computer recommendations

[gnats50]

I need something to process 5dII RAWs, batch edit 300 or so files in PS at a time, etc...
I also like to listen to music, browse online, etc.. while working.

I do not have a preference for mac or PC. My budget is 2500USD, although that number is not firm. Need a desktop with IPS monitor.

Any recommendations?

[In2Photos]

Do you want to build your own or buy something already built?

[gnats50]

Do you want to build your own or buy something already built?

a good question: I am able to build my own, but would not prefer the hassle. It doesn't really matter

[In2Photos]

a good question: I am able to build my own, but would not prefer the hassle. It doesn't really matter
In this case I would look at either Dell's XPS systems or find a local builder. For $2500 you should be able to buy a very nice rig and get a great monitor. Don't forget a calibration device if you don't already have one.

[FZ1]

For $2500 you should be able to buy a very nice rig and get a great monitor.
+1
For photo editing using PS, make sure you get a video card that plays nice with PS (check Adobe) which will help supplement the CPU. Also, since you plan on doing a fair amount of multitasking, get a quad core and plenty of RAM (if using a 64bit OS, 6GB+ is ideal). A 32bit OS will not take advantage of much over 3Gb depending on the PC configuration.

[basroil]

I need something to process 5dII RAWs, batch edit 300 or so files in PS at a time, etc...
I also like to listen to music, browse online, etc.. while working.

I do not have a preference for mac or PC. My budget is 2500USD, although that number is not firm. Need a desktop with IPS monitor.

Any recommendations?

For that budget, go all out with i7 rig+ eizo 24" monitor. i7 desktop w/o monitor will be about 1k-1.1k, eizo monitor about same price (for 22", 1300-1400 for 24")

[gnats50]

can I get any specifics on parts and what-not? I have been out of the computer shopping/pricing realm for a while. I know that the i7 is a very powerful processor; I don't really know how to pair it with a motherboard, ram, and everything else. I'm trying to get current...

also, what do you all think about the NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi-BK-SV ?

what about the current apple cinema displays? I've heard some not so good things about them...

[SuzyView]

Load up on RAM. You'll need it. I have 4gb RAM on this laptop and it's fine for LR2 and CS4.

[basroil]

can I get any specifics on parts and what-not? I have been out of the computer shopping/pricing realm for a while. I know that the i7 is a very powerful processor; I don't really know how to pair it with a motherboard, ram, and everything else. I'm trying to get current...

also, what do you all think about the NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi-BK-SV ?

what about the current apple cinema displays? I've heard some not so good things about them...

i7 920+ x58 based mobo (asus has some nice ones, including a 6 sata port one), 6gb (3x2gb) of DDR3 1333 MHz ram, 750W power supply, HDD of your choice (I personally like 500gb-1TB caviar black drives), good keyboard and a gaming mouse (yes, gaming style mice are the best for editing). Make sure the case you want is ATX. Or you can go for a Dell or HP like the studio xps 435MT and it'll cost you about the same (but you lose the ability to overclock, and lose the ability to install your own cooling system)


NEC makes good monitors, but why not just go LaCie 324 instead? comes with calibration hardware in box.

As for cinema displays, in general they are fine, but glossy screen+ displayport only means not very fun to deal with.

[In2Photos]

can I get any specifics on parts and what-not? I have been out of the computer shopping/pricing realm for a while. I know that the i7 is a very powerful processor; I don't really know how to pair it with a motherboard, ram, and everything else. I'm trying to get current...


Does this mean you are thinking about building?

If you go with a pre-built parts won't matter much as you won't have a choice. Go with i7, 6GB RAM, a bunch of storage and maybe a SSD drive for the boot drive. Like mentioned check the video card with PS before you buy.

Now, if you plan to build I'm sure we could configure something at the Egg for you.

[tim]

NEC make great monitors, and there's one brand of color calibrator that's made to work with it's built in calibration system. Dell would be the easy way to go, get a tower so there's room to expand. If you build just make sure you get 6GB RAM in 3x2GB and make sure you have 6 memory slots. Get a few hard drives, they're cheap. Maybe even an SSD for your boot drive.

[kini]

I need something to process 5dII RAWs, batch edit 300 or so files in PS at a time, etc...

Any recommendations?

300 at a time? Best to go with a dual processor Xenon with 24-32gbs.

something like this http://www.avadirect.com/product_details_configurator.asp?PRID=13580

But once you get to this point the MacPro is actually less expensive.

[basroil]

NEC make great monitors, and there's one brand of color calibrator that's made to work with it's built in calibration system. Dell would be the easy way to go, get a tower so there's room to expand. If you build just make sure you get 6GB RAM in 3x2GB and make sure you have 6 memory slots. Get a few hard drives, they're cheap. Maybe even an SSD for your boot drive.

So far the only full sized nahelem mobos that doesn't have 6 dimm are the mac pro one (since they have the riser system instead), foxconn mobos (half server, half workstation, has 6 sata ports with raid 1/0/5/10 and 2 SAS raid 1,0). I think a gigabyte one has four dimms as well, but in general most have 6. Stick to asus, evga, and intel (though I think one intel board is also 4 dimm version though, ) and should be fine, but double check the make to make sure it's 6 slots. Also make sure there are at least 4 sata ports, better to have 6 though. memory faster than 1333 isn't really worth it at this time, and unless you know what you are doing, you may end up frying the CPU if you pass too high of a memory voltage.

[airfrogusmc]

I just ordered a Mac. Should be here by the weekend. Its a bit more than your budget though.
2 quad core Intel Xeon processors 2.26 Ghz
16 GB memory ( 8x2GB)
Hard drive bay 1- 640 GB serial ATA
Hard drive bay 2- 1 TB serial ATA
24” Apple cinema flat panel display

[CyberDyneSystems]

...

But once you get to this point the MacPro is actually less expensive.

Well, not if they are "similarly equipped" specifically where HD and RAM are concerned..

But I agree when prices get close it's a good option. The fact that the MacPro will run everything including Windows makes it pretty appealing as prices get close.

[tim]

300 at a time? Best to go with a dual processor Xenon with 24-32gbs.

something like this http://www.avadirect.com/product_details_configurator.asp?PRID=13580

But once you get to this point the MacPro is actually less expensive.

Xeon (not Xenon) are really server processors, a single i720 will be more than enough even with 5D2 files. I process up to 1500 40D files on a Q6600 quite happily.

So far the only full sized nahelem mobos that doesn't have 6 dimm are the mac pro one (since they have the riser system instead), foxconn mobos (half server, half workstation, has 6 sata ports with raid 1/0/5/10 and 2 SAS raid 1,0). I think a gigabyte one has four dimms as well, but in general most have 6. Stick to asus, evga, and intel (though I think one intel board is also 4 dimm version though, ) and should be fine, but double check the make to make sure it's 6 slots. Also make sure there are at least 4 sata ports, better to have 6 though. memory faster than 1333 isn't really worth it at this time, and unless you know what you are doing, you may end up frying the CPU if you pass too high of a memory voltage.

Interesting. Maybe it's worth just going with 12GB on a 3 slot board, though from what i've read 6GB is enough for most people. Depends on cost really, I think DDR3 has come down a lot in price recently.

[basroil]

Xeon (not Xenon) are really server processors, a single i720 will be more than enough even with 5D2 files. I process up to 1500 40D files on a Q6600 quite happily.



Interesting. Maybe it's worth just going with 12GB on a 3 slot board, though from what i've read 6GB is enough for most people. Depends on cost really, I think DDR3 has come down a lot in price recently.

I fully agree 6gb is more than enough for most people, and by the time you want more, 4gb dimms will be cheaper anyway. 3 slot boards do offer some nice things (like a crapload of drive controller options and ports), but you need to be sure that it's enough for what you want. In general, 6 slot ones FTW.

And yes, no need for dual xeons unless you do very parallel work (multiple video inputs with realtime encoding of a web feed, medical apps, etc). I processed 520 1dmkiii raw files in LR2 (including a lot of brush effects, gradients, spot removal, etc), and the total export time was <30 min. Filters like unsharpenmask on a 5dmkii file are instantanious, and I can encode 1080P video faster than real time in h264 with more quality related settings than most encoders can handle (basically the same as putting quicktime pro on high quality). Did I use a dual xeon system? No, just a Core i7 920 system. Unless you need it, no sense in going dual xeon. If you did need it, you wouldn't be asking the question.

[gnats50]

I like the conversations we got going here. interesting stuff.

Dell is currently running a deal for their XPS laptops and desktops and I believe it ends today.

So, I was messing around and came up with this for $1,398:

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2011))

Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz) (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%202))

6GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%203))

640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%208))

Dual Drives: Internal Qflix-enabled DVD Burner and DVD-ROM (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2016))

20.0" Dell ST2010 HD Widescreen Monitor (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%205))

ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%206))

Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2017))

No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system) (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2018))

Dell Studio Consumer Multimedia Keyboard (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%204))

Dell Studio Optical Mouse (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2012))

No Modem Option (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2014))

Dell 1505 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & external antenna (javascript:to_page_mod(1,%2019))



Also Includes
Studio XPS 435
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language
Windows Vista™ Premium
Dell Remote Access, free basic service


Can't knock the monitor off of it though :(

[tim]

Check if that video card's on Adobe's list. Otherwise as long as there's space to add more drives it looks good.

[basroil]

I like the conversations we got going here. interesting stuff.

Dell is currently running a deal for their XPS laptops and desktops and I believe it ends today.

So, I was messing around and came up with this for $1,398:

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit

Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)

6GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs

640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

Dual Drives: Internal Qflix-enabled DVD Burner and DVD-ROM

20.0" Dell ST2010 HD Widescreen Monitor

ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB

Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)

Dell Studio Consumer Multimedia Keyboard

Dell Studio Optical Mouse

No Modem Option

Dell 1505 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & external antenna



Also Includes
Studio XPS 435
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language
Windows Vista™ Premium
Dell Remote Access, free basic service


Can't knock the monitor off of it though :(

Stuff in red you can do without unless you need it or it's cheaper than not having it. especially qflix drive, no point in that.

Stuff in orange you might want to think about upgrading a bit, as said, 3x2gb vs 6x1gb, and maybe a monitor upgrade. Usually when dell makes deals, it's not just on their "recommended" ones, rather all that are from the same line. just click add to cart to see if it qualifies, then remove it.

[gnats50]

alright, I need a DVD burner (it was also the cheapest option), and would like a wireless card to take advantage of my home network. Also, I figured on buying hard drives elsewhere.

What does newegg got? I've never built my own, though I've added ram, hdd, and dvd drives to PCs before. I'm fairly confident in my abilities. Would it be difficult?


as for "adobe's list", is this it: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405711.html

[gnats50]

also, was checking out the dell monitors. how are the Dell Ultrasharp 3008WFP and Dell Ultrasharp 3007WFP-HC?


they are both 30" S-IPS panles from what I've read so far. They seem to be reasonable. nothing wrong with saving $$$

[tim]

30" is massive, when I first got my 19" monitor I found it too big, I was moving my neck instead of my eyes to see the whole thing. 30" would be a nightmare.

[basroil]

I second staying away from 30" unless you really need it. For $1300 of the 30", you can get 2x 2408WFP monitors, or a 24" eizo or lacie monitor.

[Bobster]

30" is massive, when I first got my 19" monitor I found it too big, I was moving my neck instead of my eyes to see the whole thing. 30" would be a nightmare.
yes but tim, we all don't sit 6 inches away from the screen ;)

[basroil]

yes but tim, we all don't sit 6 inches away from the screen ;)

With 2560x1600 resolution though, you'll have to sit just as close as that 1280x1024 screen, but need to somehow still see to every corner ;)

[tim]

yes but tim, we all don't sit 6 inches away from the screen ;)

So buy a smaller screen, sit closer, and save your money! ;)

[Bobster]

With 2560x1600 resolution though, you'll have to sit just as close as that 1280x1024 screen, but need to somehow still see to every corner ;)
nothing wrong with my eyes, i was using 1600x1200 on a 17" CRT back in '96 :p

[In2Photos]

alright, I need a DVD burner (it was also the cheapest option), and would like a wireless card to take advantage of my home network. Also, I figured on buying hard drives elsewhere.

What does newegg got? I've never built my own, though I've added ram, hdd, and dvd drives to PCs before. I'm fairly confident in my abilities. Would it be difficult?


as for "adobe's list", is this it: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405711.html
Building a machine won't save you much money if you look at an i7 rig, but you will get nicer parts for the money, you can spend more where you need it and less where you don't. For instance, I have a $30 ($20 after the rebate) video card since I don't game and don't use CS4. So I spent the money I would have used on a video card to upgrade to an E-IPS Dell monitor.

If I built something today from the egg with your budget it would probably look like this:

Asus P6T Deluxe mobo
i7 920 CPU
6GB (3x2GB) 1333 RAM (Gskill, Corsair, etc at a decent price)
SSD Boot drive
1-640GB WD Black drive for non-photo data
1-1TB WD Black drive for photos
1-2TB external backup
ATI video card that is supported by PS CS4
Case (coolermaster or Antec, maybe Lian Li if I wanted to splurge)
Corsair 650TX PSU
DVD SATA drive (I like Lite on, other like Samsung or LG)
Xigmatek Dark Knight CPU cooler (even running stock speeds)
Use either Vista 64 for now with free upgrade to Win7 or go with the free version of Win7 RC and buy the full version in October.

My guess is that this lands you somewhere around $1700-$1900 depending on your choice of OS. That leaves you some money for a decent 24" IPS monitor.


Building a PC isn't difficult, but it will take a little time. Getting it "up and going" will likely take about 4-8 hours. Buying a pre-built saves you this time, but you may have some "fluff" from the PC manufacturer that you need to get rid of which can take time as well. After that it will take the same amount of time to install your programs and move your data to the new machine.

[gnats50]

Thanks alot Mike! I'm still trying to decide, but will definitely make a purchase next week.

No love for macs out there????

[basroil]

Thanks alot Mike! I'm still trying to decide, but will definitely make a purchase next week.

No love for macs out there????

not for that budget and when the OP (you) doesn't care one way or the other. i7+an ips monitor can be had for the same price as an imac 24", and the mac pro is out of your price range after a monitor.

[airfrogusmc]

Thanks alot Mike! I'm still trying to decide, but will definitely make a purchase next week.

No love for macs out there????

I just bought one see post #14 but paid more than your budget.

[wlescall]

Thanks alot Mike! I'm still trying to decide, but will definitely make a purchase next week.

No love for macs out there????

There are a few who have an absolute hatred for Apple. There are many who use Macs & PC's. My advice has always been try it out - if you like it - you'll use it. If you don't like it, you won't use it & why waste the money? (applies to Mac vs PC, Canon vs Nikon, etc.)

My only hard & fast rule is: There is no such thing as too much hard dive space or too much RAM. ;)

[Iocol]

I'm going with a 24" Imac myself but that's because I want to make the switch to Apple. In terms of getting the most memory & hd space for your computer, you're better off with a PC if that's your priority. Just depends on what you're looking for.

[nphsbuckeye]

There are a few who have an absolute hatred for Apple. There are many who use Macs & PC's. My advice has always been try it out - if you like it - you'll use it. If you don't like it, you won't use it & why waste the money? (applies to Mac vs PC, Canon vs Nikon, etc.)

My only hard & fast rule is: There is no such thing as too much hard dive space or too much RAM. ;)
I wouldn't say absolute hatred. I don't see much hatred for Macs as much as you can get a very powerful Windows based machine for much cheaper than the most comparable Mac, thus begging the question why buy a more expensive machine when you'll be using software that both can run. I see it as a hardware, not software issue. Most of the people I know that like Macs use the usually Mac propaganda against Windows that might have been true many years ago, but today not so much.

[gnats50]

First off, I believe that OSX is an incredible operating system; however, I think Mac hardware is a little on the pricey side. I don't like the screen with the iMac, and mac pro's are a little out of my budget. So, I think PC might be the way to go for me.

AND, I think I have decided to build my own. Then I know exactly what parts were used and I don't have anything that is unnecessary. Any objections? :)
I used alot of In2Photos' suggestions; thanks Mike!
Is anyone willing to check this over and make sure it will work together?


XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler

HIS H485QT512P Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported IceQ4 Turbo Video Card

Corsair Extreme Series CMFSSD-32D1 2.5 (The solid state disc)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

LITE-ON 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model iHAS222-06 LightScribe Support

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1333C9

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee

Antec P183 Black Aluminum / Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920

nMEDIAPC ZE-C88 All-in-one USB 2.0 Card Reader

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 V2



Total $1,544.82


Is this everything I need? (I think I got everything including a card reader and wireless mouse and keyboard; obviously missing the monitor) Will I need to purchase SATA cables, or will they come with the motherboard?

Also, any suggestions on getting it to work on my wireless network? Are there any internal cards for that?

Thanks alot guys!

[In2Photos]

First off, I believe that OSX is an incredible operating system; however, I think Mac hardware is a little on the pricey side. I don't like the screen with the iMac, and mac pro's are a little out of my budget. So, I think PC might be the way to go for me.

AND, I think I have decided to build my own. Then I know exactly what parts were used and I don't have anything that is unnecessary. Any objections? :)
I used alot of In2Photos' suggestions; thanks Mike!
Is anyone willing to check this over and make sure it will work together?


XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler

HIS H485QT512P Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported IceQ4 Turbo Video Card

Corsair Extreme Series CMFSSD-32D1 2.5 (The solid state disc)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

LITE-ON 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model iHAS222-06 LightScribe Support

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1333C9

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee

Antec P183 Black Aluminum / Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920

nMEDIAPC ZE-C88 All-in-one USB 2.0 Card Reader

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 V2



Total $1,544.82


Is this everything I need? (I think I got everything including a caed reader and wireless mouse and keyboard; obviously missing the monitor) Will I need to purchase SATA cables, or will they come with the motherboard?

Also, any suggestions on getting it to work on my wireless network? Are there any internal cards for that?

Thanks alot guys!

Looks pretty good, but for the card reader if you want an internal get the Aft Pro-35u: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820176015&Tpk=aft-pro%2035u

The SATA cables should come with the Mobo.

You will need a wireless card. I like Linksys products, but don't have much experience with the wireless cards.

[basroil]

If you can't run ethernet (all desktops should optimally have a 10/100 or 10/100/1000 connection), go with a wireless N product. One caveat though, almost all of them have wireless router control disabled by default for security reasons. That means you will need a computer next to your router directly plugged it at some point in time (to change the settings ).

[RobertZ]

I just ordered a Mac. Should be here by the weekend. Its a bit more than your budget though.
2 quad core Intel Xeon processors 2.26 Ghz
16 GB memory ( 8x2GB)
Hard drive bay 1- 640 GB serial ATA
Hard drive bay 2- 1 TB serial ATA
24” Apple cinema flat panel display


Very nice. Very very nice! Thats nearly five grand worth of machine.

[gnats50]

awesome. again, thanks guys.

I will not be able to get wired ethernet to the room. I suppose a 10/100 card could be installed in the future when necessary

[airfrogusmc]

Very nice. Very very nice! Thats nearly five grand worth of machine.
Should be here next week, I can't wait.

[basroil]

awesome. again, thanks guys.

I will not be able to get wired ethernet to the room. I suppose a 10/100 card could be installed in the future when necessary

99% of mobos out there already have 10/100/1000, so you're covered on ethernet should you wire your house in the future

[gnats50]

99% of mobos out there already have 10/100/1000, so you're covered on ethernet should you wire your house in the future

a-ha, of course. I knew that! hahaha

[RobertZ]

Should be here next week, I can't wait.

I got excited and it's not even my purchase! :lol::lol:

[maxblack]

airfrofusmc:
I got the same computer from Apple as a refurb.
I have 12 GB of RAM in it.
Will plug in another HD soon.
You will love it!

This thread is a good read. Lots of info.

[Moppie]

Lets keep this thread on topic and rational please.

If you feel a need to sprew rhetoric about why one platform is magically better than another for creative work grab a cardboard sign and go preach on your nearest street corner.

[basroil]

Lets keep this thread on topic and rational please.

If you feel a need to sprew rhetoric about why one platform is magically better than another for creative work grab a cardboard sign and go preach on your nearest street corner.

Can we say that OP should look for specs more than OS though? I vote for quad core or nahelem based computers ;)

EDIT:

P.S.: I am creative, and I don't (normally) use macs. My CAD using buddies are very creative, and they use AutoCAD on custom built windows rigs. Please don't insult us indirectly (and likely accidentally), we take pride in being creative regardless of the system we use.

[Moppie]

Can we say that OP should look for specs more than OS though? I vote for quad core or nahelem based computers ;)


I think it has already been made pretty clear that batching lots of 5D MKII files, while performing other tasks is going to need a fairly high end work station.

That deffinitly means quad core, ideally an i7 based rig with 6-12GB of ram a couple of internal 1TB discs just for the photos, with 1-2 extra discs for everything else.

[airfrogusmc]

Lets keep this thread on topic and rational please.

If you feel a need to sprew rhetoric about why one platform is magically better than another for creative work grab a cardboard sign and go preach on your nearest street corner.

Then please tell me why the entire creative world is almost all mac?

[Moppie]

Then please tell me why the entire creative world is almost all mac?

We are not going to have this debate in this thread. It is so far off topic it has no relevance what so ever.

[gnats50]

alright, the parts are bought and on their way! And I think I have decided on the NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi-BK-SV for a little less than $1300. It comes with their SpectraView. Is this a good solution for calibration? Should I look for something else?

oh yes, and will I need some thermal paste when assembling the pc? what tools will I need? (screwdriver...)

[tim]

The heatsink will come with a thermal paste pad, so you'll only need paste if you mess it up. Arctic Silver have a paste remover/paste kit. You'll need a philips screwdriver, probably not much else.

I wonder if the calibration puck comes with the NEC monitor... I don't think so.

[basroil]

I also suggest a dremil or similar if you have non-standard case parts. Comes a long way when you are trying to put a 120mm fan in an 80mm fan port ;)