Which Core 2 Processor?

DC
Posted By
David_Calvert
Nov 10, 2006
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254
Replies
4
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Closed
I currently have 3yr old PC with an Intel P4 266 processor and 2gb RAM. My CS2 works reasonably well on it – although some functions like producing contact sheets from RAW files is slow. I have decided to upgrade it and I am seriously considering getting a PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor.

Not being a huge PC expert, I am unsure which Core 2 Duo processor to get. I’m not necessarily looking for ultra-super-fast performance – just something that will give me a marked improvement on the performance I’m currently getting. BTW I will also be upgrading to SATA HDD’s.

Any advice on which processor to go for would be much appreciated.
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Daryl_Pritchard
Nov 10, 2006
Hi David,

I’m no expert either but I think what I’ve learned as I’ve built up my new PC using a Core 2 Extreme has been revealing. I think you’re wise to avoid the cost of "ultra-super-fast", i.e., the Core 2 Extreme which I bought, as you can get excellent performance for less by overclocking a lower-priced Core 2 Duo. These CPUs are showing very good thermal/power characteristics and I even came across one review where an overclocked CPU with no more than the standard heat sink with fan off still performed very stably for a hour or more. I suggest you visit Andantech.com and review their story about overclocking the E6300 and E6400, with no more than the stock Intel heatsink/fan unit. The obtained 2.88GHz operation from the stock 2.13GHz of the E64, so that’s a $225 CPU delivering nearly what the stock 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme does for $975. The latter offers the 4MB cache which has its advantages but not enough to justify the cost. I just jumped on the latest-greatest bandwagon a bit quick. But, I’m not complaining since I do like the performance I’m seeing.

With a 3rd-party cooler such as the Zalman CP9500, the E6400 should be overclockable to 3GHz or better.

And even if you do nothing but run as is….you’ll still get much better performance than your current P4.

You might find the CPU charts at Tom’s Hardware to be interesting, as you can compare processors across a slew of benchmarks, two of which use PS CS2. I don’t know how realistic those particular benchmarks are, but they still provide a common point of reference for CPU comparison. Here’s the link: <http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html>

Regards,

Daryl
LH
Lawrence_Hudetz
Nov 11, 2006
Extreme Core Duo is designed for gamers. The middle of the road versions are admirably suited to Photoshop.

Don’t blow your money on Extreme, unless you want to do extreme gaming, like 2 or more games at a time. Or a game, video editing and PS at the same time.
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Nov 11, 2006
I built a gaming system with my son using the E6300 (and a high-end graphics card) and it seems to be blazingly fast with the current generation of games, even without OCing. I also built a computer for my own use with an AMD Athlon 4600+, which is probably comparable in speed to the E6300, for use with Photoshop among other things, which is damn fast in Photoshop. 4 GB of fast RAM and a Raptor C drive are the keys to my performance.
WE
Wolf_Eilers
Nov 12, 2006
I recently purchased a machine specifically for Photoshop CS2 and digital photography. I decided on an Intel Dual 2 Core E6400, stock heatsink/fan, Asus P5B mobo, no overclocking, 2 Gb Kingston ram, a low end GeForce 7300GS 256 Mb graphics card, and two Seagate Barracuda SATA 320Gb drives. Windows and PS swap files are on separate drives with PS allocated 55% memory and 6 cache levels.

Am I happy? I am amazed at the performance difference between this rig and my former 1Ghz AMD Athlon based system. Photoshop runs like a dream; Camera Raw and Lightroom adjustment sliders operate in real-time on Canon 20D raw files; and Bridge operates like a race car.

I can’t believe pixels pump through this rig as quickly as they do. Very happy.

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