J
John Weiss
[2 posts combined]
How much RAM and Virtual Memory is Photoshop using in your current system
(Task Manager will tell you)?
Why do you think 4 GB will not be enough? Consider that the OS and
background apps (firewall, antivirus...) can easily use 500 MB, leaving 1.5
GB for Photoshop on the current system. With 4 GB and 32-bit Win, the /3GB
switch in Win will give you at least 1 GB MORE RAM available to Photoshop!
Again, how much do you think you need, and WHY?!?
Only YOU can research the compatibility of all your hardware and apps with
64-bit Win. The general advice is to NOT do it for an all-purpose home
machine, but do what you need for your dedicated Photoshop machine...
I can't even give you a good reason to go Vista at all!
It all depends on how much raw speed is important to you, and how you
measure that speed. In some cases speed increases will only be measurable
by a benchmark app, and will not be perceptible to you. In other cases,
benchmarks may not show significant overall gains, but some part of the
system (especially if it is a bottleneck) gains enough to make a real,
perceptible difference.
With current systems, disk I/O is often the bottleneck for computer-based
apps (network bandwidth is obviously a limiting factor in Internet- or
server-based apps. If the app requires significant disk I/O, HD access
speed is VERY important. In your case, you want a separate physical HD for
the primary Photoshop scratch disk, so it can access that HD independently
from the OS, app DLLs, and data I/O. Since budget IS a consideration, we
can't suggest a RAID 10 (minimum 4 HDs) option, so the fastest 2-HD option
should be a primary consideration.
Without the immediate need for SLI, is an X38 or X48 chipset an option?
They support faster FSB and RAM speeds, and there are several (e.g.,
Gigabyte X38-DS4) that use DDR2 RAM so you don't have to pay for DDR3.
The extra performance will likely cost a bit more (faster RAM), so it's a
trade you'll have to consider.
NO! A proprietary "108 Mbps" 802.1G adapter will get you nowhere near 108
Mbps! A current 802.1N draft compatible network setup is what you need for
performance and upgradability on a "performance" machine!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124069 is a
Linksys example; use your favorite mainstream mfgr, so you can be assured
of firmware upgrades to final 802.1N spec when it is ratified.
32-bit XP Pro is still my advice...
How much RAM and Virtual Memory is Photoshop using in your current system
(Task Manager will tell you)?
Why do you think 4 GB will not be enough? Consider that the OS and
background apps (firewall, antivirus...) can easily use 500 MB, leaving 1.5
GB for Photoshop on the current system. With 4 GB and 32-bit Win, the /3GB
switch in Win will give you at least 1 GB MORE RAM available to Photoshop!
Again, how much do you think you need, and WHY?!?
Only YOU can research the compatibility of all your hardware and apps with
64-bit Win. The general advice is to NOT do it for an all-purpose home
machine, but do what you need for your dedicated Photoshop machine...
I can't even give you a good reason to go Vista at all!
It all depends on how much raw speed is important to you, and how you
measure that speed. In some cases speed increases will only be measurable
by a benchmark app, and will not be perceptible to you. In other cases,
benchmarks may not show significant overall gains, but some part of the
system (especially if it is a bottleneck) gains enough to make a real,
perceptible difference.
With current systems, disk I/O is often the bottleneck for computer-based
apps (network bandwidth is obviously a limiting factor in Internet- or
server-based apps. If the app requires significant disk I/O, HD access
speed is VERY important. In your case, you want a separate physical HD for
the primary Photoshop scratch disk, so it can access that HD independently
from the OS, app DLLs, and data I/O. Since budget IS a consideration, we
can't suggest a RAID 10 (minimum 4 HDs) option, so the fastest 2-HD option
should be a primary consideration.
Without the immediate need for SLI, is an X38 or X48 chipset an option?
They support faster FSB and RAM speeds, and there are several (e.g.,
Gigabyte X38-DS4) that use DDR2 RAM so you don't have to pay for DDR3.
The extra performance will likely cost a bit more (faster RAM), so it's a
trade you'll have to consider.
NO! A proprietary "108 Mbps" 802.1G adapter will get you nowhere near 108
Mbps! A current 802.1N draft compatible network setup is what you need for
performance and upgradability on a "performance" machine!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124069 is a
Linksys example; use your favorite mainstream mfgr, so you can be assured
of firmware upgrades to final 802.1N spec when it is ratified.
32-bit XP Pro is still my advice...