If you are running a 64 bit processor, it makes sense to update to a 64 bit OS. Your perceived weakness in your current system may simply be due to running the wrong OS for your processor.
You could get CS4 and see how it runs on your current system (with a 64 bit Windows) and then decide which hardware needs to be updated.
CS4 alleges some performance improvements.
You would be better off with a large 7.200rpm drive (500gb+) as this will out perform a Raptor 150gb….which is showing it’s age now – despite the price tag.
Get as much RAM as you can afford (8GB+) and definitely get Vista x64.
Yeah I’m definately set on Vista 64 BIT.
I would like more RAM, I have 4 GB DDR2 Ram now which is the maximum. I’d really like 8 GB but my motherboard doesn’t allow for more (other than if I changed it, and that sounds complicated…)
I’m surprised that a 7200rpm drive would out perform a Raptor 150GB that run’s 10.000 rpm??? I thought speed was key, when choosing a scratchdisc?
Although I bought a pair of Raptors when I built my system a couple of years ago, I also bought a 750GB Seagate 7200.10 Barracuda SATA3 hard drive. As I recall, I believe the Seagate drive reportely performed nearly as well as the Raptors, in spite of it being a 7200rpm drive. The difference was at least in part due to the perpendicular access technology used on the Seagate, whereas the Raptor was using an older approach for read/write of the drive.
Surfing over to Tom’s Hardware, where I found a review of a new terabyte Segate 7200.11 hard drive that is compared against a Raptor, the access time is still slower than a Raptor but overall performance is exceeded. A quote from the review states "With the exception of access time and I/O benchmarks, it also clearly beats Western Digital’s 10,000 RPM Raptor, and sets the new standard for desktop hard drives. (It’s about time for Western Digital to come up with a new Raptor drive. Based on current technology, it should be able to regain everything that has been lost to Seagate right now.)"
In other words, no, spin speed isn’t the only performance factor.
Regards,
Daryl
Thanks for replies. 500GB for a scratch-disc sounds like a whole lot, though I went and found a WD Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 16MB 7200RPM, that can go with the budget.
All in all you would advice me to get these upgrades INSTEAD of buying a whole new system, am I right?
The thing left is RAM! I have 4GB with \3GB switch so Photoshop see’s 2600 Available RAM. Changing to Vista 64 would make a little more useable I read. If I wanted 8 GB, I’d need to change the motherboard and of course buy more RAM. By then I probably would be better off just getting a whole new system.
Upgrading your present system is very short-term. You should consider carefully if it’s worth it.
If you’re looking at a five-year horizon, like you said in your OP (and five years is really an eternity in this context), then you need to get on the Vista 64 track. So that means new mobo and new RAM. Even if you leave it at 4 GB for now, your current sticks may be under-spec’ed for the new mobo. Your AMD 3800+ probably performs adequately right now, but the way things seem to be going the AM2 (or 939) socket is not a choice for the future. And so on.
Get a new computer. You won’t regret it!
It’ll be starting the ageing clock from zero again and you can always use the old one for internet and email and for trying things out without worrying about the consequences!
Thanks for all the tips and advice. I’ve decided to upgrade with the extra HD and then keep upgrades to a minimum. I’ll save the $$$ for a badass photoshop workhorse PC in about 4-5 months. Then I’ll come back here so I know what to get…
Thanks guys…
