Best computer for graphics apps?

Whats you location Roger
it will help if we know where you are from, IE: just your country will do,
because then we can direct you to appropriate vendors and suggest decent
hardware for your needs.
but as an exercise in whats good, I would start with something like this
(prices are just an indication of whats available in Australia)
Athlon 64 dual core ( PS isnt multi thread aware but it is probably on the
cards. 3D Studio Max is dual processor aware) and the Athlon 64 X2 is still
miles ahead of the cobbled together Pentium D (Athlon 64 X2 3800+ $510 )
ASUS or Gigabyte 939 Motherboard preferably with the nForce 4 chipset (ASUS
A8N-E $183) ( Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 $146)
2 gig ram Geil 3200 1 gig ($189 double it for 2 gig)
a pair of Western Digital 74 gig Raptor Hard disk drives (as fast as SCSI
for half the price) and set them up in Raid 0 for performance. you can add a
300gig drive for Data if needed (2 raptors for $520)
the nVidia 6600GT will do everything you want in the way of video ( $245 )
and get a decent power supply to power it all, 500Watt as a minimum. (
Antec TruePower 2.0 True550 $166)
I know that all this is available for under $2000 in Australia ( I calculate
it at about $1800) and if your in the US you could add a decent LCD screen
as well
Gaz

"Roger McDoogal" <mcdoogal@snip.net> wrote in message
news:tZnKe.27717$Kx6.17741@fe12.lga...
> Ok, boss man said that he is getting me a new computer, and has set a cap
> of $2,000 with a little wiggle room if it is important enough. My standard
> usage includes Photoshop mostly, sometimes 300 DPI poster size documents
> that run extremely slow on this year-old HP pavillion (1 gig memory) I am
> currently using. For instance, applying a change in brightness/contrast
> could take up to 3 minutes to complete.
>
> I also use of 3ds max on occasion for product modeling. Rendering a two
> minute movie clip can take hours.
>
> Other programs used: Macromedia suite, Swift 3d, illustrator, microsoft
> office apps, etc (none of which have posed any problems thus far).
>
> I need recommendations for a PC (not mac) with tons of power for the
> graphics apps. Preferrably duel monitor if it can fit into the budget.
> Please no flames about how macs are better, we cannot use macs here.
>

"tacit" <tacitr@aol.com> wrote in message
news:tacitr-CBC417.16100310082005@news-server1.tampabay.rr.com...
> In article <tZnKe.27717$Kx6.17741@fe12.lga>,
> "Roger McDoogal" <mcdoogal@snip.net> wrote:
>
>> Ok, boss man said that he is getting me a new computer, and has set a cap
>> of
>> $2,000 with a little wiggle room if it is important enough. My standard
>> usage includes Photoshop mostly, sometimes 300 DPI poster size documents
>> that run extremely slow on this year-old HP pavillion (1 gig memory) I am
>> currently using. For instance, applying a change in brightness/contrast
>> could take up to 3 minutes to complete.
>
> Not directly related to your question, but just as an aside:
>
> Avoid using the "Brightness/Contrast" and "Color Balance" commands. They
> are 'linear' commands, which degrade the quality of the image by
> clipping hilight and shadow detail.
>
> Use the Curves command instead. Curves can do everything that
> Brightness/Contrast and Color Balance can do, but Curves is 'nonlinear'
> and won't degrade your image by clipping hilight and shadow detail.
> Curves also offers you more control--for example, you can increase
> contrast only in the shadow detail without affecting detail in hilights.
>

Yep I use curves all the time. But thanks for offering your pompous insight
that was completely unrelated to my question. VERY HELPFUL!!

"tacit" <tacitr@aol.com> wrote in message
news:tacitr-CBC417.16100310082005@news-server1.tampabay.rr.com...
> In article <tZnKe.27717$Kx6.17741@fe12.lga>,
> "Roger McDoogal" <mcdoogal@snip.net> wrote:
>
>> Ok, boss man said that he is getting me a new computer, and has set a cap
>> of
>> $2,000 with a little wiggle room if it is important enough. My standard
>> usage includes Photoshop mostly, sometimes 300 DPI poster size documents
>> that run extremely slow on this year-old HP pavillion (1 gig memory) I am
>> currently using. For instance, applying a change in brightness/contrast
>> could take up to 3 minutes to complete.
>
> Not directly related to your question, but just as an aside:
>
> Avoid using the "Brightness/Contrast" and "Color Balance" commands. They
> are 'linear' commands, which degrade the quality of the image by
> clipping hilight and shadow detail.
>
> Use the Curves command instead. Curves can do everything that
> Brightness/Contrast and Color Balance can do, but Curves is 'nonlinear'
> and won't degrade your image by clipping hilight and shadow detail.
> Curves also offers you more control--for example, you can increase
> contrast only in the shadow detail without affecting detail in hilights.
>

Yep I use curves all the time. But thanks for offering your pompous insight
that was completely unrelated to my question. VERY HELPFUL!!

Good suggestions. I am from the U.S., east coast.


"Fresh_n00b" <abloke@aplace.com> wrote in message
news:42fb2940$0$22119$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
> Whats you location Roger
> it will help if we know where you are from, IE: just your country will do,
> because then we can direct you to appropriate vendors and suggest decent
> hardware for your needs.
> but as an exercise in whats good, I would start with something like this
> (prices are just an indication of whats available in Australia)
> Athlon 64 dual core ( PS isnt multi thread aware but it is probably on the
> cards. 3D Studio Max is dual processor aware) and the Athlon 64 X2 is
> still miles ahead of the cobbled together Pentium D (Athlon 64 X2 3800+
> $510 )
> ASUS or Gigabyte 939 Motherboard preferably with the nForce 4 chipset
> (ASUS A8N-E $183) ( Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 $146)
> 2 gig ram Geil 3200 1 gig ($189 double it for 2 gig)
> a pair of Western Digital 74 gig Raptor Hard disk drives (as fast as SCSI
> for half the price) and set them up in Raid 0 for performance. you can add
> a 300gig drive for Data if needed (2 raptors for $520)
> the nVidia 6600GT will do everything you want in the way of video ( $245 )
> and get a decent power supply to power it all, 500Watt as a minimum. (
> Antec TruePower 2.0 True550 $166)
> I know that all this is available for under $2000 in Australia ( I
> calculate it at about $1800) and if your in the US you could add a decent
> LCD screen as well
> Gaz
>
> "Roger McDoogal" <mcdoogal@snip.net> wrote in message
> news:tZnKe.27717$Kx6.17741@fe12.lga...
>> Ok, boss man said that he is getting me a new computer, and has set a cap
>> of $2,000 with a little wiggle room if it is important enough. My
>> standard usage includes Photoshop mostly, sometimes 300 DPI poster size
>> documents that run extremely slow on this year-old HP pavillion (1 gig
>> memory) I am currently using. For instance, applying a change in
>> brightness/contrast could take up to 3 minutes to complete.
>>
>> I also use of 3ds max on occasion for product modeling. Rendering a two
>> minute movie clip can take hours.
>>
>> Other programs used: Macromedia suite, Swift 3d, illustrator, microsoft
>> office apps, etc (none of which have posed any problems thus far).
>>
>> I need recommendations for a PC (not mac) with tons of power for the
>> graphics apps. Preferrably duel monitor if it can fit into the budget.
>> Please no flames about how macs are better, we cannot use macs here.
>>
>
>

Good suggestions. I am from the U.S., east coast.


"Fresh_n00b" <abloke@aplace.com> wrote in message
news:42fb2940$0$22119$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
> Whats you location Roger
> it will help if we know where you are from, IE: just your country will do,
> because then we can direct you to appropriate vendors and suggest decent
> hardware for your needs.
> but as an exercise in whats good, I would start with something like this
> (prices are just an indication of whats available in Australia)
> Athlon 64 dual core ( PS isnt multi thread aware but it is probably on the
> cards. 3D Studio Max is dual processor aware) and the Athlon 64 X2 is
> still miles ahead of the cobbled together Pentium D (Athlon 64 X2 3800+
> $510 )
> ASUS or Gigabyte 939 Motherboard preferably with the nForce 4 chipset
> (ASUS A8N-E $183) ( Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 $146)
> 2 gig ram Geil 3200 1 gig ($189 double it for 2 gig)
> a pair of Western Digital 74 gig Raptor Hard disk drives (as fast as SCSI
> for half the price) and set them up in Raid 0 for performance. you can add
> a 300gig drive for Data if needed (2 raptors for $520)
> the nVidia 6600GT will do everything you want in the way of video ( $245 )
> and get a decent power supply to power it all, 500Watt as a minimum. (
> Antec TruePower 2.0 True550 $166)
> I know that all this is available for under $2000 in Australia ( I
> calculate it at about $1800) and if your in the US you could add a decent
> LCD screen as well
> Gaz
>
> "Roger McDoogal" <mcdoogal@snip.net> wrote in message
> news:tZnKe.27717$Kx6.17741@fe12.lga...
>> Ok, boss man said that he is getting me a new computer, and has set a cap
>> of $2,000 with a little wiggle room if it is important enough. My
>> standard usage includes Photoshop mostly, sometimes 300 DPI poster size
>> documents that run extremely slow on this year-old HP pavillion (1 gig
>> memory) I am currently using. For instance, applying a change in
>> brightness/contrast could take up to 3 minutes to complete.
>>
>> I also use of 3ds max on occasion for product modeling. Rendering a two
>> minute movie clip can take hours.
>>
>> Other programs used: Macromedia suite, Swift 3d, illustrator, microsoft
>> office apps, etc (none of which have posed any problems thus far).
>>
>> I need recommendations for a PC (not mac) with tons of power for the
>> graphics apps. Preferrably duel monitor if it can fit into the budget.
>> Please no flames about how macs are better, we cannot use macs here.
>>
>
>

"howldog" <howldog@yahoonope.com> wrote in message
news:1123763476.fc3ae0bf1987d8d768b6ef66d7428da3@b ubbanews...
> On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 03:09:24 GMT, "birdman" <apquilts@pacbell.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Despite what the Macaholics
>>think no available Mac is anywhere near as fast as even an upper midrange
>>PC
>>at any of the tasks you describe.
>
>
> wtf? sure they are. thats kind of wrong, isnt it?
>
> I run both platforms. they're both good.
>
>
>

Here comes the pissing contest.

"howldog" <howldog@yahoonope.com> wrote in message
news:1123763476.fc3ae0bf1987d8d768b6ef66d7428da3@b ubbanews...
> On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 03:09:24 GMT, "birdman" <apquilts@pacbell.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Despite what the Macaholics
>>think no available Mac is anywhere near as fast as even an upper midrange
>>PC
>>at any of the tasks you describe.
>
>
> wtf? sure they are. thats kind of wrong, isnt it?
>
> I run both platforms. they're both good.
>
>
>

Here comes the pissing contest.

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 03:09:24 GMT, "birdman" <apquilts@pacbell.net>
wrote:

> Despite what the Macaholics
>think no available Mac is anywhere near as fast as even an upper midrange PC
>at any of the tasks you describe.


wtf? sure they are. thats kind of wrong, isnt it?

I run both platforms. they're both good.

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 03:09:24 GMT, "birdman" <apquilts@pacbell.net>
wrote:

> Despite what the Macaholics
>think no available Mac is anywhere near as fast as even an upper midrange PC
>at any of the tasks you describe.


wtf? sure they are. thats kind of wrong, isnt it?

I run both platforms. they're both good.

Ripley wrote:
> Get a dual core processor (or hyperthreaded), it speeds up things in
> multithreaded progs
>
> R
>
>
> "Roger McDoogal" <mcdoogal@snip.net> wrote in message
> news:tZnKe.27717$Kx6.17741@fe12.lga...
>
>>Ok, boss man said that he is getting me a new computer, and has set a cap
>
> of
>
>>$2,000 with a little wiggle room if it is important enough. My standard
>>usage includes Photoshop mostly, sometimes 300 DPI poster size documents
>>that run extremely slow on this year-old HP pavillion (1 gig memory) I am
>>currently using. For instance, applying a change in brightness/contrast
>>could take up to 3 minutes to complete.
>>
>>I also use of 3ds max on occasion for product modeling. Rendering a two
>>minute movie clip can take hours.
>>
>>Other programs used: Macromedia suite, Swift 3d, illustrator, microsoft
>>office apps, etc (none of which have posed any problems thus far).
>>
>>I need recommendations for a PC (not mac) with tons of power for the
>>graphics apps. Preferrably duel monitor if it can fit into the budget.
>>Please no flames about how macs are better, we cannot use macs here.
>>
>>
>
>
>

Have you price out dual core computers lately? I doubt you will get any
leading edge technology for $2,000. Drop down a notch from leading edge
to get the best values.

Clyde