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Archive 2009 · quad core

louloulou
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p.1 #1 · quad core

Well, PS is totally giving me the s***s today. I wanted to get a quad core computer but didn't because I kept getting told that quad core wasn't necessary for the 2D work that I do.

So how many of you togs out there have got a quad core computer and does it really make a difference?

I could have made 50 cups of tea today going on the amount of times PS has stalled on me.

Sorry if this has already been asked and/or is a dumb question...however, I've been guided by so called IT experts so far and keep getting frustrated.

Jan 06, 2009 at 04:54 AM

BGP1
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p.1 #2 · quad core

Have you tried allocating more ram to photoshop under preferences->memory&image cache? You can have all the ram in the world but if its only set to use 20% of it whats the point! Crank it up and see what happens. I have a quad core but couldn't tell you if that's the ticket as I also have 6 gigs of ram and the computer is much newer than the one it replaced. Comparatively its lightning fast.

Jan 06, 2009 at 05:09 AM

Evan Baines
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p.1 #3 · quad core

My dual quad-core (AKA "The Ocho") is god-like.

6gb of RAM doesn't hurt though.

Jan 06, 2009 at 05:10 AM

sboerup
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p.1 #4 · quad core

Having more RAM fir PS is more important than quadcore, and also allowing PS to access the RAM like BGP said. But, I will say that going from my AMD 3.2d to the Intel 2.4q (clocked to 3.0q) did make a pretty noticeable difference.

Jan 06, 2009 at 05:17 AM

Nathan Hobbs
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p.1 #5 · quad core

I have a quad core set up with 8gb
heres the cinch adobe photoshop cs3 wont use all four cores, but the new cs4 will,

Its not a big deal though because the spare processing power can run DPP other applications burn cd's surf the web ect while batches are in process.
Build yourself your own set up but a word of advice, photoshop also loves quick hard drives! so get yourself a raptor or 2.

Jan 06, 2009 at 05:19 AM

fortel
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p.1 #6 · quad core

If I may digress from the quad core issue for a moment; If running a PC with XP, I believe you are limited to 3GB of usable RAM. However, Vista, despite other issues, breaks this barrier which takes you to min. of 6 to possible 12 gigs!

Good point on HDs. Spin at least 7200 or 10000 and run a scsi array if possible. And don't forget back ups!

I only have dual core and regularly produce work having as many as 70 or more layers creating psd files of nearly a gig in of themselves with little difficulties. And I was once a MAC addict! Very good to note CS4 realizes quad - thanks Nathan.

Jan 06, 2009 at 05:40 AM

Brian Lingle
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p.1 #7 · quad core

fortel, Are you saying you switched back from Mac to PC? You're the first I've heard of. Not that I discuss this with a lot of people. So, coming from your Mac addiction, you now prefer PC's?

Jan 06, 2009 at 06:58 AM

louloulou
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p.1 #8 · quad core

Thanks all,

So it looks like I need:

- faster hard drive
- more gig of RAM - I think this computer only has two! 4 should make a difference, but I'll aim for 8 I think!

- maybe Vista instead of XP - not sure I'm keen on Vista

So I shouldn't need quad core unless I upgrade to CS4

I'm using 70% of the available RAM, but that only amounts to 1100MB with a measly 2G. Have no idea why I didn't get extra RAM when I upgraded to this PC...Doh!

Thanks again guys, I'll show this thread to my computer whiz brother who will now know how to set up this computer properly for me.

Jan 06, 2009 at 10:09 AM

philber
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p.1 #9 · quad core

I purchased a HP computer running a AMD tri-core and 3 gig of RAM, with a SCSI disk spinining at 7200 and Vista. It is a very mid-priced configuration, which might cost maybe 700-800$ in the US, run-of-the-mill 22' HP LCD included. That money is not worth losing many hours of time over a slower one, methinks, and I have yet to find a workload which would slow it down substantially.

Jan 06, 2009 at 10:33 AM

DogsBollocks
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p.1 #10 · quad core

remember Vista 64 bit! as the old 32 bit can only see 3 gigs of ram!

Jan 06, 2009 at 10:34 AM

Scott Clark
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p.1 #11 · quad core

), etc, and it still just scoots along. With only one or two applications open, it really screams. Not that it matters for photography, but just to show how much faster it is...it used to take an hour and a half to encode an .avi file to a DVD. Now? 23 minutes

Jan 06, 2009 at 12:08 PM

Saad Syed
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p.1 #12 · quad core

I use an OpenPro quad - it really made running Lightroom easier. Before, I could barely run LR by itself much less with Photoshop and other programs open. The beautiful thing about OSX 10.5 is that you can see all the cores working while doing various tasks. OSX just seems to multi thread and multi task better than Windows.

If you're stalling, check to see if you have enough RAM. If you want to stay with Windows, I suggest building a Nehalem Core i7 machine - newest technology. If you are not computer savvy and cannot pick and choose your own hardware and then install it, I suggest checking out http://psystar.com - they make Windows and OSX machines (all legal). They charge an extremely minor premium over what you'd be paying if you made it yourself - much less than what other companies would charge.

Jan 06, 2009 at 12:30 PM

sboerup
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p.1 #13 · quad core

Saad Syed wrote
I suggest checking out http://psystar.com - they make Windows and OSX machines (all legal). They charge an extremely minor premium over what you'd be paying if you made it yourself - much less than what other companies would charge.

I've seen Psystar before, how is it legal though? Is there something new about it that I don't know? I know Apple was breathing down their back for it, but some time ago it got delayed. Other companies have jumped on the bandwagon. Any links about the legality of it? Thanks!

Jan 06, 2009 at 12:37 PM

lou f
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p.1 #14 · quad core

can you put four HD in the machine and partion them? that and lots of ram will make the big difference.

Jan 06, 2009 at 12:40 PM

louloulou
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p.1 #15 · quad core

Hi all, I'm going to have to take all your advice and pass it on to my brother who lives and breathes computers.

We should be able to get the upgrades from our local swap meet, which is pretty good.

I use an OpenPro quad - it really made running Lightroom easier. Before, I could barely run LR by itself much less with Photoshop and other programs open. The beautiful thing about OSX 10.5 is that you can see all the cores working while doing various tasks. OSX just seems to multi thread and multi task better than Windows.

If you're stalling, check to see if you have enough RAM. If you want to stay with Windows, I suggest building a Nehalem Core i7 machine - newest technology. If you are not computer savvy and cannot pick and choose your own hardware and then install it, I suggest checking out http://psystar.com - they make Windows and OSX machines (all legal). They charge an extremely minor premium over what you'd be paying if you made it yourself - much less than what other companies would charge.

That's interesting about OSX, Saad, I've often thought about leaving windows as I seem to have nothing but trouble multitasking with Windows.

My brother says I should be using Macs...

can you put four HD in the machine and partion them? that and lots of ram will make the big difference.

That sounds like a good idea...it doesn't take long for HD space to be eaten up... as I'm paranoid about deleting stuff.

remember Vista 64 bit! as the old 32 bit can only see 3 gigs of ram!

Cool thanks

Jan 06, 2009 at 01:04 PM

lou f
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p.1 #16 · quad core

http://macperformanceguide.com/

Jan 06, 2009 at 02:10 PM

lindabrowne
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p.1 #17 · quad core

louloulou wrote:
I've just finished editing a wedding which took probably triple the normal time it usually does most likely because my hard drive is gradually getting more and more clogged up with photos I'm afraid to delete. Even though I have back ups.

Get your triple back-ups between external hard drives and cd/dvds, then clear off the extra images from your main hard drive and run the system utilities. Also do a search (start > search) for *.tmp to find and delete any misc temp files the disk clean up may have missed. If that doesn't help, it's time to reformat, along with that additional RAM. You still may need to upgrade further, but it'll get you by for now and you need to be doing these things on a new or upgraded machine too.

Jan 06, 2009 at 05:52 PM

Scott Clark
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p.1 #18 · quad core

I just finished putting the final stuff together for my quad core...I upgraded from a dual core. I've got 4 gigs of RAM, true hardware RAID (1 TB in a mirror for storage). I was using a 600 watt PSU, but I upgraded to a Power PC & Cooling 750 watt Silencer (it really is quiet). It's definetly a step up from my dual core machine. Everything is faster, but probably the biggest difference is how well it runs with everything I use open...I can run LR, Fireworks, Dreamweaver, Firefox (with like 20 tabs open ), etc, and it still just scoots along. With only one or two applications open, it really screams. Not that it matters for photography, but just to show how much faster it is...it used to take an hour and a half to encode an .avi file to a DVD. Now? 23 minutes .

Scott, if its that fast, I think I'll get me some quad core - one of the biggest issues is running more than one at a time.

I've just finished editing a wedding which took probably triple the normal time it usually does most likely because my hard drive is gradually getting more and more clogged up with photos I'm afraid to delete. Even though I have back ups.

You bet. Multiple cores were really designed with multi-tasking in mind, so it shouldn't be huge surprise when that's where they really shine. I'm still amazed at how much faster it is with CPU intensive operations though. And my dual core wasn't exactly slow either.
And you should get your photos off your OS drive if you can...storage is cheap, and a couple hundred dollars spent on a pair of SATA drives is money well spent. An external drive is easy to hook up, but building a RAID 1 array is easy, and relatively inexpensive too (and you never have to remember to back it up, it's there automatically in real time). Archive all your stuff on the array, and you'll never need to worry about deleting it. Just set up a file structure that will keep it organized, and leave it there forever if you want...
And as already pointed out, a fresh install is a nice way to start off your new hardware...

Jan 06, 2009 at 06:55 PM

fizzy
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p.1 #19 · quad core

sboerup wrote:
Saad Syed wrote
I suggest checking out http://psystar.com - they make Windows and OSX machines (all legal). They charge an extremely minor premium over what you'd be paying if you made it yourself - much less than what other companies would charge.

I've seen Psystar before, how is it legal though? Is there something new about it that I don't know? I know Apple was breathing down their back for it, but some time ago it got delayed. Other companies have jumped on the bandwagon. Any links about the legality of it? Thanks!

It's not legal, that's why Apple is suing them. They had the chutzpah to countersue Apple claiming some ridiculous stuff that already got thrown out. Most relevant to photographers, they tried to claim that by enforcing their copyright on OS X software, Apple was creating an illegal monopoly in OS X-capable computers. (Remember that next time you try to have a say in who can use your work, and how they can use it.) Apple has valid claims of copyright infringement and DMCA violation -- Psystar is using copyrighted OS X software in these machines. Going to trial soon, and Psystar will be shuttered.

http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/12/17/psystar.dmca.defense/

If you're a hobbyist and try to install OS X on a home-build PC, it's still a DMCA and copyright violation, you're just doing it in the privacy of your own office. Buy a used Mac if you want a cheaper one.

Jan 06, 2009 at 07:15 PM

prof_fate
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p.1 #20 · quad core

fortel wrote:
If I may digress from the quad core issue for a moment; If running a PC with XP, I believe you are limited to 3GB of usable RAM. However, Vista, despite other issues, breaks this barrier which takes you to min. of 6 to possible 12 gigs!

To access and use more that 3Gb of RAM you need a 64 bit OS. XP and Vista BOTH come in 32 and 64 bit variations.

So make sure read the fine print. XP-64 is rare, where as Vista64 is common and getting more so. You can buy Vista32 and DL the 64 bit version from MS for free. It's the same price for 32 or 64.

Jan 06, 2009 at 09:03 PM

Scott Clark
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p.1 #21 · quad core

prof_fate wrote:
fortel wrote:
If I may digress from the quad core issue for a moment; If running a PC with XP, I believe you are limited to 3GB of usable RAM. However, Vista, despite other issues, breaks this barrier which takes you to min. of 6 to possible 12 gigs!

To access and use more that 3Gb of RAM you need a 64 bit OS. XP and Vista BOTH come in 32 and 64 bit variations.

So make sure read the fine print. XP-64 is rare, where as Vista64 is common and getting more so. You can buy Vista32 and DL the 64 bit version from MS for free. It's the same price for 32 or 64.

Along those lines...anyone thinking about switching to XP64 be sure you can find drivers for your hardware...it's notoriously under supported. It just never really caught on I guess... I have no idea how Vista 64 is, but that's always been the problem with switching to the 64 bit version of XP...

Jan 06, 2009 at 09:07 PM


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