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04/02/2009 02:13:50 PM · #1 |
My computer is about 6 years old and my monitor, while newer, is very basic. Neither was purchased with major editing needs in mind. So my question to you is:
When planning a system built mainly for photography needs....what is important to consider? I would like to stay under $1,200 for the whole system if possible.
I don't do gaming or watch videos or other stuff other than basic Internet browsing. My main usage is photography.
I'm sure others might also find this information helpful.
In my other "help" thread I've been wrestling with calibration issues in my monitor / computer / printing systems.
After talking it over with my husband - who is a very knowledgable computer guy, but not in photography - and in doing some research about calibration and computer systems, I'm thinking about upgrading my whole system. I'm not certain yet that this is the route I will take, but it's been discussed before. My computer is SLOW and it's mainly due to being full of memory eating photography "stuff." |
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04/02/2009 03:12:39 PM · #2 |
iMac. Starts at 1199.
Amount of RAM is important.
A good monitor.
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04/02/2009 03:16:07 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by zeuszen:
iMac. Starts at 1199.
Amount of RAM is important.
A good monitor. |
I run a 24" iMac for my editing with 4GB RAM and it has been fantastic, the screen quality is second to none and the bonus of not needing AV software keeps it quick too.
A good choice.
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04/02/2009 03:42:32 PM · #4 |
| 6 years old??? it's time for a new computer. if you don't want to shell out the money for an iMac, i'd suggest heading to Dell and taking a look at their studio line of desktops. you can get something with 6GB of RAM and a 20'' monitor for $799. it even has a decent video card with HDMI. even their base model is going to be gobs better than what you have now, just make sure you have enough memory. a machine that is expandable to 8GB would be a good idea, imo, so you can upgrade more later. |
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04/02/2009 06:20:09 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by MAK:
Originally posted by zeuszen:
iMac. Starts at 1199.
Amount of RAM is important.
A good monitor. |
I run a 24" iMac for my editing with 4GB RAM and it has been fantastic, the screen quality is second to none and the bonus of not needing AV software keeps it quick too.
A good choice. |
I am new to my iMac but I cannot believe I wasted all that time on a Windows machine. For processing it is a dream. I love the 24" screen and as MAK said it is excellent. |
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04/02/2009 08:33:52 PM · #6 |
I would like to stay with Windows. It's what I know, we have 3 other computers in the house, all Windows.
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04/02/2009 08:54:32 PM · #7 |
In response to your desire to stay with Windows...I have/had used Windows based machines since the beginning. I know the Windows system and how it progresses as well as anyone who is a user I suppose. However, when I plugged in the iMac fresh out of the box and literally 10 minutes later I was checking my scores at DPC and ever since there has not been one hiccup or even a belch, I cannot believe all the nightmares I went through over the years wondering if my system would boot the next morning let alone recognize my peripherals. There is such a difference that is so refreshing you have to have one of those 'I could'a had a V-8' moments. There is not much to learn nor is there a hard learning curve. What there isn't is the headaches.
I went to the local computer store and purchased a high end HP machine and attempted to set it up. It had Windows Vista 64 installed. I thought I could get through it with no problem. Well, 48 hours later and a lot of frustration, I returned the computer and went without for a few weeks. 3/4th's of my software would not run, PS CS3 had constant problems. No plug-ins worked. In the end, all I could get to work was Firefox after downloading and that, quite frankly, was not enough. I ended up driving to the nearest Apple store in a snowstorm and purchased an iMac. I couldn't be happier. A month later and everything is working better, faster, and easier with the added bonus of superb graphics.
I still have to use Windows based machines at the office and I got so frustrated I installed Rocket Dock to emulate the Mac OS X look on my primary system.
Message edited by author 2009-04-02 21:29:14. |
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04/02/2009 09:37:09 PM · #8 |
Hi Judy, I just replaced my 6 year-old pc as well. Although I would like to try a Mac someday, it wasn't in my budget this time. I have been a Gateway fan, so opted for a refurbished unit. It has a 2.1 Ghz AMD Phenom triple-core processor, 4 GB Ram, and 450 GB hard drive... $400 out the door at Comp USA. I've had a few Vista related problems, but nothing major yet. I use Firefox and do pp in PSE 7 and have had few problems there. Much, much faster than my old unit.
You could even do a quad-core processor and larger hard drives, and still have plenty of money left for a good monitor for $1200. |
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04/02/2009 10:44:47 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by jpochard:
I would like to stay with Windows. It's what I know, we have 3 other computers in the house, all Windows. |
Ok. |
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04/03/2009 03:50:08 AM · #10 |
Instead of buying a pre-assembled proprietary system by Dell, HP or IBM, can your husband build you one to your specs? It may (MAY) save you a bit of money, and will get you exactly what you need with the flexibility for upgrading performance should you desire that later on.
Specs wise: get a motherboard with at least 4 memory slots and the ability to use at least 8 gigs of memory; A dual core cpu; A large and fast hard drive (7200 rpm). My computer uses only the integrated video adapter, with only an occasional hiccup, but then again I'm using PS CS2. You may benefit from using a dedicated high end video adapter if you're using CS4 as it delegates some tasks to the video card. I'm not really sure so I hope someone else chimes in about this. Just make sure that the video in your new computer has two DVI ports (or DVI and HDMI or Display Ports) in case you want to go with dual displays).
Display Monitor: Forget specs. Don't worry about things like contrast ratios or brightness. If you have the money buy a monitor with an IPS panel. They are considered the best for photo editing by those in the know. Those will start at a minimum of $600 (HP 2475WA) and can reach into the thousands. Otherwise, get yourself an SPVA monitor (cheaper than IPS and nearly as good). Make sure that the display has an OSD (on screen display) which will allow you to calibrate your monitor. If by some chance that you purchase one without osd you can always use the video adapter's software to do this so it's not an absolute necessity. Also make sure the monitor is 8-bit (16.7 mil colors) and as large as you can afford with comfortable resolution for your eyes. It's not a good idea to stray from the native resolution as it degrades quality.
Other considerations: I wasn't following your other thread on monitor calibration but you may need to upgrade your calibration/profiling tools when installing a new operating system. Some high end monitors come with the manufacturers calibration tools, like the NECs (SpectraView), for example. You may also want to invest in a tablet for photo editing. Wacom is the way to go, and you really don't need any larger than the 4x6 size for photo work. Operating system: stick with XP Home or Pro. Vista will likely cause problems as was stated above.
Hope this helped. |
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04/03/2009 09:58:41 AM · #11 |
Thanks to everyone who has chimed in.
I only use PS Elements for editing at this time. I really don't see or anticipate a need to upgrade to the full PS suite.
My husband could, indeed, build something for me and that is an option.
THanks again! |
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