new build

[larry20082]

hi i need some suggestions on new build for friend .he doesn't game but does photo editing need suggestions on cpu,memory,video card.i was thinking Q6600 and 2G of DDR2-800 ram and nvidia 8600gt .is this enough memory ? any suggestions appreciated

 

[tlmck]

It depends on whether his editing program is compatible, but 64 bit Windows, and at least 4gb would be better.

 

[larry20082]

not sure which o/s to install ,which one is better for editing and what program for editing is best? photoshop cs3?

 

[tlmck]

If you want to do high end professional type stuff, then CS3 and Final Cut Pro are the standards. They are also 64 bit compatible as I understand it.

If it is just home movie, or You Tube type stuff, then Windows Movie Maker for free, or Sony Vegas, and a few other sub $100 packages will be fine. For these programs, you can actually get by pretty well with 2gb ram and a Core2Duo.

I use Windows Movie Maker to edit and encode to .avi. I then use Cyber Link Power Producer to burn to DVD. I have yet another free program called Avidemux that I use to convert formats. It does other stuff as well, but is a bit too involved for my taste.

With SP1 coming out soon, 64 bit Vista might be a good option. Just check for drivers an whatever hardware and peripherals you wind up with.