# Side Grade to a i5/i7 860 or a new monitor and RAM?



## 20mmrain (Dec 25, 2009)

Side Grade to a i5/i7 860 or a new monitor and RAM? Well It's just like the question I asked..... Right now I have some pretty nice specs.....

Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
Q9550 @3.8 (Capable of 4.0 w/better ram and @ stock voltages)
Diamond ATi HD 5870
Western Digital x2 7200RPM 500GIG HDD 32MB Cache
Windows 7 64-bit
CM Sinper Case - black edition
Hyper 212 plus HSF
Corsair 750TX PSU
4 Gig G.Skill 800MHZ RAM

But I will be getting a fair amount of money for Xmas...... and I want to know if upgrading to a i5/i7 system is a good idea? (But I noticed that the performance gains I would be getting is not very high) (the biggest reason to do it would be for some Benching and upgrading in the future.) Oh I should also add that I do plan to Xfire my 5870 in the future..... and right now my MOB doesn't support it.

Or recently I got to play on a 37 inch monitor.... and ever since then I have had a woody for a larger monitor than I have. Right now I have a 20 inch monitor 1680x1050. So if I don't go with the upgrade to the new Hardware..... I would like to buy a new monitor a 24 inch and some 1066MHZ Ram for a higher overclock for my Q9550. 

If you were me which would you choose? I would appreciate the help...... Oh and .....

BTW Marry XMAS to all and Happy New Years!!!


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## DirectorC (Dec 25, 2009)

Do it







Look at the overclocked i5: http://www.techspot.com/review/193-intel-core-i5-750/page5.html


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## Cold Storm (Dec 25, 2009)

I went this way... 9550 (4ghz) ----- QX9650 (4.4ghz) ----- I5 750 (4.2ghz) and I will never turn back from having this i5 set up.. It's so much smoother then both my 9550 and QX.. It's well worth the price now that DDR3 has went down in price.. Hell, the boards aren't as bad as the x48 boards when they came out.. Price wise..


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## DirectorC (Dec 25, 2009)

Also, the P7P55D doesn't require you to touch the voltages to overclock.  It automatically feeds the CPU all the juice it asks for.  That's the way I will roll when I go i5.


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## Cold Storm (Dec 25, 2009)

I was thinking myself on getting one of the asus "P" series boards due to how they are designed.. Not to mention the colors..


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## 3volvedcombat (Dec 25, 2009)

I have a q9550, running at 4.0ghz 24/7 and im realy really pleased with how smooth it is, but a i5 750 would change that all around or what T_T. I couldclock mine at 4.2Ghz 24/7 but thats piontliss. I might think about going i7+p55 with ddr3 at cl8-9 2000Mhz


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## Cold Storm (Dec 25, 2009)

Yeah, once I got past 3.8ghz on both my q9550 and Qx9650, there wasn't really any "gain" to make me want to go higher.. My Pi runs where better, but That more was a "shot" style tries then anything. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my Q9550 and Qx.. (Qx was a cherry picked chip) but, it didn't given me the fun that this i5 750 chip has.. Or my P55 set up all together.


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## PaulieG (Dec 25, 2009)

Cold Storm said:


> Yeah, once I got past 3.8ghz on both my q9550 and Qx9650, there wasn't really any "gain" to make me want to go higher.. My Pi runs where better, but That more was a "shot" style tries then anything.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I love my Q9550 and Qx.. (Qx was a cherry picked chip) but, it didn't given me the fun that this i5 750 chip has.. Or my P55 set up all together.



An i7 860 is the way to go. The 1156 platform is even outperforming 1366. Here's a review demonstrating this, by a reviewer I know and trust:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=69


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## Cold Storm (Dec 25, 2009)

Paulieg said:


> An i7 860 is the way to go. The 1156 platform is even outperforming 1366. Here's a review demonstrating this, by a reviewer I know and trust:
> 
> http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=69



Yeah, in the P55 set up, the i7's are still "king" to the chip.. If you want to go over 2000mhz on ram, you might as well have a i7 chip..That's only due to the fact that most ram after 2000mhz is designed for the i7 chips.. I love my PiS ram, but it's being held back by my i5 chip.. 

I might upgrade to a 860 chip.. But, right now, I love this chip.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 25, 2009)

> Look at the overclocked i5: http://www.techspot.com/review/193-i...750/page5.html



That set up is pretty close to what I was looking at. Don't get me wrong I love my Q9550 and would keep it if..... there was any place to go with it. But there isn't ..... it's still pretty TOL right now but i5 is the new wtg. Also want to be able to sell my Q9550 at a decent price before I can't any longer.

This is the set up I was thinking about.....

MOB: EVGA P55 LE 123-LF-E653-KR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188054

Or other choice for MOB:

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128412

There is also a Combo deal with that one ... The Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 with either a i5 or a i7 860 for between 319$ through 397$

And for the memory here's what I was looking at.....

Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435

Or this memory......

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145251

Also here...... last thought about memory......

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231274

So these are the price ranges that I am looking at...... If you have any other suggestions let me know. Otherwise also just let me know what you think ( if these components have any compatibility issues? that you know about?) 

Thanks for the imput guys ...... It looks like I'm getting a new set up


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## DirectorC (Dec 25, 2009)

I can stand behind Gigabyte as I love my Gigabyte board.  I exchanged an unstable EVGA 750i FTW for it.

You should spend the $10 extra on 1600MHz RAM.  The one I picked is CL7, now that is truly FTW.


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## slyfox2151 (Dec 25, 2009)

im going to go agenst everyone and say GET A BETTER MONITOR!

imo whats the point in having more fps if it still looks the same. get a larger monitor with a higher resolution and contrast 

DO IT!


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## MetalRacer (Dec 25, 2009)

20mmrain said:


> That set up is pretty close to what I was looking at. Don't get me wrong I love my Q9550 and would keep it if..... there was any place to go with it. But there isn't ..... it's still pretty TOL right now but i5 is the new wtg. Also want to be able to sell my Q9550 at a decent price before I can't any longer.
> 
> This is the set up I was thinking about.....
> 
> ...



In your original post you said you wanted a mobo that would do Xfire.
The two mobo you are looking at will not do Xfire.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 25, 2009)

> im going to go agenst everyone and say GET A BETTER MONITOR!
> 
> imo whats the point in having more fps if it still looks the same. get a larger monitor with a higher resolution and contrast
> 
> ...



See I know you have a point and when I played my PC on a 37inch TV LCD it looked awesome! <------ bang's my head against the door!!!! I want both!!! ( I know I will eventually get both but it's hard to pick which one first! )



> I can stand behind Gigabyte as I love my Gigabyte board. I exchanged an unstable EVGA 750i FTW for it.
> 
> You should spend the $10 extra on 1600MHz RAM. The one I picked is CL7, now that is truly FTW.



Yeah see I have been a gigabyte man too..... I have owned a couple Asus boards.... and one MSI.... Built a few other peoples Intel boards ...... but in the end for my own personal use I go back to Gigabyte.
I know this next part sounds really lame but the reason I was thinking about one of those EVGA boards was because of EVGA's RMA customer service and...... because I own a CM Sniper -Black edition case. The inside is all black..... wouldn't a black PCB MOB with a couple of 5870 (Black and red) with that G.skill Jig Saw (black and red ) ram look slick?

Here's a pic of my case ......

















I know I can't believe I am letting a color influence my decision some what ..... but what can I say I also am an artist so I got that back ground too.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 25, 2009)

> In your original post you said you wanted a mobo that would do Xfire.
> The two mobo you are looking at will not do Xfire.



The EVGA does it has two PCIe 2.0 slots @x16????

And the Gigabyte board does.... it just has one PCIe slot running @ x4 which of course would not be preferable...... so I think I was meaning to look at this one......

GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD4P

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128400

But still they both do unless I am seeing something wrong?

All though I am reading that the EVGA board in reviews says that one PCI e slot is locked in @ x4 too and if that is the case then I would go for this one......

EVGA P55 SLI 132-LF-E655-KR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188055

Unless I am horribly wrong to think that EVGA's P55 chip made by Intel does not support ATI xfire graphics cards????? Which if they don't then that is news too me! But it wouldn't be the first time I missed something like that.


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## Fourstaff (Dec 25, 2009)

New monitor FTW, you can literally see the difference 

Your setup is still very powerful, but if you can find a buyer for the rig you might want to consider buying a i7 setup, else it can still last you a couple of years.


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## SystemViper (Dec 25, 2009)

Paulieg said:


> An i7 860 is the way to go. The 1156 platform is even outperforming 1366. Here's a review demonstrating this, by a reviewer I know and trust:
> 
> http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=69



I just read the review, thanks for pointing it out,  I found it a very good review and talked alot about the subtle changes that separate the boards and i7 860's and i7 920's but what i found most interesting is a point he made....



> I used to overclock my Pentium 4 (and later Pentium D and Core 2) processor to get a few extra frames out of Battlefield 2 and earn more work units per day with Folding@Home. But now I have a graphics card that performs 600x better at folding proteins than my CPU ever did, and I have a Core i7 processor that can encode my authored DVD's in a fraction of the time it used to take. We haven't hit the wall, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting very close. If software doesn't come around soon, with perhaps a widespread adoption of 64-bit computing with Microsoft Windows 7, we'll soon share the automobile dilemma: high-horsepower engines with break-neck speed driving on roads with a 65-MPH speed limit. I personally feel that this has been the case since Core 2 was launched, which is why we're now sharing the other auto-industry dilemma: power efficiency. Welcome to big business, and remember what just happened with that other industry.



I find this so true, i got my i7 system almost a year ago and still it's the Big Dog. And all that horsepower only effects my Epeen, but not much else, we need a breakthru to make use of this awesome horsepower. That is why even the question of should i go from adual core, or quad to an i5 an i7 is kinda personal, unless you still running a single core jobbie. Amazing one of my main systems that powers 3 monitors and i run a boatload of apps has a E6850 and 4G 1066 DDR3 and still i have no need to retire it.... Talk about longievity...

well happy holidays and still loving all this new hardware, I'm about to play with the new 1156 platforms, so it should be a fun start to 2010


PS, get the monitor and wait for the 6core monster to rear it's orgasmic head!


@20MMRain - love that sniper, that is one sweet build!


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## mikek75 (Dec 25, 2009)

+1 for the monitor TBH. The Q9550 @ 3.8 is plenty good enough at the moment IMO. That 5870 is wasted running at 1680X1050, you'll notice more improvement with a higher definition screen than a slightly more powerful CPU, especially since most games these days are designed with console processors in mind.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 26, 2009)

> @20MMRain - love that sniper, that is one sweet build!



Let me start out by saying thanks for the compliment bud. The next thing I will comment on is.....



> +1 for the monitor TBH. The Q9550 @ 3.8 is plenty good enough at the moment IMO. That 5870 is wasted running at 1680X1050, you'll notice more improvement with a higher definition screen than a slightly more powerful CPU, especially since most games these days are designed with console processors in mind.
> __________________



And.... 



> PS, get the monitor and wait for the 6core monster to rear it's orgasmic head!



This is why it is such a tough decision for me. I played my PC on a 37 inch LCD TV the other day. And believe it or not it almost seemed like I got better performance for my video card on that television playing @ 1920 X 1080P 37Inches than I did playing on my 20 Inch 1680 x 1050. The Frame rates seemed to even increase by a little. Now that might be just my imagination (plus I didn't do any benching to really find out) But if they didn't increase at the very least it seemed a lot more smooth playing. 
So That is my Dilemma..... I love to benchmark also and I have got just about all I can get out of the system at hand.  I originally was planning to buy an i7 setup back when I bought my Q9550... but an emergency happened and I had to settle for what I have now. (which is not bad) 

So I am torn between my two great loves.... Benching and gaming quality. So I will leave this post up a couple more days just to get some guidance. I have until January 9th (my b-day) because I am expecting more money then. So keep the points coming because right now I really don't know.... and if I had to walk into the store today...... I would just steal both and run out the door! LOL


OOOOHHHH An other random thought that might halp with my decision.... Does anyone know when AMD's Phenom II X6 release's with the 890FX chip set.... I also have been considering a AMD build possibly.... But not totally leaning towards it yet.


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## mikek75 (Dec 26, 2009)

IMO the reason the gameplay felt smoother is because at the higher resolution is because you weren't suffering from the bottleneck from the CPU. At higher resolutions the GPU is doing the hard work with the CPU able to supply the data in unison.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 26, 2009)

> IMO the reason the gameplay felt smoother is because at the higher resolution is because you weren't suffering from the bottleneck from the CPU. At higher resolutions the GPU is doing the hard work with the CPU able to supply the data in unison.



Hmm learn something every day! Thanks bud!



> In your original post you said you wanted a mobo that would do Xfire.
> The two mobo you are looking at will not do Xfire.



Also I want to stand corrected on of the MOB I posted earlier wasn't Xfire I posted the wrong EVGA board I ment to post the big brother to that one.


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## sneekypeet (Dec 26, 2009)

If this does go through and you end up with a GB motherboard. DO NOT buy the blue 1600mhz GSkills. They are not on the supported ram list, and did not function well at all on my UD6.


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## PaulieG (Dec 26, 2009)

sneekypeet said:


> If this does go through and you end up with a GB motherboard. DO NOT buy the blue 1600mhz GSkills. They are not on the supported ram list, and did not function well at all on my UD6.



I had that same problem with those Gskills on a x58 Gigabyte UD3R. I think it's just cranky ram.


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## Cold Storm (Dec 26, 2009)

Well, it's most likely that they just didn't pick the ram for the reason of binding.. One thing about Gskill, they tend to make a few different "same" sticks... Just so they can make it for the board of their choosing.. It's a pain, but it goes that way...


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## 20mmrain (Dec 26, 2009)

Thanks for the input on the RAM guys.... I will keep that in mind..... but that is kind of wierd my Blue G.Skill 800MHZ RAM works wonders on my GA-EP45-UD3R board. I used to use Corsair RAM all the time until I tried G.skill and had great luck with it. So I got hooked with it....... But I have seen and heard of a lot of problems with G.Skill RAM and Gigabyte boards. It's weird some people will have the exact same set up's and one will say the Ram worked and the other person has problems?

But jsut to be safe I will stay away from it...... nothing worse than having to wait for an RMA because you have compatibility issues.

I also appreciate you guys with the advice hear...... now remember everything I have picked out is still in the preliminary stage..... and I am way open to suggestions...... So I havn't looked at everything really closely yet..... so keep the ideas coming.

Has anyone hear ever ordered from Ewiz.com or Superbiiz.com (same thing) I havn't and am considering doing so. If anyone hear could give me there opinion on that place I would also appreciate it. You know are they good with RMA's, Customer Service Exc....


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## sneekypeet (Dec 26, 2009)

Dont stay away from Gskill, just those Blue 1600mhz Ripjaws. I now am running Tridents with no issues


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## Cold Storm (Dec 26, 2009)

sneekypeet said:


> Dont stay away from Gskill, just those Blue 1600mhz Ripjaws. I now am running Tridents with no issues



Hey, those are were my tridents! 

Yeah, I will be one to say that every stick of Gskill (5 kits in the past 2 years) are just god sent ram.. They do what they say, and like the tridents, some can do MORE.. 

As for ewiz, I've done a few transactions with them. I love there service. Sometimes their cheap, sometimes Newegg is cheaper.. But, I now all ways check them when I go to newegg for pricing.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 26, 2009)

> As for ewiz, I've done a few transactions with them. I love there service. Sometimes their cheap, sometimes Newegg is cheaper.. But, I now all ways check them when I go to newegg for pricing.



See the last few transactions I was about to pull the trigger for shopping on Ewiz.com but didn't at the last second because I have never known any one to order there or have never done so myself. But if you have had some good experiences there I might look into ordering there in the future..... I just wanted to hear it from someone.


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## Cold Storm (Dec 26, 2009)

20mmrain said:


> See the last few transactions I was about to pull the trigger for shopping on Ewiz.com but didn't at the last second because I have never known any one to order there or have never done so myself. But if you have had some good experiences there I might look into ordering there in the future..... I just wanted to hear it from someone.



All good man. it's a good site.. A little less "bling" on the site, but the service is good. I bought most of my uncle's amd rig there.. Just cheaper.


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## DirectorC (Dec 26, 2009)

I always check Google Shopping rather than just one site or another (ie, Newegg or CompUSA) these days.


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## Cold Storm (Dec 26, 2009)

DirectorC said:


> I always check Google Shopping rather than just one site or another (ie, Newegg or CompUSA) these days.



Well, I get shafted.. I live in Florida, so Compusa/tigerdirect/circuit city/hh greg online isn't going to work for me.. I get hit with sales tax along with shipping.. so it tends to be a lot more then going to newegg or ewiz..

But, yeah, i do google shopping, then see what I can get back via "bing" that's how I found ewiz service.. bing took 2m to get my money back, but I got $60 back for everything I ordered.. 

So, if you want to get money back, bing it up.. Or, if you got Bank of America, I do, you can do their saving service for shopping online.


lol.. I need some sleep, I forgot you live there too..


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## DirectorC (Dec 26, 2009)

I bought practically my entire PC (minus burner & sound card) at CompUSA with very little more cost than from Newegg.  And I was able to go right back with stuff I didn't like and exchange it for stuff I did like, which is a plus in my book.  My Razer DeathAdder recently started performing a double-click when pressed once, so I went right to CompUSA and got my Sidewinder X3 for $30.  I really like the place.  But it also was 5 mins away from me and is still only 15 mins away now that I moved.  Since you're talking about paying shipping I guess you don't live near one, which sucks.


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## PaulieG (Dec 26, 2009)

Ewiz rocks. Since I live in TN, it's rare that I buy at Newegg anymore, unless there is a really good deal going on. Ewiz prices are sometimes lower, customer service is great and shipping is just a half step behind Newegg, since it's a bit more expensive. 

Big kudos to Ewiz from me for the last time I purchased from them. I asked them to check and see if a particular board had a Lotes or a Foxconn socket for me. One of their tech guys PM'd me after personally going out to the warehouse and checking for me. I never in a million years thought they would do that. Very impressed.


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## 20mmrain (Dec 26, 2009)

One nice thing about living in Milwaukee Wisconsin is that if I order from Tiger Direct.com because they are located in Chicago..... no matter what I pay for shipping I will receive the merchandise the next day. So even though they cost a little more usually I check it out..... Just because I usually end up paying the same anyway (after shipping)


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## Cold Storm (Dec 26, 2009)

DirectorC said:


> I bought practically my entire PC (minus burner & sound card) at CompUSA with very little more cost than from Newegg.  And I was able to go right back with stuff I didn't like and exchange it for stuff I did like, which is a plus in my book.  My Razer DeathAdder recently started performing a double-click when pressed once, so I went right to CompUSA and got my Sidewinder X3 for $30.  I really like the place.  But it also was 5 mins away from me and is still only 15 mins away now that I moved.  Since you're talking about paying shipping I guess you don't live near one, which sucks.



Well, I'm talking more of the fact of if someone lived there... If you do the online stuff at the list of stores I said, they are companies together (tigerdirect owns them all). So if Compusa doesn't have something in stock, I gotta order from the site.. The compusa I am near won't do "ship to store" for me.. It'll cost shipping if I want that.. 

I do love Compusa my self. I got most of my first rig cheap from them.. Their about an hour drive from where I live. But, I work 4am-6pm so I do a lot of my stuff online due to being to tired to drive over there..


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## DirectorC (Dec 26, 2009)

Yeah screw an hour man, if it wasn't for the fact that it was right there, and they have good stuff at low prices since Tiger bought 'em, I wouldn't shop there.  But just the fact that they are right there... well when I moved here it was like putting candy in a baby's face, get paid got $200 to spare and there's a CompUSA down the street, what can I play with today?


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## Cold Storm (Dec 26, 2009)

DirectorC said:


> Yeah screw an hour man, if it wasn't for the fact that it was right there, and they have good stuff at low prices since Tiger bought 'em, I wouldn't shop there.  But just the fact that they are right there... well when I moved here it was like putting candy in a baby's face, get paid got $200 to spare and there's a CompUSA down the street, what can I play with today?



Yeah, I try to go there about once a month. It's nice to see if their's some "in store" deals.. I hit up a few places along the way.. Just to get the car moving more then a mile to work and back.. 
Yeah, I rather buy stuff from them then Best Buy anytime!


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