Michael Seltzer
New member
Hi All,
Okay, on to the next question.... I'm putting together a new PC (probably from CyberPowerPC--unless there are other thoughts), and am trying to decide between a 3930K and a 2600K (or 2700K) as the cpu. I use Lightroom, Photoshop (with some pluggins), Painter, and a few other programs (Photomatix, and I'm still trying to us Lightzone for some tasks). I always have Lightroom running, and often a couple of others at the same time. If PS is chugging on something, I'll go over to LR (or maybe onto the net, or…) to do some work. However, if PS returns fairly quickly, I usually stay with that, or may switch over to another program but more or less serially. I also work with some fairly big, multi-layer files (100 megapixel, 1GB), and my old MB Pro is slow and getting slower.
The online discussion seems to vary. AnandTech says there is almost no performance gain in PS with 6 cores over 4; Tom's Hardware says there can be as much as a 30% gain with some of the multi-threaded filters. I'm not sure how much of PS is multi-threaded (or likely to be in CS6), and if what is is what I use. Also, I don't know what 30% really means. If merging to HDR takes 60 seconds on the 2600, and 40 seconds with the 3930, I can live. But if the mixer brush (or Painter's watercolor brushes) follows my pen stroke in real time on one, and jerks along behind so slowly I never know for sure where the stroke is going in the other--that's a big difference. Finally, I don't know how the cpu will affect the other programs I use, or how taxing my multy-tasking might be.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had experience with/knowledge of this and could offer any thoughts, advice, etc.
Thanks, Michael
(Btw, I'm also not sure how much of a graphics card I need. I assume I don't need anything like the Nvidia Quadro's, or AMD 7970, but what level should I aim for? Thanks again.)
Okay, on to the next question.... I'm putting together a new PC (probably from CyberPowerPC--unless there are other thoughts), and am trying to decide between a 3930K and a 2600K (or 2700K) as the cpu. I use Lightroom, Photoshop (with some pluggins), Painter, and a few other programs (Photomatix, and I'm still trying to us Lightzone for some tasks). I always have Lightroom running, and often a couple of others at the same time. If PS is chugging on something, I'll go over to LR (or maybe onto the net, or…) to do some work. However, if PS returns fairly quickly, I usually stay with that, or may switch over to another program but more or less serially. I also work with some fairly big, multi-layer files (100 megapixel, 1GB), and my old MB Pro is slow and getting slower.
The online discussion seems to vary. AnandTech says there is almost no performance gain in PS with 6 cores over 4; Tom's Hardware says there can be as much as a 30% gain with some of the multi-threaded filters. I'm not sure how much of PS is multi-threaded (or likely to be in CS6), and if what is is what I use. Also, I don't know what 30% really means. If merging to HDR takes 60 seconds on the 2600, and 40 seconds with the 3930, I can live. But if the mixer brush (or Painter's watercolor brushes) follows my pen stroke in real time on one, and jerks along behind so slowly I never know for sure where the stroke is going in the other--that's a big difference. Finally, I don't know how the cpu will affect the other programs I use, or how taxing my multy-tasking might be.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had experience with/knowledge of this and could offer any thoughts, advice, etc.
Thanks, Michael
(Btw, I'm also not sure how much of a graphics card I need. I assume I don't need anything like the Nvidia Quadro's, or AMD 7970, but what level should I aim for? Thanks again.)