reefgeek84 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I am wanting to build a computer for major photo editing and design... However, this area is not an area that I really know much about...I know you can buy cases and add stuff to them, but I have no idea where to start...I do not need the frills, bells and all the whistles, no dvd/cd burner or anything like that...I just want a computer that will be super fast to run photoshop and the like...So if anyone can lend a hand on how to accomplish this on a budget, even if it means buying a used computer to just add some stuff that is fine as well... Please help me out here...Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 The main thing that helps in running photoshop and similar programs is RAM memory. I would probably recommend a min of 1 gig and preferably have 2 gig or more. That way you can have multiple photos and programs open at the same time. I good video card is a good idea, probably at least a 128mb and a 256mb would be better. Since your doing photo editing I would say that you would need a lot of storage space, so you might want a hard drive of 200 gigs or more, depending on how much your doing. You can always get an external one later if you need more. I've seen 1 terabyte hard drives at costco . A good processor is always a must in any computer. In a desktop I really don't think that it matters that much what you get as long as it is not a celeron. Celerons suck and will kill your computer in the end. A dual core would be nice but is not necessary. Most people will probably have their own opinion as to which kind of processor is the best (AMD, intel, etc.), but I don't think it really matters that much as long as you don't get a baseline processor. Also, I think that a dvd burner might be a good idea. My dad does a lot of photography and has to burn a lot of cd's of photos for people, it just depends on what you think you will be doing. You could try going to the different manufactures websites and building the computers to compare prices, and also look on craigslist to see if you can find one that fits your criterea. Anyways, I hope this helps. Let me know if you need to know anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180Brandy Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Here are a couple websites that have really good prices on computer stuff. One is newegg the other is buy.com zoomziffy.com Hope this helps. This might help you when you are ready to buy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share Posted August 24, 2007 The main thing that helps in running photoshop and similar programs is RAM memory. I would probably recommend a min of 1 gig and preferably have 2 gig or more. That way you can have multiple photos and programs open at the same time. I good video card is a good idea, probably at least a 128mb and a 256mb would be better. Since your doing photo editing I would say that you would need a lot of storage space, so you might want a hard drive of 200 gigs or more, depending on how much your doing. You can always get an external one later if you need more. I've seen 1 terabyte hard drives at costco . A good processor is always a must in any computer. In a desktop I really don't think that it matters that much what you get as long as it is not a celeron. Celerons suck and will kill your computer in the end. A dual core would be nice but is not necessary. Most people will probably have their own opinion as to which kind of processor is the best (AMD, intel, etc.), but I don't think it really matters that much as long as you don't get a baseline processor. Also, I think that a dvd burner might be a good idea. My dad does a lot of photography and has to burn a lot of cd's of photos for people, it just depends on what you think you will be doing. You could try going to the different manufactures websites and building the computers to compare prices, and also look on craigslist to see if you can find one that fits your criterea. Anyways, I hope this helps. Let me know if you need to know anything else. That does help...I was thinking just possibly finding a used computer with a good processor and then add the other stuff to it, since that stuff tends to be cheaper then buying it from dell or other companies like that...what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 It would probably work out that if you bought a good used computer you would only have to add some RAM and maybe an external hard drive later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I get most my stuff at newegg, there prices are fair but more importantly they have good return policies and exchanges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 That does help...I was thinking just possibly finding a used computer with a good processor and then add the other stuff to it' date=' since that stuff tends to be cheaper then buying it from dell or other companies like that...what do you think?[/quote'] Hey Brandon, in addition to Civicsit's comments (which are all helpful) I would add a couple of things. If you are buying used and have a choice, pick something with SATA capabilities for the hard drive as that has better bandwith than IDE - if you are opening/saving large files it can make a difference. If you don't want/need DVD, you might want to consider adding a second hard drive to use for backups as the last thing you want is to lose 100 gigs worth of photos you have slaved over (believe me, I know how it feels). This could be an inexpensive external USB drive - which reminds me, make sure you have USB2 ports (not just USB1) if you are going used. As for CPU - unless you have a copy of photoshop that is actually optimized for dual core performance, there is no real reason to go there now. You might, however, want to pay some attention to what type of socket you have on the mother board - picking one that has the capacity to be upgraded to a dual core CPU would be good. OK... I will stop rambling. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitterbait Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 newegg, SATA, RAM... sounds like they have it covered. Also look for something with dual channel memory if you can get a dual core. it will double your FSB speed and make the system run much faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 My head is spinning now, lol...Twitter you have a PM returned to you... Thanks albertareef...I will keep that stuff in mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Newegg for sure. Built my last gaming computer from there. They have great bundles sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Ok, so this is what I came up with...normal price 640.00 with rebates 440.00 all from newegg.com Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811129018 SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD403LJ 400G/B 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822152085 Foxconn C51XEM2AA- 8EKRS2H AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813186098 SAPPHIRE 100198L Radeon X1650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814102086 RAIDMAX Hybrid 2 RX-530SS ATX12V 530W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817152028 Crucial Ballistix 2G/B (2 x 1G/B) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail Item #: N82E16820146565 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Brisbane 2.1GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model ADO4000DDBOX - Retail Item #: N82E16819103774 All this stuff got good reviews and are on the budget end of things...will all this work, am I not matching the proper things, will it do what I need it to? Thanks for all the help everyone... Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Looks good. One thing that you really need to watch out for is that the processor that you have listed is a 64-bit. So you need to make sure that everything is compatable with it, esp. the motherboard and the operating system. You will need to get the 64-bit windows, and you may not be able to run all programs, since some aren't 64-bit compatable. Personally I think it would be better to stay away from the 64-bit, but that's just me, if you want it, then go for it. You might also want to include the price of windows in your budget though, since the price of windows is quite high. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Looks good. One thing that you really need to watch out for is that the processor that you have listed is a 64-bit. So you need to make sure that everything is compatable with it, esp. the motherboard and the operating system. You will need to get the 64-bit windows, and you may not be able to run all programs, since some aren't 64-bit compatable. Personally I think it would be better to stay away from the 64-bit, but that's just me, if you want it, then go for it. You might also want to include the price of windows in your budget though, since the price of windows is quite high. HTH DID not know that about the processor thank you...what type would you recommend? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Looks good. One thing that you really need to watch out for is that the processor that you have listed is a 64-bit. So you need to make sure that everything is compatable with it, esp. the motherboard and the operating system. You will need to get the 64-bit windows, and you may not be able to run all programs, since some aren't 64-bit compatable. Personally I think it would be better to stay away from the 64-bit, but that's just me, if you want it, then go for it. You might also want to include the price of windows in your budget though, since the price of windows is quite high. HTH Hi Civicsit, you sure about this bit? If so, it's something new (specific to the dual core chips?). The previous versions of the Athlon 64 series were 64bit capable but did not require a 64bit version of the OS. I am running standard Windows XP on an Athlon 64 as we speak (so to speak). Obviously, you can realize some enhanced performance from the 64 bit OS but then you will run into issues (potentially) with 32 bit applications. Many may run OK in emulation mode but others won't and you probably don't want to have to upgrade Photoshop etc. if you don't have to. I may be completely wrong here since I haven't shopped for a dual core chip recently but I think Reefgeek's proposed setup would work fine. Actually, it's a really good price and makes me itchy to upgrade! My apologies if I am just out of touch.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 I'm with albertareef, i don't think it will require 64bit OS. I think you will be ok, that looks like a great computer. That case scares me a bit, not many fans or ways for air to get in and out. I would search for a case with at least 3 fans. My last case came with 3 fans and i added another. That processor is going to need some extra cooling as well, i'd opt for a real good heatsink/fan combo too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 I'm with albertareef, i don't think it will require 64bit OS. I think you will be ok, that looks like a great computer. That case scares me a bit, not many fans or ways for air to get in and out. I would search for a case with at least 3 fans. My last case came with 3 fans and i added another. That processor is going to need some extra cooling as well, i'd opt for a real good heatsink/fan combo too. You had mentioned about the case needing alot of fans...all the cases with 3 or more fans are over 180 bucks... also is it worth the extra 200 bucks to upgrade to the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Alright guys, thanks for clearing that up. I was under the impression that had to run a 64-bit OS, but I don't actually have experience the the athlon 64 though I have heard good things about them. So I guess you don't actually have to run 64-bit windows. I do agree with impur on the case and a good heatsink/fan combo. Keeping your computer cool can extend the life of it by quite a bit and keep it running at its best. I think that the AMD processor would do really well for you if you are just planning on doing photo editing. Since you said that you are more on a budget, I would go with the better case and skip the dual core if price is the issue. The dual core just allows you to process two things at once instead of being limited to one thing at a time with normal single processors. I don't really have much experience with them, but know that they are really good if you need to really use a good processor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 You had mentioned about the case needing alot of fans...all the cases with 3 or more fans are over 180 bucks... also is it worth the extra 200 bucks to upgrade to the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor Geek, while I haven't specifically compared the two chips you are thinking about, in general, there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to clock speed and cache per $$ and, for what you are planning on doing, I think the AMD will be more than sufficient with significant room for growth. Honestly, I don't think you would be able to tell the differnce between the two all other things (RAM, video card, hd speed) being equal. Assuming you address the cooling issues that Impur pointed out (which are important) then the extra $200 could probably be better spent upgrading other components. For instance - going to a 10,000 RPM SATA drive (e.g. a WD raptor), going for dual video cards (if the board supports them), adding more RAM. I have used several AMD chips BTW and have been pretty happy with them so I don't necessarily buy into the inherent supperiority of Intel products. One other thing I was curious about.... you might want to double check the specs on your mother board vs. video card as you list the card as AGP and most new boards are PCIexpress - which aren't compatible. I thought the SLI boards (which support dual video cards) were pretty much all PCIexpress. Also, double check the socket compatability of the CPU and mother board (both 959 or other?). Sometimes you can get a better deal as a package on CPU/board as well then you don't have to worry about it. Sorry... if I had a little more time today I would check these out for you but I have a friends G4 laptop I have to crack open and do a HD and optical drive replacement on.... you have never seen so many different sized microscopic screws in your life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 I appreciate everyones help with this...it is just to much for me to take on at this time, so I am just going to go to a small store and have them put one together for me, cause there is to many mix and match things...But thank you all for everything, it really helped me understand some stuff, so when I go into a place, I am able to know what the hell they are talking about... Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144026 2 fans and i would remove the floppy drive blanks and add another fan right there blowing out. 60 bucks after rebate and its a sweet case to boot OH yah, comes with a powersupply too! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146029 $115 with 8 fans! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025 $50 w/ 2 fans http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811208019 $40 w/ 2 fans Lots of options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Good call on the case...that is the one I will go with...now I need to figure out the video card issue...looking at that now... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144026 2 fans and i would remove the floppy drive blanks and add another fan right there blowing out. 60 bucks after rebate and its a sweet case to boot OH yah, comes with a powersupply too! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146029 $115 with 8 fans! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025 $50 w/ 2 fans http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811208019 $40 w/ 2 fans Lots of options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 I don't think that you need to look into dual video cards unless your going to use your comp for gaming. What you had listed, but in a PCIexpress would work great for editing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 So these are the changes... video card, which is twice as much... HIS Hightech H260XTQT512DDN-R Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814161174 case- APEVIA X-Dreamer II ATXB4KLW-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 420W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16811144026 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civicsit Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Looks like a good one, but you may be able to get away with a 256mb video card. But if you can get it, that one would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 or there is this one that I found... roughly 100 bucks cheaper... POWERCOLOR 26PRO 512M DDR2 Radeon HD 2600PRO 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814131060 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.