What GPU for adobe CS5

Hi,

I'm glad I found this forum, loops like a great source of information and support!

So I'm building a new machine for video editing and other tasks, I'll mostly use Adobe after effect, premiere pro, photoshop, lightroom and a bunch of audio softwares, ableton live, plugins and all.

I'm looking to get a i7-950, the motherboard is probably going to be a gigabyte ud5.. I think the evga classified is a bit over my budget, I'm not sure yet.. but I know that I want to overclock that cpu. I'm considering getting 3x4gb of ram or 6x 4gb right away... and I'd like a ssd for my operating system and current projects.

One place where I'm more confused is the GPU. I need something that will work well with adobe premiere pro and after effect cs5. Adobe says this:

http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/opengl.html

Looks like I have lots of choice but I'm wondering which one performs the best for its price.. I'm open to both nvidia and ati.

My budget is around 200-300$ MAX and I need dual DVI

Also if you have any kind of recommandation about the other parts of my build, don't be shy.

Thanks!

jbl said:

So I'm building a new machine for video editing and other tasks, I'll mostly use Adobe after effect, premiere pro, photoshop, lightroom and a bunch of audio softwares, ableton live, plugins and all.

I'm looking to get a i7-950, the motherboard is probably going to be a gigabyte ud5.. I think the evga classified is a bit over my budget, I'm not sure yet.. but I know that I want to overclock that cpu. I'm considering getting 3x4gb of ram or 6x 4gb right away... and I'd like a ssd for my operating system and current projects.

One place where I'm more confused is the GPU. I need something that will work well with adobe premiere pro and after effect cs5. Adobe says this:

http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/opengl.html

Looks like I have lots of choice but I'm wondering which one performs the best for its price.. I'm open to both nvidia and ati.

My budget is around 200-300$ MAX and I need dual DVI

Also if you have any kind of recommandation about the other parts of my build, don't be shy.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

First off, Welcome to the forums! Your correct, this is a great place for information and some of the most technically inclined from around the world gather here, so you can learn and converse with some really great guys (is there any females here? lol).

I do a ton of editing in CS5 as well, and use a huge boatload of plugins and other apps (cinema 4d, Mocha, REDcine, FCP, Avid) Im sure youve used the videocopilot suite and Magic bullet as well.

While workstation GPU's are great, some are ridiculously expensive. The best solution is actually perfectly timed for you, the new 6870 not only fits right in your price range, but it requires less power than the 5870's and runs much cooler as well:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...4129166&cm_re=ati_6870-_-14-129-166-_-Product

If you would like to go the route of a Nvidia card, you could grab a "lower-ish" workstation card and get one of the following:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/integration.workflowroductDisplayItem?IsBundle=false&GroupID=38&Code=0A36183&OID=:00000026:000036DF:&cid=us|cse|df|googlebase|0A36183&&CAWELAID=679186558

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...73&cm_re=nvidia_quadro-_-14-133-273-_-Product

If you spend a tad more you can get this bad boy which uses the new FERMI:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133353&Tpk=Quadro 2000

But if you want to play games AND edit, well it gets easier, either get a single FERMI, this one is perfect in your price range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=GeForce_GTX_470-_-14-127-501-_-Product

or get two of these, since After effects likes to use multiple GPUS for rendering , and right now there is a mail in rebate, so you'll end up paying $179 each after MIR which will be slightly above your price but totally worth it!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=GeForce_GTX_465-_-14-130-555-_-Product

For the other components, Id use a SSD ONLY for OS and applications, and obviously set your scratch disks to a standard hdd. You'll need a bare minimum of 128gb SSD because running OS+all mandatory apps+CS5+plugins, you'll easily reach 110gb or surpass it.

While I do like the EVGA classified mobos, I've had nothing but problems with the last 2 I had, maybe its just me...but I doubt it. Id go Gigabyte or Asus.

Definitely get as much and as fast of RAM as you can afford, minimum of 12gb you'll gobble up 8gb in a 60 second HD render, but 24gb+ is where its at


If you have any questions let me know!

Exempt said:

For the other components, Id use a SSD ONLY for OS and applications, and obviously set your scratch disks to a standard hdd. You'll need a bare minimum of 128gb SSD because running OS+all mandatory apps+CS5+plugins, you'll easily reach 110gb or surpass it.

Click to expand...

Slightly off topic, but why not have scratch disc as SSD? Is it that you are concerned about space? I find with a RAID-0 setup that I still have performance issues with certain HD video shots or multiple streams, and it's definitely harddrive access time related.

Thanks for the great responses!

I went the hackintosh way with my current machine, I used os x for two years and now I'm only on win7. I find that with the addition of small apps to give me the exposé and spaces functions on windows, win7 is simply better than os x for file handling and all.. and I get all I need, so I'll stick to it.

About games.. I did not actually write about it in the initial post but I do play about twice a month.. I play SC2 and HoN.. I don't think I'll have any problem with these games running at ultra settings no matter what card I buy.

so far I'm interested by the 6870 or the dual GTX 465 if the two cards worth it. (like, better than spending the same amount of $ on one card)

If I want to add a 3rd monitor to my setup, do I need 2 video cards or I can do it with one?

I kinda envy your setup in your sig.. it seems quite good haha.. I wish I had that kind of budget.

Also about the SSD, I was wondering if it's better to go with.. let's say.. 2x 64gb in raid 0 or 1x 128gb.. not sure how the prices compare for this but my budget for ssd is about 350$.. hmm I think this whole computer is already over my budget... but since the majority of my income this month was video editing.. I guess it's a sign that I need the tools to do it right.

Burdman27911 said:

Slightly off topic, but why not have scratch disc as SSD? Is it that you are concerned about space? I find with a RAID-0 setup that I still have performance issues with certain HD video shots or multiple streams, and it's definitely harddrive access time related.

Click to expand...

I meant for his scenario and his budget, otherwise I'd say definitely use a ssd as a scratch disk, i agree when I work with HD, 2k 4k, 5k it's definitely hard drive related access time issues.

jbl said:

Thanks for the great responses!

so far I'm interested by the 6870 or the dual GTX 465 if the two cards worth it. (like, better than spending the same amount of $ on one card)

If I want to add a 3rd monitor to my setup, do I need 2 video cards or I can do it with one?

I kinda envy your setup in your sig.. it seems quite good haha.. I wish I had that kind of budget.

Also about the SSD, I was wondering if it's better to go with.. let's say.. 2x 64gb in raid 0 or 1x 128gb.. not sure how the prices compare for this but my budget for ssd is about 350$.. hmm I think this whole computer is already over my budget... but since the majority of my income this month was video editing.. I guess it's a sign that I need the tools to do it right.

Click to expand...

If I were to choose from experience, I'd say go with the nvidia cards, even though I run ati''s, at my office most of my editors asked me to purchase nvidia cards, and honestly I think they have better visual correction, not sure how to explain it any other way then "images and games just look better". However until the next iteration of nvidia cards, they do run hot and require more power than the new 6000 ati series.

Thanks, I do love my rig, I built it more with gaming in mind, but it was a work in progress, but i do some editing at home since I'm a workaholic. I am building a new one strictly for work based off the evga classified sr-2, should be done by December or jan

As far as the ssds, I'd go with a single ssd for under 128gb increments, but that's just a personal recommendation

For most high end cards these days you can run 3 lcds

I thought that NVidia can't do 3x monitors on one card still. ATI can, but you need to use DP for one or get an adapter. Also, I think the gtx460 is better than the 465 if I recall.

Burdman27911 said:

I thought that NVidia can't do 3x monitors on one card still. ATI can, but you need to use DP for one or get an adapter. Also, I think the gtx460 is better than the 465 if I recall.

Click to expand...

For the 6870* you can up to 4 if I am correct, but Burdman is correct, on Nvidia you need two 465 (or 460) in order to run more than two.

With DisplayPort linking/daisychain you can actually use 6x outputs from one 6800 now if I'm not mistaken.

Wow 6 outs.. I won't need this for now haha.

I'm pretty much heading toward a single 6870 or a GTX 460.. two cards would cost a bit too much (that means a bigger mobo too, right? if I'm considering the rampage III gene).. I'm not sure how much faster it would be for my use anyway..

edit:

about the ssd as scratch disks.. I'm looking at how I use my 500gb hdd right now.. and I have 25gb of apps + a 15gb in the windows folder.. and a good 230gb of stuff.. including a 70gb of video project, some of these are older and could be archived or something.. and a 15gb of photo stuff.. I think I'd be ok to use a 128gb of ssd for windows + softwares + current projects and backing up the rest on hdds.

But now I'm considering 2x 64gb ssd in raid 0 now or a single 128gb with the possibility of getting a 2nd one later.. note that I probably won't be able to get 4x 64gb ssd + my hdds...

Also is 4x 64gb ssd faster than 2x 128gb

I vote for the single 128GB (with hope to expand down the road) if you use windows 7. Win7 supports the TRIM command that keeps your SSD from getting "clogged up", for lack of better term, and will keep it as fast as a new drive, but the TRIM command won't get passed to the drives in RAID. You could still use "Garbage Collection" that most drive manufacturers support that is a similar thing, but you have to manual initiate GC while TRIM works in the background.

Also keep in mind that some smaller drives use less NAND modules, so the throughput is lower than the large drives (essentially like having RAID with fewer drives). Just make sure you read reviews of the drive you think you'll buy.

Yeah I've been thinking about it and reading a bit more about ssd and I think I've narrowed my choices down to the following:

OCZ Vertex 2 120gb http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227590
G Skill Phoenix 120gb http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231372
Pro version: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231378

Not sure what the difference between Phoenix and Phoenix Pro is tho..

I have an OCZ Vertex LE in my PC at work and it's been pretty good. Any of the sandforce-1200 controllers will be about the same, but OCZ does have special treatment with sandforce and at least they used to get tweaked firmware for slightly better random I/O speeds.

I'd personally go with the OCZ, but I really doubt you'll notice a difference between them. Your picks are good choices all around.

Thanks, I guess that's one thing that is settled.

Still unsure about the gpu tho.. I wish I could get feedback from people using the 6870 with cs5 or something..

jbl said:

Thanks for the great responses!

I went the hackintosh way with my current machine, I used os x for two years and now I'm only on win7. I find that with the addition of small apps to give me the exposé and spaces functions on windows, win7 is simply better than os x for file handling and all.. and I get all I need, so I'll stick to it.

About games.. I did not actually write about it in the initial post but I do play about twice a month.. I play SC2 and HoN.. I don't think I'll have any problem with these games running at ultra settings no matter what card I buy.

so far I'm interested by the 6870 or the dual GTX 465 if the two cards worth it. (like, better than spending the same amount of $ on one card)

If I want to add a 3rd monitor to my setup, do I need 2 video cards or I can do it with one?

I kinda envy your setup in your sig.. it seems quite good haha.. I wish I had that kind of budget.

Also about the SSD, I was wondering if it's better to go with.. let's say.. 2x 64gb in raid 0 or 1x 128gb.. not sure how the prices compare for this but my budget for ssd is about 350$.. hmm I think this whole computer is already over my budget... but since the majority of my income this month was video editing.. I guess it's a sign that I need the tools to do it right.

Click to expand...

It's true that Nvidia cards can only run dual monitors per card. ATI cards can run 3 at once, or up to 6 if you purchase an Eyefinity edition.

jbl said:

I'm pretty much heading toward a single 6870 or a GTX 460.. two cards would cost a bit too much (that means a bigger mobo too, right? if I'm considering the rampage III gene).. I'm not sure how much faster it would be for my use anyway..


But now I'm considering 2x 64gb ssd in raid 0 now or a single 128gb with the possibility of getting a 2nd one later.. note that I probably won't be able to get 4x 64gb ssd + my hdds...

Click to expand...

Either way youll be just fine with the graphics card, but CS5 can utilize multiple GPUs as well as if you had two 1gb cards, that's 2gb for rendering which always helps for live renders and when you select "utilize multiple gpus" in After Effects in your render que.

And I agree, single SSD for the 120/128gb, Id go with the OCZ

There are so many ways to spend my money...

I'm considering getting 12gb of ram for now and 2 gpu... but I think I'd rather stick with 24gb of ram now and add the 2nd gpu later... and since I go for 24gb of 1600.. which is a bit over my initial budget, I doubt I'll have anything left for the 2nd gpu..

Anyway I'm building this in a month (even though I'd need it today.) So prices and parts can change.. I'm just getting ready so I know what to expect when it's time to build.