Quad core photoshop report

I promised December to give a report on my new quad core photoshop machine so here it is.

The Old machine is a 3Ghz Pentium 4 with 2GB ram and XP SP2 photoshop CS3 and three disk systems including a SCSI ultrawide (14K rpm I think) and a reasonable display card.

New Machine @.4Ghz Q6600 4GB ram ATI 3870 512 Mb graphics card three disk systems including a 80GB 10K rpm SATA dedicated to photoshop swapping. Vista 32bit OS.

On several cpu intensive photoshop job steps the new machine was four times faster!

I have a "gadget" on the new system which is basically a bar meter showing ram used and load on the four cpu cores – All the microsoft and photoshop software systems I run all four cores seem to be fairly well balanced so multithreading is good. On a radial blur high quality and large radius the four cores go to around 95 to 100%. On everyday photoshop tasks the cores four coures average around 50% each but most operations are now so quick it is hard to catch the gadget meter levels.

i have no problems with vista

Malcolm.

Yup! The new systems are screamers. Photoshop CS3 is also recoded and starts almost instantly. I’d not be surprised if many of the function improvements are not a result of the recoding.

Adobe and Apple are unbeatable.

I no longer measure how fast they are because it works for me every day. Best investment I ever made.

<jjs> wrote in message

I no longer measure how fast they are because it works for me every day. Best investment I ever made.

Any hardware model etc details (as per my previous post to Malcolm)?

"Benny" <no spam > wrote in message

<jjs> wrote in message

I no longer measure how fast they are because it works for me every day. Best investment I ever made.

Any hardware model etc details (as per my previous post to Malcolm)?

MacPro tower, 3gHz, 8GF RAM, two fixed drives. There is an add-in extension for CS3 that permit the use of lots of RAM.

Benny

The system details are

Processor Intel Q6600 2.4GHz (I think this has a 1066 FSB) Motherboard LGA775 Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P P35, FSB 1333, Gb LAN, 1394, SATA 2 etc
RAM 2x2GB DDR2 800 GSkill
video ATI RADION 3870 with 512Mb
Main HD 500GB 7200RPM Western Digital SATA
Storage HD 2x 1000GB 7200RPM Seagate SATA
swapping for photoshop 74 GB 10000RPM Western Digital SATA Monitor EIZO CG-241W 24" LCD
Vista Home Premium (32bit)

I hope this is the info you want.

My old machine had a Mitsubishi CRT (I can’t think of the technology but uses the Sony patents) which I thought pretty good but the 24inch new monitor is really great (not yet convinced the colour is better but there is not much in it). I am a professional photographer so sit at the computer for days working on files up to about 1.2GB and find the new system great with most operations only taking seconds.

Malcolm

monitor is really great (not yet convinced the colour is better but there is not much in it). I am a professional photographer so sit at the computer for days working on files up to about 1.2GB and find the new system great with most operations only taking seconds.

Malcolm

Thanks Malcolm, just what I was after.
For my situation, I wouldn’t be able to afford a EIZO LCD so will keep with my Mitsubishi CRT (although only 17"). Haven’t heard of many other LCDs that would be good enough for photo work.
The extra swap file harddrive sounds good. I imagine this helps by itself. I presume the swap file location can be set-up in PS? Do you use this as a swap file disk for other software?
I like the idea of a Gigabyte MOB – they always seem to get good reviews. I am hearing mixed feedback on Windows Vista. I believe this handles large RAM OK compared to XP Pro. I believe XP Pro won’t recognize gab RAM, for example. Do you have any comments regarding either keeping with XP Pro or changing to Vista??
Can I assume that the copy of CS3 I have (few months old) will be adaptable to Quadcore as per jjs post (re recoding of PS) or is it only the latest shipping copy?
regards
Benny

Thanks jjs – any further info on the add-in extension? Where to read up on it or download etc?

For my situation, I wouldn’t be able to afford a EIZO LCD so will keep with my Mitsubishi CRT (although only 17").

The extra swap file harddrive sounds good. I imagine this helps by itself. I presume the swap file location can be set-up in PS? Do you use this as a swap file disk for other software?

I like the idea of a Gigabyte MOB – they always seem to get good reviews. I am hearing mixed feedback on Windows Vista. I believe this handles large RAM OK compared to XP Pro. I believe XP Pro won’t recognize gab RAM, for example. Do you have any comments regarding either keeping with XP Pro or changing to Vista??

Can I assume that the copy of CS3 I have (few months old) will be adaptable to Quadcore as per jjs post (re recoding of PS) or is it only the latest shipping copy?

I like the idea of a Gigabyte MOB – they always seem to get good reviews.
I am hearing mixed feedback on Windows Vista. I believe this handles large RAM OK compared to XP Pro. I believe XP Pro won’t recognize gab RAM, for example. Do you have any comments regarding either keeping with XP Pro or changing to Vista??

My 32 bit VISTA machine has 4GB RAM but only recognises about 3.5 – I think XP has a similar limit. I am not sure if VISTA 64 has larger address space but Photoshop is not supported by ADOBE for this. I have had a quick look for the extension mentioned by Pico but havn’t found it yet (may be an Apple Mac extension). I have had no problems with VISTA .

Can I assume that the copy of CS3 I have (few months old) will be adaptable to Quadcore as per jjs post (re recoding of PS) or is it only the latest shipping copy?

Your version of CS3 should multithread (use all cores available) – My computer guru (salesperson) says that Vista handles this much better than XP but this may be bullshit (how do you know a computer salesman is lying? their lips move – an old joke you can use for lawyers and car salesmen too)
Hope this helps

Malcolm

I have had a quick look for the extension mentioned by Pico but havn’t found it yet (may be an Apple Mac extension).