System recommendations

M
Posted By
Mark
Nov 2, 2006
Views
257
Replies
2
Status
Closed
I’m interested in getting a computer to be used mainly for digital photography using photshop. What system configuration would you recommend? What graphics card, video memory, ram, etc? Also, what monitor would be best? Thanks for any information!

Mark

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B
bmoag
Nov 3, 2006
Apple or PC?
Realize that there is no version of PS that runs natively on the newer Mactels and you must run the program via emulator kludge or dual boot to WinXP anyway. Presumably Adobe will release CS3 for the Mactel, but maybe not, as revenge for Aperture.
Are there Mac versions, any Mac OS, for other programs/peripherals you may already have or need to use? There are vast categories of software and hardware that is indispensable to some users that are not and will never be available for any Mac version. That is reality, not Win/Mac bias. There is the notion that color management in Macs is better than in WinXP–a ford vs chevy act of faith, your call.
Personally I would recommend the fastest Intel Core Duo processor you can afford, at least 2gbs of RAM and 2 hard drives (a second hard drive for swap/scratch files speeds processing). I was surprised that even the lower and mid-level core duos are testing significantly faster than equivalent AMD 64 dual cores.
Virtually any PCI-e videocard that will come with these systems is adequate for PS but if you want to play games the sky is the limit about what to spend, whether to get dual cards, etc.
Monitor choice is subjective but decent LCD panels for graphics work are not the cheapos you see at rock bottom prices.
R
Rob
Nov 3, 2006
bmoag wrote:
Apple or PC?
Realize that there is no version of PS that runs natively on the newer Mactels and you must run the program via emulator kludge or dual boot to WinXP anyway. Presumably Adobe will release CS3 for the Mactel, but maybe not, as revenge for Aperture.

Huh!

Are there Mac versions, any Mac OS, for other programs/peripherals you may already have or need to use? There are vast categories of software and hardware that is indispensable to some users that are not and will never be available for any Mac version. That is reality, not Win/Mac bias. There is the notion that color management in Macs is better than in WinXP–a ford vs chevy act of faith, your call.

Huh!

Personally I would recommend the fastest Intel Core Duo processor you can afford, at least 2gbs of RAM and 2 hard drives (a second hard drive for swap/scratch files speeds processing). I was surprised that even the lower and mid-level core duos are testing significantly faster than equivalent AMD 64 dual cores.

Huh!

Virtually any PCI-e videocard that will come with these systems is adequate for PS but if you want to play games the sky is the limit about what to spend, whether to get dual cards, etc.
Monitor choice is subjective but decent LCD panels for graphics work are not the cheapos you see at rock bottom prices.

Huh!

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