Short version: Photographer needs advice on new video card PCI-E x16 slot.
Longer version: I'm adding a second, higher-end, monitor to my photo editing machine. The new monitor has outstripped the capabilities of my old video card. I'm here to ask for any advice you might have to offer. I'm not a computer gamer: I don't care about 3-D graphics special effects. What I do care about are color accuracy -- I do calibrate, of course, now using hardware LUT in the monitor -- and (2) low noise, preferring a fanless unit if possible.
Thanks in advance for any well informed technical advice you might have to offer. Cards that I'm considering include the following:
* Fanless: HIS Hightech H260XTP512DDN-R Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported iSilence III Video Card
it really depends on if you do 3d rendering. If you do you want the best graphics card you can afford. If you are just using Photoshop then it doesnt matter NOW. CS4 I am sure will utilize more cores and video cards with larger ram.
Since the 512 mb cards are reasonable i would say anything that you can find would be fnie FOR NOW.
If you want to make a Hackintosh computer from your PC then go with the 2600 it has much less issues with OS X than some other graphics cards. Do not install the ATI Catalyst Control Centre if you are going to calibrate your monitor as it will change your setting everytime you boot your machine.
I have always like ATI... excellent 2D quality, decent 3D performance, and as of late... very good drivers (except for the catalyst control center!).
But go with Nvidia. They have developed a compiler that uses the GPU which is a very efficient CPU.. it just doesn't do much as an intel or amd chip. But unless your doing 3D rendering... there is a ton of power sitting on the card. Just google CUDA. Any Nvidia card 8xxxx and up has it enabled in the latest drivers.
There has been some development of photoshop filters that utilize CUDA. Nvidia has been behind the development. Any filter written for CUDA will work with any videocard... but when CUDA enabled it will fly.
Plus you can fold proteins using cuda while your PC sits idle and assist in alzheimers research. Info link.
