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Photoshop CPU?

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So im going to be buying some components for a friends ageing computer soon and as i dont expect he will ever pay me back i want to do it on a budget.

I was looking at the i3 with hyperthreading or an i5 or an AMD -


YOUR BASKET
1 x AMD Bulldozer FX-8 Eight Core 8150 Black Edition 3.60Ghz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail with FREE Dirt Showdown PC Game **£20 Cashback** £149.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3450 3.10GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £143.99
1 x Intel Core i3-2120 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £89.99
Total : £383.96 (includes shipping : FREE).



which do you think will he benefit from the most?
 
Photoshop tends to benefit from faster hard drives in actual usage.

I would look at the deals which can be had on the A6-3670K whose price has plummeted. Add the cashback into the deal and it is very cheap. You could put the money saved towards an SSD.
 
Photoshop tends to benefit from faster hard drives in actual usage.
Only if you can't process the image in memory... 16G memory will keep PS quite happy as long as you're not editing loads of super high res images simultaneously.

I'm with Steveocee - if you're not getting the money for it, don't do it (unless you owe him).
 
Photoshop tends to benefit from faster hard drives in actual usage.

I would look at the deals which can be had on the A6-3670K whose price has plummeted. Add the cashback into the deal and it is very cheap. You could put the money saved towards an SSD.

thats one trail of thought i was looking at?

Wish I had friends like you :cool:

i wish i had friends like me too :(

Only if you can't process the image in memory... 16G memory will keep PS quite happy as long as you're not editing loads of super high res images simultaneously.

I'm with Steveocee - if you're not getting the money for it, don't do it (unless you owe him).

so maybe i3 plus 16BG of ram?
 

what level of image editing will be done though?? you really do need to consider the monitor too.

look at this review:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-5800k-a8-5600k-trinity-apu,3241-4.html

It uses Adobe CS6(not the ancient CS4 like some reviews do). An AMD A8 3870K is around the same speed as a Core i3 2100.

The Llano IGPs also can be used to accelerate CS6:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/photoshop-cs6-gimp-aftershot-pro,3208-13.html


The A6-3670K has a 10% slower CPU section and has around a 25% slower GPU section than the A8-3870K,and is now much cheaper than a Core i3 2120. I would get an A75 based motherboard with 4 RAM slots and an A6-3670K and this should be not more than £110 to £120 max with the cashback if you watch for the deals. 8GB of DDR3 should be good enough TBH,and if you get a motherboard with additional RAM slots he can get more RAM if required. I would look at the following motherboard:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-074-AK&groupid=701&catid=1903&subcat=2058

I would get one of the following PSUs as they are Seasonic made units which use longer life ball bearing fans:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-146-AN&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-006-XF

This should drop the build to under £300. Then you can invest in a lower end IPS panel,as having at least a reasonably colour accurate monitor is important(although for more serious photography it is very important) and try to get it calibrated. I would look at the ViewSonic VX2336s-LED which has got good reviews and is around £130 or a Dell U2312HM for around £180. The Asus PA238Q uses an 8 Bit IPS panel though and costs around £200 although there have been some complaints of backlight bleed.

I have both the Core i3 2100 and A6-3670K in my computers at home. With an SSD in both machines,LR4 is very similar in speed and when I tried the CS6 trial briefly it was much of a sameness. A Core i5 would be a much bigger jump,but costs more.
 
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What does your mate have now?? Is it a Core2 based rig??

he is a photographer but with little cash flow at the moment. he has a 24" monitor but he cannot afford an IPS screen, nor can i O_o

The screen is the most important part of the equation. What model is the screen - is it one of the better ones with a TN panel?? If it is a decent one with a VA type panel,you should be fine.

The screens I mentioned are around £130 to £210 which is affordable(TBH,the more expensive screens tend to be better). There is no point in editing pictures,changing contrast,curves,etc on a poor screen unless you are only doing stuff for e-mails,or you are more of casual photographer.

But,if you are spending decent money on a Photoshop license,even an Elements license,get a better screen if the existing one is not up to scratch.

If you are printing stuff,you need a half decent screen which is calibrated,otherwise what is the point - what you see on the screen won't be what you see in the final print.



Not exactly.

Shop around,seriously as are doing yourself a massive dis- service really. 8GB is enough for the moment- I scan 35MM negatives,and have a dSLR myself and have 8GB. With 4 RAM slots he can buy another 8GB himself if required.

You don't need an HD6750 as the Llano IGP is good enough.

For the same price as one,you could drop the GPU,shop around for the CPU,and get 8GB of DDR3 and the ViewSonic VX2336s-LED for the same price. If you dropped the SSD,you could even get the U2312HM or PA238Q.
 
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The GPU will make little difference. Even in CS6, it's only a few things (which are not typical photographer actions) that are really accelerated. You could save even more if you can find a board that can use the on-CPU graphics.
 
Yes, 8G is probably enough if you only edit a couple of pics simultaneously (the source resolution will determine how many you can edit at the same time).
 
I have been having another thing about this. If you drop the SSD(he can get one himself at a later date),get the i5 3450,8GB DDR3 and the B75 motherboard,PSU and the screen(if his is not a decent one).

He can always save up for an SSD,more RAM and a better card at a later date,ie,you provided him with barebones of the build which should last a good few years and it is up to him to get the other bits next year.

He can use the IGP ATM.

Edit!!

I would suggest the following bits:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-055-DE

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-407-IN

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-086-AK

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-006-XF

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-307-CS

Check what he monitor he has currently.

The total comes to around £482 including postage.
 
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As has been said. 8GB of ram is more than enough. And a graphics card is not really needed at all.
Unless he has loads of large hard drives that he will be adding to this rig, I would probably skip the SSD and just get a large hard drive. Storage space for something like this is much more important than having windows and photoshop open a handful of seconds faster.
 
Sometimes good friends help each other out??
A friend who doesn't intend to pay back such kindheartedness is a pretty lousy friend, if you can even call them that.
Which leads me onto the next question, is she pretty? How is the rack? :D

I say 16gb ram, it makes the difference when you've got 3-4 high def tiffs open and possibly a large QXP or something.
 
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i think 8GB will do and he can upgrade if he feels the need, he is expecting his second child and has no money, his current rig is dying to death so i just want to lend a hand.

he may well give me some money when he gets some but in the event he dosent then im not bothered ;)

thank you everyone i think im gonna go down the AMD route :)
 
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