# 2013 PC upgrades



## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 7, 2013)

Hey Guys,

So, I am looking to do a couple of things to my current rig.

First, I am looking to upgrade the CPU from my FX 8120 to a Haswell or Ivy Bridge.
Secondly, I am looking to downsize the size of my chassis. 

I recently was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my L5/S1 area of my back. So, the VA does not want me lifting heavy things much. 

That said, my case is a Corsair 600T and is massive and heavy. 

I have considered the Coolermaster HAF XB or something along the lines. 

The Haswell is temping due to running cooler and having a general performance gain over AMD. 
I love my AMD but my power and AC bills keep climbing. I sit in my room with the AC at 65 and my room is still around 85 when my PC is on.

What can I do without dropping alot of money on upgrades? I only want to spend ~500 max.


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## MT Alex (Sep 7, 2013)

The Corsair 350D is much classier than that HAF case.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 7, 2013)

MT Alex said:


> The Corsair 350D is much classier than that HAF case.



can I carry it to LAN parties easily?


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## Dent1 (Sep 8, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> So, I am looking to do a couple of things to my current rig.
> 
> ...



Depends what you do with your computer, but I doubt you'll notice a difference on everyday usage to justify the upgrade.  

Switching CPUs alone will not change your electricity bill, probably a few dollars saving a month at best. The room will be cooler so you might use more heating when it gets cold, so your bill might even go up!


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## RCoon (Sep 8, 2013)

Prodigy + 4670K + Z87 ITX
Or the M-ATX prodigy


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

+1 to matx Prodigy, it will certainly save you quite a lot of weight. Ivy Bridge has a lot of good mitx motherboard if you are going the itx route, but imo the best bang for buck can be found on the matx boards.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 8, 2013)

But if I want to stay under $500 for the upgrades, what should I be going with. I have 16GB of DDR3 2133Mhz Gskill RAM. I use my machine for many things but mostly gaming. I do have more than one PCIe card. I have a tv tuner, a soundblaster xfi titanium card, and my 7970. Not to mention, 3 HDDs and 2 SSDs with the DVDRW.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> But if I want to stay under $500 for the upgrades, what should I be going with. I have 16GB of DDR3 2133Mhz Gskill RAM. I use my machine for many things but mostly gaming.



Say you are changing only motherboard + cpu and case. So something like this: 

Bitfenix Prodigy 
4670K
MSI Z87I 

Totals up to about $470 pre delivery off the egg.

I can't really think of a small case supporting the H100i, something you might want to take a look: http://www.overclock.net/t/1144409/...compatibility-thread-page-1-for-full-listings


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 9, 2013)

Fourstaff said:


> Say you are changing only motherboard + cpu and case. So something like this:
> 
> Bitfenix Prodigy
> 4670K
> ...



would that work with the m-ATX Prodigy? MTAlex also pointed out the 350D and I looked at the Coolermaster HAF XB case. I also eyed the CM N600 varients as well as the CM Elite 120 Advanced. I really would like to be able to use at least my Hauppauge tuner card too. ^_^


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## Fourstaff (Sep 9, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> would that work with the m-ATX Prodigy? MTAlex also pointed out the 350D and I looked at the Coolermaster HAF XB case. I also eyed the CM N600 varients as well as the CM Elite 120 Advanced. I really would like to be able to use at least my Hauppauge tuner card too. ^_^



Get a mATX board then. CM120 is mitx only, so no go if you want to fit your tv tuner in. N600 can take the H100i, but its still a full sized case. The smaller N200 can take the H100i, but I am not sure if the tubing reaches the front properly.


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## BigBoi (Sep 11, 2013)

since i think you mentioned you want to :
1.) put everything you have (as much as possible)
2.) carry it to LAN parties

you can try this:
gigabyte z87mx-d3h $124.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128601&Tpk=z87mx
i5 4670k $229.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116899
Cooler Master Strom Scout 2 advanced $99.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119263

total: $454.97

i'm not sure though if the weight is a lot less compared to your 600t

the h100i actually fits on top of that case, but you cant do push-pull unless its ok for you to have the "pull" fans visible...


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## MxPhenom 216 (Sep 11, 2013)

Don't get the Storm Scout lolz

Get the Corsair 350D like Alex said, or wait for the incoming ITX version.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 11, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Don't get the Storm Scout lolz
> 
> Get the Corsair 350D like Alex said, or wait for the incoming ITX version.



i would totally jump on the mITX version except for the fact that it extremely limits my expansion ability. i have a dedicated sound card and a TV tuner as well as the GPU. What i prolly will do is upgrade the case first then grab the mobo and cpu. It will save me cash over time. Since i still have to change the front tires and align them on my truck ~$350. ^_^

I guess the big question Phenom is : do I get the HAF XB or do I get the 350D? both are the same price roughly. The HAF XB would give me the ability to keep an ATX board if I wanted to.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 11, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> i would totally jump on the mITX version except for the fact that it extremely limits my expansion ability. i have a dedicated sound card and a TV tuner as well as the GPU. What i prolly will do is upgrade the case first then grab the mobo and cpu. It will save me cash over time. Since i still have to change the front tires and align them on my truck ~$350. ^_^



Fractal Design Core 1000 is quite a well regarded case if you are willing to ditch the H100i.


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## MxPhenom 216 (Sep 11, 2013)

you wont need a dedicated sound card with the chips that are already on these z87 boards.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 11, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> you wont need a dedicated sound card with the chips that are already on these z87 boards.



The X-Fi Titanium he has is still quite a lot better than those found in your standard Z87 boards (with ALC898 or ALC1150). Plus he still has his TV tuner, so Matx is still the minimum size.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 11, 2013)

Fourstaff said:


> The X-Fi Titanium he has is still quite a lot better than those found in your standard Z87 boards (with ALC898 or ALC1150). Plus he still has his TV tuner, so Matx is still the minimum size.


t
When the Onboard is better than the x-fi titanium or an ASUS card, I will stop using them. The TV tuner is not required but it is nice to have an option to put it in.


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## MxPhenom 216 (Sep 12, 2013)

meh, just get a Asus ROG board like the Gene and throw it in a 350D and call it a day.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 12, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> meh, just get a Asus ROG board like the Gene and throw it in a 350D and call it a day.



that is roughly 200$. Not much room for the CPU and Case........


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## thebluebumblebee (Sep 12, 2013)

The HAF XB weights 10 lbs less than the 600T, but the shape of it will move the weight further away from your body, which would put more stress on your back.  I would think a simple mid tower would do the trick. 
The nice thing about the XB are the handles.  The Prodigy-M (not yet available) has "handles" as well.  If you get a standard case, you will have to reach under the case to lift it or fashion handles of some sort.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 12, 2013)

thebluebumblebee said:


> The HAF XB weights 10 lbs less than the 600T, but the shape of it will move the weight further away from your body, which would put more stress on your back.  I would think a simple mid tower would do the trick.
> The nice thing about the XB are the handles.  The Prodigy-M (not yet available) has "handles" as well.  If you get a standard case, you will have to reach under the case to lift it or fashion handles of some sort.



thanks for the advice.

can you suggest a good small case and form factor? If the onboard audio rivals my xfi titanium, ill go mITX


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## MxPhenom 216 (Sep 12, 2013)

No TV tuner or whatever?


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 12, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> No TV tuner or whatever?



Correct. I don't use it these days. I used it primarily for my ps2 and cable. It works fine but I can't rip the commercials.:-(


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## da20valve (Sep 12, 2013)

The case you have is awesome, plus the 600T is light, you are only going to substitute quality with weight and for that the weight the 600T is awesome, awesomely built and awesomely made, The Bitfenix Prodigy is actually heavier then the 600T and the build quality isn't as good as the Corsair, if you want something easy to carry around then get the Antec Lanboy Air, they aren't for everyone but they are easy to carry because of the handles.

DONT Ditch your case, you are paying extra money for no upgrade, plus with the amount of money you have to spend and the stuff you have not many cases mentioned will be ideal.
Just get the 4670K and something like a Asus Z87 plus, all the rest of your stuff is good and no upgraded is needed. Plus sticking in a Z87 and CPU in your old case is like 15 minutes work.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 12, 2013)

da20valve said:


> The case you have is awesome, plus the 600T is light, you are only going to substitute quality with weight and for that the weight the 600T is awesome, awesomely built and awesomely made, The Bitfenix Prodigy is actually heavier then the 600T and the build quality isn't as good as the Corsair, if you want something easy to carry around then get the Antec Lanboy Air, they aren't for everyone but they are easy to carry because of the handles.
> 
> DONT Ditch your case, you are paying extra money for no upgrade, plus with the amount of money you have to spend and the stuff you have not many cases mentioned will be ideal.
> Just get the 4670K and something like a Asus Z87 plus, all the rest of your stuff is good and no upgraded is needed. Plus sticking in a Z87 and CPU in your old case is like 15 minutes work.



I do like my case. I don't buy that thr prodigy weighs more. I'm currently at my folks where I built a prodigy system for them. That is a light case. Plus, just got back from a Neuro-surgeon appt at the VA. I'm not allowed to lift anything heavier than 40lbs. That kinda removes my case as an option since the shipping weight was 40lbs.


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## TheMailMan78 (Sep 12, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> can I carry it to LAN parties easily?



LAN parties? Aren't you almost 30?


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 12, 2013)

TheMailMan78 said:


> LAN parties? Aren't you almost 30?



My department at school is hosting one in November to advertise for our major. We are trying to get students interested in computers as a field choice.


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## thebluebumblebee (Sep 12, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> If the onboard audio rivals my xfi titanium, ill go mITX


That's a question for cadaveca



da20valve said:


> The case you have is awesome, plus the 600T is light, you are only going to substitute quality with weight and for that the weight the 600T is awesome, awesomely built and awesomely made, The Bitfenix Prodigy is actually heavier then the 600T and the build quality isn't as good as the Corsair, if you want something easy to carry around then get the Antec Lanboy Air, they aren't for everyone but they are easy to carry because of the handles.



Proof?  
I looked at the weight given at Newegg, and I realize that they may be shipping weight listed, but it still gives a general idea.  The 600T is listed at 28 lbs.  The Lanboy air is listed at 20 lbs.  The Bitfenix Prodigy is listed at 15.43 lbs on Amazon.  The Antec GX GX 700, for instance, is only 17.2 lbs.  I have a SilverStone Precision series PS05 that is very light at 13.6 lbs, but I have to be careful how I lift it or I will bend it.

The issue here is not how awesome the 600T is, or how desirable it is to use, it is KRD's back and his need to reduce strain put on it.  The 600T is a wide case at 10.4 inches wide while that GX 700 that I referred to is only 7.9 inches wide.  The wider a case is the more it will move the weight away from his body as he carries it and the more strain it will put on his back.  My wife, a PT, recommended putting it on wheels, somehow.

KRD:suggestions:
*Changing cases is the obvious way to lose 10+ lbs.  I have not used that GX 700 case, but it will accommodate the H100.  Newegg also has the  NZXT Source 210 (14.3 lbs)for $30 right now. Changing out the case will most likely get you under 40 lbs. (I just checked my 2600K/ATX/2x560Ti/H80/P280 system and it weights 41.4 lbs)
*Going from 3 to 1 HDD will save about 2 lbs and reduce your heat load.
*Change out the H100 for something like the TPC-612 (-1.6 lbs) or TPC-812 (-1.1 lbs) (the weight of the H100 was HARD to find-still not 100% sure of the 3.31 lbs figure(Amazon))
*I'm not investigating this, but I would think that a 500 watt PSU would be lighter than the 750 that you have.

crazyeyesreaper has a 3770k/Biostar TZ77XE4 (cadaveca loved it, especially the onboard audio) for sale...(a way for you to test one of the best audio's without having to give up the option of your dedicated card)


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## Fourstaff (Sep 12, 2013)

H100i is not that heavy, I reckon its about the weight of a big air cooler.


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## Vario (Sep 12, 2013)

The xeon is a good proc for budget i7 ivy.bridge.  Also  i just had back surgery on my spinal cord (syrinx and tethered cord) so i ferl you on heavy pcs, might be a year till i can carry my cosmos!  Check out the coolermsster n200, heard good things.


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## da20valve (Sep 13, 2013)

thebluebumblebee said:


> That's a question for cadaveca
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I will make it really simple for you then, he is not getting a case, mainboard and cpu for under $500, the only case he can get is something like the Haf XB, NOTHING else will be big enough for all his stuff or will be too heavy, BTW Corsair 600T fully loaded is less then 50lb, so I don't see how it weights 28lbs empty, that's just the shipping weight for pricing and size, if you want I will weigh one at work, I know how much they weigh though we use them all the time and when we ship them (built) we use a lime label (it covers up to 22kgs)


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 13, 2013)

da20valve said:


> I will make it really simple for you then, he is not getting a case, mainboard and cpu for under $500, the only case he can get is something like the Haf XB, NOTHING else will be big enough for all his stuff or will be too heavy, BTW Corsair 600T fully loaded is less then 50lb, so I don't see how it weights 28lbs empty, that's just the shipping weight for pricing and size, if you want I will weigh one at work, I know how much they weigh though we use them all the time and when we ship them (built) we use a lime label (it covers up to 22kgs)



unfortunately, the HAF XB wont do since I need more than 2 platter cages. 

I can do without the Tuner and Sound Card as long as the onboard sound is kickin.


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## da20valve (Sep 13, 2013)

Thermaltake V3 are really light, but you will go over your 500 with the case, mainboard and CPU.
You H100 might be a tight fit though, although it should be close.


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## BigBoi (Sep 13, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> I do like my case. I don't buy that thr prodigy weighs more. I'm currently at my folks where I built a prodigy system for them. That is a light case. Plus, just got back from a Neuro-surgeon appt at the VA. I'm not allowed to lift anything heavier than 40lbs. That kinda removes my case as an option since the shipping weight was 40lbs.



any reason in particular that you don't like about the suggestion i made?


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 13, 2013)

BigBoi said:


> any reason in particular that you don't like about the suggestion i made?



no, it is still on the table. I have built using that case and it is good.


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## Vario (Sep 13, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> no, it is still on the table. I have built using that case and it is good.



Just throwing this out one more time:
http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/case/mini-tower/n200.html
*Dimensions (W x H x D) 	202 x 378 x 445 mm / 7.9 x 14.9 x 17.5 inch
[size=+4]Net Weight 9.5 lbs*[/size]









COOLER MASTER NSE-200-KKN2 (N200) Support 240mm Ra...
Regular price $49.99
$39.99 after $10.00 rebate card	
- $10 off w/ promo code EMCXLWT67, ends 9/19 
=$29.99


Also, going in for my followup today for my back surgery 3 weeks ago, no regrets going that route if you should go that route as well, it worked for me.  I had a different problem though, mine was spinalcord not the disks or column.  My exgirlfriend had a l5-s1 herniation, she had the laminectomy and it repaired nicely, as far as I know she's still a successful surgery.  L5-S1 is a common herniation point from everyone I know.  Personally, my L5-S1 has an annular tear and minor central protrusion but its not symptomatic.  Think I got it from a 450+ raw deadlift attempt many years back (@165lb)


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## Fourstaff (Sep 13, 2013)

Vario said:


> Just throwing this out one more time:
> http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/case/mini-tower/n200.html
> *Dimensions (W x H x D) 	202 x 378 x 445 mm / 7.9 x 14.9 x 17.5 inch
> [size=+4]Net Weight 9.5 lbs*[/size]
> ...



I am not sure if the H100i will fit in the front. If it does it will be perfect.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 13, 2013)

Vario said:


> Just throwing this out one more time:
> http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/case/mini-tower/n200.html
> *Dimensions (W x H x D) 	202 x 378 x 445 mm / 7.9 x 14.9 x 17.5 inch
> [size=+4]Net Weight 9.5 lbs*[/size]
> ...



Yeah, that case was one of the first ones I was looking at. It is also the one I plan to use to build my friend's first rig from. Either that or I will sell him my 600T.

My back is asymptomatic. So the Neurosurgeon said since I'm 27 it would be too early to do surgery since my back would only get worse strength wise as I age. Now, if I start having serious issues, they will operate. I just have to follow this PT plan and shed about 40 lbs. Im 6'5" and weigh ~255lbs. ^_^


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## Vario (Sep 14, 2013)

Killer_Rubber_Ducky said:


> Yeah, that case was one of the first ones I was looking at. It is also the one I plan to use to build my friend's first rig from. Either that or I will sell him my 600T.
> 
> My back is asymptomatic. So the Neurosurgeon said since I'm 27 it would be too early to do surgery since my back would only get worse strength wise as I age. Now, if I start having serious issues, they will operate. I just have to follow this PT plan and shed about 40 lbs. Im 6'5" and weigh ~255lbs. ^_^



If its asymptomatic its really not a big deal bro.  Just start doing planks and lose some weight, get some stronger posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, obliques)

L5-S1 herniations are very common and an injection of cortisone might be all you need to get back on your feet for mild cases.  If you start getting really bad sciatica you should consider the surgery but otherwise just do the PT and adhere to it.  Other thing it could be sacroilliac joint alignment.


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## da20valve (Sep 14, 2013)

See if he wants yours and get the Coolermaster, I am kind of blown away at that case. You will need some exhaust fans on the roof though and get the one without the Window, the one with has no option for a side fan.


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## Vario (Sep 14, 2013)

da20valve said:


> See if he wants yours and get the Coolermaster, I am kind of blown away at that case. You will need some exhaust fans on the roof though and get the one without the Window, the one with has no option for a side fan.



Ifn you sell him that 600, when you build him a case full'a parts you make sure he carries it off the work bench!  Point of build is point of sale!


Before I've bought my last few cases, I've watched youtube videos on onboxing and also on building rigs in the various cases I am interested in.  I'd recommend doing this research.  Theres a few great reviewers like linus tech tips and others who do great case video reviews.  Also I like the XB but it felt cheap to me (the plastic siding on the front) once I got to microcenter, was solid otherwise and I loved the layout.  Haven't personally held a N200 yet but from the videos I saw it looked like a great choice, I picked the elite 120 instead because its form factor seemed ameanable to a wood skin.  In stock form, my Elite 120 Advanced wasn't half bad if you modified the front to have a blow in fan if you want a really small shuttle sized case (now with wood panels).  I was impressed with its build quality to price ratio.  I would assume the N200 is equivalent but can't guarantee it.  Coolermaster makes good stuff.


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 18, 2013)

So, I just got rid of one of my Mechanical HDDs so I am considering the HAF XB and the 350D. I like both of them. The big thing that the HAF XB has going for it is the ease of working on it. Linus Tech Tips gave both cases excellent reviews. The 17" width is fine with me so the size width wise is no problem.


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## TheMailMan78 (Sep 18, 2013)

Ducky did you ever look into that half track I was telling you about?


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## Killer_Rubber_Ducky (Sep 18, 2013)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Ducky did you ever look into that half track I was telling you about?



yes. Lowes wanted $50+ for it. Plus, I would still have to pick the thing up to move it from one location to another. Yes, I can roll it around. But when I have to put it into the truck bed, I have to lift the sucker and adding the Track weight, would put it closer to 50lbs.


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