PC for graphic design

[Monomer]

I'm looking at buying a new desktop and I'll be using it, among other things, to learn some graphic design programs.

 

I'm currently looking at 2 computer packages:

 

1. Dell Inspiron 530s

• Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6550 (2.33GHz, 1333FSB, 4MB)
  
• Memory: 3GB (2 x 1GB / 2 x 512MB) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
  
• Harddrive: 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ
  
• Graphics card: 256MB ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 XT
  
• Monitor:E228WFP 22" Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor. Max resolution 1680 x 1050, contrast ratio 800:1, brightness 300 cd/m2 , response time 5 ms
  

 

2. Compaq SR5440AN

• Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual- Core Processor 5200+ with HyperTransport™ Technology (2.70 GHz, 1 MB L2 Cache, up to 2000MHz System Bus)
  
• Memory: 2GB DDR2
  
• Harddrive: 320GB SATA
  
• Video adaptor: nVidia GeForce 6150SE 3D Graphics
  
• Monitor: W220Q 22" Widescreen Flat Panel. Max resolution 1680 x 1050 @ 60Hz max, contrast ratio 1000:1, brightness 300 cd/m2 , response time 5 ms
  

 

 

So for those of you who know far more about computers than I do, is one of those systems better than the other for graphic design? I was also concerned about the contrast ratio of the monitor - is 800:1 okay?

 

The programs I intend to use on the computer are Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash and Dreamweaver.

 

I'd appreciate any help you can give me.

[freeztar]

The Dell system has better specs for what you are looking for, imho. That said, I would advise against Dell, personally.

[Monomer]

The Dell system has better specs for what you are looking for, imho. That said, I would advise against Dell, personally.

 

You've had some problems with Dell then?

[freeztar]

You've had some problems with Dell then?

 

Yes. I won't go into it, but let's just say that they gave me a raw deal in the end. This was in 2004 though. I've heard that their consumer grade comps have gotten better, but I don't know of any credible studies or accounts to prove/disprove this.

[alexander]

i am a credible study of dell hardware, because i have fixed so much of it over the past 4 years. Their support is pretty darn good, though i wont say that about all of their hardware. Though that said, they have been getting better with their stuff in the past 2-3 years, their laptops have become more reliable, and desktops, a bit more customizable and a little less flimsy :moon:.

 

If you are looking at graphic design, DONT get a dell monitor. If you buy nothing else from them, get a Mac monitor. They are by far the best quality for their price, amazingly good contrast, you will look at your picture on a dell monitor after that, and it just won't look right :eswirl:

 

as far as recomendation of a system, i graphics, video and music are what you get a mac for.... and they are not that expensive anymore, unless you are getting a pro (mac pro or mac book pro), they are fairly comparably priced.

[Tormod]

Well, I'd also say "get a Mac" but I'm obviously biased since I have used Macs for graphics work since 1995... :eswirl:

 

The software you mention needs a hefty CPU and graphics card, and you should consider getting at least 4GB RAM.

 

You don't really say what kind of graphics work (the package you suggest implies web design). Photo editing requires different hardware than, say, video editing or animation work. For web design only, most current computers would work fine.

[freeztar]

i am a credible study of dell hardware, because i have fixed so much of it over the past 4 years. Their support is pretty darn good, though i wont say that about all of their hardware. Though that said, they have been getting better with their stuff in the past 2-3 years, their laptops have become more reliable, and desktops, a bit more customizable and a little less flimsy :note:.

 

Yes, but you're talking about a corporate account right? Dell has two levels. Business and personal. The business deals come with much better tech support and better components (from what I've heard). Can you confirm or deny this Alex?

If you are looking at graphic design, DONT get a dell monitor. If you buy nothing else from them, get a Mac monitor. They are by far the best quality for their price, amazingly good contrast, you will look at your picture on a dell monitor after that, and it just won't look right :moon:

I agree about Dell monitors, but I don't think Mac is your only choice for getting a nice monitor. My favorite monitors are made by Viewsonic. But do yourself a favor and shop around. Take a disk with you that has some pictures on it. View these pictures on different monitors to compare and contrast. Unless you are doing video or gaming, don't worry about the refresh rate so much.

 

as far as recomendation of a system, i graphics, video and music are what you get a mac for.... and they are not that expensive anymore, unless you are getting a pro (mac pro or mac book pro), they are fairly comparably priced.

 

:eswirl: I knew that someone was going to pop up and say Mac. :doh:

 

If you decide to get a Mac, Monomer, then make sure you either get Windows Parrallel or make sure the software you will be using will run on a Mac (all the software you originally listed will). Also, be willing to pay quite a bit more than you would for a Dell equivalent.

My brother, who owns a Mac (he's a photographer), swears by his Mac. He claims that Photoshop comes with much more for the Mac than it does for the PC. I'm not sure how true this is, but it would be worth researching in your case Monomer. As a musician, I get by just fine with my PCs. :hyper:

[freeztar]

For web design only, most current computers would work fine.

 

I added a comma to your sentence above Tormod. I think this is what you meant. Without the comma, the whole meaning of the sentence is changed. :eswirl:

[Tormod]

I added a comma to your sentence above Tormod. I think this is what you meant. Without the comma, the whole meaning of the sentence is changed. :eek:

 

What me, worry? :hihi: (Which sentence is above me, by the way).

 

(Thanks mate, I got it sorted now).

[freeztar]

Which sentence is above me, by the way

 

Good one, Tormod. I almost missed the humor in that. Touche. :hihi:

[Monomer]

If you are looking at graphic design, DONT get a dell monitor. If you buy nothing else from them, get a Mac monitor. They are by far the best quality for their price, amazingly good contrast, you will look at your picture on a dell monitor after that, and it just won't look right :hihi:

 

I am concerned about the Dell monitor. We have a Dell laptop and the colours on the screen change when the viewing angle is changed slightly. I called Dell and asked about their monitors and they assured me that they have a uniform colour, but I've heard otherwise. Is it possible to buy the computer without the monitor?

 

 

You don't really say what kind of graphics work (the package you suggest implies web design). Photo editing requires different hardware than, say, video editing or animation work. For web design only, most current computers would work fine.

 

I want to do photo editing and web design, but at this stage I'm not planning on video editing or animation work.

 

 

My brother, who owns a Mac (he's a photographer), swears by his Mac. He claims that Photoshop comes with much more for the Mac than it does for the PC. I'm not sure how true this is, but it would be worth researching in your case Monomer. As a musician, I get by just fine with my PCs. :eek:

 

I would absolutely love to buy a Mac, but it would cost an extra $1000 for a system comparable to the Dell. I've been looking at the graphic design jobs advertised and so far only one out of about a dozen have asked for someone with mac experience.

 

All of the computers we have at work (>200) and all the computers at the universities (countless) are Dell so I figured they can't be too bad. Also, I can still get the Dell with Windows XP since I haven't heard good things about Vista. I was rushing through this decision process because the Dell computer I have my eye on has a special (free upgrade to 500GB) that runs out tomorrow, but I might just have to take the time to look into this further. I can't afford to spend too much money on a computer, but I certainly want the best I can afford and I'm happy to pay a little bit extra if I need to.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. :)

[alexander]

Yes, but you're talking about a corporate account right? Dell has two levels. Business and personal. The business deals come with much better tech support and better components (from what I've heard). Can you confirm or deny this Alex?

i can do both, confirm and deny this, and, at the same time

 

it really depends on the level of support you have. When i fixed machines for Optos, and they have a large dell program going on, i could basically visit a website, and order whatever it is i needed for that machine, and dell would unquestionably send it to me, in like 4 hours (means i order a part at 7am, its there by 12-1pm). Then we also fixed machines for Hologic (seriously big workstations), their plans were different, but they had gold support for everything, which in a matter of a transfer bumps you up to people who know a little bit less stuff then me :hihi: (oh but so true, i would tell them what is wrong, and which parts i need, after a while, they stopped questioning me...)

 

We also fixed lots of other people's machines, and the level of support is nowhere near the same, but you can get bumped up, as long as you make them believe you know what you are doing. Also use their online chat, that gets you support quicker, and you get bumped up faster.

 

Now the part where i deny something. Dell uses the same parts in the same models of machines, it does not matter if it goes to a corporate account or a single user, so they are just as reliable, or, not reliable, whichever way you swing...

 

I never really liked dell, but they have, in my eyes the best support out of most PC manufacturers..... except for Apple....

[Monomer]

The IT guy at work suggested I check out this site which is located in the city and allows me to build my own machine.

 

I read through this thread and since it's a couple of years old now I was wondering if anything's changed and is one still better than the other? Is the Intel E6550 better than the AMD AM2 Dual Core 5600? Also, which is the better graphics card: ASUS “256MB” ASUS Nvidia 8400GS 16x 3D PCI-E or “256MB” Asus ATI 2400Pro 16x 3D PCI-E?

[alexander]

Better is a relative term, for, you see, it depends on what you consider to be good and what you consider to be not-so-good.

 

If you are buying an amd mobo with a socket AM2 on it, then you would be waaay better off with a Phenom 9750 processor, and that would run laps around an E6550.

 

As far as graphics go, always been an nvidia fan myself, though amd is getting better with their latest creations, for graphics purposes, at a lower level, you are better off with nvidia...

[alexander]

I'd also go with Intel for this stuff, for now.... unfortunately

 

Oh, also, this is fresh, NVidia just released their specification for their next gen card. It seems that they will not support DX10.1, will still be confined to DDR3 Will have some PhysX Stream processors... Well, for graphics, stick with AMD Radeon 4000 series until Nvidia catches up :hihi:

[Monomer]

I'd also go with Intel for this stuff, for now.... unfortunately

 

Why?

 

 

I've spent a long time trying to compare Nvidia with ATI, Intel with AMD, and the reviews are varied. Ultimately I don't want to play games, I just want great graphics. I also want a fast machine that won't freeze up when I'm trying to multitask.

 

Also, I intend to buy the machine with Windows XP, not Vista, but will that make a difference? Am I missing out by not getting Vista, or am I saving myself some hassles?

 

Sorry for all the questions, forgive my ignorance! I've never looked into computers this much before, but because I want one for a specific purpose I thought I should make a more educated purchase.

 

I had another look at the computers on offer at the site linked above, and the motherboards available are:

• ASUS P5N SLI Nvidia SLI Chipset Motherboard (with an Intel processor)
  
• ASUS M2N-X Plus AM2 Nvidia Chipset Motherboard (with an AMD AM2 processor)
  
• ASUS P5K-1394 Intel Chipset Motherboard (with an Intel processor)
  
• ASUS M2N-SLI AM2 Nvidia SLI Technology Motherboard (with an AMD AM2 processor)
  

 

So, should an Intel processor be coupled with Intel motherboard, and an AMD AM2 with a Nividia?

[alexander]

If you are planning to buy now, then here is the current state of affairs:

 

graphics - while it performs more float point calculations, it has quite a few fewer shaders, and at this point, unless you are using the GPU in a cluster to render crap, you are better off with NVidia

 

Why?

Because, Phenom x4 right now gets outperformed by a Core2Duo in almost every aspect. I am really pissed off at AMD for this, it seems to me that they have been focusing a lot of attention on graphics card design, and not payin attention to the fact that for the past year, or so, they have been falling behind the processor wars. It's generally a cycle like that, but it still aggrevates me, that after such a HUGE win, on getting Intel to comply with their extension of the x86 assembly with their new 64 bit instruction set, they are falling this far back with their x4 processors, I realize it's cheaper, i realize it's more efficient, but goddammit don't get beaten by a processor with 2 cores less, run a higher memory bus, run more calculations per second, vectorize certain applications, i dunno, just get to just blow both x2 and x4 out of the water, and claim your processor throne back!!! Opterons were SUPER nice, it's time for a new opteron!