pc for photo editing

[evilgenius]

hey guys, i need some input on what parts to buy to build a fast strong pc, i have no clue on what parts to buy as i have no knowledge on brands,
Also where should i shop? CC, ncix?
I would want the best intel cpu as well as a motherboard that will support the most mem, as well as a SSD, am i missing anything else important spec wise that would make editing fast and efficient?
Budget would be around $800

Thanks
Mike.

[mbg]

What type of image editing?

Just want to clarify because I've heard a number of people tell me, "I've gotta have Photoshop" and then you find out all they do is crop images, remove some red eye, and apply a few filters.

[soul_taker]

What type of image editing?

Just want to clarify because I've heard a number of people tell me, "I've gotta have Photoshop" and then you find out all they do is crop images, remove some red eye, and apply a few filters.

What I find a bigger issue with is wanting the best Intel CPU and trying to fit it into a $800 budget. Forget the 2011s Even the better 1155s would run you $300.

While i'm not really keen on making recommendations you may want to consider just the standard 16GB of RAM (or even just 8GB and upgrading to 16 IF you find yourself needing more), because you can get that much for dirt cheap.

Based on your budget you can skip out on the SSD. The only one you might be able to afford in would be too small to keep assets on and the speed increase from opening programs wouldn't be worth it.

You should also get a video card because a number of programs (ex. CS4 and higher) supports OpenGL which uses a video card for processing and takes load off the CPU.

[Mark77]

Basically, I'd be looking at an i5 CPU (~$200), 8gb RAM ($50), Motherboard ($100), case ($50), PSU ($50), 128gb Crucial m4 SSD ($100), Win 7 Pro ($130), DVD ($20) machine. By the time you get that stuff assembled, you're probably looking at around $800.

Highly recommend you don't skip the SSD as suggested above, and you may as well configure for 16gb of RAM up-front (ie: 2 x 8gb DDR3 parts). A discrete video card is pretty unnecessary for photo editing.

[DavidY]

Some useful info/links here:

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/need-advice-cpu-mobo-upgrade-video-photo-editing-1200390/

Depending on the photo editing software being used, a dedicated nVidia graphics card may speed up operations...if you need CUDA. Your $800 budget would limit different components of your system....especially if this budget includes a monitor.

Even a cheap ($30+) graphics card like GT 210/220 may work for a budget system.

Dave

[evilgenius]

I would be using cs5 and Lightroom 3
Right now when i run lr3 its very sluggish
I notice its take up so much resources, cs5 is ok but still not up to par.
Of course the $800 budget excludes a monitor,
Basically i need a strong pc for lr and cs
Thats all, just strictly adobe software

[DavidY]

CS5 and video cards:

http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/PremiereCS5.htm

Here's a first build...you can change the SSD (OCZ are cheaper, but it's reliability is mixed)..or save $10 on a 550 watt OCZ PS (ZS series)...or change to a faster/smaller/larger HDD..case is a bit expensive since it has USB3 in the front...save up to $25 on a cheaper mid tower case:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/cizi
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/cizi/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/cizi/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Memory Express)
Memory: Kingston Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Memory Express)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.88 @ Canada Computers)
Hard Drive: Mushkin Chronos 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ NCIX)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTS 450 1GB Video Card ($46.88 @ Canada Computers)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: OCZ 650W ATX12V Power Supply ($48.88 @ Canada Computers)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($16.79 @ DirectCanada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($105.92 @ TigerDirect Canada)

Total: $803.30
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

You could overclock the CPU if you add an aftermarket cooler ($30+). PC assembly/testing fee not included.

Dave

[Mark77]

I would be using cs5 and Lightroom 3
Right now when i run lr3 its very sluggish
I notice its take up so much resources, cs5 is ok but still not up to par.
Of course the $800 budget excludes a monitor,
Basically i need a strong pc for lr and cs
Thats all, just strictly adobe software


What sort of computer do you run right now?