what computer stuff to get?
JAG
Super Moderators Posts: 9,088 moderator
I have been looking at computers for about a month now. Although I considered a Mac....they were not in strong on the list because my programmer husband knows nothing of them in the software end and doesn't want to learn. And I am so computer stupid its not funny.
So I am thinking on getting an HP e9180t. Now I need to choose what I need to run both CS4 and PSP X2, along with a wacom Intuos 4 tablet. I am confused on which of these items (listed below) would be best bang for my buck.
I know that the last items listed on each list is usually the most expensive...thus maybe the best to get. But I need to keep my prices down as I am needing to buy a monitor too.
My husband has always had someone from his work buy him his equipment and although he seems to have some understanding...when he and I talk about it I never understand what he is talking about (has to do with him having a need to tell me HOW it all works verses...which is enough for what I need. Typical programmer). I just need to know what I need to get the job done (typical artist).
I am taking an unofficial pole of photographer/artists who have decent understanding of what works for these applications.
So what would you order....keeping in mind I want enough power to run the programs listed above (quickly without crashing) as well as having enough system left for the expansion to video editing software in the future. Budget $1500. (including monitor) at this time.
processor:
Thanks for your time.
So I am thinking on getting an HP e9180t. Now I need to choose what I need to run both CS4 and PSP X2, along with a wacom Intuos 4 tablet. I am confused on which of these items (listed below) would be best bang for my buck.
I know that the last items listed on each list is usually the most expensive...thus maybe the best to get. But I need to keep my prices down as I am needing to buy a monitor too.
My husband has always had someone from his work buy him his equipment and although he seems to have some understanding...when he and I talk about it I never understand what he is talking about (has to do with him having a need to tell me HOW it all works verses...which is enough for what I need. Typical programmer). I just need to know what I need to get the job done (typical artist).
I am taking an unofficial pole of photographer/artists who have decent understanding of what works for these applications.
So what would you order....keeping in mind I want enough power to run the programs listed above (quickly without crashing) as well as having enough system left for the expansion to video editing software in the future. Budget $1500. (including monitor) at this time.
processor:
- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-920 processor (2.66GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache with QPI Technology)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-950 processor (3.00GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache with QPI Technology)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-975 processor Extreme Edition (3.33GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache with QPI)
- 8GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
FREE UPGRADE! 9GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [5 DIMMs] from 8GB - 12GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [6 DIMMs]
- 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
- 750GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
- 1TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
- 1TB RAID 0 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs) - performance
- 1.5TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
- 500GB RAID 1 (2 x 500GB SATA HDDs) - data security
- 2TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s - two 1TB hard drives
- 300GB 10K rpm & 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s - two hard drives
- 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4650 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
- 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
- 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 [2 DVI, HDMI and VGA adapters]
- 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4850 [2 DVI, HDMI and VGA adapters]
Thanks for your time.
0
Comments
I would be inclined to choose a monitor first and see what is left over for the pc. I checked this out for myself a few weeks ago and probably would have bought a Dell had I gone that route. They have a succession of monitors for the photo community.
Might even be a thought to get a machine for 32 bit Vista (<4GB Ram) if you run tight on the money. Their is not much application software around yet to use the 64 bits properly and the lower specced pcs are selling out now. You might regret it in a few years but then you'll have the perfect reason to get the Mac you want really and cannot quite afford.
Any of the i7 Core processors are great.
12gb...tri-channel memory. More ram is always better for PS.
A hard drive larger than you think you will ever need...more mega pixels....shooting raw...etc.
Read this....or have your hubby read it!
Ok....Thanks for passing the link on Ric.
From what I gather being said is that even with the smaller end of what this computer is offering as a choice...it should work well for me.
Now another question...can a 'dell' monitor be used on a hp box?
Windows 7 64-bit and as much RAM as you can afford, 12 GB at least. Enough RAM allows you to turn off virtual memory (an extension of RAM that lives a slow life on the hard drive) - the speed boost ought to outweigh any other upgrade.
And a yes on the monitor as long as the connectors fit or can be adapted.
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
So the RAM (which is the memory right?) should be 12GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [6 DIMMs]? if I can afford it? Does the processor have to be at the high end to or would the default (Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-920 processor (2.66GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache with QPI Technology)) work just as well with that much memory?
I know...I am asking alot of questions...you all are answering them easier than what I got from hubby....but gotta love him!
Yep, take the memory over the extra GHz in the processor.
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
Even if that means paying a little more!:D
The video cards you identified all support the main standards:
VGA does not handle high resolution stuff well - it is stretched as far as it will go. BUT VGA has been around for years so even old CRT monitors will support it, or any presentation projector, etc. The high end photo monitors do not bother to support VGA so forget it as a serious (and talented) artist.
DVI is the norm today for any kind of photo work. There are a couple of flavors (DVI-I, DVi-D) so best to check your chosen card and chosen monitor use the same.
Note that the low end monitors may support DVI but are not really designed for it - Dell for example ships the cheap monitors with a VGA cable as standard. Enough said imo.
HDMI is for high definition TV basically. When a monitor or video card says it supports HDMI it is basically saying that it is good for watching TV or DVDs
I would avoid the cheapo monitors and go for something that supports a wide color gamut. Personally I feel I would get much more pleasure from a good display than a few extra GB of RAM memory.
Programs like CS4 are designed to operate with much smaller RAM memories than your systems - 4GB is an ocean of space and should allow you to manipulate images of well over 1GB without have to cache data. 8 GB? Well this is an awful lot more than an ocean at this precise moment in time. If you feel the program is slowing down when you add more layers or run several programs at the same time or manage several projects simultaneously, then Photoshop has many options for speeding things up (preferences) before you have to buy extra RAM. It is explained quite well by Adobe on their support site.
The main benefit at the moment to having more than 4GB is to get a very fast and relatively very expensive hard disk that most of us will hardly ever use. The exception would be a highly paid pro photographer with a heavy workload for whom very little amounts of time are worth very large amounts of money - but then my eye would be straying towards the Mac Pro with Raid, etc, etc. Wave goodbye to several times your budget and even then I would be stretched to justify the return on investment to my accountant.
Some of the above is a bit opinionated so I hope people challenge - I too might learn something.
Note the monitor is included in this packet and it has VGA, DVI-D, HDMI connections and is 25 in diagonal w/ full HD. The total of this packet is around 1300. Which hubby says is palatable for what I am getting. So now I just need the green light on the cc from him.
Here are the configurations I have specified...
[*]•Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
[*]•AMD Phenom(TM) II X4 920 quad-core processor [2.8GHz, 2MB L2 + 6MB L3 shared, up to 4000MT/s]
[*]• 6GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [3 DIMMs]
[*]• 750GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
[*]• 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4650 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
[*]•HP 2509m 25-inch Diagonal 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor
[*]• Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
[*]• Wireless-N LAN card and external modem
[*]• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio
[*]• Integrated 7.1 channel sound with front audio ports
[*]• HP USB 2.0 stereo speakers
[*]•HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
[*]• Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
[*]•Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 month
[*]• Roxio PhotoShow
I would have chose the Intel i7 Core 950 myself.
I didn't see that in my list of choices for this computer. Probably because its a cheaper box than the e9180t
The display in your list isn't a very good one, unless you already have a good panel, see if the 2475w is offered.
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
I agree with pyry.
The HP 2509m is not even close to a decent monitor for image editing. It is just OK; the market it is aimed at is the 1080p video watching crowd and gamers.
Main short coming for image editing/viewing?
- 6bit TN TFT LCD panel.
- also 1920x1080 native resolution
Personally I'd take a smaller 22" 1680x1050 monitor with an e-IPS or S-PVA 8bit panel any day of the week over that 25" unit.
Dell 2209WA ~ $289 USD or less with coupons
.... e-IPS panel
.... 8bit
.... 100% sRGB
.... 22 inch 1680x1050
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=04&sku=320-7825
HP LP2275w ~ $350 USD
.... S-PVA panel
.... 8bit
.... 95% sRGB, 91% AdobeRGB (wide gamut !!)
.... 22 inch 1680x1050
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06b/382087-382087-64283-72270-3884471-3648453-3648454-3726992.html?jumpid=oc_R1002_USENC-001_HP%20LP2275w%2022-inch%20Widescreen%20LCD%20Monitor&lang=en&cc=us
- some users have reported issues with lines; a lot have not
- review > http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/hp_lp2275w.htm
HP LP2475W ~ $550 USD
.... H-IPS panel
.... 8bit
.... 100% sRGB, 100% AdobeRGB (wide gamut !!)
.... 24 inch 1920x1200
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/382087-382087-64283-72270-3884471-3648442.html?jumpid=oc_R1002_USENC-001_HP%20LP2475w%2024-inch%20Widescreen%20LCD%20Monitor&lang=en&cc=us
- review > http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2008/review-hp-lp2475w.html
There are also some new 23" 1920x1080 e-IPS panel monitors coming to market. If you really want that 1080p resolution these will likely be much better for viewing angles than the HP 25" you've indicated.
NEC EA231WMi ~ $ 379 USD
http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Product/?product=a8f8336f-6f87-4065-b3ad-c2fa8204f2a0
- just now arriving into warehouses of resellers
Viewsonic VP2365wb ~ as low as $310 USD on pre-orders
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktop-monitors/lcd/pro-series/vp2365wb.htm
- perhaps early December before these will be in stores.
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I am also reading that the old technology of CRT's is better than LCD's. Any opinions on that school of thought?
Anything past 300-400:1 is perfectly usable. Past 10000:1 usually means that the backlight is pulling tricks which either works or gives you a headache (those features can be turned off though).
CRTs were better than LCDs years ago. They are still better than the average panel, but good LCDs have gone past them.
http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
My point? Make sure your MBO supports FireWire 800/400. You'll thank me for it, at least until there's a faster USB out.
Another point - eSATA. This can be a god-send if you backup you photos onto external HDD in that it's soooo much faster than any USB connection.
If you already have a computer case and other extraneous parts, it might be well worth your while to build your own. I built my own (see this thread), using salvaged parts for something less than $1,000 (w/o monitor). I'm thinking you could buy yourself a very nice monitor for $500.
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
Good point.
My experience is that USB (the latest Sandisk version) is on par with FW 400...Don't know about 800.
The internal readers that Dell and HP (I've had both) install are junk...that is over twice as slow as a decent external...sucks huh!
building my own computer was the first thing that came to mind...but then the problem is I have nothing to start with.
My computer that broke is a Gateway 7510GX and it served me well for about 4 years...on its 5th year I added CS4 to the mix and it kept crashing on me because I would use the pspx2 at the same time (since I find things I can do in pspx2 that I cannot do in CS4...or at least haven't learned to do it in CS4 yet.). The screen on the gateway was not bad (although there were structure issues with the hinges) and I did not have a hard time between what was on the screen and what was printed. Pretty much what I saw was what I got.
So I am completely in the dark here to what exactly I need. I know what I want it to do...but I don't have a clue to what will get me there. I do understand that the computer is just an "inbetween" process...and I have been even winning challenges using a very inferior computer (even as I type on this 'barrowed' laptop....its so crummy I have to pause to let the letters catch up!). My work does not depend on how fast the computer is...as anything is faster than what I have been working on for the past 5 years!
My sons will say I need this or that for speed. They have built their own computers and spent over 2000 on them. I do not need to play games (I actually do not play any...not even solitaire) on the computer. Just need to be able to process my pics or to do my digital art without crashing. And maybe in the near future be able to process movie files and large slideshow presentations.
Thus why I look to the manufaturers to get me started somewhere. I just don't have this kind of brain to put this together.
In the box I would have at least two drives. One for the OS and one for images.
External Hard drives are not very expensive.
I may have some over kill but, I have two mirrored HDs that back up images every night at 2:30 AM. I have a third HD that I manually back up the images to once a month and store off site. I also back up the OS and program disk once each month.
Sam
http://www.xicomputer.com/products/welcome.asp?Content=Intel2
They target the computer graphics market.
You can use their online configuration tool, but if I were you, I would just call them, tell them what you want to do with your computer, and how much you wish to spend. They have great customer service.
But the best thing is that, unlike computer companies like HP and Dell, XI doesn't load their machines with a bunch of crapware that you don't want or need. (Definition of: crapware....
Software that has little value. The term often refers to the numerous trial applications that are pre-installed on a new computer)