New computer build for Photoshop CS3 usage.

[stuckinaz]

A friend is building a new system and sent me his specs. I would greatly appreciate any input from the experts here.

- This system will be used primarily for Photoshop CS3.
- No gaming.
- $1400-1600 Budget (incl tax/shipping).
- RAID-1 setup.
- NO overclocking.
- Want to build system ASAP.
- Will buy from Newegg and ship to SoCal.
- Re-use old: Monitor, printer, keyboard, mouse.

I have some concerns regarding CS3, 64-bit Vista, and large amounts of memory. Any problems getting CS3 to actually run under Vista-64? AFAIK CS3 is a 32-bit app. Are there restrictions on the amount of memory available for its usage? Any benefit going from 6 to 12 GB ram?

Will a RAID-1 setup slow things down? Or would the system run faster with a conventional C: and D: with OS and swap/scratch files placed on separate disks?

Any other "gotchas" I need to be concerned about?


Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P - Retail - $259.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128374

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 - Retail - $288.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115202

Memory: 12 GB (2x 6 GB kits) G.SKILL DDR3-1600 - Retail - $135.99 x2 = 271.98 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231225

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W - Retail - $99.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

HDs: 2x Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB - OEM - $129.99 x2 = 259.98 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284

Video: EVGA GeForce 9500GT 1GB - Retail - $69.99 ($7 SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130395

DVD: LITE-ON Black DVD Burner - Retail $25.99 ($7 SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106264

Case: COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP - Retail - $44.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119161

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $99.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488


cost: $1421.89 (2x HDDs and 2x memory kits)
cost: $1285.90 (2x HDDs and 1x memory kit)
+ tax/shipping.

As you can tell by the ancient computer in my sig I'm not up to speed on the most current/best hardware so please feel free to rip apart the above list and make any suggestions and/or comments you can.

TIA.

 

[Denithor]

No need for DDR3-1600 memory, just grab DDR3-1333 and you'll save some cash. And 6GB should be adequate unless your friend is really working with *huge* photo jobs. Use a 4670 instead of that 9500GT. You'll be better off with C: & D: drives instead of a raid array. And yes, put the Photoshop scratch disk on the -other- drive (installation on C: and scratch on D: ).

 

[stuckinaz]

Thanks for the quick reply. I appreciate any and all info given.

Well he will be working with HUGE files, but I've learned that CS3 is a 32-bit app so anything over 4 GB will be wasted even with Vista-64. He does plan on upgrading to CS4 in the future so I'm keeping that in mind. He wants the RAID-1 for data security. I'll ask him if he wants to go with a different "backup" solution or sacrifice some speed.

 

[imported_wired247]

the raid 1 won't hurt anything, and storage is cheap (a hell of a lot cheaper than i7 hardware). throw a couple of 320gb drives on there in raid-1, then you can get a third hdd (perhaps eSATA) for backups / scratch...


+1 on the comment about the ram spec

you can definitely get away with MUCH less PSU.

I would recommend one of these...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...003&Tpk=corsair%20450w

 

[Krynj]

I personally think you could drop a 1TB Black drive and throw in a 300GB VelociRaptor. That will increase disk read/write times.

Or if at the very least, keep the 2 1TB Black drives and use a VelociRaptor for main OS install. I posted this in another thread, but, for your reference, a 1TB Green, 1TB Black, and a 300GB VelociRaptor in an Everest HDD test.

http://i23.photobucket.com/alb...bench.png?t=1235026635

(Top to bottom: 1TB Green, 1TB Black, 300GB VelociRaptor)

 

[Denithor]

Better yet, set up a RAMdisk and use that for your scratch disk in CS3.

Otherwise just use a fast storage disk & put your scratch disk on that will be the fastest.

Benchmarks I dug up for CS3 & CS4 performance.

Dual & Quad CS3 comparison
i7 & C2Q CS3 comparison
i7 & C2Q & PhII CS4 comparison
Comprehensive CS4 comparison

EDIT: You should also read the second response on this page. Note this is covering RAM usage on a Macintosh not a PC so to get the full effect described you will have to set up a RAM disk (RamDisk Plus 9 for Vista64). You then point the scratch disk onto the resultant ramdisk & watch CS3 fly.

 

[heyheybooboo]

The i720 will not really gain you anything against something like a Phenom II 940 combo which would save you a lot of cash.

And most likely an e8400 would whip both of them and save you even more cash.

Your OS/Apps drive doesn't need to be that large - a 150Gb Raptor will be fine. Scratch drives don't have to be that large, either. 320Gb drives will work well for scratch and capture. Your 1Tb drive(s) can function as storage/backup (with your mirror RAID if you wish - or backup to an external drive for 'off-site' safe-keeping of critical data).

Even as PS CS3 in Windows is a 32-bit app I believe you may assign up to 55% of system RAMs so 6-8Gb of RAMs will work just dandy with the non-dedicated memory in your 64-bit OS handling background services and 'multitasking apps'.

 

[stuckinaz]

Wow! Lots of great info. I have some serious re-thinking to do.

Thanks for the help and keep the tips coming.

 

[Denithor]

Those 150GB Velociraptors are a horrible value. Get double the capacity for $50 more.

And how's this for an idea: get him two 300GB VRs to use in the system (C: & D: ) with the OS & programs on one & the scratch disk and storage on the other. Then get him a 1TB Caviar Black & an external enclosure (eSATA) to hook up for backup use. That way he gets high speed use on the system for active work and external/portable backup.

Depending on which piece of software he's using (PS CS3, CS3 AfterEffects, etc) it may or may not be multithreaded enough to take advantage of a tri/quad core cpu (take a look at that first link I gave above). But then again - if the budget is large enough to allow i7 - go for it, it'll absolutely meet the requirements.

One final note - make sure you get an aftermarket cooler, they make a HUGE difference.

 

[Soccerman06]

9800GT would be a nice choice for $100 AR, atleast twice the processing power of the one you have now. I use dual 216 gtx 260s and when I do complex 3D modeling in Illustrator, not to mention most other Adobe programs run much faster using the gpu.

Ram, depends on app and how much work you do, never hurts to just buy 1 kit now and possibly add another down the road for less if he needs it. Same goes with hdd.

 

[stuckinaz]

@Denithor

Thanks for the suggestions.

About the VRs. Two things I couldn't overcome. 1) his budget and 2) his Instance on a RAID-1 for Maximum uptime of OS and CS3 in cause of a drive crash.

He's more than likely going with 2x 250 GB RE3 (Raid Edition) drives as a C: (OS and APP) and a 1 TB WB-Black as a D: for storage/scratch/swap disk.

I should say that he will upgrade to CS4 in the semi-near future which is 64-bit. He'll have better support for multicores/threads and support for way more memory than the current two GB 32-bit app limit. This will help to eliminate the need for massive Disk I/O and improve performance.

Will an aftermarket CPU cooler really be necessary? He will not be overclocking as this will be a machine vital to his business. Then again it is cheap insurance.

Any CPU cooler recommendations? Again, he won't be overclocking so he won't need some 1.8 KG copper sink with 2x 140mm fans. LOL.

 

[stuckinaz]

@Soccerman06

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it.

Regarding Video card...I already upgraded him from some no-name 8400 series to the 9500GT and that was a stretch for his budget anyways. He really won't be playing any games on this machine. He will mainly be using Photoshop CS3 (CS4 semi-soon) but something to look up and confirm how GPU effects CS3.

I'm right with you on memory kits. He'll pick up one 6 GB kit now as CS3 is only 32-bit, and pick up a second 6 GB kit when he gets CS4.

 

[stuckinaz]

Originally posted by: wired247
the raid 1 won't hurt anything, and storage is cheap (a hell of a lot cheaper than i7 hardware). throw a couple of 320gb drives on there in raid-1, then you can get a third hdd (perhaps eSATA) for backups / scratch...


+1 on the comment about the ram spec

you can definitely get away with MUCH less PSU.

I would recommend one of these...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...003&Tpk=corsair%20450w

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

You're pretty close on the drive setup he's more than likely to go with. Small RAID-1 C: Drive, 250 GB. In addition he pick up a 1 TB drive as D: and use for storage, scratch, swap, etc.

You are probably right on the Ram and PSU.

The RAM has dropped in price $16 since I first looked at it, so that makes up for the price difference between the 1333 and 1600 RAM. The PSU price difference is only $20. I guess you can, in theory, "over-power" your system and not hit the most efficient part of your power supplies efficiency curve. At least he'll be prepared for any additional ram or hard drive(s) he may add in the future.

 

[Modelworks]

If he intends to move to CS4 then you need to get a video card on the list, CS4 makes somewhat heavy use of the GPU. Not saying the 9500 card will not work, probably will, but might want to double check.
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservic...nalId=kb405711&sliceId

 

[stuckinaz]

Again, Thank You for your help.

Well here is the final parts list. It didn't change much.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P - Retail - $259.99 (FREE SHIPPING) ($20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128374

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 - Retail - $288.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115202

Memory: 6 GB kit (3x 2GB) G.SKILL DDR3-1600 - Retail - $119.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231225

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W - Retail - $99.99 (FREE SHIPPING) ($20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

HDs: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB - OEM - $129.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284

HDs: 2x Western Digital RE3 (RAID edition) 250GB - OEM - $69.99 x2 = $139.98 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136291

Video: EVGA GeForce 9500GT 1GB - Retail - $69.99 ($7 SHIPPING) ($10 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130395

DVD: LITE-ON Black DVD Burner - Retail $25.99 ($7 SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106264

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $99.99 (FREE SHIPPING)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488

Cost: $1234.90
Tax: 101.88
Shipping: 10.55
---------------------
Sub-Total: $1347.33
Rebates: $(50.00)
---------------------
Grand Total: $1297.33
=================

He's gotten every rebate he's ever applied for (not like the other 99.87% of the population.) Probably could have saved up to $200 if he really wanted to, but was less concerned with price and more concerned with getting the system build RIGHT NOW.

A 250 GB RAID-1 using the motherboard RAID controller will be C: drive and the 1000 GB drive will be his D: drive. He also has an external HD for additional backups.


A quick note regarding the build process:

When posting my initial message I knew the parts were quality (and a bit pricey) and would come together to form a good system. I mainly wanted to receive suggestions regarding things other than the actual hardware that usually come up when a parts list is posted on a message board. I also wanted to learn about problems that may come up when building a photoshop box.

I learned a lot, and a lot of things came up that I wouldn't even know to ask about. RAID-1, backup, ram amounts, ram disks, 32 vs 64 bit, double-checking power supply connectors, CS3 vs CS4, etc, etc.

Thanks.

 

[heyheybooboo]

The purpose of the RAID in this case is to protect you against failure of the OS/Apps drive. If the OS/Apps drive becomes gummy, corrupted or infected, both drives in your RAID get gummy, corrupted or infected. I generally think this is a more likely occurrence (it is Windows after all - LOL) than a drive failure.

So essentially the 'redundancy' is in the wrong place. A recovery or 'ghost' partition could be built on the 1Tb data/storage drive (and when mirrored would provide critical backup and a effective 'trip' redundancy of the OS/Apps drive).

 

[rob25]

Hi, im in the same boat, I have also been investigating about updating my system for cs4 & because ive ventured into the world of Panorama stitching & Hdr.
Firstly the monitor:
http://accessories.us.dell.com...bsd&cs=04&sku=320-7825

This is a Dell 22"" e-ips, $275 aprox, read good reviews about it.

...& as someone mentioned, a calibrator, I have a Spyder3 pro.( I tried the elite software & serial of a friend & It also works.)


As far as scratch disks go from what I have read ,on the adobe site & other places:

Have it on a fast drive, different from the disk which may contain any large file you are working on & better if it is not on the same drive as the os.

So my conclusions for this would be if you are working on very large files the best would be:
1- 64 bit vista
2- lots of ram

disk setup

1 fast disk for os& cs4
2 x 500 gb set up in raid 0 (Double the speed)/ 1 tb disk in raid 1 (mirror,Backup) for data
1 fast disk for scratch
I dont know how important the scratch disk would be if you had a lot of ram.......

 

[rob25]

Sorry I jumped over from the other thread, but the info might br usefull anyways .......