Secondary workstation just died...

[Tommy L]

...and Im pretty skint at the moment.

I use the secondary workstation as my 2d machine. Adobe CS4 (mainly PS and AE) work and admin. However, Im finding I process more and more video.

So Im looking for a cheap 2d machine. That compiles out of AE at a decent rate and can handle big PS files.

I am used to shopping for a graphics card/processor that will be 3ds Max efficient, I dont know what to look for in a graphics card/processor which will be good for PS and AE.

 

Any tips?

[jinsley]

Tom,

 

I would say that Photoshop benefits from memory, multiple CPU's or cores, memory if you are on Cs4 and a fast hard drive... Unless you are using the 3d features a lot, I don't know that one graphics card or the other will make a huge difference.

 

I am running CS4 on SSD, with 8 gigs RAM on q9550 with geforce 9800 Gt with 512 dedicated and I think it runs great...

 

I don't have alot of experience with AE, but I hear a lot of guys raving about the quadro cards and the difference they make when it comes to encoding...

 

I don't know what your budget is, but for under a $100, i think the 9800 does a great job... if you have the cash you could get into a cheaper decent quadro at newegg for ~$400 - $500.

[Ernest Burden III]

I don't have alot of experience with AE, but I hear a lot of guys raving about the quadro cards and the difference they make when it comes to encoding...

 

That implies that AE uses the GPU for encoding, which I doubt. The graphics card being fast is most important for 3D work, as it affects viewport speed. Slow display in 3D will kill your productivity. The impact on 2D work is less.

 

For a cheap 2nd machine, look at consumer-grade HPs. You will have to strip out a lot of installed crap, but the products are very good. Make sure you have a graphics CARD instead of a motherboard graphics chip. I would look for nvidia over ATI, my last HP came with a GeForce, long since upgraded to a better GF (for my son's Lego Star Wars game).

 

Look at PCmall for refurbished and openbox machines. You can save a lot of cash. I've bought refurbished and had no serious problems. Also, look for last year's 'best' specs, it'll be much cheaper than current but almost as good. Just pretend you had bought it a year ago--you'd still be using it.

[ihabkal]

encoding benefits from multi core machines, so get a quad core, the 2.4 ghz quad core 2 cpus are cheap and powerfull.

[jinsley]

That implies that AE uses the GPU for encoding, which I doubt...

 

Yeah, that kind of makes sense, I am going to go see Avatar with him next week so I will ask him to clarify for me...

[Tommy L]

I always thought it was the graphics card that did the encoding.

That helps, as the choice between a Q series or i7 was an issue.

Thanks all.