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I'm thinking about getting a ThinkPad Edge E531 for my Grandma. She has never used a computer in her life (but now wants one). It probably doesn't matter too much what I get her.. but does anyone have any strong objections regarding the ThinkPad E-series?
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Apr 17, 2014 13:16
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anyone else waiting for the next Lenovo sale?
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Apr 17, 2014 15:58
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I'm just hanging out waiting for the y50 to be released. Hopefully it will retain the msata and sata ports.
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Apr 17, 2014 16:03
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b2n posted:I'm thinking about getting a ThinkPad Edge E531 for my Grandma. She has never used a computer in her life (but now wants one). It probably doesn't matter too much what I get her.. but does anyone have any strong objections regarding the ThinkPad E-series? Is she actually going to use it on the couch, running on battery? If it'll always be plugged in, just get her an all-in-one.
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Apr 17, 2014 22:34
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My mom needs two Windows laptops (one for her, one for her husband) they don't have a big budget, but they also don't do much with their machines. Watch DVD Movies Steal Wi-Fi from the Library Surf the web Play Peggle and Solitaire Run Excel, Word and Quicken I'm super happy with the refurbished T410 I got a few months back, but I can't find more at that price. Anyone have suggestions for alternatives for less than $450 each?
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Apr 18, 2014 03:56
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SourKraut posted:The N550 series does look nice. I just found the Asus N550JK, which just came out. Pros : - $1100 - 1-inch chassis - 15.6 inch screen (1920x1080) - 850M Maxwell (instead of Kepler) gpu - default ram is a 8gb single stick (easy to upgrade to 16gb since it has 2 sockets) - Intel AC 7260 dual band wifi (depending on where you live apparently? The one on amazon had what I wanted) - aluminium chassis with 2 cooling paths - reportedly gets 5 hours on the battery The 550JV got great reviews (and is sold out everywhere I looked) and the the JK version looks to be just a component upgrade (ram+gpu+wifi). I got an extra 8gb of ram for $74. I also read that the latest and greatest thermal compound is no longer Artic Silver, but IC Diamond compound. Apparently (and some review screenshots back it up) you can get about 8C lower temps just by swapping, which is impressive. I grabbed some as well, and plan on redoing the laptop and my desktop cpus with it. The best part, is that Ubuntu 14.04 reportedly works **flawlessly** (by default, everything minus screen brightness adjusting, which can be fixed with some script hacking) and Windows 7 is fully supported. It comes with 8.1 x64. It's on Amazon prime too, so I'm ordering it, and i'll have it in 2 days. Amazon reportedly will take returns on laptops that have pixels, so that's also a bonus.
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Apr 18, 2014 15:10
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tech.t.rex posted:I just found the Asus N550JK, which just came out. FYI that 850M is a 28nm chip, not the new Maxwell 20nm process
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Apr 18, 2014 15:14
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tech.t.rex posted:I just found the Asus N550JK, which just came out. UUUUuuugh that looks like a really good alternative, spec wise, to a ThinkPad T540... but part of me knows that I really do need a laptop that can take a few hits, and I got burned so bad on the last consumer laptop I bought in that department (Acer 4830TG) 
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Apr 18, 2014 16:00
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go3 posted:FYI that 850M is a 28nm chip, not the new Maxwell 20nm process It might be a 28nm chip, however it is Maxwell, confirmed by several sources online. They could be lying, however I'm taking their word for it at the moment. In a few days, I'll be able to confirm it. From here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/750101-2014-asus-n550jk-ds71t-quick-mini-review-opinion-so-far.html "- Geforce GTX 850M DDR3 2GB Maxwell GM107M"
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Apr 18, 2014 18:26
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Fart Car '97 posted:UUUUuuugh that looks like a really good alternative, spec wise, to a ThinkPad T540... but part of me knows that I really do need a laptop that can take a few hits, and I got burned so bad on the last consumer laptop I bought in that department (Acer 4830TG) And a good deal less expensive. I'll be able to write up some more about it once I get it -- delivery date is Monday. I would really recommend reading this: http://www.xoticpc.com/laptop-manufacturers-really-makes-laptops-ip-11.html It is from xoticpc (which do a great job reselling/customizing laptops), and I view them as an expert in that field. Their website makes me cringe and they could use decent filters (similar to newegg... because damnit --- I want to quickly know which laptops are 1-inch and have a 15.6 inch screen with the new haswell cpus!), but there is a goldmine of useful info there. Also, ASUS is one of the **FEW** computer sellers that actually make all their hardware (laptop,mobo,gpu) not including things like the CPU/Wifi/screen. MSI is the other. Clevo is sortof there (in that they directly sell the laptops, but they don't make the video cards -- that I'm aware of at least...). IPS screens are all LG (it's their trademark). The only ones I know of that make their own screen are the Samsung laptops.
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Apr 18, 2014 18:38
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tech.t.rex posted:It might be a 28nm chip, however it is Maxwell, confirmed by several sources online. They could be lying, however I'm taking their word for it at the moment. In a few days, I'll be able to confirm it. I didn't say it wasn't Maxwell, just that it is not 20nm process. It will have equal performance to the 20nm variety but at an increased power consumption. Blame nVidia for making two 850M
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Apr 18, 2014 19:21
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go3 posted:I didn't say it wasn't Maxwell, just that it is not 20nm process. It will have equal performance to the 20nm variety but at an increased power consumption. Blame nVidia for making two 850M Oh. yea... Good point. If only it was on the 20nm process. However -- at 1100 it's a fantastic purchase. I think 28mn-Maxwell is infinitely better than no-Maxwell, especially at that price.
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Apr 18, 2014 21:26
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So I just bought an Acer Aspire R7 (the one with the funky hinge) and I love it so far--I've never had a laptop larger than 13", so it's a definite change. Turns out that it's a fairly impressive desktop replacement--it played Saints Row IV at 1080p on low settings at ~50-60fps, which left me absolutely gobsmacked. And while it's completely unusable as a traditional tablet, the touchscreen is fantastic and much preferable to using a trackpad for navigation. I also love that I can tilt the screen to whatever angle I want, which makes for super comfortable computing regardless of how I'm using it. My question is that it apparently has an active digitizer, but does not come with a stylus out of the box. Acer sells one for $50, but I was hoping that there's an alternative for a little cheaper (I don't think I'd do much with the stylus, but I'd like to have one all the same). Any ideas for alternatives? asecondduck fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Apr 19, 2014 |
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Apr 19, 2014 00:53
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tech.t.rex posted:I just found the Asus N550JK, which just came out. Seeing this almost makes me want to re-think my plans of getting a refurb 15" rMBP later this year (one with the 650M)...
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Apr 19, 2014 03:29
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Why not get a refurb Dell XPS 15 for ~$1600? You'll get the 3200x1800 screen, a 750m, better battery life, a 512 GB SSD and its a good deal more portable than that ASUS.
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Apr 19, 2014 04:43
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Sears has refurbished Asus ux31a laptops for $569. This is the 13.3" 1080p model with the i3 Ivy Bridge processor (HD4000 graphics). Screen quality gets great reviews. Model # UX31A-R5102F http://www.sears.com/asus-ux31a-r51...1030xMPAPxCPA28 Adorama has Asus Taichi the for $669, this is the 11.6" 1080p model with the i5 Ivy Bridge (ulv) chip Did I mention it has an IPS panel? http://www.adorama.com/ASTA21DH51.html Hadlock fucked around with this message at 09:29 on Apr 19, 2014 |
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Apr 19, 2014 09:25
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Seamonster posted:Why not get a refurb Dell XPS 15 for ~$1600?
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Apr 19, 2014 09:59
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My fiance's refurbished XPS13 came yesterday and so far I'm impressed with it. Had some minor bumps to get over first, like the fact that dell shipped it with a copy of Windows 7 that was stuck in a networking error loop. But after getting Windows 8 on there and getting the multitouch touchpad drivers working I love the little guy. Snagged it when dell outlet had a 30% off deal, so it was a 1080 13in touch screen, i5 4200u, 8gb ram, 128ssd for $800 after taxes.
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Apr 19, 2014 13:45
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Chromebook fans: is there any chance of B&M stores getting the Chromebook 2 in stock really early next month? I traded in an old netbook to Best Buy and the coupon they gave me expires on the 3rd of May. I dislike HP and would prefer to get the Chromebook 2 due to the better specs, but if there's no chance of it coming out in time, I'll just pick up the HP Chromebook. I've read release dates of the 1st for the UK and 7th for Amazon, but nothing else.
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Apr 19, 2014 16:14
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Buy an CB1 on May 2nd with the coupon, don't open the box, take it in for an exchange later in the month when the CB2s hit? Most places have a 30-days-unopened return policy, don't they?
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Apr 19, 2014 19:22
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I was considering that, but I'm unsure as to how the coupons will apply to the purchase of the CB2. If I buy an HP CB at 180 with the coupons, will I be able to exchange it later for its full value of 280?
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Apr 19, 2014 19:32
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The ASUS has the Haswell i7-4700HQ 2.4Ghz (Turbo 3.4 GHz), if anyone cares. Additionally -- it has a glorious IPS screen as well.
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Apr 19, 2014 19:37
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AF posted:I was considering that, but I'm unsure as to how the coupons will apply to the purchase of the CB2. If I buy an HP CB at 180 with the coupons, will I be able to exchange it later for its full value of 280? Call and ask. I would imagine as long as you're doing an exchange and not a return, you should be fine. What is the coupon, exactly? Is it just $100 store credit?
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Apr 19, 2014 19:45
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Yeah, I'll end up asking. It's a $25 gift card and $75 in store credit.
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Apr 19, 2014 20:45
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My friend's Yoga Thinkpad 2 is out of commission (turns out you don't get 70% deals on laptops for no reason. He's refunded but looking for something new). He likes the 1820x900 IdeaPd Y510p, but will it dip below $869.00? He's willing to take a refurbished one, what times do those update on Mondays?
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Apr 20, 2014 00:52
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http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7358-clevo-w350ss-p-6991.html This (Clevo W350SS/Sager NP7358) seems like a great deal for a grand, and the two cooling upgrades seem tempting. Does anyone know anything about it, and how it might compare to the equivalent ASUS (N550JK, apparently)?
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Apr 20, 2014 19:32
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Can't say I know too much about that specific laptop, but as a general rule the thermal-paste re-do can be worth the couple of bucks it costs, but there's no way in hell that them slapping a few copper heatsinks on random bits is worth $80.
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Apr 20, 2014 21:15
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Nickoten posted:http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7358-clevo-w350ss-p-6991.html EDIT: I was looking AT THE WRONG LAPTOP. (This is a comparison between the the sager NP2740 and the asus N550JK) I was looking at the NP2740 before I decided on the N550JK. These were the points that changed my mind, especially considering they are approximately the same price. Cons on the clevo: - horror stories of bad keyboard, and nothing to do to fix it - **really** cheap feel (ie: thin, flexible plastic) on/around the screen. - no discrete GPU (iris pro 5200 vs GTX850M/Maxwell) - plastic body - 2x4gb RAM, so upgrade requires a replacement of all of it Cons on the asus - stories of bad keyboard (not as bad as the clevo, but still...) -- fixable with tweaks - kinda crappy on-board speakers - .25" thicker than the clevo After pricing everything out, it was an easy win for the ASUS. - metal chassis - 850M Maxwell GPU - 15.6 (instead of 14 inch) screen - easy to upgrade ram (1x8gb default) I upgraded the RAM (another 8gb stick) and got some IC Diamond thermal paste (everything on amazon), and it cost the same -- about 1250 total. The super important ones for me are 15.6" screen and metal chassis. My last laptop was a 16" screen + plastic body, and the plastic bits are all breaking off (POS Viao). And the GPU is going out on it, so the dual cooling paths on the ASUS were a really big win. I don't even use the GPU on it, and it's crapping out, and the 2 GPU (nvidia only turns on for games) is also attractive as that also gets 5+ hour battery life just putting around. Just so you know, I was also looking at the MSI GS60 Ghost. That is one sexy laptop, HOWEVER, the Kepler GPU on it really turned me off...  I'm not dropping that kind of money on old tech, even though I liked the rest of it.FYI - that clevo from xotic is the same thing as the Galago UltraPro from system76. (It's a lot of other places too...) Now onto the NP7358 vs the N550JK. Pros: - 3 vs 2 ram slots - mSATA slot - option for faster CPU Things it looks like you'd miss out on: - 5 vs 2 hours battery - metal chassis - .5 inch thicker (it looks like it's slanty, so only part is thicker. Would have problems in some bags) The metal chassis still wins out for me, and it has to fit in my bag (which would be a really tight fit). tech.t.rex fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Apr 21, 2014 |
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Apr 20, 2014 23:26
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That Sager appears to have a discrete GPU and 15.6" screen?
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Apr 20, 2014 23:35
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dissss posted:That Sager appears to have a discrete GPU and 15.6" screen? Hahah. You're right! I was looking at their 14 inch version (the NP2740). WHOOPS. Pros: - 3 vs 2 ram slots - mSATA slot - option for faster CPU Things it looks like you'd miss out on: - 5 vs 2 hours battery - metal chassis - .5 inch thicker (it looks like it's slanty, so only part is thicker. Would have problems in some bags) You can however upgrade the CPU, which is pretty sweet. The metal chassis is still pretty important to me though. e: added more stuff. tech.t.rex fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Apr 21, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 02:10
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That new razor blade 14" looks cool as hell, someone tell me why it actually sucks and isn't good thanks.
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Apr 21, 2014 02:58
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Carrier posted:That new razor blade 14" looks cool as hell, someone tell me why it actually sucks and isn't good thanks. That's pretty much it--it's actually a pretty good selection of hardware. Durability is an open question, though, as Razer's products are not exactly well-known for their long-term build quality.
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Apr 21, 2014 03:18
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The resolution is probably way overkill, and you're paying for it.
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Apr 21, 2014 03:38
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DrDork posted:Can't say I know too much about that specific laptop, but as a general rule the thermal-paste re-do can be worth the couple of bucks it costs, but there's no way in hell that them slapping a few copper heatsinks on random bits is worth $80. Thanks! I figured the paste might be worth it but I've never installed my own heatsink so I'm not knowledgeable about how big a difference more would make.
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Apr 21, 2014 05:09
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Nickoten posted:Thanks! I figured the paste might be worth it but I've never installed my own heatsink so I'm not knowledgeable about how big a difference more would make.
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Apr 21, 2014 11:08
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I'm gonna bite the bullet on the Asus 550JK soon and I'm wondering if Xotic PC's upgrades actually priced fairly? It seems like they don't mark their ram or hard drives up that much, and I'd be happy to pay an extra $25 to have the laptop come out of the box with some not-poo poo, properly applied thermal paste as well.
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Apr 21, 2014 18:13
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Fart Car '97 posted:I'm gonna bite the bullet on the Asus 550JK soon and I'm wondering if Xotic PC's upgrades actually priced fairly? It seems like they don't mark their ram or hard drives up that much, and I'd be happy to pay an extra $25 to have the laptop come out of the box with some not-poo poo, properly applied thermal paste as well. Mine is coming in later today if you want a mini-review of it. I think xotic is REALLY expensive for the thermal paste/heat sink job. It is most likely because the cost is reflecting labor, but I would do it myself anyways. Most people put too much thermal paste on components anyways. The RAM upgrade from amazon was half the price of the same ram upgrade from xotic, so I just got everything from amazon.
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Apr 21, 2014 18:34
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tech.t.rex posted:Mine is coming in later today if you want a mini-review of it. I think xotic is REALLY expensive for the thermal paste/heat sink job. It is most likely because the cost is reflecting labor, but I would do it myself anyways. Most people put too much thermal paste on components anyways. The RAM upgrade from amazon was half the price of the same ram upgrade from xotic, so I just got everything from amazon. I definitely do. What components did you go with? I was planning on adding another 8gb stick of RAM, swapping the HD for a 7200RPM drive and getting the thermal paste (mostly because I expect ASUS just slathers their paste on like most mfgs) installed. It seemed like I they were tacking on $10 extra for the HD/RAM compared to comparable items on amazon. Yeah it's the thermal compound is marked up heavily, but ehhhh, it's $25 extra to not have to deal with that at all.
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Apr 21, 2014 18:54
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I was close to buying a refurbed Dell XPS 15, but then I saw the new Toshiba with 4K display: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456602,00.asp I really like that it has a number pad for data entry and bluray drive, since I don't own a TV. It seems really awesome for photo editing too with is color calibration.
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Apr 21, 2014 19:59
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Fart Car '97 posted:I definitely do. What components did you go with? I was planning on adding another 8gb stick of RAM, swapping the HD for a 7200RPM drive and getting the thermal paste (mostly because I expect ASUS just slathers their paste on like most mfgs) installed. It seemed like I they were tacking on $10 extra for the HD/RAM compared to comparable items on amazon. Yeah it's the thermal compound is marked up heavily, but ehhhh, it's $25 extra to not have to deal with that at all. I'm upgrading the RAM (2x8gb) and thermal paste myself. Since I'm on a strict budget -- I stayed with the stock 5400HDD. I got the thermal paste is $7 and the ram for $70 on amazon. At some point in the future, I'll be upgrading to a SSD, and put the optical drive into a USB caddy (and the HDD into the optical slot, and the SSD where the HDD was) Edit: put initial impressions in a new post. tech.t.rex fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Apr 22, 2014 |
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Apr 21, 2014 20:08
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