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#1 ·
 Guide to Building a Home Theater PC




Buyer's Guide to Building a Home Theater PC - October/November 2011

Announcement (updated on October 1, 2011)


Here is the basic plan for "Buyer's Guide to Building a Home Theater PC" (formerly "Recommended HTPC Systems"):

1. Issues and Editions. The guide will be issued every month, on around the 20th day of the month, in the PDF format (a PDF reader is required to read it, such as Adobe Reader [ free download ] or Adobe Acrobat).

2. Asking a Donation! I am asking a donation for the latest issue ( why ). There are two choices:
  • Single issue ($4 USD or more): You can download the current latest issue.

     
  • 4 issues ($10 USD or more): You are eligible to download 4 consecutive issues. For example if you send a donation on April 1st, you can download March (during 4/1-4/20), April (during 4/20-5/20), May (during 5/20-6/20) and June (during 6/20-7/13) issues. How this works: Each donator will be provided with a download link to the issue file, which is valid for 2500 hours = 104 days = 3 months and 2 weeks (for example, April 1 to July 13 if you donate on April 1). I will update the file in the server on around the 20th day of each month and will announce it in this thread. Then you can download the new issue at the link provided. You will use the link repeatedly during the subscription period. So please keep the download link.

At this time only a donation by PayPal is accepted. Click the button

then select either one described above, click the PayPal icon and follow the instruction in the loaded page to send a donation. If you don't have a PayPal account, don't worry, click the link "Continue" following "Don't have a PayPal account?" in the page to create an account (it's free) and send money using your credit card or bank account. You will receive a download link instantly. Note that
  • The price field is editable; please change it and donate as much as you can.


     
  • Please add your User Name at AVS Forum in "Add special instructions to merchant" if you want to get my support via PM or posts in the thread. Otherwise I can't identify you with an AVS Forum member unless your user name is the same as your PayPal account holder name.

3. Older Issues will be released free. Older issues will be released for free, either in this thread like the previous "Recommended Systems" or in PDF for download or both. I am planning on releasing a couple of months old issue every couple of months.

4. Have a Question? If you have a question (how to build, how to configure or whatever), please either post it in the thread (yes, please post any question in the thread, hoping that invoke interest in the latest guide
), PM me or email me. I will try to answer it; if I can't, somebody else may be able to help you.

Why do I ask a donation? Maintaining the guide consists of
  • Research latest hardware components;
  • Acquire key hardware components and do lots of experiments;
  • Write the information obtained in a readable form, that requires lots of time, meditation and inspiration (not kidding).

Among them the most difficult part is the second part because it involves lots of money ($1000 or more per month, not kidding, I consider $1000 is the minimum amount to maintain and keep the guide up to date) and currently it relies heavily on the donations. So please consider making a donation, as much as you can afford, if you think the guide is helpful and want to see it updated for some time to come.


BTW the amount of donations in 2010 is
  • October 16 2010 - November 15 2010: $60
  • September 16 2010 - October 15 2010: $85
  • August 16 2010 - September 15 2010: $145

This is good enough to buy a motherboard per month, but nothing more.
This guide is going to die sooner or later if this continues.

Release Notes
  • October/November 2011 Issue: Released on December 11, 2011.


    - Sandy Bridge-E LGA 2011 systems took the place of 3-year-old Bloomfield LGA 1366 systems.

    - All systems were reexamined and nearly half of the systems were updated or completely changed because of new hardware components and price change of many components.

    Sample (21 pages):
  • August/September 2011 Issue: Released on October 1, 2011.


    - The low-end and mid-range systems are restructured.

    - Nearly half of the systems were updated or completely changed because of new hardware components and price change of many components.

     
  • June/July 2011 Issue: Released on July 14, 2011. The June issue has been delayed because of the delay of the May issue. So I decided to combine the June and July issues.


    - AMD A-Series APU (Llano) systems took place of all the Socket AM3 systems in the low-end and mid-range AMD systems.

    - Nearly half of the systems were updated because of new hardware components (new AMD 990FX/990X/SB950 chipset motherboards, new X58/ICH10R chipset motherboards etc.) and price change of many components.

     
  • May 2011 Issue: Released on June 3, 2011.


    - All LGA 775 systems were replaced by LGA 1155 systems finally.

    - Intel Z68 chipset motherboards are used in place of P67 in many systems.

    - Standard Mini-ITX and Budget/Low-End microATX/ATX systems were completely re-organized reflecting the recent release of Pentium Sandy Bridge processor.

    - 15-bay server systems are now using an Intel processor and Intel-brand motherboard (one reason for that is Intel Gb LAN).

    - 20-24 bay server systems have more processor/motherboard options.

     
  • April 2011 Issue ( free download ): Released on April 23, 2011.


    - All Radeon HD 5xxx cards were replaced by the latest Radeon HD 6xxx.

    - Several older motherboards and SSDs were replaced by new ones.

    - A Xeon LGA 1155 workstation was added.

    - Server systems were streamlined and divided into two categories: Server I (12 and 15-drive systems) and Server II (20 and 24-drive systems).

     
  • March 2011 Issue ( free download ): Released on March 21, 2011.


    - Every Intel LGA 1156 (Clarkdale and Lynnfield) system was replaced by a LGA 1155 (Sandy Bridge) system.

    - "Intel for 3D" (Clarkdale + a discrete graphics) systems were removed because Sandy Bridge supports 3D.

    - A LGA 1366 workstation was added.

    - Rocket 620 SATA controller card in a couple of server systems was replaced by Rosewill RC-211 because Rocket 620 BIOS disables other controller's BIOS.

     
  • February 2011 Issue ( free download ): The initial version released on February 23, 2011, the final version released on March 4, 2011.


    - An AMD E-350 APU system was added in the mini-ITX system ("Budge Mini-ITX System").

    - Intel High-End/Premium/Ultimate Systems and Workstation were all updated (i.e. Lynnfield systems were revived) because Intel recalled Intel 6 Series chipsets .

    - Minor changes in the server systems (new motherboards, a new SATA 6.0Gbps controller card) for better cost/performance.

    - Every single system was reviewed and components were replaced if necessary.

     
  • January 2011 Issue ( free download ): Issued on January 20, 2011. As Intel Sandy Bridge quad-core processors were released on January 9, mainly Intel High-End/Premium/Ultimate Systems were updated.

     
  • December 2010 Issue ( free download ): Issued on January 5, 2011. This is the first PDF version of the Buyer's Guide. 80 pages in US letter. Almost every section of the June 2010 issue was updated. This issue is also posted here .


Past Guides in This Thread



_____________________________
Preface to the Guide - May 11, 2008
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯


This is a guide to building a HTPC (Home Theater PC), a revised, enlarged version of Core 2 Motherboard Complete List - With Hardware Recommendations for a HD HTPC . In general emphasis is on the aspect of smooth playback of HD contents (including Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD and 1080p H.264 files), hence I added "HD (High Definition)" in the title. The main parts are:
  • Part I. Hardware Guide
  • Part II. Assembling Guide (under construction)
  • Part III. Software Guide (under construction)

"Hardware Guide" includes a practical selection guide of various hardware components as well as theoretical aspects of hardware if necessary. This part should be helpful to select right components quickly when building a HTPC. "Assembling Guide" is a practical guide to assembling a HTPC. I will choose one of the recommended systems in Part I and give a step-by-step instruction of assembling components. The content of "Software Guide" is still undecided (I welcome suggestions).


There are six appendices:
  • Appendix I. Overview of Intel CPU
  • Appendix II. Overview of AMD CPU
  • Appendix III. Complete List of Core 2 Motherboards
  • Appendix IV. Complete List of AM2 Motherboards
  • Appendix V. Motherboard Naming Rules
  • Appendix VI. List of Bandwidth

These are for reference only.


Then follow
__________________
Contents of the Guide
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Main Part
  1. Hardware Guide (Page 1)
    1. Introduction (under construction)
    2. Recommended Systems
      • Peripheral Components
      • MicroATX System
      • ATX System
      • Home Media Server
    3. CPU and CPU Cooler
    4. Motherboard
      • Intel Platform
      • AMD Platform
    5. Memory
    6. Graphics Device
    7. Sound Device
    8. HDD
    9. Optical Drive
    10. TV Tuner
    11. PSU
    12. Case
    13. Input Devices
  2. Assembling Guide (Page 2) (under construction)
  3. Software Guide (Page 3) (under construction)

Appendix
  1. Intel Processors – An Overview (Page 4)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. History
    2. P6 Microarchitecture
    3. NetBurst Microarchitecture
    4. Mobile Microarchitecture
    5. Core Microarchitecture
    6. Atom Microarchitecture
    7. Nehalem Microarchitecture
  2. AMD Processors – An Overview (Page 5)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. History
    2. K5 Processor
    3. K6 Processor
    4. K7 Processor
    5. K8 Processor
    6. K10 Processor
  3. Core 2 Motherboards – A Complete List of (Page 6)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. Overview of Recent Chipsets for the Intel Platform
    2. Intel 865 Chipset Motherboards
    3. Intel 945/946 Express Chipset Motherboards
    4. Intel 975X Express Chipset Motherboards
    5. Intel 965 Express Chipset Motherboards
    6. Intel 3 Series Chipset Motherboards
    7. Intel 4 Series Chipset Motherboards
    8. Intel Tylersburg & Ibexpeak Chipset Motherboards
    9. NVIDIA nForce4 Series for Intel Chipset Motherboards
    10. NVIDIA nForce 500 Series for Intel Chipset Motherboards
    11. NVIDIA nForce 600i Series Chipset Motherboards
    12. NVIDIA nForce 700i Series Chipset Motherboards
    13. NVIDIA GeForce 7-Series GPU and nForce 6-Series MCP Motherboards
    14. NVIDIA GeForce 8-Series mGPU Motherboards
    15. ATI Chipset Motherboards
    16. SiS Chipset Motherboards
    17. VIA Chipset Motherboards
    18. Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Motherboards
    19. Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Motherboards
  4. AM2 Motherboards – A Complete List of (Page 7)
    • Contents
    • Preface
    1. Overview of Recent Chipsets for the AMD Platform
    2. AMD 480 Series Chipset Motherboards
    3. AMD 580 Series Chipset Motherboards
    4. AMD 690 Series Chipset Motherboards
    5. AMD 7-Series Chipset Motherboards
    6. AMD 8-Series Chipset Motherboards
    7. NVIDIA nForce3 Series Chipset Motherboards
    8. NVIDIA nForce4 Series for AMD Chipset Motherboards
    9. NVIDIA nForce 500 Series for AMD Chipset Motherboards
    10. NVIDIA nForce 600a Series Chipset Motherboards
    11. NVIDIA nForce 700a Series Chipset Motherboards
    12. NVIDIA GeForce 6-Series GPU and nForce4 Series MCP Motherboards
    13. NVIDIA GeForce 7-Series GPU and nForce 6-Series MCP Motherboards
    14. NVIDIA GeForce 8-Series mGPU Motherboards
    15. SiS Chipset Motherboards
    16. ULi Chipset Motherboards
    17. VIA Chipset Motherboards
  5. Naming Rules of Motherboards (Page 8)
  6. List of Bandwidth (Page 8)
  7. MSI K8NGM2-FID: The Definitive Guide (page 9)

Discussion Posts (Click Here)
 
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5
#13,001 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rtapia /forum/post/18308748


I need a motherboard recommendation:


Background:

The main function of this machine is to transcode video. I have an unRAID server, so I don't need more than 2 hard drives in this machine. The most resource intensive game that will be played on this machine will be Minesweeper. This computer will probably be on 24/7, so energy efficient components are a plus. I would like to go with a MicroATX Mid tower case.


This is what I plan to use so far:


# CPU: Core i7 860 2.80GHz LGA1156

# Memory: Depends on which motherboard

# PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W

# Case: Rosewill R101-P-BK


These are two boards in the January recommendations:
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD4 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
ASRock H55M Pro LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard


Are they still the way to go? Are there any options with onboard video that will have no trouble playing HD?

For video and audio, the integrated options are currently limited to dual-core i3/i5. So the i7 would require a discrete GPU such as Radeon 5450.


Consider a higher efficiency PSU and lower power as well so the most common draw is within its most efficient range -perhaps a Seasonic 300 rated 80 Plus Bronze. Further efficiency can be had with low-voltage RAM.


I had my eye on that case for months but only recently got it from chiefvalue for $25 shipped as it was previously either priced much higher or OOS (after promos of $20 shipped late last year). It is made by InShin (model MA 101 with this bezel) and also available with different bezels and brandings including from Enermax and Thermaltake. But this one is the most practical and aesthetically pleasing in my opine.



What makes it quite unique amongst Micro-ATX cases is the combination of external bays (three 5.25" and two 3.5"), 120/90mm fan mounts, and compact depth. This last spec requires choosing the mainboard and 5.25" devices carefully to avoid conflict as anything in the bottom bay is likely to overhang the area where the bulky ATX power connector is located. They vary significantly in this regard but I purposely opted for the shorter depth GA-H55M-S2H as more memory slots and other minor features were not required.
 
#13,002 ·
A few days ago I stumbled upon a discussion of how some/many of you use a home server, and that got my gears turning. But just as learning how to build my first and only HTPC..... there's a bunch to learn.


Specifically, I'm thinking of using the low end Core I3 with Gigabyte build Listed on page 401 as the starter for all this, and evidently I need to either daisy chain or otherwise build up gigabit ethernet in the house. Right now I only have the wireless router.


I'm also looking to remotely control an Observatory, but that's another thread. And another branch off a router (several computers already out there)


I've poked around AVS and went to Windows to get a grasp of the concept. Are there any breakdowns that guides others through the learning process as this thread does?


Thanks. In advance.
 
#13,004 ·
Guys thanks a lot for all the help.


The laptop you guys suggested is already here and I just got the 2 external HDhomerun TV tuners



Now I need a media centre extender for the basement TV. My question is, since I won't be playing games at all. Can I get away with buying an Xbox Arcade with an HDMI output ? Or would I be sacrificing performance by not buying a full 360 console as an MC extender?
 
#13,007 ·
If I remember correctly, the Arcade has some internal memory. Not a lot, 512mb I think, but enough for you to create a "Profile" on the Xbox and let you set it up as an Extender. No hard drive is needed.


There are some pretty fun games on the Xbox though. You might want a hard drive to save all those save games ;-)
 
#13,008 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxnix /forum/post/18311514


I am looking to build a cross between the Intel/Intel High end and Premium (LGA 1156) htpc and hoped you would look at the list below and let me know if you see any problems, or reccommend different components - I know you said you were planning on updating the list shortly??


Here in Australia we don't always get the parts you list, so if it is something that is not on one of your reccommend list, it is the closest I could find.


I was thinking of the following;


Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD4 (as it has USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gbps)

CPU: Core i5 750 2.66GHz LGA1156

Cooler: Xigmatek CPU Cooler S1283 Dark Knight R3 + Xigmatek Crossbow I5361 for CPU Coolers w 3 HeatPipes Will this cooler work on the i5 in this motherboard?

RAM: G Skill 4G(2x2G) DDR3 1600Mhz PC12800 9-9-9-24(CL9D-4GBNQ)

Graphics Card: HIS ATI HD5750 PCI-E 2.0 1GB DDR5 700/4600 MHz

HDD: Western Digital 1.5TB Green 64MB SATAII WD15EARS

Optical: Samsung SH-B083A Blu-Ray Combo SATA

Case: Antec Sonata III MiniTower Case - Piano BlackW/500W PSU

Good, except for USB 3.0/SATA 6Gbps. You have to choose a different mb . Lower end mb there have a second PCI Express x16 slot that works only at 1.1 x4. Think about expansion slots you may need in future. Thanks!
 
#13,010 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxnix /forum/post/18312897


OK, so if I substitute in the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3, it all should be OK?


Just wanted to double check that I have the right cooler (and adaption kit), for the i5 and the Motherboard?

Yes. All should be fine.
 
#13,012 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tomandbeth /forum/post/18312060


A few days ago I stumbled upon a discussion of how some/many of you use a home server, and that got my gears turning. But just as learning how to build my first and only HTPC..... there's a bunch to learn.


Specifically, I'm thinking of using the low end Core I3 with Gigabyte build Listed on page 401 as the starter for all this, and evidently I need to either daisy chain or otherwise build up gigabit ethernet in the house. Right now I only have the wireless router.


I'm also looking to remotely control an Observatory, but that's another thread. And another branch off a router (several computers already out there)


I've poked around AVS and went to Windows to get a grasp of the concept. Are there any breakdowns that guides others through the learning process as this thread does?


Thanks. In advance.

You might want to spend a little time in the forums over at WeGotServed . There's plenty of info and an active community of WHS users there.
 
#13,013 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tomandbeth /forum/post/18312060


A few days ago I stumbled upon a discussion of how some/many of you use a home server, and that got my gears turning. But just as learning how to build my first and only HTPC..... there's a bunch to learn.


Specifically, I'm thinking of using the low end Core I3 with Gigabyte build Listed on page 401 as the starter for all this, and evidently I need to either daisy chain or otherwise build up gigabit ethernet in the house. Right now I only have the wireless router.


I'm also looking to remotely control an Observatory, but that's another thread. And another branch off a router (several computers already out there)


I've poked around AVS and went to Windows to get a grasp of the concept. Are there any breakdowns that guides others through the learning process as this thread does?


Thanks. In advance.

There is a lot of information about WHS on the web. Check out www.mediasmartserver.net , www.wegotserved.com , homeservershow.com, etc... to get some ideas.
 
#13,015 ·
Hi renethx,


just to double check, so do you think that using an XBOX arcade, even tough it doesn't have a regular hard drive like the full xbox 360, will it give me the same quality results as a media center extender a full hard drive one?


Is just that I will be buying two today and I want to be 100% sure of this.


Thanks in advanced


Alex
 
#13,016 ·
The thing I didn't like about using my xbox as an extender are 1) It is loud. Newer models might not be as bad but it really bothered me, and 2) The lack of supported formats was a problem. I don't want to have to convert a significant part of my library so my extender would support it. I would end up spending more time converting my library than enjoying it. Just my opinion. So I built an HTPC.
 
#13,017 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by mryerse /forum/post/18314224


The thing I didn't like about using my xbox as an extender are 1) It is loud. Newer models might not be as bad but it really bothered me, and 2) The lack of supported formats was a problem. I don't want to have to convert a significant part of my library so my extender would support it. I would end up spending more time converting my library than enjoying it. Just my opinion. So I built an HTPC.

Thanks for the reply mryerse,


Being loud is a none issue to me because it will be 75 feet away from the TV in a closet somewhere on the house.


Now the second issue is the one that I need to look into it, would I have that issue of the not supported format to record and play back OTA HD shows?


Since I know it doesn't play HD content very well, I will be playing those from my HTPC laptop straight into the TV (HDMI) via media center. Is media center the one that has the issue with formats or Xbox.


I don't even have one BRay movie ripped into the hdd yet, so I guess that went the time comes I could ripped all BRay to accommodate to MC format.
 
#13,018 ·
This will be my first HTPC build, any input is much appreciated. OTA DVR and streaming video from the web will be it's primary use.


Case - SILVERSTONE GRANDIA GD04B

Motherboard - ASUS P7H55D-M EVO

CPU - Intel Core i3-540

PSU - SeaSonic S12II 380B

CPU Cooler - Scythe Shuriken Rev. B

RAM - 2 X 2GB DDR3 1600

HDD - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB

Optical Drive - undetermined probably Blu-Ray with DVD write capablilities

WiFi - ASUS PCE-N13 IEEE 802.11b/g/n PCI Express Wireless Adapter

OTA Tuner - SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual

Remote - undetermined

Keyboard with built in mouse/touchpad - undetermined

Windows 7


Thanks for getting me this far and thanks in advance for any input.
 
#13,020 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx /forum/post/17984843

_________________
Media Storage Server
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__________________
General Consideration
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Purpose of a Media Storage Server


The main purposes of the media storage server described here are:
  • Storing/archiving media files (ripped/downloaded/recorded SD & HD video contents/music, photographs etc.) in one centralized place.
  • Streaming media to HTPCs.
  • Possibly serving as a DVR with TV tuners added.

Here are some considerations in building such a system.

Component Selection
  • OS: The intended OS is one of
    1. Windows Vista or 7, x86 or x64, with or without FlexRAID and/or FlexRAID-View
    2. Windows Home Server (WHS), with or without FlexRAID (in place of Folder Duplication)
    3. unRAID (a Linux variant with RAID 4 capability)

    You can also use Linux with software RAID, OpenFiler etc. as long as your hardware components are supported.
  • Case: Currently NORCO RPC-4020 and NORCO RPC-4220 are the best cases for a media storage server. Both support 20 HDDs in hot-swap bays at a relatively cheap price. The latter has a backplane with five SFF-8087 connectors instead of twenty SATA connectors in the former. If you need more storage space, build another server of the same type and store them in a rack such as iStarUSA WO22AB 22U WO Open Frame Rack , ~$300:

  • PSU: Each hard disk drive consumes as low as 5W at idle, but as much as 30W at start-up (depending on each model). So we will need a powerful PSU to start up all the drives at a time. A typical power consumption of a server consisting of twenty HDDs is
    • ~600W at start up
    • ~200W at seek
    • ~150W at idle
  • CPU: We chose a cheap dual-core processor because archiving/streaming/recording is not CPU-intensive.
  • Memory: 2GB is enough for a similar reason.
  • Motherboard: Basic requirements are
    1. Onboard graphics
    2. 2 PCI slots or 2 PCI Express 1.x x4 slots for storage controllers for 16 storage HDDs
    3. 6 onboard SATA ports for additional storage HDDs and the OS HDD.
    4. A Gb LAN (that provides enough bandwidth for streaming HD contents to several HTPC simultaneously)
    5. Proper support for power management, in particular WOL (Wake-On-LAN)

    If you are going to use the server as a DVR, you may want more expansion slots. The motherboard chosen here has enough expansion slots and is reasonably cheap. You can even use a RAID controller PCIe x8 card.
  • HBA (host bus adapter): As the number of onboard SATA ports is not enough, we use SATA controller cards. I chose cheap non-RAID SATA controller PCI-X (compatible with PCI) or PCI Express x4 cards, that are enough for our purpose.
  • OS drive: You can use any drive for OS (a USB flash memory for unRAID).
  • Storage drives: There are several good cheap 1TB/1.5TB HDDs.
    • WD Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB 5400 rpm SATA 3.0Gbps, $85.
    • Samsung HD103SI 1TB 5400 rpm SATA 3.0Gbps, $71.
    • WD Caviar Green WD15EADS 1.5TB 5400 rpm SATA 3.0Gbps, $105.
    • Samsung HD154UI 1.5TB 5400 rpm SATA 3.0Gbps, $110.
Backup


You will need to back up important, irreplaceable data (e.g. personal documents and family photos), perhaps off-site. Building a dedicated backup system is one method (you can use similar hardware components here). A caution to those who consider RAID5: RAID 5 is not a backup strategy, it's about uptime - if a drive fails, you can swap it for a new one to rebuild with no service interruption. You may lose the entire date in the array instantly however if multiple drives fail or if a hardware issue kills the array. FlexRAID and unRAID are better in this point: you can still get data from each non-failed drive.
Renethx,

I read several places on the net that the WD10/15/20EADS 5400 RPM drives are unusable for raid.


Can you comment on this..


What about WHS use?


cheers,

Jacob
 
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