buying a computer - component suggestions?

[h2oman]

I'm going to buy a home computer which will be used solely for photo processing and my job. The applications I use for my job do just fine on our 8 year-old computer, so the concern here is photo processing. I got some suggestions from an IT guy where I work, and I'm interested in any thoughts or experiences any of you might have in this area. I WILL NOT be using this for ANY video or gaming applications, ever. Not interested. I'm really trying to resist the bigger, bigger, more, more mentality. I don't enjoy technology for its own sake - I just want to be able to process photos reasonably efficiently. I figure I'll work mostly with 200 mb to 600 mb scan files.

Processor - all the jargon associated with these is baffling to me. He thought dual core would be adequate, as opposed to quad core. There are other numbers associated with these that might give speeds or something. I don't remember him giving any recommendations regarding those things.

RAM - He thought 4 GB would be adequate there.

Hard drive - I understand this and can make my own call there.

Monitor - there is always the temptation to go bigger, bigger and bigger there, but what is a bare minimum most of you think you could live with in this department?

I'm really trying to resist the bigger, bigger, more, more mentality.

[rdenney]

My suspicion is that any processor currently available will seem mighty quick compared to anything you are used to. My main image computer is also about 8 years old, and I do sometimes wait a while for Photoshop to do processing steps on my half-gig scan files.

For RAM, I would suggest that bigger, bigger is better, better. It's cheap and easy when you buy the computer and it has a bigger effect on processing speed than the processor. If you have a 600MB file with three adjustment layers, a duplicate layer, 20-levels of history, your scanner software, and other stuff open at once, you can fill up four gigs. I'm running two gigs and have to clear memory and history files frequently.

For the monitor, there is always a bigger fish. What I think is more important are the following features:

1. No color shift as you change viewing angles (up to a point).

2. No brightness shift as you change viewing angles, particularly up and down changes. Laptops are usually bad about this, and so are cheap monitors. It is fatal for photo editing.

3. Good hardware controls of brightness and color balance. This will allow you to calibrate the monitor to a known standard before profiling it. Some monitors these days are actually too bright. I have a 24" Gateway monitor that I had to turn all the way down, and it is still brighter than I would prefer.

4. No color crossovers. My monitor, which is pretty good, still shows a cyan/magenta crossover in the near-white brightness range. It's the monitor--I don't see it in the prints. Solving those sorts of subtle problems will be expensive, though. That's why there are high-end photo-editing workstation monitors on the market that cost four or five times what I paid for my (not cheap) Gateway monitor.

Your computer should also have a video card (on board or plug-in--it doesn't matter) that supports two monitors. Having dual monitors is really, really, really useful. You can put your Photoshop tool bars on one monitor and see just image on the other, for example. The second monitor doesn't have to be fancy at all if you won't use it for image editing.

And don't forget the hardware profiling and calibrating system for the monitor.

Rick "thinking RAM and monitors consume 95% of the choices for photo editing" Denney

[jp]

Ram is so cheap, you'd be a fool to not get 8 gigs (or more). 8gb is about $100 of memory. Quad core isn't much more than dual core, but you get twice the processing.

I've got a new machine I built with a gigabyte brand motherboard (built in DVI video) quad core amd phenom processor, 30GB solid state boot drive, 1.5 TB drive applications/data drive, dvdwriter, card reader, etc... Built in video is fine for non-gaming uses and makes the system extra power efficient, and you'd be able to add a video card later for additional monitors. I've got 64bit Windows7 on it, which is quite fast and lets me use all the memory. I'll have to buy Windows7 and reinstall when it comes out officially, but it's worth waiting a little bit to have (This is coming from a staunch anti-microsoft background BTW).

I've got a midrange Samsung 22" display, it's not cheap, and it's not pricey; it looks good from all angles. Two modest monitors like this would likely be better and cheaper than spending crazy money on a 30+" single monitor.

[Mike1234]

What's the largest image you intend to work on? Will you be using many layers/effects in Photoshop? Do you need it to be able to multitask with resource hungry applications?

Unless you buy a 64 bit OS using more than 4 GB of RAM is usesless... a 32 bit OS can't see more than 3.25 GB. With 64 bit processors and apps now the norm I wouldn't even think of going with a 32 bit OS. If you decide on 64 bit then I'd say buy as much RAM as you can afford. As others stated it's cheap anyway.

[h2oman]

Thanks for the replies so far. Just to be clear, I don't want to get too carried away. It is easy to say one thing is only $50 more, something else $100 extra, and next thing I know the machine is 50%-100% more than where I started. I've managed to stick with a simple 3 lens LF kit in the face of great deals on more lenses, and I want to stay the same with the computer - get what I need, not what might be nice.

That said, what I think I am consistently hearing is that if there is one area to splurge on it is RAM, assuming I get a 64 bit OS. Point taken.

[Flea77]

Thanks for the replies so far. Just to be clear, I don't want to get too carried away. It is easy to say one thing is only $50 more, something else $100 extra, and next thing I know the machine is 50%-100% more than where I started. I've managed to stick with a simple 3 lens LF kit in the face of great deals on more lenses, and I want to stay the same with the computer - get what I need, not what might be nice.

That said, what I think I am consistently hearing is that if there is one area to splurge on it is RAM, assuming I get a 64 bit OS. Point taken.

First, I have to disagree with the built in video and would avoid it like the plague. For one, the lower end ones share ram with your system ram, that is bad, very bad. Next, even when you do put in a separate card, sometimes they just do not play well. Then of course, it adds extra heat to your board which is not that great. Lastly, they are almost never as powerful as a standard card.

That said, here is my bare minimum guide to building a PC:

1) Memory is cheap. Photos are only going to get larger. If you buy less than 4GB quit reading this guide because you are an idiot. Go for 8GB of NAME BRAND. I like Kingston HyperX personally.

2) Hard drives, Seagate is more reliable, WD is faster. Anything else I would avoid. Both Seagate and WD have an awesome warranty which is super fast and easy should you have a problem.

3) Processor, for you I would not go for an i7, save your pennies and look at the Core 2s. Go to Newegg, look up Intel, Code 2 Duos, sort by price lowest first, scroll down until it hurts, back up one, there you go.

4) Motherboard, I am and have been a huge Asus fan, have probably 500 of them in the field right now, installing a new one as I type this. Some others are good too, but any midrange ($70-$150) Asus board will last a long time. Right now I am installing a lot of P5QL Pros, they seem quite good.

5) Power supply, if you ignore everything else I wrote, do not cheap out here. There are lots of good brands, I personally like Antec. You do not have to buy huge and expensive, but steer clear of the $29.99 specials. Might I suggest a 550 Antec?

6) Video cards, I like XFX, have yet to have one fail, have probably 100 in the field, the 9500 or 9600 is a good medium card that will not have your system waiting on it. Want a little cheaper? I have had good luck with the Asus 8400GS cards with probably 200 in the field, one failure I can remember.

7) Monitors, there is no silver bullet here (OK, well there is, Viewsonic pro series are excellent for the money) but without spending a fortune I would suggest you go to a store and look at a lot of them, figure out what you do and do not like. For example, if my monitors had gloss screens I would be in prison because I would have already lost my mind and killed everyone I know. Some people like them. Some have different levels of gloss, some tilt, some rise, some wash your car....ummmm, ok skip that last bit. Seriously, monitors can be very personal, try them out.

Hope this helps!

Allan

[Jeff Conrad]

Look at your scratch size for a typical image after you've performed a typical number of operations; if it's close to (or greater) than 4 GB, you probably want a 64-bit OS and 8 GB (or more) of RAM.

[D. Bryant]

First, I have to disagree with the built in video and would avoid it like the plague. For one, the lower end ones share ram with your system ram, that is bad, very bad. Next, even when you do put in a separate card, sometimes they just do not play well. Then of course, it adds extra heat to your board which is not that great. Lastly, they are almost never as powerful as a standard card.

That said, here is my bare minimum guide to building a PC:

1) Memory is cheap. Photos are only going to get larger. If you buy less than 4GB quit reading this guide because you are an idiot. Go for 8GB of NAME BRAND. I like Kingston HyperX personally.

2) Hard drives, Seagate is more reliable, WD is faster. Anything else I would avoid. Both Seagate and WD have an awesome warranty which is super fast and easy should you have a problem.

3) Processor, for you I would not go for an i7, save your pennies and look at the Core 2s. Go to Newegg, look up Intel, Code 2 Duos, sort by price lowest first, scroll down until it hurts, back up one, there you go.

4) Motherboard, I am and have been a huge Asus fan, have probably 500 of them in the field right now, installing a new one as I type this. Some others are good too, but any midrange ($70-$150) Asus board will last a long time. Right now I am installing a lot of P5QL Pros, they seem quite good.

5) Power supply, if you ignore everything else I wrote, do not cheap out here. There are lots of good brands, I personally like Antec. You do not have to buy huge and expensive, but steer clear of the $29.99 specials. Might I suggest a 550 Antec?

6) Video cards, I like XFX, have yet to have one fail, have probably 100 in the field, the 9500 or 9600 is a good medium card that will not have your system waiting on it. Want a little cheaper? I have had good luck with the Asus 8400GS cards with probably 200 in the field, one failure I can remember.

7) Monitors, there is no silver bullet here (OK, well there is, Viewsonic pro series are excellent for the money) but without spending a fortune I would suggest you go to a store and look at a lot of them, figure out what you do and do not like. For example, if my monitors had gloss screens I would be in prison because I would have already lost my mind and killed everyone I know. Some people like them. Some have different levels of gloss, some tilt, some rise, some wash your car....ummmm, ok skip that last bit. Seriously, monitors can be very personal, try them out.

Hope this helps!

Allan

I agree with everything that Allan has written here though I would take care purchasing a monitor or monitors. If you can afford it take a close look at the NEC Multisync monitors. They are outstanding and can be calibrated accurately and easily with there Spectraview software, they are expensive but any high quality monitor will be. If you can afford one go for the 26 inch models but don't discount the 20 inch monitors either. I have 2 NEC LCD2090UXi driven by a nVidia 9800 with 1 gig of memory. The video card produces a lot of heat so don't discount Allan's advice about an Antec case. And I would purchase a 750 watt PS!

Based on your description I would purchase a machine for your work and plan on building a separate workstation for photography.

Just my 2 cents,

Don Bryant

[rob]

my co-worker bought these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883113101 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001317 for her graphic work, and she is very happy. A desktop for gaming is built with higher quality components.

[Darren Kruger]

One thing you might want to look into is a quiet case. I have been using an Antec (Sonata II i think) for a while and barely notice the fan noise. I was working on my brothers computer last month and the noise from all the fans was starting to drive me crazy.

-Darren