Computer Builders Step inside Please - I would like some direction

[MeSess]

I thought the RAM was the necessary component for Photoshop and Lightroom? Doesn't these programs run mostly through the memory? Or do they use the hard drive for that and the processor is more important?

No they don't use the hard drive for that. The hard drive is just for storage while the ram functions as a type of memory that the computer accesses so that apps can load and run more efficiently. More of it means more programs can be running simultaneously or can be accessed faster. Memory and storage are different when it comes to computers. The ram is important for running these programs because it will make it where your computer doesn't lag when opening them or loading stuff but you're not going to need 16gb of it. The apps aren't that intensive especially when just editing photos. You would need 16gb if you were running photoshop, watching videos, and doing other stuff all at the same time. My 8gb of ram is sufficient for running photoshop and lightroom. You could get 16gb but chances are you're not going to be doing anything to warrant that unless you start gaming or something. Each component is important in its own way.

Don't go cheap on anything but you won't need top of the line to be able to edit photos efficiently either. What I mean by that is computer components are updated so often that you don't need the current stuff. A few years old can be had for a lot cheaper but will perform flawlessly for what you want to do granted you do your research.

*edit* I just opened an image in photoshop and started editing varying things like saturations etc. and the efficiency bar that gauges the use of RAM by photoshop never went below 100% meaning it never once even came close to needing more RAM.

 

[PapaST]

I'm an advocate for building your own computer but one other option you might want to consider is checking Outlet sites. For instance Dell Outlet has some pretty good systems sold at a discount for one reason or another (returned, refurbed, etc.) As long as it carries a good warranty and is spec'd the way you want then it might be the route to go.

This should be a a link to Dell's Outlet site: Dell Outlet Home and Home Office | Dell

 

[Mike D90]

I'm an advocate for building your own computer but one other option you might want to consider is checking Outlet sites. For instance Dell Outlet has some pretty good systems sold at a discount for one reason or another (returned, refurbed, etc.) As long as it carries a good warranty and is spec'd the way you want then it might be the route to go.

This should be a a link to Dell's Outlet site: Dell Outlet Home and Home Office | Dell

My cousin's husband has worked for Dell for years. Maybe I need to call them and see if he can get me something really cheaply. Is that something I should do? I feel as if it is taking advantage of someone or putting them on the spot.

 

[rocketman122]

I thought the RAM was the necessary component for Photoshop and Lightroom? Doesn't these programs run mostly through the memory? Or do they use the hard drive for that and the processor is more important?

ram is important and 8gb is more than enough. think of ram like a work table. the more table space the more papers you can place on the table and have enough things running at the same time. small table and everything youll do will have you swapping things with the HDD as a scratch disk and the HDD is quite slow compared to everyhting else in the PC. basically the slowest component there..

even for video editing 8gb is enough to start with. you can always get another 8gb later when the prices come down a bit. Like I said, SSD will be the most important and bigegst improvement. you can put all your software there and even files you need to edit. but 120GB isnt a lot so edit the pics you need then move them back to the HDD for archive or burn them to DVD media. just run trim once in a while to keep the ssd at peak performance because writing rewriting slows down its performance and running trim keeps it running top speed.

I wont talk about the processor. thats an AMD vs intel discussion. but even an old first gen i7 will be lightning fast. I do highly suggest an entry gpu like a gtx 650 or even a 2nd hand gtx 550/560 because each adobe software version can take advantage of them more and more and doesnt use the processor only. every version has had benefits for editing. and if you plan on video editing in premiere, it can use the cuda cores for fast renders.

A motherboard with sats 3 connections and USB 3.0 is what youll need. get one with 3 years warranty.

how comfortable are you assembling a pc? installing software (os, apps) troubleshooting?

 

[rocketman122]

My cousin's husband has worked for Dell for years. Maybe I need to call them and see if he can get me something really cheaply. Is that something I should do? I feel as if it is taking advantage of someone or putting them on the spot.

yes, you should. for the price though buying components yourself and installing vs buying prebuilt dell/hp you get better compnents and more flexibility. usually the MB is dell proprietary and its "accept what they give you" but everything will play nice together and wont have troubleshooting issues mostly and youll have suppoort. so from what I see you would be wise to go this route.

just be aware that most times these computers are set as they are and you wont be able to upgrade components later. just something you should be aware of. not sure if its rellevant. but whats good is installing windows is usually headache free.

ram is a working table. meaning if you put an image on it, you can add tons of effect and layers which addms more space and needs a bigger table to process. using many layers and effects with a small table will slow the system down because it will start using the HDD and thats when it will slow down. 8gb is TONS of memory. youre only using a D90 for now and it soednt have huge files. the D600 is very heavy. I can feel my pc straining and using nef with viewnx recently, it was unbearable. but im only using 4gb and xp can only use 3gb out of it and I had irefox open and it itself was using 700mb of ram. so it made my working table very tiny. 8gb IS A HUGE amount of ram for editing pictures. video editing needs a lot of ram for rendering. pics doenst ever need so much. 8gb is fine. its even fine for video editing but if you will do 1080p editing then 16gb would be better when you finally render. but for now, 8GB is more than youll use.

 

[MeSess]

I strongly caution you against buying a prebuilt computer unless you're really uncomfortable with putting one together and installing your own OS and software for the following reasons:

1. Prebuilt computers are basically set as far as upgrades go. They come with specific components that work together and are model specific which means that you cannot upgrade components when you feel the need to do so.

2. Prebuilt computers come with a ton of bloatware that most people never use. The only way to completely get rid of this is to do a clean install of the OS which means you'll have to obtain a copy somehow. This isn't exactly hard to do if you pay for an OS install disc but those are pricey. You can torrent an OS but that's a different topic.

3. They will never be the exact specs that you want. You'll find one that will do what you want it to do but you're going to sacrifice somewhere.

4. They are more expensive for what you get. Building a computer is often cheaper than buying one because you can pick and choose parts based on cost and you'll end up with a better deal both price wise and performance wise.

 

[rocketman122]

I strongly caution you against buying a prebuilt computer unless you're really uncomfortable with putting one together and installing your own OS and software for the following reasons:

1. Prebuilt computers are basically set as far as upgrades go. They come with specific components that work together and are model specific which means that you cannot upgrade components when you feel the need to do so.

true. but sometimes you can and sometimes not. its a mixed bag. you never know. if you comfortable, always choose components and build yourself. if youre not sure and worried then buy prebuilt. you also might get support if you buy a prebuilt. although we can argue about the support youll get sitting on the phone with some person from the other side of the world and you getting frustrated. sometimes it better talking to the wall. if you buy components and do it yourself. troubleshooting MOSTLY is on you but the pice vs piece youll get more performance with better parts.

2. Prebuilt computers come with a ton of bloatware that most people never use. The only way to completely get rid of this is to do a clean install of the OS which means you'll have to obtain a copy somehow. This isn't exactly hard to do if you pay for an OS install disc but those are pricey. You can torrent an OS but that's a different topic.

he can download an iso of w7
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life
and reinstall himself and use the code he has. I dont mind torrent other things, but OS, I usually buy the dell copy with activation code for cheap. youre not supposed to use it on a non dell pc, but screw MS theyre making enough money. I dont feel anyone should pay so much for an OS. kudos to apple where they make an OS affordable.

3. They will never be the exact specs that you want. You'll find one that will do what you want it to do but you're going to sacrifice somewhere.

yes, or if it does have everything, youll pay more. but outlets are the bread crumbs no body wants. still you might get a good deal through the cousin. if you dont ask you wnt know.

4. They are more expensive for what you get. Building a computer is often cheaper than buying one because you can pick and choose parts based on cost and you'll end up with a better deal both price wise and performance wise.

absolutely. bang for the buck you can get better components and better performance for the same money or basically the same parts for cheaper if you do it yourself. I like to do it myself because it gives me satisfaction knowing I did it my way and building and making it your own is half the fun.

 

[MeSess]

I strongly caution you against buying a prebuilt computer unless you're really uncomfortable with putting one together and installing your own OS and software for the following reasons:

1. Prebuilt computers are basically set as far as upgrades go. They come with specific components that work together and are model specific which means that you cannot upgrade components when you feel the need to do so.

true. but sometimes you can and sometimes not. its a mixed bag. you never know. if you comfortable, always choose components and build yourself. if youre not sure and worried then buy prebuilt. you also might get support if you buy a prebuilt. although we can argue about the support youll get sitting on the phone with some person from the other side of the world and you getting frustrated. sometimes it better talking to the wall. if you buy components and do it yourself. troubleshooting MOSTLY is on you but the pice vs piece youll get more performance with better parts.

This part we are both right about. It can be a mixed bag when it comes to upgrading components on pre-built computers. You can usually upgrade RAM that's assuming you have a 64bit operating system but from experience most things are not upgradeable or are just not worth upgrading. Dell is notorious for using model specific Dell components that cannot be upgraded. If you absolutely have to buy a prebuilt then do it but for this reason alone I suggest building. It isn't scary and it's not hard to learn. Customer service isn't worth it when by the time you build it you'll be able to troubleshot it.
2. Prebuilt computers come with a ton of bloatware that most people never use. The only way to completely get rid of this is to do a clean install of the OS which means you'll have to obtain a copy somehow. This isn't exactly hard to do if you pay for an OS install disc but those are pricey. You can torrent an OS but that's a different topic.

he can download an iso of w7
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life
and reinstall himself and use the code he has. I dont mind torrent other things, but OS, I usually buy the dell copy with activation code for cheap. youre not supposed to use it on a non dell pc, but screw MS theyre making enough money. I dont feel anyone should pay so much for an OS. kudos to apple where they make an OS affordable.

Some copies of Windows are computer specific because of hardware so be careful which copies you are trying to install. Not all ISO Windows installation files are universal. I just torrented Windows 7 pro once and copied it so I always have it.

 

[§am]

The problem you're going to face is, if you buy say the starting block of a motherboard, it will sit there until you get the CPU, RAM, power and case, keyboard, mouse, monitor etc, and by that time what you paid $150 for today will be $100 (as an example) in about 8 months time.
So that's $50 you have 'wasted' which could have been put towards a better CPU which is what you need for photo editing.

Put the money aside and don't touch it!
If an emergency comes up which needs money, then you would have to get that money from somewhere anyway (as by your plan you would have already spent it).

There has to be a cut off point where you CAN save money - it's a life lesson worth learning and this is a good a time as any to learn.

 

[rocketman122]

photography advice and financial advice haha

ok mikey..put all your quarters in the piggy bank and dont spend it all in one place hahaha

 

[theregsy]

I have a laptop, i7 processor and just took it up to 16Gb RAM to help it deal with D800 Raw files, it has 2Tb of hard drives and it isn't enough. As others have said then a couple of 2Tb drives would be good (or more if you can) but a solid state drive for you operating system is a great idea. Good Luck

 

[theregsy]

Oh and as a personal preference if you can Windows 7

 

[rocketman122]

I have a laptop, i7 processor and just took it up to 16Gb RAM to help it deal with D800 Raw files, it has 2Tb of hard drives and it isn't enough. As others have said then a couple of 2Tb drives would be good (or more if you can) but a solid state drive for you operating system is a great idea. Good Luck

hes using a D90 currently. he doesnt need 16gb ram and 2tb of HDD storage. down the line when hell upgrade he can add more HDD as he needs. he can get more ram as well, but SSD is a must though. also from the gist of his posts, hes a bit tight with money. so recommend things that will help him now. anything will be better than what hes using obviously but i7 chips are very expensive.

 

[Mike D90]

Tight on money doesn't even come close to my situation. I just got a call from my job and was told they didn't need me to come in on Wednesday due to a lack of work. So I have lost another day of pay. My electricity will probably be cut off in the next couple of days. I do not have the money to pay it. So I am not even sure why I am even thinking about a computer.

 

[rocketman122]

Tight on money doesn't even come close to my situation. I just got a call from my job and was told they didn't need me to come in on Wednesday due to a lack of work. So I have lost another day of pay. My electricity will probably be cut off in the next couple of days. I do not have the money to pay it. So I am not even sure why I am even thinking about a computer.

happened to me twice last year that they came turned my electricity off. I came home from work and nothing worked. I feel your pain buddy.

people recommend what they think is best, but not whats best for your needs.

 

[MeSess]

I have a laptop, i7 processor and just took it up to 16Gb RAM to help it deal with D800 Raw files, it has 2Tb of hard drives and it isn't enough. As others have said then a couple of 2Tb drives would be good (or more if you can) but a solid state drive for you operating system is a great idea. Good Luck

How is what you have not enough?? I'm going to assume you're saying the 2Tb of storage isn't enough because there is no way you're doing enough to overpower the 16gb of RAM and the i7 processor. I don't even know how you're filling up 2Tb of storage... how many shots are you taking that are actually worth keeping??

 

[MeSess]

Tight on money doesn't even come close to my situation. I just got a call from my job and was told they didn't need me to come in on Wednesday due to a lack of work. So I have lost another day of pay. My electricity will probably be cut off in the next couple of days. I do not have the money to pay it. So I am not even sure why I am even thinking about a computer.

Sorry to hear that man, a lot of us are really tight on money and dreaming about stuff we can't afford as well. Good luck with the job situation I hope it gets better!

 

[aroy]

I have a four year old Dual Xeon setup. 8 GB RAM, 3 monitors and 6 HDD. This is good enough for my photo editing of D3300 files. I use Capure NX-D beta and use Windows 7 as well as Windows XP-64.

What I have realised is that, if you want peace of mind then go get the top of the line Mac either iMac or Mac Pro. There is a price to pay, my system cost me 60% of what the Mac Pro would have, but the with care pack you have long term warranty and maintenance. If you assemble yourself you will have to send the components to the seller each time you have a problem.

Otherwise you can note down the specifications and hunt for a comparable Dell or HP work station.

Depending on the OS and the Software used you will need
. 8GB to 16GB RAM
. I7 processor
. 1-2 SSD
. 2-3 x 2TB HDD
. 2 HD monitors, 3 is better
. A fast Video card with 2GB RAM

As advised by others
. use one HDD/SSD for OS
. use second SSD (if there) for scratch drive - temporary storage
. Use separate HDD for Images and other data

For Short Term Archiving, use 1TB USB3 external HDD. I have 3 x 500GB, USB2, Plus I have at least 8 older HDD varying from 160GB to 750GB, which I use for back up - Once a month connect the disk, write data, take the disk out.

For long term archiving use CD (written at 4x or so), never DVD (they go bad in a year or so)

 

[hark]

Today (April 7th) Amazon is running a Gold Box sale on some computer components in case there is anything that interests you.

Up to 50% off Select PC Components and Peripherals: Amazon.com

 

[theregsy]

How is what you have not enough?? I'm going to assume you're saying the 2Tb of storage isn't enough because there is no way you're doing enough to overpower the 16gb of RAM and the i7 processor. I don't even know how you're filling up 2Tb of storage... how many shots are you taking that are actually worth keeping??

You are looking at 50mb RAW files from the D800 and an easy 3000 images from a weekends music festival shooting, even cutting that down you are looking at 600-700 images easy, its not all photos though a few games a few hundred Gb's of MP3's and yes I have used enough up that I have taken the DVD/CD RW out and added another 1tb drive in there