Which GPU for Photoshop CS5

[snarang100]

I am building a core i7 930 based desktop. It is primarily used for Photoshop CS5. From what I have read and hopefully understood correctly, the Nvidia (CUDA) have an advantage over others for the application. I would like an input on what GPU card I should ideally buy for working with Photoshop CS5 that is good value for the money and performs well too. I am not considering any super expensive cards. I do negligible gaming.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Premiere is the only app in CS5 to have any benefits from CUDA. Photoshop and the rest will use OpenGL which should work fine on ATi or nV parts.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

CUDA will also only work with GTX 285 or higher cards (GTX 480/470), although I'm sure it'll be a week tops before someone comes up with a work around.

 

[Sylvanas]

CUDA will also only work with GTX 285 or higher cards (GTX 480/470), although I'm sure it'll be a week tops before someone comes up with a work around.

'CUDA' works on any 8 series card and above with 32SP's. Any other limitations are imposed only by Nvidia.

 

[at80eighty]

what is a value pricing range to you? i'd say the gtx 470 should be something you could look into, but it boils down to what you wish to spend

 

[GodisanAtheist]

'CUDA' works on any 8 series card and above with 32SP's. Any other limitations are imposed only by Nvidia.

"CUDA" In this case is in regards to CUDA acceleration in CS5, not what cards ever support CUDA.

To revise my original statement: Only the GTX 285/470/480 will be able to do CUDA acceleration in premier in CS5, all Nvidia and ATI cards will be able to do OpenGL acceleration in the rest of the suite.

 

[Sylvanas]

"CUDA" In this case is in regards to CUDA acceleration in CS5, not what cards ever support CUDA.

To revise my original statement: Only the GTX 285/470/480 will be able to do CUDA acceleration in premier in CS5, all Nvidia and ATI cards will be able to do OpenGL acceleration in the rest of the suite.

Indeed. I did not intend to come off pedantic with phrasing- I actually thought you could use 8 series for CS5 but after reading the support list you are indeed correct in GTX285 and up :thumbsup:

 

[BenSkywalker]

CUDA will also only work with GTX 285 or higher cards (GTX 480/470), although I'm sure it'll be a week tops before someone comes up with a work around.

I already know the workaround, if anyone actually needs it I'll post it out(and it was implemented by Adobe, not nV).

 

[erikerxon]

I already know the workaround, if anyone actually needs it I'll post it out(and it was implemented by Adobe, not nV).

so you want to say, that there is a workaround how to make for example gt300 work the same well (with cuda stuff and etc) as gtx285?

why its stated that mercury works on gtx285 and up. what does gtx285 has you cant find in gtx275, gtx260 or gt300 for example or so? all difference i can see is speed and amount of ram. thats it.

 

[BenSkywalker]

so you want to say, that there is a workaround how to make for example gt300 work the same well (with cuda stuff and etc) as gtx285?

Depending on what you are doing. Mercury works in real time up to a point, slower GPUs may slow down before the limit of the 285 is reached(maybe 2 feeds instead of 3- I honestly don't know as I haven't tried it myself). What I'm saying I know the workaround for is how to get the other parts to use CUDA acceleration. It won't necessarily be as fast as the 285 parts, but I'd be willing to bet it will be significantly faster then any CPU you can throw at it currently.

 

[erikerxon]

Depending on what you are doing. Mercury works in real time up to a point, slower GPUs may slow down before the limit of the 285 is reached(maybe 2 feeds instead of 3- I honestly don't know as I haven't tried it myself). What I'm saying I know the workaround for is how to get the other parts to use CUDA acceleration. It won't necessarily be as fast as the 285 parts, but I'd be willing to bet it will be significantly faster then any CPU you can throw at it currently.

post it please. because im exactly looking for a gpu at the moment and if everything will work (doesnt matter if it will be slower than 285) im ready to buy used gtx 240 or any of gt series.
im gonna do video 10% of all the time, mainly photoshop with huge raws.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Step 1. Go to the Premiere CS5 installation folder.
Step 2. Find the file "GPUSniffer.exe" and run it in a command prompt (cmd.exe). You should see something like that:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Device: 00000000001D4208 has video RAM(MB): 896
Device: 00000000001D4208 has video RAM(MB): 896
Vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
Renderer string: GeForce GTX 295/PCI/SSE2
Version string: 3.0.0

OpenGL version as determined by Extensionator...
OpenGL Version 2.0
Supports shaders!
Supports BGRA -> BGRA Shader
Supports VUYA Shader -> BGRA
Supports UYVY/YUYV ->BGRA Shader
Supports YUV 4:2:0 -> BGRA Shader
Testing for CUDA support...
Found 2 devices supporting CUDA.
CUDA Device # 0 properties -
CUDA device details:
Name: GeForce GTX 295 Compute capability: 1.3
Total Video Memory: 877MB
CUDA Device # 1 properties -
CUDA device details:
Name: GeForce GTX 295 Compute capability: 1.3
Total Video Memory: 877MB
CUDA Device # 0 not choosen because it did not match the named list of cards
Completed shader test!
Internal return value: 7
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you look at the last line it says the CUDA device is not chosen because it's not in the named list of card. That's fine. Let's add it.

Step 3. Find the file: "cuda_supported_cards.txt" and edit it and add your card (take the name from the line: CUDA device details: Name: GeForce GTX 295 Compute capability: 1.3

So in my case the name to add is: GeForce GTX 295

Step 4. Save that file and we're almost ready.

Step 5. Go to your Nvidia Driver control panel (im using the latest 197.45) under "Manage 3D Settings", Click "Add" and browse to your Premiere CS5 install directory and select the executable file: "Adobe Premiere Pro.exe"

Step 6. In the field "multi-display/mixed-GPU acceleration" switch from "multiple display performance mode" to "compatibilty performance mode"

Step 7. That's it. Boot Premiere and go to your project setting / general and activate CUDA

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/adobe-c...e-cs5-work-gtx-295-possibly-all-200-gpus.html

 

[Dark Shroud]

Per the info on this page: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404898.html

I would recommend an ATI 5800 series card that support OpenGL 4. They're cheaper, use less power, produce less heat. Althout the GTX 470 isn't as bad as the GTX 480, the 5850 is still cheaper.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Per the info on this page: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404898.html

I would recommend an ATI 5800 series card that support OpenGL 4. They're cheaper, use less power, produce less heat. Althout the GTX 470 isn't as bad as the GTX 480, the 5850 is still cheaper.

where is the information on that page that gives you the idea that he would benefit from a 5800 if he doesn't game and is only interested in Photoshop support?

the page clearly states:

GPU that meets these requirements:

* supports OpenGL
* has enough RAM to support Photoshop functions--at least 128 MB of RAM. The recommended amount of RAM for the best experience in Photoshop is 256 MB or more.
* has a display driver that supports OpenGL 2.0 and Shader Model 3.0.

That's just about any PCI-e video card sold today. I wouldn't recommend anything more powerful than the fastest passively cooled video card, so a Radeon 5750 would be the absolute highest I'd go for such a system, and even that would be overkill.

 

[erikerxon]

where is the information on that page that gives you the idea that he would benefit from a 5800 if he doesn't game and is only interested in Photoshop support?

the page clearly states:



That's just about any PCI-e video card sold today. I wouldn't recommend anything more powerful than the fastest passively cooled video card, so a Radeon 5750 would be the absolute highest I'd go for such a system, and even that would be overkill.

are you retoucher? theoretically yes, it can be any card you can buy. but here is another thing if cs working closely with nvidia it means sooner or later there will be plugins or some updates which will use cuda anyway (even for photoshop) and ati dont have cuda and never will have so any ati product isnt suitable (even if radeon is 2 times cheaper, heat less and work faster), i have to geforce line. and its obvious that more updates photoshop will do more it will stick to cuda, u just cant get away of it AND a lot of photographers/retouchers/designers saying that nvidia works better and more stable with cs than ati, nvidia has better drivers support, etc. so defo, nvidia all the way. im more concerned about gpu model. or do i have to buy gtx285 (the card which was used mainly for cs5 testing and it looks like cs5 was designed for this card and then made compatible with others) or i can take any gtx, gts or even gt series card for lets say 50-70quid, add it to the list and just use it happily for the next couple of years. this is my main question now and i dont know what to do, i cant find an answer (maybe because cs5 is too fresh still). im building new rig so i need a card (of course any gpu with cuda for 70-90GBP would be better/cheaper than gtx285 for 240GBP) ))

 

[Sylvanas]

are you retoucher? theoretically yes, it can be any card you can buy. but here is another thing if cs working closely with nvidia it means sooner or later there will be plugins or some updates which will use cuda anyway (even for photoshop) and ati dont have cuda and never will have so any ati product isnt suitable (even if radeon is 2 times cheaper, heat less and work faster), i have to geforce line. and its obvious that more updates photoshop will do more it will stick to cuda, u just cant get away of it AND a lot of photographers/retouchers/designers saying that nvidia works better and more stable with cs than ati, nvidia has better drivers support, etc. so defo, nvidia all the way. im more concerned about gpu model. or do i have to buy gtx285 (the card which was used mainly for cs5 testing and it looks like cs5 was designed for this card and then made compatible with others) or i can take any gtx, gts or even gt series card for lets say 50-70quid, add it to the list and just use it happily for the next couple of years. this is my main question now and i dont know what to do, i cant find an answer (maybe because cs5 is too fresh still). im building new rig so i need a card (of course any gpu with cuda for 70-90GBP would be better/cheaper than gtx285 for 240GBP) ))

Unlikely. If we are talking about future developments then developers are looking to OpenCL as the multi-platform alternative with no vendor lock in and extensive usability. It'll probably be faster aswell anyway

 

[Voo]

Actually there was a blog post from a Adobe developer that stated that they want to use OpenCL somewhere in the future.. But that doesn't change the fact that if you want to use premiere at the moment with all its features and the speedup you'll surely get from CUDA, you'll have to get a Nvidia card. Depending on which cards Ben's guide works, there's really no reason to get an Ati card (if you'd have to get a 280/470 instead of some 70$ card that could change it a bit)


If you don't want to use premiere every card that supports the aforementioned specs is just fine and since most last gen cards that don't fulfull those requirements, it shouldn't be any problem to get a cheap, cool card.