Same questions - different answers needed

ianmarsh

ianmarsh

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OK, I have decided to buy a new desktop machine for photo editing as my laptop is too slow. I have been reading threads on here where the same question is asked but I cannot understand most of what the answers say as I am no computer expert. So simple answers for a simple mind please.

Background: I am planning to run just PS4 (PS5 at a later date), Lightroom and Nik plugins, in the main. I would like some sort of automated backup system as I tend to forget to do manual backups (I can use manual backups for off site storage). I have 1TB of photos at the moment, and as I use PS more and more my average file size is increasing. I have a Dell 2209 WA monitor I'd like to reuse and I will need Windows 7, I guess.

My default position is to get a pc from the Dell website. I am looking at something like this:

http://www.dell.com/uk/p/xps-8300/pd?oc=d00x8328&model_id=xps-8300

Questions:
1. Is there any *great* advantage in getting an SSD over a conventional hard-drive? If so, how big an SSD ought I be considering?
2. Is there any advantage for photo editing in getting better graphics cards? I understand Nik plugins use the graphics cards in some way. I won't be watching or editing video on the machine
3. More RAM seems better than less but is there much to gain by going from 4 to 6 (to 8... to 16)?
4. Dell don't seem to offer multiple hard-drive options. Does this mean I need to get one custom built and if so where should I look for somewhere reliable?
5. Can I get a similar spec machine to the Dell one for less elsewhere or is Dell competitive if I go for an off-the-shelf system? I was considering a Dell refurb from an eBay retailer, as an alternative.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Ian
 
Hi Ian. Wil have a go at answering and hope to not go over your head! (Or mine for that matter!) I am looking to upgrade my desktop soon, going from AMD to Intel. And SSD. So here goes:
1. SSD are more stable as things don't spin and access times are faster, enabling quicker start up and quicker access to regular used files. I am looking at getting a 128Gb hard driver for my C drive, i.e. for the start up, the operating system and programs, leaving photos and files on other disks. SSD come in two formats at the moment, 3Gb per second (SATA 2) or 6Gb per second (SATA 3). Obvioulsy the SATA 3 are more expensive, but only worth buying if your motherboard can handle it, otherwise wasted speed and just go with SATA 2.
2. You definitely need A graphics card, in case Dell are selling you integrated graphics. It definitely helps with photo editing as the image is loaded on the graphics card, allowing the processor and RAM to deal with the edits. Also will help with slide shows etc, and also with getting a truer representation of the colours on your screen (though do suggest a good monitor and calibration tool)
3. Windows 7 handles RAM better so 4Gb of RAM would be enough, combined with the seperate graphics card. If you are working on more than one thing at a time then go for more RAM, probably with no video stuff in there at the moment, 8 would be your maximum need, but that is only a wishlist thing, stick with 4 you will be ok and wont notice any difference.
4. Dell will offer multiple hard drives if you 'customise' on their site. You can add and remove accessories at leisure as far as I can remember.
5. That is not a bad price for an Intel i7 machine. If your want more bells and whistles for your money look for a quad-core AMD machine, as the processors are cheaper, you usually get a few more extras for your money. You can look on Dabs for machines, Novatech and various others too.

Hope that helps and best of luck
Huw
 
Fantastic Huw, thanks for that. I think I followed everything.

On the SSD - are we talking a significant difference in performance here do you know? I did one of the photoshop tests yesterday and my laptop managed in 2 mins 14 seconds what the state of the art machines were doing in 11 seconds. So I am expecting to see significant improvement but don't need to squeeze fractions of a second out of a system if it adds much to the expense.

Graphics cards - I was hoping to avoid this issue as it is where I get most confused. But have you any recommended cards that won't break the bank?

Ian
 
Gfx... If you are getting the latest gen Intel processors, the integrated graphics is fine. The i7-2600 is the latest Intel processor, so you're fine theree. PS/LR only use 2D transforms which the integrated graphics handles fine.

SSD - if you can afford it, get one. Not all SSDs are created equal though - OCZ Vertex 2 or Crucial SSDs appear to be the most performant. You will notice a difference in boot/program startup performance.

That Dell machine looks good for the price. You'll get close to 11 secs for the PS benchmark on that...
 
You should notice significant difference with the SSD, and I agree with Andy (arad).

It is my understanding that ATI work better with Intel chipsets - graphics cards. anything from a 512mb to 1024mb would be fine, anything over that you are wasting. Usually, as I am not a gamer, I would look to spend around £175 on a new graphics card, which is usually the second most recent!
 
Thanks Andy. I have to say I am tempted with the Dell machine just for the ease of getting an off the shelf solution. Plus Dell haven't let me down in the past.

Would it be possible to add an ssd to such a machine in the future if I decided to go that way?
 
Cheers Huw - the Dell I linked to above comes with an NVIDIA GeForce 530 1GB (and the website upgrades seem expensive) so I am OK with that from what (I think) you said....?
 
yeah should be fine. Can you customise the Dell to get a SSD as well as the one it comes with, probably around £180 more?
 
Yes contact them directly cos you want the OS, Windows 7 installed on the SSD not on the 1Tb one. Had a look at the customise option, thought there was the option for a second hard drive, a SSD one wasn't listed. Do keep an eye on the price though, as it is marketing the Net price, not the Gross price with VAT, over £1000 with that.
 
while i agree that an SSD will improve the snappiness of the system i found it didnt noticably improve boot times of W764.

regarding RAM - personally id spec at least 8Gb in any new system for photoediting. i can easily get CS3 to push my overall memory usage close to 8. if you can afford it, have the apps that can use it, then get it.
 
If you buy the Dell, pay the extra £5 for the OS on DVD. Saves a LOAD of trouble if you don't have the correct Win7 flavour on disk elsewhere....
 
On the flip side, I did find my Intel X-25M SSD did improve the boot time of Win7 64 massively. Even with a bunch of software now installed, it still boots (from end of BIOS/boot begin to logon screen) in about 10 seconds.
 
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