BEST VIDEO CARD

[akantardjian]

What is the best video card available for Desktop Publishing and Photo Editing UNDER $700.00 ???

I'm not looking for a Dual...just a REALLY powerful single.

Thanks

AK

 

[BobDaMenkey]

I don't know about desktop publishing, but photo editing is pretty much all CPU based anymore. The video card just displays the output, it doesn't have anything to do with the actual editing of it.

I'd say get yourself a Matrox card, they have awesome 2d quality and should fit the bill nicely. Although you might be looking at some nVidia Quatros, which shouldn't be bad for what you're doing either.

 

[carlosd]

You don't need powerfull videocard for desktop publishing or photo editing, those tasks are not GPU demaning, since they are not 3D applications. You will need some sub-100 dollars card with good 2d quality.

 

[Chosonman]

ATI FireGL cards or Nvidia Quadro are made for those kind of tasks

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Chosonman
ATI FireGL cards or Nvidia Quadro are made for those kind of tasks

No, they're made for 3D modelling and rendering (e.g. Maya, 3DSMax, AutoCAD, etc.), and specifically optimized for OpenGL rendering with tons and tons and tons of triangles.

Desktop publishing and 2D image manipulation don't use your video card at all (other than to display 2D images on the screen, which almost any video card made in the last decade should do acceptably for you).

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: Chosonman
ATI FireGL cards or Nvidia Quadro are made for those kind of tasks

The tasks the OP mentioned do not require any 3D rendering power whatsoever.
He would do well to get a simple Matrox G450 32MB with Dual VGA/Head outputs for potentially 2 monitors. They are well under 100.00 and will be more than enough.

Matthias99 summed it up perfectly.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Am glad almost everybody got it right

Yeah, get a matrox card for very crisp 2d images.

Are you going to be using CRTs or LCDs?

 

[biostud]

Matrox > *.* in 2D

Spend the money you save on a video card for lots of memory and a dual processor setup.

 

[frx218]

Originally posted by: Chosonman
Desktop publishing and 2D image manipulation don't use your video card at all (other than to display 2D images on the screen, which almost any video card made in the last decade should do acceptably for you).