Pro Photoshop computer build

[kpb]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: kpb

Originally posted by: bob4432
HO - maybe you can answer this question - with a 650MB psd file, how much ram does it actually take up in ps? i have never used files that large, but if i open up a file that is 3MB saved, when in ps it shows it is using 6.5MB. again this area is foreign to me as my work with ps has either been with web, video stills which are only 720x480 @ most 100dpi, or at extreme largest 11x17 @ 300dpi with only 5 layers thus i have never crested 1GB in total ram usage.

It varies based on what your doing. Some filters or other operations require more memory than others. Settings like cache levels, numbers of plugins, number of fonts can all effect this. The one i've always heard is 4 to 10 times the size of the file in memory. Even if he's on the low end of that scale a 650mb file could easily eat 3 gbs of memory.

thanks. how does ps handle the win32 2GB per program issue? or is there a fix for it?

If your working with cs2 it will handle up to 4gb depending on the situation. In standard windows 2000 or xp the os limits apps to 2gb. If you have pro or one of the server os's you can do the /3gb switch to push that up to 3gb and photoshop will access it. If you run on windows xp 64 it can access up to 4 gb minus a small amount reserved by ps and as referenced earlier it will let the os cache the scratch disk if you have more than 4 gb.

As for video card there's particular reason to get a firegl or other workstation card as far as photoshop performance. It doesn't really use the video card for any acceleration. As long as the video card support the needed resolution and connections well it should do fine. Don't even need a high end workstation card for dual dvi connectors or even dual link dvi connections.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: kpb

Originally posted by: bob4432
what about the issue with ps:cs2 and hardware? i recently switched main hdds and used acronis true image, and when i started ps it said i had to re-activate...and i have read this over at the adobe forums where people have actually lost jobs because they couldn't meet deadlines because of this...

Lots information about thier activation up at http://www.adobe.com/activation/

There's no reason to miss a deadline tho. You can go into the program and tell it to transfer the activation (Help -> transfer activation) before get a new computer or cloning the hard drive to free up the activation and then activate it on another computer after installing it or cloning it there. Completely automated process assuming you have an active internet connection. If you fail to do that you just need to call thier activation line and explain the situation to them and they should manually activate it for you. The activation is really pretty reasonable and painless most of the time.

good to know

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: kpb

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: kpb

Originally posted by: bob4432
HO - maybe you can answer this question - with a 650MB psd file, how much ram does it actually take up in ps? i have never used files that large, but if i open up a file that is 3MB saved, when in ps it shows it is using 6.5MB. again this area is foreign to me as my work with ps has either been with web, video stills which are only 720x480 @ most 100dpi, or at extreme largest 11x17 @ 300dpi with only 5 layers thus i have never crested 1GB in total ram usage.

It varies based on what your doing. Some filters or other operations require more memory than others. Settings like cache levels, numbers of plugins, number of fonts can all effect this. The one i've always heard is 4 to 10 times the size of the file in memory. Even if he's on the low end of that scale a 650mb file could easily eat 3 gbs of memory.

thanks. how does ps handle the win32 2GB per program issue? or is there a fix for it?

If your working with cs2 it will handle up to 4gb depending on the situation. In standard windows 2000 or xp the os limits apps to 2gb. If you have pro or one of the server os's you can do the /3gb switch to push that up to 3gb and photoshop will access it. If you run on windows xp 64 it can access up to 4 gb minus a small amount reserved by ps and as referenced earlier it will let the os cache the scratch disk if you have more than 4 gb.

As for video card there's particular reason to get a firegl or other workstation card as far as photoshop performance. It doesn't really use the video card for any acceleration. As long as the video card support the needed resolution and connections well it should do fine. Don't even need a high end workstation card for dual dvi connectors or even dual link dvi connections.

thanks for the info. if you are referring to my other comment about it being a power user machine, i was not taking the video card into acct because i thought all one needs with ps is a card that supports their resolution, like you stated...

 

[kpb]

Originally posted by: bob4432
thanks for the info. if you are referring to my other comment about it being a power user machine, i was not taking the video card into acct because i thought all one needs with ps is a card that supports their resolution, like you stated...

Mainly refering to the people recommending the fire gl card. Just decided not to start a third post.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: kpb

Originally posted by: bob4432
thanks for the info. if you are referring to my other comment about it being a power user machine, i was not taking the video card into acct because i thought all one needs with ps is a card that supports their resolution, like you stated...

Mainly refering to the people recommending the fire gl card. Just decided not to start a third post.

no probs

 

[pe3046]

Keep in mind if you are using photoshop cs2 that it can now use more than 2gb of ram as it has introduced a new memory management module that seems to use more ram then 7 or cs did (not just allows more ram but uses more ram, ps memory usage. I run 4gb, and this helps a lot. My specs are as follows-xp64,Opteron 175, 4 gb RAM, Raptor 36gb for scratch disk, 300 gb maxtor for storage, and dual-link dvi 6600gt video card, and dell 2405 monitor all in a lian-li v1200 case. Makes for a nice photoshop system and wayunder $2000.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: pe3046
Keep in mind if you are using photoshop cs2 that it can now use more than 2gb of ram as it has introduced a new memory management module that seems to use more ram then 7 or cs did (not just allows more ram but uses more ram, ps memory usage. I run 4gb, and this helps a lot. My specs are as follows-xp64,Opteron 175, 4 gb RAM, Raptor 36gb for scratch disk, 300 gb maxtor for storage, and dual-link dvi 6600gt video card, and dell 2405 monitor all in a lian-li v1200 case. Makes for a nice photoshop system and wayunder $2000.

you are using the 64bit version not the 32bit version....

 

[rgrea]

Hey HO and kpb,
I agree with most of what you say. I too do a lot of Photoshop CS2, AutoFX and the like.
My Rig, I just built was focused on the Bottlenecks of the HD's and the way I use my system. Photoshop can be used many different ways. There is more than one answer. I am a Photographer, though I use extreamly large files, my need is different then that memtioned here.

I can come home from a "short" shoot and put 800 X 6MB pictures in CS2 and convert tiem all at the same time in bridge to DNG before I back them up to DVD. 10-15 minutes total.
I want FAST not facts. I use 2 Gigs of Ram and a 36GB Raptor for a scratch drive. I have the speed I need. The benchmarks do nothing for me, I like real world. I only have some sort of slow down when I have more that 6 gigs open files, in PS at the same time. Normally I close something out and comeback to that.

There should be a Photoshop Sticky because the Gamers use the Rigs differently.

EDIT: HO thanks for the PS benchmark link, I ran it in the background. Things like that just confirm that this machine is fast enough. The final output is only a 230MB file.

 

[adwilk]

I have a dedicated PHOTOSHOP machine, when i upgraded to CS2 I actually went from 2GB RAM to 4GB of RAM.. it was actually much needed for some of the advanced editing tools. Keep in mind that you could use an off the shelf Emachines for the program... It really isnt too hard on a machine, i would get the fasted dual core processor you can afford and a $&#@ load of RAM... Most of the Rendering has oh so little to do with the Video Card when it comes to still images.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: rgrea
Hey HO and kpb,
I agree with most of what you say. I too do a lot of Photoshop CS2, AutoFX and the like.
My Rig, I just built was focused on the Bottlenecks of the HD's and the way I use my system. Photoshop can be used many different ways. There is more than one answer. I am a Photographer, though I use extreamly large files, my need is different then that memtioned here.

I can come home from a "short" shoot and put 800 X 6MB pictures in CS2 and convert tiem all at the same time in bridge to DNG before I back them up to DVD. 10-15 minutes total.
I want FAST not facts. I use 2 Gigs of Ram and a 36GB Raptor for a scratch drive. I have the speed I need. The benchmarks do nothing for me, I like real world. I only have some sort of slow down when I have more that 6 gigs open files, in PS at the same time. Normally I close something out and comeback to that.

There should be a Photoshop Sticky because the Gamers use the Rigs differently.

EDIT: HO thanks for the PS benchmark link, I ran it in the background. Things like that just confirm that this machine is fast enough. The final output is only a 230MB file.

how do you run that ps benchmark(i do have ps:cs2)? i would like to do a quick test with my cpu @ stock and then @ 2.5GHz....just to see how much of a difference cpu speed makes...thanks

nevermind, got it to work, but noticed that with performance monitor, the cpu is not used much.....weird. is that because my hdds are too slow?