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06-16-2010, 09:42 PM
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#1 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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'Nother build
Hi. This will be my second build. The first was about 3 years ago and completely successful- with your guidance. E6600 C2D/GS 7900/2 gigs RAM/ ASUS mobo P5 something. The Xclio PSU failed and I upgraded to a Samsung 24" LCD but shes still going strong and now handed down to my son.
Use/priority of this machine: 75% gaming-25% websurfing, photo manipulating, music. But my gaming isn't too demanding of the hardware- CIV4, War in the Pacific, an MMORG called NavyField. Investment around $1500. Initially I was thinking i5-660, 8 gigs RAM(2 sticks), $350 video card, 750w PSU, Win 7 Ultimate. But the total came to $2k.......and I discovered SATA 3. And I've been doing some research. It seems one needs a PCIe x16 slot for SATA 3 connectivity. Also, I really don't need such a big CPU. So I am now at revision A: MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3 mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130274 AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103652 Corsair 650w PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005 4 gigs Corsair RAM(this type over others cuz its packaged with the PSU): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145198 Win 7 Ultimate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116718 Registry Cleaner(I've never had one and its a package deal with the OS): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832269037 WD Caviar SATA 3 HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533 Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130514 Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001378 Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156061 Also will add mouse and keyboard. But ya see my situation. I've been an nVidia man for years- and its all Crossfire specs. I had a sour experience with ATI way back when. Big expensive mobo(and its not an ASUS) but it has plenty of PCIe x 16 slots. My idea is to go with a lesser video card and upgrade to Crossfore if/when needed. And still have slots available for SATA 3 and USB 3. So I seek opinions. Is this a wise path, just go ahead and buy ATI video? Such as a 5830? Or go back to Intel, perhaps an i3-530 and nVidia? Yeah- I plan to OC this one- haveta add a CPU cooler on there(recommendations?). lol yeah I'm goin with some flash too- yellow or red LEDs inside the box. Any response is appreciated. |
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06-16-2010, 11:56 PM
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#2 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 127.0.0.1
Posts: 357
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That graphics card is weaksauce, well basically it's really old and not worth buying now a days. If your looking for some "lighter" gaming than "latest and greatest" then I'd say go with a Diamond 5770
Lovely PSU. Same with the HDD. That OS is WAY overpriced. Go with this Win7 Ultimate 64bit OEM instead Try this combo! ~$20 cheaper! I wouldn't get a 2x4GB (8GB) kit because those can be very pricey, I'd stick with a 2x2GB kit and upgrade to 8GB if you find yourself using all 4GB frequently enough. This motherboard is more reliable than the one you picked out because MSI has been known to release nothing but crap. ASUS 890GX SATAIII NOTE: There is also USB 3.0 that is on a similar motherboard model, however it's ~$30 more. USB 3.0 I believe is about 4 times faster than USB 2.0 and will be used in the future. ASUS 890FX I believe this processor might be overkill but still very very very fast. Phenom II X4 955
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My Rig: Q9550 | Freezer 7 Pro (rev. 2) | EVGA GTX 560 Ti | OCZ 4GB DDR2 PC6400 | Gigabyte G31M-ES2L (v1.1) | 650W Corsair (CMPSU-650HX) | 500GB WD Caviar Black | NZXT Phantom White | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit DXeleven F@H Last edited by ryuk999; 06-17-2010 at 12:02 AM. |
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06-17-2010, 12:57 AM
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#3 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 329
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I'd go for this monitor over the Samsung
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236049 same response times and very well reviewed, plus a 3 year warranty (vs 1 year for Samsung). I'd go for a HD 5770 for the video card. Do you need the XP Mode of Ultimate? Or do you need it for some other reason? If not, then just go with the OEM Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit.
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Main PC: ECS P55H-A | Intel Core i5-750 OC @ 3.3GHz | Corsair 550VX | 2 x 2 Gb G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 | 2 x Sapphire HD 5770 Crossfire | WD Caviar Black 640Gb | OCZ Vertex 2 120Gb SSD (Steam apps) Portable gaming rig: MSI 880GM-E43 | AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.20, Core unlocked and OC @ 3.68 GHz | Antec Earthwatts Green 430 | 2 x 2Gb G. Skill Ripjaws 1600 | HIS HD 5770 | WD Caviar Blue 250 Gb Laptop: Dell Alienware M11x R1 | Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 OC @ 1.7 Ghz | 4 Gb RAM | NVidia GT335M | ADATA 128 GB SSD http://www.xfire.com/profile/orbrit/videos/ |
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06-17-2010, 02:24 AM
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#4 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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In my reading I had gotten the idea that Ultimate was faster and more full-featured than Home edition. Thats why there. The Samsung- 2 years ago I bought one (recommended here) and have been very satisfied with it. If that one was still available its what I woulda went with. The 2ms response time common to both.
Ryuk- ya that CPU looks very good, Definitely superior to the 720 Heka. The MSI was used in an article in Tom's Hardware- I really hadn't done much digging for alternatives. But I definitely would prefer an ASUS board. But both of those examples only have 2 x16 slots- and they drop to x8 in Crossfire. The main criterion is 3-4 PCIe x16 slots for USB 3, SATA 3 and Crossfire. Thats my upgrade video path. And my research says both SATA 3 and USB 3 need access to PCIe x16 slots. Perhaps I'm mistaken but.... Thanks for the responses. I'm having second thoughts of using AMD if its necessary to use ATI video with it. No surprise tho as AMD owns ATI. P.S. That $1500 figure is a ballpark number- bang for the buck is the bottom line. Last edited by LMC; 06-17-2010 at 02:31 AM. Reason: additional statement |
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06-17-2010, 07:10 AM
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#5 | |
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Quote:
MSI motherboards are getting very good reviews, but they have historically had reliability issues. Whatever version of Windows you buy, get the OEM package and save some money. No need for the full retail package. |
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06-17-2010, 09:05 AM
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#6 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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Ah glc- I had hoped to hear from you. And excellent info as usual. Thanks. Is it true that SATA 3 and USB 3 each require a PCIe x16 slot? Seems they're the wave of the future.
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06-17-2010, 09:41 AM
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#7 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 329
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My understanding is that it's not that they need a physical slot, but they will use lanes of the PCIe bus, which on most P55 boards means the primary GPU will not operate at x16, but instead at x8.
Looks like the AMD 890gx uses the southbridge for native SATA 3 do it doesn't affect GPU performance. Doesn't support USB3.0 but you could always use an add in controller. For future proofing the 890FX linked above definitely seems like it's the way to go. Last edited by orbrit; 06-17-2010 at 10:17 AM. |
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06-17-2010, 11:10 AM
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#8 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 329
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OK based on what you've stated earlier (gaming performance, SATA 3 etc. ) here's a build option for under $1500.
RAIDMAX Sirius ATX-701WS Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156061 ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131655 SAPPHIRE TOXIC 100282TXSR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102881 CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005 Bundled with CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145260 AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103674 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533 ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236049 ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135204 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754 |
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06-17-2010, 11:12 AM
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#9 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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Yes I've read somewhere that AMD has gotten the jump on this and they're CPUs are setup much better for SATA 3 integration.
Edit: Ahhhh excellent- thank you very much. It appears all is well. I may find an alternative to that video card tho. Its ATI and also Sapphire is not at the top of the preferences for vendors. Last edited by LMC; 06-17-2010 at 11:30 AM. |
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06-17-2010, 12:02 PM
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#10 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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That 5850 is more than I need- and a high price too. I'll stay with the GTS 250. Its still several steps better than the GS7900 I've been using.
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06-17-2010, 12:11 PM
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#11 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 329
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In that case, you should downgrade the rest of your system to match and save some money!
It's like building a Ferrari from scratch, then putting skinny space saver tires on it! I thought this was a 75% gaming build. ATI have better gaming cards right now. The sweet spot would be the 5770 for only $15 more than the GTS 250 costs. Last edited by orbrit; 06-17-2010 at 12:23 PM. |
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06-17-2010, 12:59 PM
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#12 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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Thats a valid opinion of course. The CPU is stronger on balance. On the other hand the extra $50 into the CPU right now future proofs me more. And I really prefer to stay with nVidia- lol emotion trumps logic.
I made a similar decision when I chose the GS7900 for my previous build. Use it for 3 yrs then re-evaluate. Well, its now been over 3 yrs and its still good- I haven't run into video capability problems yet. Heck my son likes it for his RPGs and such. |
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06-17-2010, 01:35 PM
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#13 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 329
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Fair enough.
There's no doubt it will perform. You can always buy another card later. That board only supports Crossfire, not SLI though. |
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06-17-2010, 02:14 PM
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#14 |
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I don't care what your video chipset preferences are, you need to read this article:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...deon,2646.html |
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06-17-2010, 03:09 PM
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#15 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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wow more evidence for ATI. I notice the HD 5750 just below the GTS 250 supports both higher resolution and DX 11. Hmmmmmmm................................
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06-17-2010, 05:05 PM
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#16 |
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Yessir, and the 5770 wins its price bracket too. Nvidia has some catching up to do, its only really viable cards right now are the high end ones. I'm also very concerned about Nvidia's financial health.
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06-17-2010, 07:49 PM
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#17 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 70
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Ok, after more shufflin and comparin and considering orbrit's point about balance in the system, I've settled on http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161327. Along with the $163 in extended warranties, $50 in shipping, the Registry cleaner and an aftermarket cooler (the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus) the total is $1620. Minus $35 in rebates. lol now the question is- will that cooler and that card fit into the Raidmax mid-tower?
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06-18-2010, 01:19 AM
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#18 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 127.0.0.1
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I'd go with stock cooling unless that isn't sufficient. Unless of course your overclocking right off the bat.
The 5830 will fit into that case just fine. |
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06-18-2010, 06:43 AM
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#19 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
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No, I can't do it. I swore off ATI and I meant it (and don't even talk to me about Chrysler lol). Nvidia has financial problems? As a true-blue (green?) customer I can't jump ship then. And I have a clear course: buy a 250 or 260 card, and if I need to upgrade that card can go into my old build as an upgrade from the GS7900. The heck with ATI's drivers.
And another thing: if really necessary Nvidia's drivers can be removed. Rather than be forever enslaved as ATI forces. Has forced. |
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06-18-2010, 08:40 AM
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#20 |
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Then I would advise you strongly to wait till the lower end Fermis are out.
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06-18-2010, 09:23 AM
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#21 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Thanks for your help glc. But as you noticed I don't really have a need for such capability. A 250/260 will do me fine, then later be an excellent upgrade for the old C2D E6600 machine. An economical path- and later when I need to upgrade my choice may well be clearer. And prices on the 400's may be lower.
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06-18-2010, 04:39 PM
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#22 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Ok my order is in- thanks for all the help. I went with a GTS 250 for $125.
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06-25-2010, 08:50 AM
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#23 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Well, things didn't go as smoothly as last time. I assembled everything in the case but upon firing it up nothing happens. The lowest guage(front of case) lights up immediately, the one above it 2 seconds later but thats it. No sounds, no signal to the monitor, no activity from the HD activity light, nothing. The fans come on and the mobo LEDs light up but then I just sit there lookin at it. I'm gonna disassemble and try booting it minimalist style on the table as u guys suggest.
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06-25-2010, 01:26 PM
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#24 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2006
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DDDDDOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!
I didn't connect the second power plug to the mobo. I've now done so and all is well. OS installed, drivers too. |
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06-25-2010, 01:58 PM
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#25 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Oregon
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That's been happening quite a bit lately!
http://forum.pcmech.com/showpost.php...07&postcount=6 http://forum.pcmech.com/showpost.php...04&postcount=5 Last edited by orbrit; 06-25-2010 at 02:02 PM. |
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06-26-2010, 05:26 AM
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#26 |
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Member (7 bit)
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I want to say once again: you guys rock! Thank you.
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