Config for Photoshop - Update: RAM Question

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snarang100

Junior Member
Nov 30, 2009
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I am looking to build a desktop for photoshop CS4 (and future versions of photoshop) - something that will last me the next 4 yrs. The present one I had made 3.5 yrs ago and is AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual core 3800+ 2Ghz with 4 Gb RAM

Here are the answers to the questions


1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
Photoshop CS4 for processing photographs. Good quaility monitor for accurate colors (with calibrator), Listening to music, Negligible gaming.

2. What YOUR budget is.
Additional $600 - $750 but I am open to stretching if it is a good value for money

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
Have always had AMD - but am moving to intel now.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Got a 650W corsair PSU, 2 X 320 Gb HD (3.5 yrs old - may want to increase), case, 4Gb DDR-2 ram (but may move to DDR3), 2 X DVD-RW drives, present monitor

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes and that is what got me interested in intel based config

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Default - never OCed, dont know if I need it for Photoshop, am scared of it D:

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
N/A

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Next 2 months.

UPDATE (12/8/09):

How does this config look for my Photoshop computer:
Total 212 + 45 + 170 + 145 = 572

A question abt RAM. I was told to use a 1.5V RAM so my config above has that. But if I move to the RAM used in anandtech's system guide (Intel Performance med-range) I can double the RAM for the same price ($77 for 6GB from Zip zoom fly - OCZ 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3-1333 Triple-Channel Kit OCZ3X1333LV6GK 7-7-7-20). Would this be a bad RAM to use for core i7 920?
 
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gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
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B69-1140-main-03-wc.jpg


I saw this Tiger Direct kit today for $999AR. Here are the specs:

  • XFX X58i LGA1366 Motherboard
  • Intel Core i7 920 Quad-Core Processor BX80601920 (Including CPU Fan)
  • (2x) Corsair XMS3 Tri Channel 6GB (12GB Total) PC10666 DDR3 Memory
  • Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB Hard Drive
  • Cooler Master HAF 932 Full Tower Black Case
  • Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...wCjC-d2CjCdwwp

Just add the OS of your choice, a decent video card & your existing monitor, and you're all set. Maybe some of the other builders here can offer some feedback on this deal, I'm sure its possible to get close or better in terms of bang/buck by picking the parts yourself. If you need a quick inexpensive build, this kit seemed like an attractive deal to me.

Good luck!
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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Good value for money would be socket 775 combo: intel E8400 3.0 GHz at $168, gigabyte P43 chipset motherboard at $80. It will use your existing DDR2 and run more than 50% faster than your existing system. I forget the exact ratio but Core 2 is faster clock-for-clock than your X2 even without the 50% bump in clock speed.

If not that $250 combo, a core i7 860 socket 1156 with 4-8 GB DDR3 and a P55 chipset motherboard would be around $550-600.

Performance:
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3641&p=3
 
terry107

terry107

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Dec 8, 2005
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Exodist

Exodist

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Dec 1, 2009
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Almost any good ole PC can run Photoshop fine. What you need to focus more on is video card and dual monitors. You dont want to have screwed up color.

Id recomened any dual core or better system with 2.5Ghz or higher core speed and 2 to 4GB of RAM depending on what OS you are running XP/Vista/7..
A ATI Radeon4850 for video is a cheap, but solid card.
2x 24" Monitors or larger. Though 24s seem to be a solid price for the size at the momment.
 
Winterpool

Winterpool

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Mar 1, 2008
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Jah, if you're buying a new monitor, that would probably eat up the the lion's share of your budget. If you want to stay below $750, the only decent option might be the Dell 2209WA when it's on sale for circa $200. Good calibrators ain't cheap either.
 
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elconejito

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Dec 19, 2007
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It's past my bed time so I'll be brief and maybe be a little more thorough in the morning...

You want multiple cores. CS4 is very heavily multithreaded, and CS5 and beyond will be the same. CS4 LOVES quad cores, and even better the i7 series (with hyperthreading). CS3 and below you would be just great with a high GHz dual core. But CS4 is better with a lower Ghz quad than a higher Ghz dual.

So with that in mind (and your budget) I'd look at the i5 750. Get a P55 motherboard and load it up with at least 4GB of RAM (8GB if it fits in your budget).

For the video card, the cheapest of the cheap cards will handle the OpenGL requirements for GPU accelerated features in photoshop. All the GPU does is help with zooming, panning, rotating canvas, and thumbnails in bridge. You don't need a lot of horsepower for that. I'd look at the ATI 4350 for < $50, last time I checked they were in the mid $30s. That will support dual monitors just fine.

If you are REALLY cash strapped, I'd look at an AMD quad and mobo with built-in GPU.
 
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elconejito

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elconejito said:
It's past my bed time so I'll be brief and maybe be a little more thorough in the morning...

You want multiple cores. CS4 is very heavily multithreaded, and CS5 and beyond will be the same. CS4 LOVES quad cores, and even better the i7 series (with hyperthreading). CS3 and below you would be just great with a high GHz dual core. But CS4 is better with a lower Ghz quad than a higher Ghz dual.

So with that in mind (and your budget) I'd look at the i5 750. Get a P55 motherboard and load it up with at least 4GB of RAM (8GB if it fits in your budget).

For the video card, the cheapest of the cheap cards will handle the OpenGL requirements for GPU accelerated features in photoshop. All the GPU does is help with zooming, panning, rotating canvas, and thumbnails in bridge. You don't need a lot of horsepower for that. I'd look at the ATI 4350 for < $50, last time I checked they were in the mid $30s. That will support dual monitors just fine.

If you are REALLY cash strapped, I'd look at an AMD quad and mobo with built-in GPU.
Click to expand...
OK, so just to elaborate a little more...

I think for you, at your budget the i5 750 is the way to go. $199 at newegg.com. The Turbo boost (essentially free, SAFE, automatic overclocking) is really good on the i5 and kicks in when you need it without any intervention by you.

P55 Motherboards start at $100 and most of the better reviewed ones are around $150. Somebody else can chime in with a specific recommendation.

I'd start with 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Unless you're working on really large photos you should be OK with that. If you aren't sure if you need it, just check your scratch sizes in photoshop (ask if you aren't sure how to do that). Prices start at about $90 for the 4GB kits. I know the 1366 based i7s are sensitive to memory voltage and should only use 1.5v. I'll make the assumption that 1156 should follow the same advice.

I still hold to the 4350 for your video card. They start in the mid $30's and move up depending on the brand and dual-dvi, etc. Let's ballpark about $50.

So right there you're looking at $500 between CPU, mobo, RAM, and video card. You already have PSU, hard drives, and monitor. If you aren't going to reuse your current copy of windows then add another $100. Need a case? Budget anywhere from $30 to $100 depending on how "nice" of a case you want. Which would bring your total to $700.

If you don't need Windows or a case (reusing old ones) then the first thing I'd stretch is RAM (bring it to 8GB for another $100), or move up to the i7 860 (add $100), or consider some newer hard drives.
 
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snarang100

Junior Member
Nov 30, 2009
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thanks a ton. that was very helpful. I dont need a case, and have already purchased the wiondows 7 64 bit.
I guess I should go with i7 860, p55 mobo (which one?), good ram - may be 8Gb DDR3 Ram (or do i need ddr2?) and a 4350 (which specific one?). Will there be a decent improvemnt if I go with i7 920 instead?
 
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elconejito

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Dec 19, 2007
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snarang100 said:
thanks a ton. that was very helpful. I dont need a case, and have already purchased the wiondows 7 64 bit.
I guess I should go with i7 860, p55 mobo (which one?), good ram - may be 8Gb DDR3 Ram (or do i need ddr2?) and a 4350 (which specific one?). Will there be a decent improvemnt if I go with i7 920 instead?
Click to expand...
You have to go with DDR3 with any i5/i7 (can't reuse your old RAM unfortunately). Look for the best bang for buck from a good brand (g.skill, crucial, corsair, ocz, etc in no particular order) and make sure the voltage is 1.5v. Don't worry about the speeds too much since in real-world applications they amount to very little difference. Get at least 4GB, 8GB if it fits in your budget.

For the mobo, I'm hoping somebody with personal experience can chip in here, but a good starting point is the Asus P7P55D, Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P, and one of the ASRock mobos but i don't recall the model #. All of these are in the $100 to $150 range. I wouldn't go much higher than that because then you are in i7 920 territory (more on that below).

Any 4350 will do, do a search over at newegg and look for any features you may want. Some have dual-dvi, others have dvi & vga out, some have HDMI, some are passively cooled, some have fans, etc. Just look for one that has the features you want and has decent reviews. Ballpark around $50 or less (also prefer free shipping).

The biggest boost you'll see going to an i7 920 is in the available memory. Instead of a common 4GB or 8GB you'll see 6GB or 12GB since it is triple channel memory instead of dual channel. Otherwise performance will be similar unless you are doing very high-end overclocking. If you are working with really large images, then this might be worth it. The cost is comparable, but a little more expensive.... The CPU is about the same price, the motherboard is more expensive ($200+ usually), and RAM price varies since you will be shopping for 6GB or 12GB instead of 4/8GB.

It's worth a look just to see if the cost might be worth it. If you were dealing with big files, or doing other multimedia work like 3D or video then I'd say definitely go i7 920. But it doesn't sound like thats what you're doing, and the i5 750 and i7 860 are VERY nice chips as well and the money you save there can either stay in your pocket, buy you a nice dinner, or buy another upgrade like new hard drives.
 
terry107

terry107

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Dec 8, 2005
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Keep in mind with the i5 that it does not have Hyperthreading. As shown here, Photoshop will make use of Hyperthreading. Between the i7 860 and the i7 920, it's really a toss up when it comes to performance. The 860 is newer, has better turbo capabilities, and runs dual channel ram. The 920 will reportedly overclock easier and uses triple channel ram. The 920's 1366 platform can also be utilized by Intel's upcoming 6 core processors, so that is something else to keep in mind.

Also, if you have a Microcenter close to you or anyone you know, you can get the 860 or 920 for dirt cheap.
 
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elconejito

Senior member
Dec 19, 2007
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terry107 said:
The 920's 1366 platform can also be utilized by Intel's upcoming 6 core processors, so that is something else to keep in mind.
Click to expand...
Good points, but remember the OP is trying to keep this as budget as possible. Any of the mentioned above will feel like a ferrari compared to where he is coming from (X2 3800+).

The interweb's consensus is that the 1366 6-core gulftown will be enthusiast priced, possibly over $1k like the extreme editions used to be. So that same budget will probably mean this isn't a good choice (for the OP).
 
terry107

terry107

Senior member
Dec 8, 2005
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elconejito said:
Good points, but remember the OP is trying to keep this as budget as possible. Any of the mentioned above will feel like a ferrari compared to where he is coming from (X2 3800+).

The interweb's consensus is that the 1366 6-core gulftown will be enthusiast priced, possibly over $1k like the extreme editions used to be. So that same budget will probably mean this isn't a good choice (for the OP).
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. I brought up that point to show that there will be something to upgrade to beyond the current i7 iterations on the 1366 platform. In a few years, the Gulftown processor's could be a viable upgrade path.
 
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snarang100

Junior Member
Nov 30, 2009
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elconejito

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Dec 19, 2007
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your choices look pretty good. 1.5V is preferred, but not mandatory. *Some* of the higher voltage RAM sets *sometimes* cause problems when overclocking, possibly limiting your overclock. So it boils down to 1.5v shouldn't cause problems, 1.5v+ may cause problems. Helpful right? You may want to ask in the memory & storage forum for more specific details.

that link you have above goes to newegg, where it shows it is 1.5v and deactivated. If you see that same kit at ZZF, I'd jump on it.
 
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snarang100

Junior Member
Nov 30, 2009
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Thanks,
not planning on overclocking - so may be I am fine with 1.65V.
You are right abt availability - even on ZZF it is not in stock
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009748

I am not in dire need of an upgrade and am considering waiting for the core i7 930. Dont know if it si going to be worth it - hoping that RAM will get cheaper. Microcenter already sells 920 at $200 - below the usual $280 range. Not sure if they will do that with 930 - thereby offering me no gain for waiting.

May be the RAM and mobo will get better/cheaper in the next 2 months to warrant the wait for 930. Not yet sure which way to go.
 
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