possible upgrade in the very near future

[cccc]

I have been running cs3 on my laptop the past 3 or 4 months and all was going OKAY when my computer decided to stop working. It won't even turn on. So it's being repaired as we speak.

However, I am sick of how slow this thing is. It's an HP dv9000, real basic. 1GB ram, 160 GB hardrive, standard AMD processor. You know, nothing crazy.

It takes a while to open up my RAW files and to move around files and such.
I usually open up 10 files at a time after taking a nice amount (never more than 100).

I'd like to start backing up my files on a large external hard drive, but I'd rather not wait an hour to transfer a few GB.

Apple has some refurb deals going on and I'm looking at one in particular.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB417LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

I've used some macs and they are pretty sweet once you get the feel for them.
Would the mac above suit my needs better? Or should I look in a different direction? I'm not interested in another laptop, mine is always plugged in anyways.

[Moppie]

If you plan on keeping the XSI for some time then it has more than enough power.

However, remember your limited to a single, non-user upgradable HDD, so your still going to have to rely heavily on the external back up.
Although you will be able to use Firewire, which will speed things up.

If your serious though, or plan to upgrade the XSI in the future, then look for a proper quad core desktop with multiple internal drives and an e-SATA connection for the external.

[cccc]

I don't plan on going more crazy than a 40d or 50d within the next couple years honestly.
I am fine with saving most of my data on the external drive - with that in mind what should I look for besides a firewire 800 connection?

And if I want to upgrade my RAM with the iMAC, is that an easy fix?

Thanks for your help

[cccc]

Would this be a better buy for the money? It sounds much more promising than the mac.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9174289&type=product&id=1218044029789&IcsCsid=39-405-5-27517-0-25350-671-0-1

[MaxxuM]

Would this be a better buy for the money? It sounds much more promising than the mac.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9174289&type=product&id=1218044029789&IcsCsid=39-405-5-27517-0-25350-671-0-1

Do you want OS X or Windows? That's what it really comes down to. If you want cheap then get a Windows machine.

[Marloon]

it definitely all depends on what you would like to use.

As for me, i am a mac and a pc user. Back in 2006 i made a switch over to a mac and I started to get into photography in late 2007. It's almost been 2 years since i got into photography, and what i noticed that photography really needs a lot of removable and expandable storage devices. It also needs speed unless you would like to sit there forever. when i talk about speed, i mean processing speed, multitasking ability and high transfer speeds from drive to drive.

What better way to get all of that "speed" than in a desktop format as desktops are more bang for your buck especially if your workspace is stationary. It also helps with my back as i am usually hunched over my laptop and it starts to kill it after hours and hours of use of it.

So then i looked at my priorities. I needed:
- Screen Real estate
- Processing Power
- Multitasking Ability
- Hard Drive space

So then i looked at my budget:
- $2000 - $2500

If i went with a mac:
24" E-IPS panel (figured from the viewing angle of 178)
3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
1TB 7200
GT 130 512MB

If i went with a PC:
2 x 22" E-IPS monitor
i7 920
260 Core 216
6GB (DDR3-1666)
3 TB
Logitech z-2300

[cccc]

So then i looked at my priorities. I needed:
- Screen Real estate
- Processing Power
- Multitasking Ability
- Hard Drive space

So then i looked at my budget:
- $2000 - $2500

If i went with a mac:
24" E-IPS panel (figured from the viewing angle of 178)
3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
1TB 7200
GT 130 512MB

If i went with a PC:
2 x 22" E-IPS monitor
i7 920
260 Core 216
6GB (DDR3-1666)
3 TB
Logitech z-2300

Those setups are definitely a little hardcore compared to my current needs.
What would you recommend me getting between $1000-1200?

I only need one screen and probably 1 TB, internal or external. I have no clue what to get for a processor and how much RAM i should start with.

Just found this guy:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/sys/1216517440.html

Thats really affordable.
Is this a good option with a ram upgrade and a nice monitor? Maybe another hardrive as well?

[In2Photos]

Those setups are definitely a little hardcore compared to my current needs.
What would you recommend me getting between $1000-1200?

I only need one screen and probably 1 TB, internal or external. I have no clue what to get for a processor and how much RAM i should start with.
i7 920 processor
Asus p6T mobo
6GB RAM
WD Black HDD (maybe two, one for OS and one for data/photos)
Case (to your liking)
Corsair 650TX PSU
DVD drive
Dell 2209WA monitor


Should set you back about $1200-$1300 depending on a few choices.

[Moppie]

I don't plan on going more crazy than a 40d or 50d within the next couple years honestly.
I am fine with saving most of my data on the external drive - with that in mind what should I look for besides a firewire 800 connection?

And if I want to upgrade my RAM with the iMAC, is that an easy fix?

Thanks for your help


In a couple of years the replacement for the 50D, will likely produce files that will be on the limits of what you can process on a dual core computer.
It's a bit of unknown gamble really.


Yes, you can upgrade the ram in an iMac. I believe it is very similar to upgrading the ram in a laptop. You remove a small cover, and then swap the chips out.
The harddisk is not user upgradable though.

However, as the others have said, you can't beat a proper work station if your serious about your photography.
And as good as the iMac is, it is not a proper work station.


The i7 set ups recomended are going to be fantastic!
They will be more than enough for your current needs, and provide a lot of future proofing.

However, if your on a really, really tight budget, then old generation quad cores are still available and very cheap.
Look for a Q6600 or Q8200 and an ASUS P5Q mother board.
But, these boards, the processors and the RAM they use will not be around for much longer.

[cccc]

i7 920 processor
Asus p6T mobo
6GB RAM
WD Black HDD (maybe two, one for OS and one for data/photos)
Case (to your liking)
Corsair 650TX PSU
DVD drive
Dell 2209WA monitor


Should set you back about $1200-$1300 depending on a few choices.Don't I need a graphics card or something?

[Marloon]

1000-1200!? with or without monitor? LOL

without a monitor...
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Ya4atgftyQU/SjHYvbChtbI/AAAAAAAAARs/XKHAJoe9VwQ/s800/bam%21.jpg

with a monitor... sadly...i dont know how it can be done. LOL

[Marloon]

Oh and ALL OF THAT! costs 1,198.91 - PHEW! you have 1.19 left to spend however youd like. :D

oh i suggest saving it towards a dell 2209wa.

if you get my build, you will enjoy TWO 2209wa monitors. LOL

[Marloon]

how about AMD?! have you considered them yet?! LOL. not AS amazing for multitasking but still amazing! MORE AMAZING FOR GAMEs. you like games? do you?! LOL

[nphsbuckeye]

1000-1200!? with or without monitor? LOL

without a monitor...
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Ya4atgftyQU/SjHYvbChtbI/AAAAAAAAARs/XKHAJoe9VwQ/s800/bam%21.jpg

with a monitor... sadly...i dont know how it can be done. LOL
How did you get the CPU for that price?

[Marloon]

oh it comes with a stupid 6 free issues of CPU magazine for 35.94 LOL

[Marloon]

oh and by the way, you can even go lower than what i have priced here..

a) you can remove the aftermarket cooler and use the stock cooler
b) go for a cheaper case such as the CM 960
c) you can go for a cheaper video card such as the 9800GT considering its just for photowork and if you play video games you can still run video games at max graphics with an avg of 60fps
d) you can get lower power supply such as a 500w
e) you can get a cheaper drive (made by seagate - i use them)

the 750watt PSU allows you to run more drives. the 900 has 9 drive bays. :D i have 3 occupied (dVD burner, 2 HDD)

[In2Photos]

Don't I need a graphics card or something?
Ooops! I knew I forgot something! Yes, you need a video card, nothing real fancy unless you plan to game. Any 512MB card $50-$75 should do.
oh and by the way, you can even go lower than what i have priced here..

a) you can remove the aftermarket cooler and use the stock cooler
b) go for a cheaper case such as the CM 960
c) you can go for a cheaper video card such as the 9800GT considering its just for photowork and if you play video games you can still run video games at max graphics with an avg of 60fps
d) you can get lower power supply such as a 500w
e) you can get a cheaper drive (made by seagate - i use them)

the 750watt PSU allows you to run more drives. the 900 has 9 drive bays. :D i have 3 occupied (dVD burner, 2 HDD)
I would do the following.

a) yes.
b) yes although do you mean the CM 690?
c) Absolutely!
d) do not skimp on PSU
e) Won't save you much

HDD don't take much power do the larger PSU is not needed for that reason. Quality is more important than quantity. So find a quality PSU that has enough power over a lesser PSU more power.

[In2Photos]

From Newegg:

Asus P6t (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131359)
i7 920 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202)
G Skill 6GB 1333 RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231223)
Sapphire 4650 512MB GPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102829)
WD 1TB Black (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284)
Corsair 650TX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005)
Antec 300 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042) (Just a case around $60, find one that suits you, I chose I RC590 CoolerMaster for my build)
Samsung DVD Burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173) (or Lite On, etc)
Vista Home Premium 64 bit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488)

Total without shipping $1058.87

[Marloon]

From Newegg:

Asus P6t (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131359)
i7 920 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202)
G Skill 6GB 1333 RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231223)
Sapphire 4650 512MB GPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102829)
WD 1TB Black (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284)
Corsair 650TX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005)
Antec 300 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042) (Just a case around $60, find one that suits you, I chose I RC590 CoolerMaster for my build)
Samsung DVD Burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173) (or Lite On, etc)
Vista Home Premium 64 bit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488)

Total without shipping $1058.87

I guess its the general rule of preference, "to each his own..."

i would say that thats a good build, i just wouldnt go for the antec 300. minimal room to upgrade in the near future. and that i mean by video card room, and cpu cooling fan room.

I use a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. AND OH MY GOODNESS! lol.. with no overclocking, the CPU runs at a cool 28 degrees on a HOT day. LOL... if i overclock it to 3.6Ghz (which is AMAZINGLY FAST THAT I DONT EVEN FEEL THE DIFFERENCE), it runs at a cool 60 degrees on a HOT DAY.

but sadly, my computer is a paperweight at the moment. It sits waiting for the two 2209wa monitors thats on its way here. Well at least one monitor is... the other is still being processed and its been 3 days for processing. STUPID DELL! (wait... they might see this. oh the heck with it. STUPID DELL)

[Marloon]

Ooops! I knew I forgot something! Yes, you need a video card, nothing real fancy unless you plan to game. Any 512MB card $50-$75 should do.

I would do the following.

a) yes.
b) yes although do you mean the CM 690?
c) Absolutely!
d) do not skimp on PSU
e) Won't save you much

HDD don't take much power do the larger PSU is not needed for that reason. Quality is more important than quantity. So find a quality PSU that has enough power over a lesser PSU more power.

yes i mean the CM 690. They are good for hard drive management. But i dont think that they are as good as the Antec 900. The only gripe i have about the antec 900 is the fan controllers. they are inside, forcing me to put them on MAX at all times to prevent me from going in and out of the case to adjust the fan speeds. Another issue with this case is that the front grate (the intake) gets dirty and dust bunnies populate it over time. these two issues have been addressed in the new Antec 902. It comes with filters, and the fan controllers are accessible at the back of the case. but its another 80 dollar jump. i bought my antec 900 for CHEAP - 80 dollars or so.

i agree with not skimping out on PSU... look it up on corsairs website! use corsair PSU, they are great. the 650TX is great... i will have to upgrade from a 750 to a 1000Watt soon.

[cccc]

You guys are really helpful.
The question has come up and no, I will not be gaming on this computer.

CS3, music, internet and MS office.
That is all I will use this for.
I'd like to be able to have room for more drives later, but I don't need 5 HDD. I'll have three at the most.

Also, will all of the setups above allow me to use two monitors? And will I need a new mobo to install more RAM if I think I need it down the road?
How much do you really neeeeeed all of the cooling stuff? Just wondering...

FINAL question: Is wiring included with everything? Or do i need to purchase that seperately?

[In2Photos]

I guess its the general rule of preference, "to each his own..."

i would say that thats a good build, i just wouldnt go for the antec 300. minimal room to upgrade in the near future. and that i mean by video card room, and cpu cooling fan room.

I use a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. AND OH MY GOODNESS! lol.. with no overclocking, the CPU runs at a cool 28 degrees on a HOT day. LOL... if i overclock it to 3.6Ghz (which is AMAZINGLY FAST THAT I DONT EVEN FEEL THE DIFFERENCE), it runs at a cool 60 degrees on a HOT DAY.

but sadly, my computer is a paperweight at the moment. It sits waiting for the two 2209wa monitors thats on its way here. Well at least one monitor is... the other is still being processed and its been 3 days for processing. STUPID DELL! (wait... they might see this. oh the heck with it. STUPID DELL)
I run the CM 590 and a Xigmatek Dark Knight CPU cooler and with my fans (3 120mm plus a 120mm on the CPU cooler) at 50% I can't hear a thing and the machine runs around 25C with ambient temps in my room between 75-80F.
You guys are really helpful.
The question has come up and no, I will not be gaming on this computer.

CS3, music, internet and MS office.
That is all I will use this for.
I'd like to be able to have room for more drives later, but I don't need 5 HDD. I'll have three at the most.

Most towers in the $60 price range will have room for several drives so that shouldn't be an issue. my CM 590 has room for I think 9 5.25 drives total. I'm using 5 spaces at the moment with 2 DVD drives, one card reader and two hard drives. The one thing you want to check on when buying a case is where will you be putting it. If on a carpet floor then you need to be careful with a bottom mounted PSU as it will suck in carpet fibers. You also don't want your USB ports on the bottom of the machine.


Also, will all of the setups above allow me to use two monitors? And will I need a new mobo to install more RAM if I think I need it down the road?
How much do you really neeeeeed all of the cooling stuff? Just wondering...


Yes. However you might wish to look for a card that has dual DVI slots instead of one DVI and one VGA. Price will be similar.

The new X58 mobos usually support between 12 and 24 GB RAM so you should be fine for a while!

If you are going to run stock speeds then stock cooling should be fine.


FINAL question: Is wiring included with everything? Or do i need to purchase that seperately?
The mobo will come with most of the cables you need (SATA) for your DVD drive and HDD. The PSU will handle all the power needs. So you shouldn't need anything unless you have some specific hardware you need to include.

[Marloon]

...but I don't need 5 HDD. I'll have three at the most...

how do you know this? i would never think of exceeding 3 drives, but chances are i will be going up to 5 in 3 years or so just to extend the life of this computer.

will all of the setups above allow me to use two monitors?

Yes! :D Pick up 2 dell 2209wa. from what i have heard They are amazing - (havent received mine yet. STUPID DELL!)

Oh and you dont need to deal with wiring. ALL of the wiring IS included! :D And you will get EXTRAS! Extra screws, extra cables, extra whatever! extra everything!

some people in this forum run 12GB. at this moment in time, i think thats just silly. Vista Ultimate 64 bit runs 1.5GB of ram idle. Windows 7 32bit runs half of that. so when we all get transfered over to windows 7, we should be good with 6gb for now.

i wonder what they are running with 12gb of ram. hmmm.. lol

[Marloon]

you might want to get a fan if you want to overclock. overclocking is easily done these days.

Oh and i agree with everything In2photos have said :D

[Marloon]

now its up to you to decide between p6t and ud4p. i went with the ud4p because of price and better reviews. the asus p6t has a lot of different variations. what's your take on it in2photos?

[cccc]

Which card reader do you guys recommend?

I mainly want something flexible. If I need more ram in the future, or more hard drives or another monitor I want the option with out purchsing a ton of other complementary hardware. This computer will stomp on anything I've ever used thus far, so i dont thing i will be overclocking anytime soon... there is no need for what I'll be doing.

Marloon, what are the differences between the two mobos listed?
I'm so excited! I had no clue a computer like this was within my price range.

I'm not running a 64 bit version of PS... can I use that on a 64 bit system?

[In2Photos]

now its up to you to decide between p6t and ud4p. i went with the ud4p because of price and better reviews. the asus p6t has a lot of different variations. what's your take on it in2photos?
Either board should be fine, both seem to get really good reviews. See more below.
Which card reader do you guys recommend?


Internal - AFT Pro 35u from Newegg
External - SanDisk All in one


I mainly want something flexible. If I need more ram in the future, or more hard drives or another monitor I want the option with out purchsing a ton of other complementary hardware. This computer will stomp on anything I've ever used thus far, so i dont thing i will be overclocking anytime soon... there is no need for what I'll be doing.

Any of the systems we have speced should be very flexible!

Marloon, what are the differences between the two mobos listed?
I'm so excited! I had no clue a computer like this was within my price range.
The Asus only supports 12GB, but has an eSATA port and built in RAID controller. If you want 24GB of RAM support on ASUS you need the p6T deluxe.

I'm not running a 64 bit version of PS... can I use that on a 64 bit system?
Yes.

[cccc]

Would you advise against me getting a 500gb hard drive now and then add another 1 or 2 drives down the road a bit?

[In2Photos]

Would you advise against me getting a 500gb hard drive now and then add another 1 or 2 drives down the road a bit?
If anything get the 640GB WD black. But honestly there is only $20 difference between the 640GB and 1TB so...

[Marloon]

according to newegg.com

75 - 500 caviar black
100- 750 caviar black
115 - 1TB caviar black

[In2Photos]

according to newegg.com

75 - 500 caviar black
100- 750 caviar black
115 - 1TB caviar black

I get the following.

500GB - $60 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320)
640GB - $75 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319)
750GB - $80 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136283)
1 TB - $100 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284)

[Marloon]

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I went to newegg.ca LOL

[cccc]

So everything is about ready to be ordered.
Quick question though.
Everybody keeps saying that Photoshop should be written to it's own seperate drive from windows, and my photos should be kept seperate from everything.

So should I buy 2 small (80 or 100 gig) drives - one for PS and LR in the future, and the other for windows? Along side my 1 TB for pictures of course.

It seems like a huge waste of space to have a 500gig drive just sitting there with windows on it. Am i missing something?

[Marloon]

4 disc setup.

(1) 500GB for applications / OS
(1) 1-1.5 for personal items (movies, documents and what have you)
(1) 1.5 to 2 for photo work
(1) 1.5 to 2 for photo work internal backup

[Marloon]

unfortunately, i am running the following soon... and its going to cost $$$$

(1) 1TB for applications / OS (partitioned to 500gb each, one as a back up if os fails to boot)
(1) 1.5 for personal items
(1) 1.5 for photo work
(1) 1.5 for photo work internal acbkup

oh and if you can, buy yourself a monitor calibrator. i bought an i1 Display 2. all 3 items (2 dell 2209 and 1 monitor calibrator will be coming in 2 days)

[Moppie]

So everything is about ready to be ordered.
Quick question though.
Everybody keeps saying that Photoshop should be written to it's own seperate drive from windows, and my photos should be kept seperate from everything.

So should I buy 2 small (80 or 100 gig) drives - one for PS and LR in the future, and the other for windows? Along side my 1 TB for pictures of course.

It seems like a huge waste of space to have a 500gig drive just sitting there with windows on it. Am i missing something?



Photoshop can be installed on the same phyiscal drive as your OS.
But, for best performance it should use a seperate physical drive as its primary scratch disc.

Keeping your photos on a seperate drive, for photos only, helps with back ups, reducing the thier chance being lost if your system is infected, makes it easier to migrate to a new system, and reduces the chances of accidently deleting them.

[cccc]

Okay well I ordered everything today.

But i forgot to think about one thing.
Will this system go wireless? I'm guessing not... How do i do this?
I don't have an ethernet port in my room...

[Marloon]

Oh yeah! There's a gigabyte wirelss card I Use. I'll try and look it up when I get home. I am at the hospital right now - working. The card works with vista x64. Problem is, the card is only a g-wireless card.

[Marloon]

Well so what happened to your parts list?

[cccc]

1 x ($59.99) CASE CM|RC-590-KKN1-GP BK RT - Retail $59.99


1 x ($38.99) CARD READER AFT|PRO-35U R - Retail $38.99


1 x ($75.99) MEM 2Gx3|PQI DIII1333 MFC46GUOE-X3 - Retail $75.99


1 x ($35.94) GIFT CPU MAG|MAGAZINE COUPON - OEM $35.94


1 x ($69.99) HD 500G|WD WD5001AALS % - OEM $69.99


1 x ($249.99) MB ASUS P6T 1366 X58 RTL - Retail $249.99


1 x ($59.99) VGA SAPPHIRE 100248L HD3850 512M RT - Retail $59.99


1 x ($99.99) PSU CORSAIR|CMPSU-650TX 650W RT - Retail $99.99


1 x ($279.99) CPU INTEL|CORE I7 920 2.66G 45N R - Retail $279.99


1 x ($23.99) DVD BURN LG|GH22NP20 22X IDE % - OEM $23.99


1 x ($79.99) MS WIN VISTA HM PREM SP1 64BIT 1PK% - OEM $79.99


1 x ($-35.94) DISCOUNT FOR AUTOADD #2507$-35.94
__________________________________________________ _____
Total Amount: $1157.27

Plus a 2209wa monitor!!

Anything I'm missing?

[Marloon]

Gigabyte Wlan Card - PCI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839121008)

this card is CHEAP and it works with x64 bit computers! amazing CARD!

[cccc]

okay I'll grab one when all my stuff comes in. I'm sure I'll think of something else to pick up at frys while I am there.

I'll take pics of the build and post the final product within a week (lets hope!)

[In2Photos]

1 x ($59.99) CASE CM|RC-590-KKN1-GP BK RT - Retail $59.99


1 x ($38.99) CARD READER AFT|PRO-35U R - Retail $38.99


1 x ($75.99) MEM 2Gx3|PQI DIII1333 MFC46GUOE-X3 - Retail $75.99


1 x ($35.94) GIFT CPU MAG|MAGAZINE COUPON - OEM $35.94


1 x ($69.99) HD 500G|WD WD5001AALS % - OEM $69.99


1 x ($249.99) MB ASUS P6T 1366 X58 RTL - Retail $249.99


1 x ($59.99) VGA SAPPHIRE 100248L HD3850 512M RT - Retail $59.99


1 x ($99.99) PSU CORSAIR|CMPSU-650TX 650W RT - Retail $99.99


1 x ($279.99) CPU INTEL|CORE I7 920 2.66G 45N R - Retail $279.99


1 x ($23.99) DVD BURN LG|GH22NP20 22X IDE % - OEM $23.99


1 x ($79.99) MS WIN VISTA HM PREM SP1 64BIT 1PK% - OEM $79.99


1 x ($-35.94) DISCOUNT FOR AUTOADD #2507$-35.94
__________________________________________________ _____
Total Amount: $1157.27

Plus a 2209wa monitor!!

Anything I'm missing?
Looks good!

[Marloon]

I'd have to agree. :D good job actually buying it, some people ask for advice and just wimp out.

[cccc]

I'd have to agree. :D good job actually buying it, some people ask for advice and just wimp out.

It just seemed like a wise investment to me. Why not enjoy post processing - better yet - why not enjoy a very nice computer. And hey, I can upgrade it pretty easily in the near future (if needed).