Gigabit Switch Backbone for Medium Sized LAN

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I'm trying to spec the hardware for a medium sized (upto 50 pc) LAN party. I'm anticipating 2-3 24-port table switches (something like Dell Powerconnect 2324) but am having trouble working out what sort of switch to have as a backbone.

I'm hoping for 8+ non blocking Gigabit ports but am unsure of any other essential features I should be looking for and if there is a solid but not too costly candidate for this situation.

Any advice would be gratefully received!
 
A HP Procurve 2708 should do the trick.

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