I am in the process of having "my computer man" line me up and build a new system. Hopefully it will be one that will satisfy photo storage and image processing needs well into the future. For instance, we will go with a quad core and a couple of terabytes in the hard drive. My question is regarding 32 or 64 bit. I plan to add Windows 7, and I was inclined to choose 64 bit, but he is strongly encouraging me to stay with 32 and suggests 64 might cause me some bugs. Most all of my processing is in Capture NX 2 which is 32, but I expect to add photoshop to my routines in the future. Intuitively, it seems if I am building a power sized system, to go with the newest but I am not a strong tech person...so I am asking for advice and opinion! Thanks in advance.
Everything I have been hearing about Windows 7, including the 64 bit version, has been very good. Stable, generally few bugs and few compatibility issues. Generally, 32 bit applications for photographers seem to be running on the 64 bit machines, but not everything.
If you plan to use the machine primarily as a PS/Photo machine, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The main issues I have run across are drivers for older peripherals, especially printers and scanners. Check the manufacturer websites for the gear you plan to use on the machine and decide from there. If you are unsure, ask. Someone here knows.
I'd try to go to the 64 bit machines for memory alone. For Photoshop, you really want more than the 4 gig limit imposed by a 32 bit machine. Make sure whatever you have built, you can install 8 gig on. You may not need it today but you will need it eventually.
I agree with Dan, Win 7-64 bit is the way to go, if you can. As he stated, many 32 bit programs will run in 32 bit emulation. If you do have legacy 32 bit hardware, you could be stuck, since I believe 32 bit devices will not run in emulation on a 64 bit OS. So, be sure to check to see if 64 bit drivers are available, as Dan says.
Whichever way you go, max out the RAM and get a good video card with lots of VRAM.
I would be careful with HD's above 1TB unless they are high end drives. I suggest you get two, 1TB drives and set up a RAID 1 array (either hardware or software-a hardware RAID controller is best). A RAID 1 uses the second disk as a mirror of the primary drive. When you make a change on your primary, it is automatically 'mirrored' onto the second drive. The advantage is that when your primary drive fails, you can boot from the mirrored drive and all your OS, programs and data are there. There is a ton of info on the Web about RAID arrays.
Another note on HD size: be sure the BIOS supports drives that big. If the BIOS does not see the full capacity of the drive, Windows may not either.
Lon, for what its worth; I have just ordered a new machine, an i5 with 8 GB RAM windows 7-64 bit and 2x 1TB hard drives. Partly based on some 'research' into 32-64 bit. Dan and Preston basically echo the conclusion from my 'research' findings as well. I just hope it is correct . Good luck.
Go 64, if for no other reason than it can address large amounts of RAM without kludgy translation tables. The 32-bit applications will eventually catch up or be replaced by something better.
I have Windows 7-64 bit on an 8 gig Dell machine. Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2.6 run well on the system. No problems. The only problems have been of my own making. I installed the free upgrade in a fit of cheapness. If I had it to do over, I would install from the ground up.
I have 64-bit, custom built computer, with 6 gb RAM, expandable to 14 gb, Windows 7. I'm not that technical but my son did the work.
Capture NX 2 is running fine. As per my post on NPN I have not yet been able to load the Nikon camera control add-ons, "portrait" and "landscape", onto NX2. Probably my ineptidude.
My philosophy is but "up" and work into it; otherwise you're always behind.
Heck, your behind when you but the latest stuff anyway.
I upgraded both my desktop and laptop when windows 7 came out. I was using 4 GB Ram and upgraded to 12GB with windows 7 64 bit as you are limited to the 4GB with 32 bit system. I upgraded to 10,000 rpm drives in my budget raided with 320GB each.(so the system doesn't slow down writing betweent the drives) I use eSATA system for other hard drives at 7200rpm in a JBOD. (All this is explained well in "The Dam Book" which is worth getting to set up for your future storage. I have an expensive eSATA card as it is faster than USB transfer.
The only thing I needed to upgrade was my scanner and you have to search and find the xrite drivers for monitor callibration and printer. The only drivers for improvement at the moment but seems to be stable is the NVidia for my large screen. You may have to go to specific sites to download the drivers but it is very easy in windows 7--type in device manager and look for any caution signs. I also found that I need to add the APS battery back up as a few power outages were causing blue screen and windows 7 was very touchy with Norton thinking something was invading but now it seems to settled out.
I was locking up Photoshop and it shutting down on me before and now I am flying with lots of other things running during print jobs. I had problems with my video card in the laptop due to other issues and the new systems can upgrade to 8 GB now but I am using the 4GB fine with that system. I use Photoshop CS3 at the moment. You can do the self assessment on the windows 7 website and it will tell you what won't work. I had to give up Pagemaker but it was time.
I have done all this upgrading myself, learning as I go on Dell Precision 690, Latitude E6400. After using windows 7 64bit I don't want to go back and it is worth the struggle to find a few drivers. Everybody is catching up and working with microsoft including Norton.
Thanks all for the terrific input. Clearly in the world of digital photo processing one ultimately must know more and more about their computer and you are all helping me with that understanding. Your input is going to give me a much better, albeit more expensive, system! Thanks again, and I welcome further guidance in the coming days until all components are ordered.
I would also say 64 bit is the way to go today. The only advice I would add is concerning the hard drives. I would not recommend huge internal hard drives with the expectation of using them as image storage. Hard drives fail, no if's, ands or but's about it. Images should always be stored on a drive separate from what photoshop is installed on. So I would suggest spending additional monies on externals, (multiple ones) as your image storage devices along with off site storage, not huge internal drives.
Hey Lon - I'll throw my vote for 64-bit as well. Per what Brad said, internal drives are absolutely fine, as long as you're still keeping proper backups, multiple drives, etc. You're no more likely to lose things from 1 to 2 TB internal drives than external drives. Just make sure you've got a good backup strategy.
Lon, I'm running Vista Ultimate 64 bit, and have never looked back.
I personally built my pc from scratch - 8gigs Ram, 5+gigs of hdd's, (all internal), and a quad processor.
I don't like Raid arrays because of the trouble they can cause. But I back up weekly to internals and often to external hdd's.
The trick is to partition for the C drive so that if it crashes you don't lose data. None of my images are on the C drive disk. This setup is fast and powerful, augmented by the fact that my pagefile is on another drive and my photoshop scratch is on C and another drive. Pagefile and one PS scratch are on the outside of the platters for quick acess.
Also take note that at this time, Photoshop is not able to access more than 3 gb of Ram no matter how its configured, although that is expected to change with CS5.
The only needed software I can't run on 64bit is Quicktime, although Quicktime Alternative does run.
64 bit is the future for sure. One other thing, consider the Ultimate version of whatever Operating System you purchase. The perks, such as making OS images and file backup are awesome.
Posted by Peter Barnes on March 7, 2010 at 10:40 PM
Wayne wrote: "Also take note that at this time, Photoshop is not able to access more than 3 gb of Ram no matter how its configured, although that is expected to change with CS5." So why is everybody saying 8G of RAM is the way to go?
Posted by Dan Borzynski on March 7, 2010 at 11:49 PM
"Also take note that at this time, Photoshop is not able to access more than 3 gb of Ram no matter how its configured, although that is expected to change with CS5."
For Macs, Apple made some major OS changes after Adobe had gotten significantly into the development of CS4 and hasn't released a 64 bit version of CS4 for Macs. Mac users cannot access more that 3.5 gig of RAM. CS5 is expected to be fully 64 bit compatible.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on March 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM
Also, with regards to partitioning a hard drive, I would not recommend this path for a primary backup. If the drive itself fails, you lose both your primary and your secondary copies. You should always have a backup to an external drive, and make sure that at least two copies exist somewhere disconnected to each other.
"Also take note that at this time, Photoshop is not able to access more than 3 gb of Ram no matter how its configured, although that is expected to change with CS5."
For 64 bit PCs, this is simply not true:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404901.html
My mistake. Was thinking from a CS3 perspective. As to partitioning, I wouldn't recommend loading file backups to a C drive, either. In my case I partitioned the C to make it smaller for platter access, as the hdd on hand was 500 gbs. Files should be backed up on other hdd's whether internal or external.
RAID Arrays can be very stable if one uses a hardware RAID controller that is configured properly. Software RAID has been known to cause I/O errors that leads to problems.
My Dell Dimension came with a hardware RAID set up as a RAID 0. It worked flawlessly for over five years until I had one of the HD's crash last month. The crash was caused by the failed drive, not the RAID itself. This resulted in having to install a new drive, the OS, my apps, drivers, and recovery of all my images (and other stuff) from backup.
I no longer have a RAID array, but have a second 500GB HD on order, and will simply use it to image my primary drive wit Acronis True Image. My images and other documents are backed up to a Western Digital external and an internal on the other machine on my home network.
I had to say something on that one, having tried to explain to a friend why he lost everything on his drive when he thought that partitioning was a backup strategy. Given the levels of computer knowledge present here, I thought that point needed to be made very clear.
Discussion
17 repliesIf you plan to use the machine primarily as a PS/Photo machine, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The main issues I have run across are drivers for older peripherals, especially printers and scanners. Check the manufacturer websites for the gear you plan to use on the machine and decide from there. If you are unsure, ask. Someone here knows.
I'd try to go to the 64 bit machines for memory alone. For Photoshop, you really want more than the 4 gig limit imposed by a 32 bit machine. Make sure whatever you have built, you can install 8 gig on. You may not need it today but you will need it eventually.
Whichever way you go, max out the RAM and get a good video card with lots of VRAM.
I would be careful with HD's above 1TB unless they are high end drives. I suggest you get two, 1TB drives and set up a RAID 1 array (either hardware or software-a hardware RAID controller is best). A RAID 1 uses the second disk as a mirror of the primary drive. When you make a change on your primary, it is automatically 'mirrored' onto the second drive. The advantage is that when your primary drive fails, you can boot from the mirrored drive and all your OS, programs and data are there. There is a ton of info on the Web about RAID arrays.
Another note on HD size: be sure the BIOS supports drives that big. If the BIOS does not see the full capacity of the drive, Windows may not either.
Good luck with your new machine!
-P
Capture NX 2 is running fine. As per my post on NPN I have not yet been able to load the Nikon camera control add-ons, "portrait" and "landscape", onto NX2. Probably my ineptidude.
My philosophy is but "up" and work into it; otherwise you're always behind.
Heck, your behind when you but the latest stuff anyway.
the fisch
The only thing I needed to upgrade was my scanner and you have to search and find the xrite drivers for monitor callibration and printer. The only drivers for improvement at the moment but seems to be stable is the NVidia for my large screen. You may have to go to specific sites to download the drivers but it is very easy in windows 7--type in device manager and look for any caution signs. I also found that I need to add the APS battery back up as a few power outages were causing blue screen and windows 7 was very touchy with Norton thinking something was invading but now it seems to settled out.
I was locking up Photoshop and it shutting down on me before and now I am flying with lots of other things running during print jobs. I had problems with my video card in the laptop due to other issues and the new systems can upgrade to 8 GB now but I am using the 4GB fine with that system. I use Photoshop CS3 at the moment. You can do the self assessment on the windows 7 website and it will tell you what won't work. I had to give up Pagemaker but it was time.
I have done all this upgrading myself, learning as I go on Dell Precision 690, Latitude E6400. After using windows 7 64bit I don't want to go back and it is worth the struggle to find a few drivers. Everybody is catching up and working with microsoft including Norton.
Have fun with your research!
I would also say 64 bit is the way to go today. The only advice I would add is concerning the hard drives. I would not recommend huge internal hard drives with the expectation of using them as image storage. Hard drives fail, no if's, ands or but's about it. Images should always be stored on a drive separate from what photoshop is installed on. So I would suggest spending additional monies on externals, (multiple ones) as your image storage devices along with off site storage, not huge internal drives.
Have fun, new hardware is always great.
I personally built my pc from scratch - 8gigs Ram, 5+gigs of hdd's, (all internal), and a quad processor.
I don't like Raid arrays because of the trouble they can cause. But I back up weekly to internals and often to external hdd's.
The trick is to partition for the C drive so that if it crashes you don't lose data. None of my images are on the C drive disk. This setup is fast and powerful, augmented by the fact that my pagefile is on another drive and my photoshop scratch is on C and another drive. Pagefile and one PS scratch are on the outside of the platters for quick acess.
Also take note that at this time, Photoshop is not able to access more than 3 gb of Ram no matter how its configured, although that is expected to change with CS5.
The only needed software I can't run on 64bit is Quicktime, although Quicktime Alternative does run.
64 bit is the future for sure. One other thing, consider the Ultimate version of whatever Operating System you purchase. The perks, such as making OS images and file backup are awesome.
For 64 bit PCs, this is simply not true:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404901.html
For Macs, Apple made some major OS changes after Adobe had gotten significantly into the development of CS4 and hasn't released a 64 bit version of CS4 for Macs. Mac users cannot access more that 3.5 gig of RAM. CS5 is expected to be fully 64 bit compatible.
For 64 bit PCs, this is simply not true:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404901.html
My mistake. Was thinking from a CS3 perspective. As to partitioning, I wouldn't recommend loading file backups to a C drive, either. In my case I partitioned the C to make it smaller for platter access, as the hdd on hand was 500 gbs. Files should be backed up on other hdd's whether internal or external.
RAID Arrays can be very stable if one uses a hardware RAID controller that is configured properly. Software RAID has been known to cause I/O errors that leads to problems.
My Dell Dimension came with a hardware RAID set up as a RAID 0. It worked flawlessly for over five years until I had one of the HD's crash last month. The crash was caused by the failed drive, not the RAID itself. This resulted in having to install a new drive, the OS, my apps, drivers, and recovery of all my images (and other stuff) from backup.
I no longer have a RAID array, but have a second 500GB HD on order, and will simply use it to image my primary drive wit Acronis True Image. My images and other documents are backed up to a Western Digital external and an internal on the other machine on my home network.
-P
Your hard drive partitioning makes sense.
I had to say something on that one, having tried to explain to a friend why he lost everything on his drive when he thought that partitioning was a backup strategy. Given the levels of computer knowledge present here, I thought that point needed to be made very clear.