Which CPU?

[helpfish]

Hello,
I need a computer update badly from 2003 hardware to today. Please help: I paint. I use Painter, ArtRage, some PhotoShop; no games. will the i7-960 be as steady and reliable as a Xenon type? Should I look for an older Xenon? (money matters, of course). Should I follow the gamers and saddle up an i7-2600k? I am thinking a Ge Force GTX550 Ti, will do, but Have also thought of the ATI FirePro 4800. Please help. My head is spinning from all I've read in the past 2 weeks or so. Other suggestions welcome (Psu?,Cooler? RAM? SSD?) Thank you.

 

[caseycole645]

list your system specs so we can get an idea of what should be upgraded

 

[popatim]

Well as far as I know neither Painter not ArtRage can use gpu acceleration and run purely under cpu power so I would recommend a Sandy Bridge cpu. You can get the i7-2600 for the same price as the 960 but note that this is not the k version so overclockingis very limited. The 2600k is $15 more.

Photoshop does use gpu accelerationand heres the list of tested video cards.
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/831/cpsid_83117.html

 

[helpfish]

Thanks for replies.
Have 2 machines now: first is AMD Athlon XP 1800 with mobo MSI KT3 Ultra2, 80 GB HDD, zip and floppy, 2 GB RAM, Matrox Parhelia 128, XP.
2nd: a 2.0 GHz Intel Pentium Dual, 2 core, not hyper-t, 64-bit ready, ECS 945GCT-M, SATA HDD, 1GB RAM.
Because of the 2GB, I use the 1st one to paint on, but my 100+MB files really slow to respond and to save most times. Also often use both painting progs (+ more), at same time. I think I need new blood, not just an infusion, so to speak.

 

[diellur]

If you're needing CPU and GPU acceleration, Llano (the new AMD chip) might be the way to go. I'd Google some reviews first, but it will stop you needing to get a discrete graphics card.

 

[helpfish]

Well thanks guys, I was hoping for an opinion on the i7-960 vs. i7-2600(k) for digital
art, and my impression is that it doesn't matter what I choose really, all the new
machines will do the job just fine and be much quicker than what I have now.

 

[FinneousPJ]

The 1366 platform's advantage is its tri-channel memory. If you need it, buy it. If not, don't.

 

[helpfish]

The 1366 platform's advantage is its tri-channel memory. If you need it, buy it. If not, don't.

It always helps to dissipate unknowing when an example is offered of how an item is used. I have read the specs for that CPU and I am aware of 'tri-channel' and all the other facts, but that did not make clear the benefit of that processor in a pragmatic way, nor the advantage of that over another. Teaching another is not done by curt dismissal, I don't think.

But forget about it. I made a choice and I'm fine now.

Danke

 

[Wish I Was Wealthy]

Hello,
I need a computer update badly from 2003 hardware to today. Please help: I paint. I use Painter, ArtRage, some PhotoShop; no games. will the i7-960 be as steady and reliable as a Xenon type? Should I look for an older Xenon? (money matters, of course). Should I follow the gamers and saddle up an i7-2600k? I am thinking a Ge Force GTX550 Ti, will do, but Have also thought of the ATI FirePro 4800. Please help. My head is spinning from all I've read in the past 2 weeks or so. Other suggestions welcome (Psu?,Cooler? RAM? SSD?) Thank you.

Listen here helpfish. If I was you,I'd go the core i7 2600 or 2600k & get the lot. Do not go for the old the old LGA1366,like the core i7 960 or else this whole rig will cost you & is behind in it's chipset specifications. Do not go the AMD bulldozer lot or you'll run out of diesel also. Just stay Intel & you'll be okay.

 

[helpfish]

Thank you WIWW,

I must have picked up your brainwaves: the other day I walked into Micro Center and walked out some time later, with a CPU (i7-2600k), a mo (ASUS P8Z68-V) and a few other goodies. I threw the lot into a Phantom (white w. red trim). A test boot, before mounting into the chassis, was good. It remains to see whether I connected everything properly. There were many wires... I think I worked them out ok, but there were no directions (that I could decipher, anyway) so my electrical work (side fan and controller) has yet to be 'proved'.

I've got Win 7, so I'm almost there, I hope.

Best