulation (PS2/Wii), general usage
Monitor Resolution: 1080p monitor, would like to maintain around 720p for most games
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Skyrim, Minecraft, Wii emulation
Are reusing any parts?: HDD, Optical drive
When will you build?: Hoping to order the parts before the 30th.
Will you be overclocking?: Yes

I was thinking of possibly building the budget overclock build from here.
http://www.hardware-revolution.com/budget-gaming-pcs-v3-0-1-updated-hard-drives-and-more
This would be my first attempt at building a PC.

CPU

AMD Phenom II X2 560 Processor, Black Edition - $92.88
Motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AMD970 SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 -$94.99
RAM
Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600MHz- $26.99
Video card
Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 OC Dual fans-$129.99 after $20 coupon and $20 rebate
Hardrive
I'll probably just reuse a spare 30GB internal and my 2TB external until the prices come back down. -$0
Optical Drive
Also using a spare for this. -$0
Power Supply
Seasonic S12II 620W 80PLUS Bronze - $81.99
Case
Antec Three Hundred Illusion 3x120mm + 1x140mm fan- $69.99
Cooling
CORSAIR A70-$21.49 after $15 rebate
Sound
Integrated in motherboard
Network
Integrated in motherboard
----------------------------------------------
Total-$518.32


Do you guys think this would be able to run most games decently enough?
I'm not too concerned about maxing resolution or anything, though I'd like to at least maintain somewhere around 720p. I'm also interested in doing a little GC/Wii emulation with Dolphin.

Also if anyone knows of and can recommend better alternative components around the same price or better yet, at a cheaper price :)D) It'd be much appreciated!
 

mkenyon

Banned
Switch the case to something like the Fractal Core 3000, CM 690II, or BitFenix Merc/Outlaw.

The emulation part makes me iffy on the recommendation, but you'd be a lot better off with an i3 and a H61/H67/P67 motherboard as outlined in the OP over the AMD stuff.

You are bordering on unusable with a 30GB OS drive. Consider removing your external from the enclosure and installing it in your rig.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Cost isn't the sole factor in determining whether or not a proc is suited well for a job. If emulation runs like butter on an i3, you've got a point. Anyone run across benches for emulation? If not, I might just pick up an i3 and do it, would be great info for the OP.

Not sure if anything like benches for emulators exist. There is a huge variance in compatibility and CPU requirements that there isn't really any way to make a catch-all bench test. Plus it would probably require a dev kit and a pretty talented developer to actually make a mock-game that would be suitable.

As a general rule, emulation is one of the few things where pure clockspeed matters most, with the latest SSE instruction set being a big second (especially for LLE sound on Dolphin, SB/BD CPUs at 4GHz+ are essentially required). Games like Mario Galaxy (last I checked) and Xenoblade would require something faster than an i3, close to the 4GHz mark, to run at a relatively smooth framerate.




Oh and I installed my Seasonic 650W PSU. Cables are short, but adequate. Would not recommend for a case larger than a 500r.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Still, I could pick out some level in a few games to memorize a walkthrough. Run a i3, 2500k at stock, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 to see what real differences there are. Won't be totally scientific like an official bench, but could shed some light.
 
I'm looking for a case, and a must-have feature is a removable dust filter by the intake fans. My old
Thermaltake Tsunami
has it and it's so damn convenient I can't believe it's not standard. Never again want to dust out the inside of a case. Anyone got anything?
 
That was one of the reasons I settled with 4.5, I always think that my gpus will cave waaay before my cpu does. I'm using a noctua dh14.
An NH-D14 can take you into 4.8-5.2GHz range. Starcraft, Witcher 2, Skyrim, and others will benefit from the increased clocks.


I'm looking for a case, and a must-have feature is a removable dust filter by the intake fans. My old
Thermaltake Tsunami
has it and it's so damn convenient I can't believe it's not standard. Never again want to dust out the inside of a case. Anyone got anything?
From the OP:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=32710803&postcount=17227
 

JVIDICAN

Member
Switch the case to something like the Fractal Core 3000, CM 690II, or BitFenix Merc/Outlaw.

The emulation part makes me iffy on the recommendation, but you'd be a lot better off with an i3 and a H61/H67/P67 motherboard as outlined in the OP over the AMD stuff.

You are bordering on unusable with a 30GB OS drive. Consider removing your external from the enclosure and installing it in your rig.

Cool, I'll check out those cases. Would an i3 still be able to be OC'd a to a degree where the Corsair is still necessary for cooling?
How much better off would I be If I went with an i5?
 

mkenyon

Banned
does $250 seem fair?
I wouldn't sell it for more than $150.

Cool, I'll check out those cases. Would an i3 still be able to be OC'd a to a degree where the Corsair is still necessary for cooling?
How much better off would I be If I went with an i5?
No, you can't, but it still performs better than OC'd AMD's.

2500K and a good P67/Z68 motherboard are well worth the price of admission. If I had to pinch pennies for an extra month or two, I'd do it.
 

Zzoram

Member
My friend's PC seems busted.

Booting up, he gets a black screen with 000 scattered all over the place and nothing else. This is followed by the loading screen to get into Windows, after which it's just black.

Booting into safe mode works, but there are faint blue vertical bars on the screen, not many, just a few clusters of a few bars.

Uninstalling the nVidia drivers in safe mode and rebooting gets back into normal Windows fine, but the faint blue vertical bars are still there.



Is this a faulty video card, driver problem, or something else? I suspect it's the video card because the vertical blue bars are there even when the video drivers are uninstalled. However, my friend doesn't want to commit to buying a replacement card until we get some more opinions on the problem. What do you think?
 
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