Building a Photoshop System....

[Ashley]

Hi everyone,

I'm preparing to put together a system geared towards editing large
files in PS as well other graphic-based functions. I was hoping for
some input on the potential build which includes:

Processors:
Dual AMD Opteron Model 146, 1MB L2 Cache 64-bit Processors

Motherboard:
TYAN "Thunder K8W

Memory:
6 GIGS of Crucial 400DDR.
Allocated as follows - 2 for Photoshop, 3 for RAMDISK for PS scratch
disk, and 1 FOR OS.

Hard Drives:
2 Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA in RAID 0 and a
Western Digital 200GB 7200rpm SATA for deep storage

DVD/CD ROM:
NEC 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive & Lite-On Black 52X32X52X16 Combo
Drive

Video Card:
ATI RADEON 9600XT

Power Supply:
Antec 480W

Questions:
1. Any recommended alterations to the above?
2. Is the 3 GIGS to RAMDISK for the PS scratch disk valuable move
since editing large files?
3. What other motherboard, without PCI-X, could be substituted for the
Thunder K8W? (Keeping in mind the amount of SATA drives (4), and the
amount of ram (6 sticks).)
4. Would it be beneficial to use socket 939 chips instead of 940.
5. What advantages, if any, would there be if an ATI 9800
(XT/PRO/ETC) is substituted for the 9600XT in a PS environment?

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts,

Scott

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm preparing to put together a system geared towards editing large
files in PS as well other graphic-based functions. I was hoping for
some input on the potential build which includes:

Processors:
Dual AMD Opteron Model 146, 1MB L2 Cache 64-bit Processors

Motherboard:
TYAN "Thunder K8W

Memory:
6 GIGS of Crucial 400DDR.
Allocated as follows - 2 for Photoshop, 3 for RAMDISK for PS scratch
disk, and 1 FOR OS.

Hard Drives:
2 Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA in RAID 0 and a
Western Digital 200GB 7200rpm SATA for deep storage

DVD/CD ROM:
NEC 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive & Lite-On Black 52X32X52X16 Combo
Drive

Video Card:
ATI RADEON 9600XT

Power Supply:
Antec 480W

Questions:
1. Any recommended alterations to the above?
2. Is the 3 GIGS to RAMDISK for the PS scratch disk valuable move
since editing large files?
3. What other motherboard, without PCI-X, could be substituted for the
Thunder K8W? (Keeping in mind the amount of SATA drives (4), and the
amount of ram (6 sticks).)
4. Would it be beneficial to use socket 939 chips instead of 940.
5. What advantages, if any, would there be if an ATI 9800
(XT/PRO/ETC) is substituted for the 9600XT in a PS environment?

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts,

What OS are you planning on using?

 

[Ashley]

Hi Shenan,

Using XP for OS..

Thanks again

What OS are you planning on using?

 

[Jim Macklin]

A 64 bit XP version?


| Hi Shenan,
|
| Using XP for OS..
|
| Thanks again
|
message | > Ashley wrote:
| > > I'm preparing to put together a system geared towards
editing large
| > > files in PS as well other graphic-based functions. I
was hoping for
| > > some input on the potential build which includes:
| > >
| > > Processors:
| > > Dual AMD Opteron Model 146, 1MB L2 Cache 64-bit
Processors
| > >
| > > Motherboard:
| > > TYAN "Thunder K8W
| > >
| > > Memory:
| > > 6 GIGS of Crucial 400DDR.
| > > Allocated as follows - 2 for Photoshop, 3 for RAMDISK
for PS scratch
| > > disk, and 1 FOR OS.
| > >
| > > Hard Drives:
| > > 2 Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA in RAID 0
and a
| > > Western Digital 200GB 7200rpm SATA for deep storage
| > >
| > > DVD/CD ROM:
| > > NEC 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive & Lite-On Black
52X32X52X16 Combo
| > > Drive
| > >
| > > Video Card:
| > > ATI RADEON 9600XT
| > >
| > > Power Supply:
| > > Antec 480W
| > >
| > > Questions:
| > > 1. Any recommended alterations to the above?
| > > 2. Is the 3 GIGS to RAMDISK for the PS scratch disk
valuable move
| > > since editing large files?
| > > 3. What other motherboard, without PCI-X, could be
substituted for the
| > > Thunder K8W? (Keeping in mind the amount of SATA
drives (4), and the
| > > amount of ram (6 sticks).)
| > > 4. Would it be beneficial to use socket 939 chips
instead of 940.
| > > 5. What advantages, if any, would there be if an ATI
9800
| > > (XT/PRO/ETC) is substituted for the 9600XT in a PS
environment?
| > >
| > > Many thanks in advance for any thoughts,
| >
| > What OS are you planning on using?
| >
| > --
| > <- Shenan ->

 

[Al Dykes]

Hi Shenan,

Using XP for OS..

I susect you need XP/pro for a multiprocessor.

 

[John R Weiss]

Processors:
Dual AMD Opteron Model 146, 1MB L2 Cache 64-bit Processors

NOPE! You need the 2xx Opterons for dual-CPU systems. The 244 and 246 are
at the price break; 248 and 250 still too expensive.

Memory:
6 GIGS of Crucial 400DDR.
Allocated as follows - 2 for Photoshop, 3 for RAMDISK for PS scratch
disk, and 1 FOR OS.

I don't know how you intend to allocate the RAM, but XP does a reasonable
job of it...

Setting aside RAM for a RAMDISK may just prevent the RAM from being used
directly. I don't know if it will help much.

Hard Drives:
2 Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA in RAID 0 and a
Western Digital 200GB 7200rpm SATA for deep storage

Does the MB have 3 SATA connectors, or are you adding another card?