1. A system, comprising: a hardware variable node updater configured to compute a first message, associated with going from one of a plurality of variable nodes to one of a plurality of check nodes wherein: one or more connections between the plurality of variable nodes and the plurality of check nodes are specified by an LDPC parity check matrix; a scaling constant is used to compute the first message; and computing the first message includes: determining if all log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values, used in computing the first message, are guaranteed to have the same magnitude; in the event it is determined that said all LLR values are guaranteed to have the same magnitude: obtaining a stored magnitude associated with the same magnitude which said all LLR values are guaranteed to have; and calculating the first message, including by selecting an appropriate sign and using the stored magnitude; and a hardware check node updater configured to compute a second message, associated with going from one of the plurality of check nodes to one of the plurality of variable nodes, wherein the scaling constant is not used to compute the second message.