it should be perfect as long as it does not consume more than 5 watts. Also, did you remove your modem before you installed the 8600gt? or was it in when you were gaming and such?
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The highly rated HP Pavilion Slimline PC thread
- Thread starter Archaea
- Start date
it should be perfect as long as it does not consume more than 5 watts. Also, did you remove your modem before you installed the 8600gt? or was it in when you were gaming and such?
Archaea
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^ That sound card won't fit - you need a low profile sound card.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829270005
or something external through USB like this
http://www.buy.com/prod/creative-so...ound-system-dolby-7-1/q/loc/101/10355344.html
I'm not convinced that the onboard is terrible though...It seems very passable on these slimlines to me...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829270005
or something external through USB like this
http://www.buy.com/prod/creative-so...ound-system-dolby-7-1/q/loc/101/10355344.html
I'm not convinced that the onboard is terrible though...It seems very passable on these slimlines to me...
I had the same issues with my Galaxy Tech. I ended up using a vga to dvi adapter and things have gone ok. At first it was tempermental and only worked when it wanted to, but it has worked fine for the 3 months. If you bought it from NCIX don't expect any help from them. The techs are by the book guys and they will tell you the problem is you don't have enough power to run it.
Quick question regarding sound cards ... would that improve the quality of movies that are being encoded by the computer? Or does that simply allow you to play movies at better sound quality on the computer itself?
I used the spare PCI slot for an eSata with the intent of amassing my media library outside of the box in an external 500GB HD. I tried streaming regular DVD movies (approx 4GB, not HD) via USB 2.0 and it wouldn't work. With eSata - even old skool PCI 1.5gbps - is streams flawlessly.
Although it's pretty tight in there now ...
That's odd about not being able to stream the movies. I rip my dvd's to my external usb hdd and they play perfectly. Divx files mess up on the other hand which didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Quick question regarding sound cards ... would that improve the quality of movies that are being encoded by the computer? Or does that simply allow you to play movies at better sound quality on the computer itself?
I used the spare PCI slot for an eSata with the intent of amassing my media library outside of the box in an external 500GB HD. I tried streaming regular DVD movies (approx 4GB, not HD) via USB 2.0 and it wouldn't work. With eSata - even old skool PCI 1.5gbps - is streams flawlessly.
Although it's pretty tight in there now ...
Have you tried running a NAS (Network Attach Storage) I am running that system, and I am able to play most of my DVD iso flawlessly through the Wired Network, Wireless, there are some hiccup with the steaming, but for the most part it wasn't too bad.
Btw, 500GB won't last you long, i was able to only fit roughly 70 DVD before i was touching the Max.
I guess no one could tell me about the e7200, most likely i am going to the AMD base Slimline, and will end up selling the Intel one.
I have the HP slimline s3220n with the tv tuner and want to upgrade the on-board graphics.
I know having the tv tuner affects what card I can use due to heat and power, but this is strictly a media center pc in my living room. I want to connect it to my 60" Sony 60a3000 via HDMI, and I am heavily leaning on this 2400pro. According to a power chart someone posted earlier it runs at 9w idle and 15w max (although it doesnt say what brand, not sure if that matters).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161191
Any caveats I need to know before going with this card? Safe enough to expect smooth HD playback (live tv) and ability to fast forward without video lag? Should be quiet enough too I expect.
I know having the tv tuner affects what card I can use due to heat and power, but this is strictly a media center pc in my living room. I want to connect it to my 60" Sony 60a3000 via HDMI, and I am heavily leaning on this 2400pro. According to a power chart someone posted earlier it runs at 9w idle and 15w max (although it doesnt say what brand, not sure if that matters).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161191
Any caveats I need to know before going with this card? Safe enough to expect smooth HD playback (live tv) and ability to fast forward without video lag? Should be quiet enough too I expect.
I was catching up on all the post and I saw a lot of people worrying about get 4gb of memory and that vista is only allowing 3.5gb of memory. I upgraded to 4gb at first Vista only recognized 3.5gb. I then went Microsoft.com and searched for the SP1 for Vista (32bit). Once I installed SP1 on my computer it recognized all 4gb of RAM.
Vista SP1 link
I have not had any issues with the SP1 upgrade with my computer yet. Hopefully it works for everyone.
Vista SP1 link
I have not had any issues with the SP1 upgrade with my computer yet. Hopefully it works for everyone.
Re: Vista SP1, one of my friends said that with Vista RTM, his 4 GB of RAM wasn't fully recognized, but it never crashed. Since he installed SP1, all of his 4 GB is now seen by Vista, but he's blue screened twice so far.
I have considered NAS but at this point I think my needs do not justify the cost in time and dollars (remember, I am a technical dolt so time will be significant).
I figure if and when I do start to max out the 500GB, I will replace the stock 300GB in the slimline with a 150GB Raptor and throw the 500 and 300 together in a dual eSata enclosure. Beyond that though, I think I will just delete media I no longer want to make space.
Interesting ... I will try that since I have just done a full backup of the system anyway.
Although I find it odd that Vista hasn't automatically upgraded to SP1. I will check as soon as I get home tonight.
Thanks for the heads up.
you guys I need help, I tried putting the card in about 5 times but it seems that it just cant fit in place, and because it wont slide down, it wont fit into the pci-e slot because its too high.. this is the galaxy 8600gt, and I already installed the low profile brackets on.. any help would be great.
hp3300f, there is a black lever looking thing that needs to be pushed (or pulled?) to allow the card to slide into the pci-e slot. I actually ended up snapping that stupid lever right off but everything works still. I had a hard time squeezing my card in too but it will go in. Just don't use too much force.
[edit] The lever is on the very end of the slot closer to the sata wires by the dvd drive.
[edit] The lever is on the very end of the slot closer to the sata wires by the dvd drive.
hey the.ronin, I actually got it to work before your suggestion, and I removed the wired modem for ventilation.. I have to say, THIS CARD ROCKS. I get 75 frames per second on Counter Strike: Source max with 16xAA and 16xAF.. unbeatable. The fan is very loud though..but no power failures or anything with my 160w PSU so Im incredibly happy
Just won a bid on a Slimline with the ATI 2400 Pro card installed. Since its listed as one of the "official" graphics card options on the HP configuration options page for my particular Slimline model - s3300z with the BE-2400 Processor, I would guess its pretty compatible with the Slimline, if that helps. Will post how it works out/performs once I get it set up.
I'd appreciate that. I may already bite the bullet and order it anyways.
My main concern is better performance in the following...
1. Quicker navigation in media center menus, especially videos section. I get lag.
2. Video lags in fast forwarding in larger files making it almost pointless.
3. Live HDTV without the occassional studder I'm getting.
I'd like to put something a little more powerful in it just in case, but don't want to overdo it since I use the TV tuner. I may consider a 2400xt as well since it uses reduced power.
Make sure you disable Aero feature and adjust your power settings. I find if I get anywhere below balanced mode I get the lag and stutter you refer to. I have no trouble fast forwarding anything but Netflix Watch Now movies, but that is a bandwidth issue.
I disabled Aero, but am now thinking I didn't disable transparencies if it's not automatic. I'll check power settings too. I'll probably still go with the 2400pro hd anyway, but we'll see.
Thanks for the tip.
Do you guys know if theres a decent way to vent the slimline? I know taking the modem out may free up a little space (I don't even use dial-up so meh), but I was also wondering if anyones taken out the useless Pocket Media Drive Bay (useless to me that is, as I have external hard drives) and fitted some sort of fan inside (I blow my house fan at it when playing games)
I'm thinking about upgrading my graphics card soon to either the galaxy if i can find one, or the chaintech 512MB GeForce 8600GT card (also hard to find), and also have heard the "PCIe 8400GS low-profile graphics card made by XFX" works fairly well too. Any input on any of these would be appreciated.
The only game I see my self constantly playing would be WoW anyway.. no FPS, thats what my 360's for
And has anyone succesfully found an upgrade for the power supply? I have a s3421p so I'm not exactly sure what my wattage is as far as that goes.
Here's my Windows Experience Stuff:
Processor: 5.2
Memory (RAM): 5.9
Graphics: 3.5
Game Graphics: 3.0
Primary HDD: 5.7
and my specs...
AMD Athalon 64 Dual-Core x2 5200+
3072 MB memory
500G Space
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE
And as a useless side question, anyone bother to change the power light color? Photos show it deep blue whereas mines more of an aqua, j/w..
I'm thinking about upgrading my graphics card soon to either the galaxy if i can find one, or the chaintech 512MB GeForce 8600GT card (also hard to find), and also have heard the "PCIe 8400GS low-profile graphics card made by XFX" works fairly well too. Any input on any of these would be appreciated.
The only game I see my self constantly playing would be WoW anyway.. no FPS, thats what my 360's for
And has anyone succesfully found an upgrade for the power supply? I have a s3421p so I'm not exactly sure what my wattage is as far as that goes.
Here's my Windows Experience Stuff:
Processor: 5.2
Memory (RAM): 5.9
Graphics: 3.5
Game Graphics: 3.0
Primary HDD: 5.7
and my specs...
AMD Athalon 64 Dual-Core x2 5200+
3072 MB memory
500G Space
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE
And as a useless side question, anyone bother to change the power light color? Photos show it deep blue whereas mines more of an aqua, j/w..
Zooty, check back in the thread regarding my anti-heat jihad. Basically, I've slapped two fans on the back grill and took out the media bay cage and fastened the door open with a paperclip (looks a lot cleaner than it sounds). I also placed a notebook cooling strip underneath to (theoretically) push air in.
The Chaintech is pretty easy to find on Newegg, no? I like my Chaintech but chose it only because the Galaxy was out of stock and I'm all about instant gratification.
The Chaintech is pretty easy to find on Newegg, no? I like my Chaintech but chose it only because the Galaxy was out of stock and I'm all about instant gratification.
lol, the.ronin, I forgot to mention I did the same thing as you with the fans. I found the same iConnect usb cooling pad also. It does work pretty well and I thank you for showing off that idea. It brought my CPU temps down a lot (5000X 2.6Ghz). About 55 and 75 when they are idle and 100 and 112 when converting videos. I kind'a like the blue glow though, it makes the entire space below my desk blue.
I did get a Chaintech 8600GT also and it really isn't that bad. As long as I can play gtasa without problems I'm happy.
I did get a Chaintech 8600GT also and it really isn't that bad. As long as I can play gtasa without problems I'm happy.
I don't know the difference of performance between the Galaxy and Chaintech 8600gt's.. the Galaxy is faster Im guessing (my card) because it uses DDR3 video memory but it is also quite loud.. I tried FEAR Combat today.. I get around 40-100 frames per second there with 4xAA and everything.. but then I tried the bioshock demo and got an average of 16-30fps.. my resolution is 1440x900 by the way.. still no power failures, everything works great
Mycophiles
Limp Gawd
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Would like some advice from someone here. I bought the Hp slimline s3300f for 400$ off ubid. They put the specs up wrong and now they are offering the s3330f to me for 75$ more. Think I should take it?
I'm thinking yes.
I'm thinking yes.
Archaea
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what are the specs you will get if you don't upgrade?
What are the specs if you pay $75 more....Give us the two different layouts and we'll advise you.
What are the specs if you pay $75 more....Give us the two different layouts and we'll advise you.
Mycophiles
Limp Gawd
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The one I got: Hp Slimline s3300f.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...lion Slimline s3300f Desktop PC&lang=en&cc=us
The one they offer for 75$ more. Hp Slimline s3330f.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...s_desktop&catLevel=2&product_code=GX754AA#ABA
Basically the second model (s3330f) comes with an AMD 5400+ (instead of the amd 5000+ , a blu-ray/hd dvd drive and the geforce 8500gt graphics card.
just to note, that a blu-ray/hd drive is worth 250+ alone, and the graphic card maybe another 40. so you come out ahead.
If you plan to upgrad this looks good to me.
Mycophiles
Limp Gawd
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just to note, that a blu-ray/hd drive is worth 250+ alone, and the graphic card maybe another 40. so you come out ahead.
If you plan to upgrad this looks good to me.
bah.. yea I was going to do it. I didn't understand the email correctly and had emailed ubid to clarify what my options were. In the process ubid gave me a bit of information. Get this: Ubid says HP says the hardware price difference between these two products (hd/dvd/bluray drive, 5400+,graphics card) is only a 75$ difference.
Anyway, like I said I mis-understood their email and got in contact with them. They gave me the option of 75$ credit on my card or a return on the product. I took the credit. So all in all I got the computer for 325$ Then spend 53$ on a video card. (which should be coming today
) Not too bad of a deal. Now I can go take the computer out of it's packaging (got it today) and start setting it up.
For future readers of this thread (and it might be good to put it in the OP) the hardware specs (for the time being) on Ubid should be cross-checked against what the HP website says for the model of computer that is being bid on. I took a look at a lot of the auctions and quite a few have the wrong specs.
bah.. yea I was going to do it. I didn't understand the email correctly and had emailed ubid to clarify what my options were. In the process ubid gave me a bit of information. Get this: Ubid says HP says the hardware price difference between these two products (hd/dvd/bluray drive, 5400+,graphics card) is only a 75$ difference.
Anyway, like I said I mis-understood their email and got in contact with them. They gave me the option of 75$ credit on my card or a return on the product. I took the credit. So all in all I got the computer for 325$ Then spend 53$ on a video card. (which should be coming today
Now I can go take the computer out of it's packaging (got it today) and start setting it up.
For future readers of this thread (and it might be good to put it in the OP) the hardware specs (for the time being) on Ubid should be cross-checked against what the HP website says for the model of computer that is being bid on. I took a look at a lot of the auctions and quite a few have the wrong specs.
Since the refurbished HP boxes shipped by uBid only provide the model number (e.g., 3300f - of which there are many different configurations) on the outside of the box and no specs, how do you know uBid shipped you a computer that was different than described without opening it? Were you using the provided HP GX/GS/KC# (e.g., GX615AA)? The GX/GS/KC # is more specific to the possible configuration than the model number (as you can see the two 3300f's you reference have very different specs) although if you go to the HP website you can see variations on configuration options even within GX/GS/KC #'s (I'm still trying to decipher the rosetta stone, but the AA, ABA, letter numbers appear to be options available for various configs of CPU/HDD/WiFi/Graphics/Tuner/Memory etc). Now that I think about it, I believe the GX/GS/KC # is provided on the outside of the HP box (and also in the uBid item description) so you CAN cross check with the HP website to verify the specs provided by uBid w/o opening, is that what you did? Considering the large variation in specs of the slimlines I'm surprised that uBid can keep it straight most of the time.
I've purchased three computers now off uBid (two have arrived - a 3300t with Core 2 Duo 4500/HD-Blu Ray Combo/8500GT/500GB/2GB/NTSC-ATSC Tuner/Media Center Remote/No Wifi for $350 and a 3300z - With AMD BE-2400/DVD-Multi/ATI HD2400/250GB/2GB/No Tuner/No Wifi for $175). Both arrived with specs as described. I'm still awaiting my third With AMD BE-2400/DVD-Multi/AMD 6150LE/500GB/2GB/No Tuner/with Wifi b/g for $250 and plan on selling one of the "BE's" to a friend who is trying to set up a Home Theater and sticking the Galaxy 8600GT from my "old" s3100 into the the other BE-2400 box for some low power, high performance gamer action and putting the 3100 up for sale. So far, can't complain on the prices, prompt shipping, and great condition the boxes are in. You definitely should double check the uBid published specs against HP website for accuracy (as noted), but I haven't run into any problems so far.
BTW - a previous poster noted that NewEgg provides the same or similar HD-Blu-Ray(player)-Multi drive on their website for about $180 (not quite $250, but pretty good nonetheless).
Would have been a better deal if they gave you the upgraded computer for $75 more, but $325 not too bad a price for what you did get. Did you bid on an "auction" slimline or purchase one the "fixed" price multi-lot slimlines that appear at the bottom of the HP listings. All of mine were purchased at auction. Good luck and have fun with your new "refurbished" slimline.
Archaea
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I'm not sure exactly what happened with your auction....But I and others have found that you can get a wide variety of components with the ubid options despite purchasing the same model number...However, the description on the auction has always been accurate that I've seen or heard about. I've warned people in this thread as well to pay special attention to the detailed description on the UBID auctions as well.
Fly'n Brian
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I've found a little variance also in what I've gotten from Ubid.
I bought 2 units from them so far. The first was a s3300z w/ AMD BE-2300/DVD-Multi/6150LE/500GB/2GB/No Tuner/No Wifi for $180. It arrived as listed.
A day later I bought a a6250z desktop w/ AMD X2 5000, DVD-Multi/8400GS/500GB/3GB/No Tuner/No Wifi for $240. When it arrived it had a 2nd DVD-rom drive and Wifi, along with the 8400gs having HDMI out, which also wasn't listed.
I bought 2 units from them so far. The first was a s3300z w/ AMD BE-2300/DVD-Multi/6150LE/500GB/2GB/No Tuner/No Wifi for $180. It arrived as listed.
A day later I bought a a6250z desktop w/ AMD X2 5000, DVD-Multi/8400GS/500GB/3GB/No Tuner/No Wifi for $240. When it arrived it had a 2nd DVD-rom drive and Wifi, along with the 8400gs having HDMI out, which also wasn't listed.
Archaea
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Post of my s3200t WEI (Windows Experience Index) score
E4500
8500GT
2GB PC5300 RAM and 4GB PC6400 RAM get the same score either way because the motherboard on the s3200t can't run at speeds faster than the PC5300 unlike the s3020n and s3200n that both run RAM at PC6400 (ddr2 800) speeds.
500GB HD
Processor 5.1
Memory 4.7 (regardless of PC6400 or PC5300, 2GB vs. 4GB - I get the same score on the s3200t)
Graphics 5.3
Gaming 5.3
HD 5.6
I'll update the scores when I've run the benchmark using the Galaxy 8600GT tonight. The fan is a bit noiser than I'd like on the galaxy. It isn't loud, but it's not silent either It sounds like a slow spinning 80mm fan with your hand against the output so that all the air is blocked. It's not horrible, almost sounds like rain outside with the windows closed ---- that being said I think I'll probably be selling this card and buying the chaintech if people confirm that the chaintech card is silent. That's one of the things I like most about this slimline was that it's so small and nearly completely silent.
For comparison the 8500GT foxconn fan in both my ubid slimlines is silent. I would say without a doubt that for most people the Foxconn 8500GT would be the preferred card over the Galaxy 8600GT for HTPC (home theatre PC) use because the 8500GT is silent. I may try to knock the fan speeds on the video card down via a resistor spliced into the fan power line if I get motivated.
EDIT ------
UPDATED with 8600GT
Processor 5.1
Memory 4.7
Graphics 5.9
Gaming 5.5
HD 5.6
E4500
8500GT
2GB PC5300 RAM and 4GB PC6400 RAM get the same score either way because the motherboard on the s3200t can't run at speeds faster than the PC5300 unlike the s3020n and s3200n that both run RAM at PC6400 (ddr2 800) speeds.
500GB HD
Processor 5.1
Memory 4.7 (regardless of PC6400 or PC5300, 2GB vs. 4GB - I get the same score on the s3200t)
Graphics 5.3
Gaming 5.3
HD 5.6
I'll update the scores when I've run the benchmark using the Galaxy 8600GT tonight. The fan is a bit noiser than I'd like on the galaxy. It isn't loud, but it's not silent either It sounds like a slow spinning 80mm fan with your hand against the output so that all the air is blocked. It's not horrible, almost sounds like rain outside with the windows closed ---- that being said I think I'll probably be selling this card and buying the chaintech if people confirm that the chaintech card is silent. That's one of the things I like most about this slimline was that it's so small and nearly completely silent.
For comparison the 8500GT foxconn fan in both my ubid slimlines is silent. I would say without a doubt that for most people the Foxconn 8500GT would be the preferred card over the Galaxy 8600GT for HTPC (home theatre PC) use because the 8500GT is silent. I may try to knock the fan speeds on the video card down via a resistor spliced into the fan power line if I get motivated.
EDIT ------
UPDATED with 8600GT
Processor 5.1
Memory 4.7
Graphics 5.9
Gaming 5.5
HD 5.6
FWIW - Scores are:
Processor: 5.1
Memory (RAM): 4.8 (Thought it seemed low, now I know why - Thanks for the info)
Graphics: 5.5
Gaming Graphics: 5.3
Primary Hard Disk: 5.7
for my uBid 3300t which looks like the same config as yours Arch but slightly diff scores for some reason.
Agree with you re: the 8500GT being preferred for HTPC use, another advantage of the 8500GT preconfigured in the slimlines is that they apparently do not interfere with the Tuner card (though I did notice that the antenna cable f-connectors get really hot when the box is operating) and they incorporate HDMI out (and the onboard Realtek sound card will pump digital audio through the 8500GT's HDMI link so no additonal audio patch cord needed to get HD video and digital audio into your Monitor/TV/A-V receiver). See the AVS forum thread http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12727646#post12727646 for some good info on how to configure Slimline 33XX series as dedicated HTPCs.
Processor: 5.1
Memory (RAM): 4.8 (Thought it seemed low, now I know why - Thanks for the info)
Graphics: 5.5
Gaming Graphics: 5.3
Primary Hard Disk: 5.7
for my uBid 3300t which looks like the same config as yours Arch but slightly diff scores for some reason.
Agree with you re: the 8500GT being preferred for HTPC use, another advantage of the 8500GT preconfigured in the slimlines is that they apparently do not interfere with the Tuner card (though I did notice that the antenna cable f-connectors get really hot when the box is operating) and they incorporate HDMI out (and the onboard Realtek sound card will pump digital audio through the 8500GT's HDMI link so no additonal audio patch cord needed to get HD video and digital audio into your Monitor/TV/A-V receiver). See the AVS forum thread http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12727646#post12727646 for some good info on how to configure Slimline 33XX series as dedicated HTPCs.
Just pulled the trigger on a AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz 65W I hope it works... I have doubts It should be here sometime next week. I should note that my PC shutdown automaticly for the first time but the culprit was confirmed to be heat. As it was the first time it reached 80*F outside.
It should be here sometime next week. I should note that my PC shutdown automaticly for the first time but the culprit was confirmed to be heat. As it was the first time it reached 80*F outside.Just pulled the trigger on a AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz 65W I hope it works... I have doubts
Wha?? What does outside temperature have to do with the temperature inside your computer? You probably want to keep your computer in a more cooler place. Use CoreTemp too to monitor your CPU temps. No computer should overheat based on outside temperature. (????)
Archaea
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Just curious here..
What would it take to get one of these Slimlines to be able to play old games such as Everquest? Or maybe even World of Warcraft?
Just thinking out loud here is all,lemme know!
The slimlines will play WOW or Everquest even with a base configuration of the 6150 video card at lower quality settings. It will play WOW or Everquest at max settings and a smooth frame-rate with the 8600GT card on any display/any resolution, and play WOW or Everquest at max settings and smooth frame rate at say a 22" widescreen or less (typical native resolution) with an 8400GS, or 8500GT.
Really the limitation is all the video card --- processor doesn't matter much on those games and the dual core processors in the slimlines are far more than capable to play those games. Basically look up reviews on the different video card options available against the games you want and there's your answer.