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System requirement question
DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
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I am soo confused as to if my system is compatible with this program. My husband bought a new computer last week and i came across the PD Ultra 10 and really like the ease of the program from what i see. I am not really concerned with the requirements for 3d at this point given i am a newbie and just learning basic HD editing for home videos. But i am not sure still if i am compatible with this program. Here is the info i pulled up for my new computer. Like i said i am not concerned with stuff needed for 3d capabilities right now. I am currently looking into a blu ray burner either internal and external but that is a new area as well i am researching. I am just not good with tech stuff and wanted to make sure i was good to go for editing requirements needed for this program.



HP Pavilion p7-1154 PC



Processor Brand

AMD


Processor Platform

AMD VISION A6 APU



Processor

AMD VISION A6 APU



Processor Speed

2.1GHz



Cache Memory

4MB on die Level 2



System Memory (RAM)

6GB



System Memory (RAM) Expandable To

16GB



Type of Memory (RAM)

DDR3 SDRAM



Hard Drive Type

SATA (7200 rpm)



Hard Drive Size

1TB



Graphics

AMD Radeon HD 6350D



Video Memory

Up to 3065MB (total available as allocated by Windows 7)



Audio

High-definition with 7.1-channel surround sound capabilities; Beats Audio



Speakers

None



Network Card

Built-in 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet LAN



Wireless Networking

Built-in 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN



Recordable DVD Drive

Yes, double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW



Recordable DVD Drive Speeds

12x DVD+R DL; 12x DVD-R DL; 16x8x16 DVD+RW; 16x6x16 DVD-RW; 12x DVD-RAM; 40x32x40 CD-RW



Direct-Disc Labeling

No



Digital Media Reader or Slots

Yes, digital media card reader



Available Expansion Bays

External: 1 (3.5"), 1 (5.25"); Internal: 1 (3.5")



Available Expansion Slots

3 PCI Express x1, 1 PCI Express x16



Keyboard Description

USB



Other Control Devices (mouse, etc.)

Optical mouse



Operating System Platform

Windows



Operating System

Windows 7 Home Premium



System Version

64-bit



ENERGY STAR Qualified

No



Best Buy PC App

No



HDMI Output

No



Blu-ray Player

No



Graphics Chip

AMD/ATI



Drive Capacity

1TB



UPC

886111850846




Also there is this note at the bottom of powerdirectors requirement page and i do not know if this applies to me or not. I right clicked on the desktop and it showed no options for this and when going to the AMD website i had no clue where or what exactly i was looking for or if i even needed it given the computer is only a week old??



Notes:

1. Accelerated video encoding on AMD graphics cards requires the user to install the AMD Media Codec Package, also known as the Avivo™ Package. This package is available as an optional download when obtaining an AMD Catalyst™ Display Driver for AMD desktop graphics and notebook graphics products

ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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DeAnna -

On the face of it, your laptop will cope with HD editing, so long as your projects aren't too long or complex.

I think your CPU is probably this one (unless you opted for an upgrade at the time of purchase) http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+A6-3600+APU+with+Radeon+HD+Graphics

Your (integrated) GPU is a Radeon HD 6530D http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/video_lookup.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+6530D - which (I think) will make it a little tough going, depending on what you're editing. It has no dedicated video memory.

I'm not familiar with the AMD drivers, but I think "Avivo" has been replaced now. One of the AMD members will (hopefully) give you better guidance on that.

Cheers - Tony
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DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
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Tony thank you soo much for your response and time. I got this desktop at Best Buy and i even told the tech guy working that dept what i was wanting it for and from what i understood given the complexity and size of HD files that i would need lots of storage and high performing cards given the nature of HD video files and editing software. He indicated he knew what i would be needing given they get alot of gaming customers with similar needs..i thought great i am good to go he knows what to set me up with...well apparently not. This was my sole purpose in needs for this computer.
So Tony i am wiithin a 14 day window to return and exchange it reading their return policy...would i be better off just taking the whole thing back and exchanging it all together? I guess i should bring a copy of the program specs and requirements and hope they get it right..... i pulled up best buy and was reading the editorial reviews..your right given what they say about the lacking for such needs. I am just so new to this and had not even came across PD 10 until two days ago or i would have brought the specs and system requirements.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Desktop+/+AMD+A-Series+Processor+/+6GB+Memory+/+1TB+Hard+Drive/3368384.p?id=1218396586658&skuId=3368384
Carl312
Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline
[Post New]
These are the system requirement for Powerdirector 10

These are really the minimum requirements. To get real use out of HD editing your computer needs be more powerful than these requirements.

http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdirector/requirements_en_US.html

Some of my desktop computer specs are in my signature. I do pretty good editing HD content. Even so, I get lags and have to wait for the computer to catch up.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
[Post New]
Thank you Carl i will jot down this info and keep it with me when i go back to best buy today as a guideline as well. Geez, give me software and i can figure it out with time..make me get under the hood of a computer and i am forever and ever lost...smiles!!!
DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
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Here is PC Magazines review that offers more specs and if i am reading right..this is nowhere in the ball park for what i am needing correct?


HP Pavilion p7-1154
Bottom Line
The HP Pavilion p7-1154 is affordable, but the AMD hardware used here doesn't fare well when compared to Intel-equipped competitors.
Pros
Big 1TB hard drive. USB 3.0 ports on board. Lots of room for upgrades.
Cons
AMD Llano APU provides lackluster performance compared with its Intel-equipped competitors. Wired USB keyboard and optical mouse. No gaming capability.Review

by Brian Westover, PCMag.com



The HP Pavilion p7-1154 ($519.99 list at Best Buy) is an affordable, entry-level desktop with room to grow. However, its quad-core AMD Llano chipset, containing the CPU and GPU on the same die, was underwhelming on our benchmark tests, even against a machine equipped with the lowest-powered processor in Intel's Core i-series, the HP Pavilion p7-1030 ($580 street, 4 stars). If Web browsing and basic home use is all you want to do, the p7-1154 should fit the bill. But even tinkerers should be warned; you may enjoy many of the upgrade options available, but without investing some time and money, this desktop will leave most users underwhelmed.

Design & Features
On the whole, the p7-1154 is nearly identical in design to the Pavilion p7-1030, an Intel-based variant of the same Pavilion line: It's a standard mid-tower PC, with the usual black boxy design. The front features a stylized glossy black panel, surrounded by a silver-grey trim, and accented with a white-blue LED light at the top, indicating that the PC is powered on. The front panel is actually made up of several covers that slide aside and flip open to reveal the drives and ports behind. There are two USB 2.0 ports, jacks for headphones and microphone, and an array of card readers that can handle a wide variety of memory formats (including SD, xD, MMC, MS, and Compact Flash).

On the back of the tower, you'll find two additional USB 2.0 ports (which will be occupied by the wired USB keyboard and mouse that HP provides), two USB 3.0 ports, two DVI-D display outputs, a wired LAN connection, and a selection of inputs and outputs for audio.

The p7-1154 comes bundled with a wired USB keyboard and wired optical mouse. While the overall quality of the keyboard and mouse are passable, the fact that they are wired—and subsequently occupy two USB ports—is a bit of a drag.

The Pavilion p7-1154's tower measures 15.3 by 6.9 by 16.1 inches (HWD), small enough to slip under a desk, but nowhere near as compact as a small-form factor (SFF) desktop. The right panel is held in place with a single Phillip's head screw, providing easy internal access for repairs and upgrades. There are four DIMM slots; two of them are taken up by 6GB of memory in total, so you can upgrade the system to about 16GB. The 300W power supply should still provide enough power for most basic upgrades, but nothing more than an entry-level graphics card to fill the open PCIe x16 slot, and a selection of open PCI slots (three PCI Express x1). There are three open expansion bays for an optical drive and two hard drives (two 3.5-inch hard drive bays and one 5.25-inch optical drive bay), however, there are only two SATA ports open to connect them.

It's equipped already equipped with a dual-layer DVD+-RW optical drive, letting you read and burn CDs and DVDs, as well as a sizable 1TB (7200rpm) hard drive. There is also an 802.11n wireless PCIe Mini-card, meaning that you can wirelessly connect to your router, so there's no need to set the desktop up in the same room or snake troublesome cables throughout your house.

The HP Pavilion p7-1154 comes with a selection of software pre-installed on the system, (a.k.a., bloatware), like Microsoft Office Starter 2010, a 60-day trial of Norton Internet Security, a 30-day trial of Norton Online Backup, and a collection of sample games from Wild Tangent. The Pavilion p7-1154 also comes with HP LinkUp, a program that lets you access other Windows 7 computers on the same local network. Even computers from other manufacturers can download the LinkUp software to share files. It's like having your own local cloud.

Best Buy also has an extended warranty program, which offers customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. There are two plans in this extended warranty program. The standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a "No Lemon" guarantee in which Best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than 4 repairs during the coverage period. Best Buy's advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new consumer PC purchased through Best Buy.

Performance
The p7-1154 comes equipped with a quad-core 2.1GHz AMD A6 3600 APU and 6GB of RAM; the combination puts reasonable computing capability into a budget-friendly price range. In benchmark tests, the processor offered middle-of-the-road performance. It's PCMark 7 score of 1,986 points outperformed the Asus Essentio CM1730-05 ($569.99, 3 stars) (1,911 points), which uses a 2.6GHz AMD Phenom II X6 1065T processor, and isn't terribly far behind the dual-core Intel Core i3-2100-equipped HP p7-1030 (2,536 points). In Cinebench R11.5, it fell flat, scoring 2.61 points, compared with the Dell Inspiron i620-3708NBK ($649.99 list, 3.5 stars) (4.78 points) and Asus CM1730-05 (5.19 points).

In multimedia tests, the desktop's AMD processor failed to match the performance offered by either Intel Core i3 and i5 processors or the AMD Phenom II X6 found in the Asus CM1730-05. The p7-1154 completed Handbrake in 2 minutes 49 seconds, well behind the Lenovo IdeaCentre K330-11691AU ($599.99 list, 4 stars) (2:12) and the Dell i620-3708NBK (1:22). It fell even further behind in our Photoshop CS5 test, completing the test in 7 minutes 13 seconds, which is almost twice the processing time of the Lenovo IdeaCentre K330-11691AU (3:49) and more than two minutes behind the Asus CM1730-05 (4:47). That's a significant difference between similarly-priced systems.

AMD's Vision APU means that in addition to the A6 processor, the p7-1154 also packs an AMD Radeon HD 6530D graphics processor. In 3DMark 11, it put up moderate scores of 1,211 points at medium resolution and detail settings, but only 231 points when cranked up to native resolution and higher detail. Though the numbers are low, these are still top scores because comparable systems were unable to run the new graphics test. On the whole, graphics performance is on the low-end, and gaming is out of the question. It couldn't run our Crysis gaming test, and in Lost Planet 2, on the least demanding settings, it produced an unplayable 18.1 frames per second.

When all is said and done, the HP Pavilion p7-1154 stacks up as an affordable—if underwhelming—desktop that provides all the basics without breaking the bank. For buyers looking for a bare-bones desktop for casual use or as a cheap starting point for customized upgrades, the p7-1154 fits the bill. If you want a system that's ready to go and provides the most bang for the buck, look instead to the Editors' Choice Lenovo IdeaCentre K330-11691AU or Dell Inspiron i620-3708NBK.
Carl312
Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline
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If you want the best computer for editing HD content, a Intel i7 4 or 6 core CPU is in the fastest category.

Then you need 6GB min to motherboard maximum memory. A lot of editors in this forum have 12 GB memory.

Really good Video Card.

And really, really big hard drive.

Good benchmarks are found here for Video cards and CPUs: Check the High End charts.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

This will really 'put you under the hood' of your computer specs.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
[Post New]
I am currently looking for a new computer and want to make sure my specs matchup with Powerdirector 10 and HD video editing needs. I am looking at a

XPS 8300
Intel Core i7-2600 processor(8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz- 4 Dimms
1TB Performance RAID O ( 2 x 500GB SATA 3Gb/s 7200 RPM HDDs)
AMD Radeon™ HD 6450 1GB DDR3 or (with the option on the Dell website to UPGRADE card to Nvidia Geforce GT 530 or AMD Radeon HD 6670 1GB DDR5 or HD 6770)


CPU Processor requirements?

***PowerDirector 10 is optimized for CPUs with MMX/SSE/SSE2/3DNow!/3DNow! Extension/HyperThreading technology.
• AVI Capture/Producer: Profiles: Pentium II 450 MHz or AMD Athlon 500 MHz
• DVD Quality (MPEG-2) Profiles: Pentium 4 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 2200+
• High Quality MPEG-4 and Streaming WMV, QuickTime) Profiles: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2
• Full-HD quality H.264 and MPEG2 Profiles: Intel Corei5/7 or AMD Phenom II X4
• AVCHD and BD burning Profiles: Pentium Core 2 Duo E6400, or AMD Phenom II X2
•3D Video Editing Profile: Intel Core i7 or AMD Phenom II X4


They show different systems for different things?? I am confused? Given i will be doing blu-ray buring does that mean i need one of the two systems under "AVCHD and BD Buring profiles"? again i am confused.

Also, what about the card options above for the i7 and feedback on which one would be the best to go with? I don't expect to be doing any 3d requiring glasses and stuff. Aside from questioning the card and upgrading it and question about the cpu processor..does the rest of this system seem acceptable for hd editing and software requirements?
garioch7
Senior Contributor Location: Port Hood, Nova Scotia, Canada Joined: Feb 07, 2011 06:45 Messages: 852 Offline
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Deanna2012: You should be fine with the computer that you have selected. You will be able to handle HD without problems. Of course, more is always better and faster.

Have a great day.

Regards,
-Phil Windows 10 Pro x64
Dell XPS 8930
Intel CoreT i7 (4.6 GHz)
32 GB DDR4-2666 RAM
1 TB PCIe -x4 SSD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
PD14 Ultimate x64, 4207
CD4 Ultra and AD6 Ultra
Bleeping Computer Malware Response Instructor
DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
[Post New]
Thanks for the feed back!!
[Post New]
Quote: I am currently looking for a new computer and want to make sure my specs matchup with Powerdirector 10 and HD video editing needs. I am looking at a

XPS 8300
Intel Core i7-2600 processor(8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz- 4 Dimms
1TB Performance RAID O ( 2 x 500GB SATA 3Gb/s 7200 RPM HDDs)
AMD Radeon™ HD 6450 1GB DDR3 or (with the option on the Dell website to UPGRADE card to Nvidia Geforce GT 530 or AMD Radeon HD 6670 1GB DDR5 or HD 6770)


CPU Processor requirements?

***PowerDirector 10 is optimized for CPUs with MMX/SSE/SSE2/3DNow!/3DNow! Extension/HyperThreading technology.
• AVI Capture/Producer: Profiles: Pentium II 450 MHz or AMD Athlon 500 MHz
• DVD Quality (MPEG-2) Profiles: Pentium 4 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 2200+
• High Quality MPEG-4 and Streaming WMV, QuickTime) Profiles: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2
• Full-HD quality H.264 and MPEG2 Profiles: Intel Corei5/7 or AMD Phenom II X4
• AVCHD and BD burning Profiles: Pentium Core 2 Duo E6400, or AMD Phenom II X2
•3D Video Editing Profile: Intel Core i7 or AMD Phenom II X4


They show different systems for different things?? I am confused? Given i will be doing blu-ray buring does that mean i need one of the two systems under "AVCHD and BD Buring profiles"? again i am confused.

Also, what about the card options above for the i7 and feedback on which one would be the best to go with? I don't expect to be doing any 3d requiring glasses and stuff. Aside from questioning the card and upgrading it and question about the cpu processor..does the rest of this system seem acceptable for hd editing and software requirements?


DeAnna -

I just purchased the exact same system a few weeks ago. I don't typically do HD editing, but PD works very smoothly on it. As far as the video card goes, when I purchased mine the Nvidia GT 530 was the standard card, and the Radeon 6670 was the upgrade (which I took primarilly because it would ship faster). Looking at the ratings on the cards, it seems the Radeon is a significantly faster card than the Nvidia offered.

One suggestion though - the '1TB Performace' doesn't look like a good deal. There is only room for 2 internal hard drives. Since this option is a raid array, you only get 500 GB of disk space, and no room for expansion (plus, Dell's pricing on hard drives is a bit high, even considering the current hard drive market), unless you prefer the raid array, of course. I would go with the stock 500 GB drive, and purchase a 1 or 2 TB drive (aftermarket). Make sure you purchase the OS media with the machine (they don't include a Windows disk by default). Do a clean install of Windows on the TB drive, then wipe the 500 GBer and use it for backups. You're better off with a clean install of Windows than with Dell's bloatware anyways. PowerDirector 10 Ultra
Dell XPS Studio - i7 3.4 GHz / 8 GB RAM / Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
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Skully, i am wondering if maybe i should go with a HP model that gives me more hard drive options. Not sure i know what i am doing when it comes to formatting drives and the like..way over my head i worry if i go that route. Is it just a matter of hooking up the hard drive and putting the OS media software in and letting it do it's thing? would rather go with Dell but worry i may not know what i am doing on adding a hard drive myself?


H8XT Series
Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit] edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 quad-core processor with Turbo-Boost [up to 3.8GHz, 8MB cache] edit
Memory 10GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM [3 DIMMs] edit
Hard drive 1TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive edit
Secondary Hard Drive 500GB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive edit
Office software No additional office software edit
Security software SAVE $20 on Norton Internet Security(TM) 2012 - 15 month edit
Graphics card 1GB DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 7570 [HDMI, DVI, VGA via adapter] edit
Power Supply 300W Power supply edit
Primary optical drive Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Networking Wireless-N LAN card (1x1) edit
Productivity ports 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB 2.0 (front), audio, 2 USB (top rear-facing) edit
TV & entertainment experience No TV Tuner edit
Sound Card Beats Audio (tm) -- integrated studio quality sound edit
Keyboard and Mouse Premium HP keyboard and optical mouse edit
[Post New]
DeAnna -

There is slightly more to it than just running the OS install disk. It's not that hard, but if you don't have an aptitude for it, or are uncomfortable with it, then it may be best not to go that route (I use the same logic as to why I don't change my own oil in my car).

Brand preference is a personal thing, but I would lean towards the Dell based on past history, in spite of the HP's slightly upgraded spec - but that's just me. If you do go with the Dell I would still suggest just getting the single hard drive as well as an aftermarket one of a larger size. The physical installation of the drive is simple and pretty much fool-proof, unlike reloading the whole OS. You can still use the 500GBer as your system drive, but I would store all your stuff on the larger 'D:' drive. PD requires at least 100GB of free space on the C: drive to function properly, and any drive will start to fill up quickly when you're storing a lot of video clips.
PowerDirector 10 Ultra
Dell XPS Studio - i7 3.4 GHz / 8 GB RAM / Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
[Post New]
Thanks Skully for the help..sorry didn't get on yesterday alittle under the weather. One question, if ones computer gets hit with a virus or something..doesn't that still effect both drives?
I don't think i would have a problem putting in a drive myself..i have had to disconnect one before and take one out and put it back in...but beyond buying one and putting it in...from there i am lost on what i do from there. gonna try and do some reading today on what that involves exactly. I have heard mixed things in reading about HP computers and the lack of quality in some areas with their computers...still really wanting to go with the dell

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jan 13. 2012 10:08

[Post New]
Quote: Thanks Skully for the help..sorry didn't get on yesterday alittle under the weather. One question, if ones computer gets hit with a virus or something..doesn't that still effect both drives?
I don't think i would have a problem putting in a drive myself..i have had to disconnect one before and take one out and put it back in...but beyond buying one and putting it in...from there i am lost on what i do from there. gonna try and do some reading today on what that involves exactly. I have heard mixed things in reading about HP computers and the lack of quality in some areas with their computers...still really wanting to go with the dell


Most modern viruses attack system areas, not data files. That being said, a virus could attach itself to files anywhere on your system - on data drives, USB drives, network drives, etc. The RAID array only provides protection against physical failure of your hard drive, as it uses 1 drive as an exact copy of the other in real time. If one drive fails, it switches over to the other. If you get a virus on your system drive with a RAID array, the RAID will make an exact copy of the virus on the second drive, so it provides no protection against that at all. Plus, while RAID 0 is the simplest type of array to implement, and BY FAR the easiest to recover in the event of catastrophic drive failure, it's also the slowest, and will actually cause the machine to run at less than optimal performance.

Your best configuration for performance and protection in my experience is regular non-RAID drives, frequent backups, basic virus protection (not full blown 'internet security' apps), and being cautious and alert on the internet.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jan 13. 2012 10:22

PowerDirector 10 Ultra
Dell XPS Studio - i7 3.4 GHz / 8 GB RAM / Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
DeAnna2112 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Jan 07, 2012 23:47 Messages: 18 Offline
[Post New]
Thank you soo much Skully. If you had not brought some of this stuff to my attention...especially the raid issue i would have known no different and been sorry later....especially when i learned i could not expand as well. Thank you bunches for the guidance and direction and saving me some money now and long term down the road as well.
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