PhillyOverclocker

Hello all. I have a customer who runs a graphical program for creating signs and car wraps called SignLab8 and just began using a Mimaki JV3-160SP printer, which is used to print on vinyl for doing car wraps and such. He also just bought the matching cutter. Also installed on the computer is Adobe CS4 Extended Edition to help with content creation.

Long story short, the machine that the software is running on has proven to be far less than adequate. It is a old Compaq with an AMD 3200+ single core running 32-bit XP. Any rendering like moving objects around or zooming is an exercise in patience that would make even a monk smash his monitor with his keyboard.

I would like to begin picking out parts for a new build to run this setup, but I would like to get it right the first time. I have built many machines but mostly for gaming and a couple of workstations built for AutoCAD using Quadro cards. Never for this type of software.

Surely he will be using a 64-bit OS so he could support 4-8GB of memory but I am unsure if we should concentrate on having a very fast rendering 3D graphics card (like a gaming card), a workstation-type graphics card (like a Nvidia Quadro FX), or a really fast dual-core CPU or maybe even a quad.

What I am trying to ask is if the software is more CPU or GPU bound, and where the money would be best spent when doing this upgrade.

I know it is a shot in the dark posting this outside of a specialty forum, but for now you guys are the only ones I know and trust.

Thanks.

__________________

My daughter's super-fast kiddie rig

danewfie

to be honest, all he needs is a moderate computer. a low end quad core because its a workstation. and add a modern graphics card. adobe CS4 has a graphics card enhancement so choose one from the list.

you can find the list here:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405711.html

If the guy has money to spend, u can try gong for an i7 build with 6 gig ram triple channel.

So thats basically all there is to it.

quad core, large quantity of ram, one of the graphics cards provided on the list.

hope that helps.
,cheers

__________________
-Every Rose has its thorn
My Blog

n1helix

dont know if it will help but i used SignLab at school too with a vinyl printer and i remember that the computer was a single core with a Quatro FX inside it so i guess a workstation graphics will be required

__________________

We Are Gr33n Machine

Rewindlabs

I am positive an Athlon II X4 would be PERFECT for your customer

__________________
Hand me your hand, let me look in your eyes
As my last chance to feel human begins to vaporize
Maybe it’s the heat in here, maybe it’s the pressure
You ought to head for the exits, the sooner the better

danewfie

Yah the program is more graphic intensive so if your customer is strapped for cash, pick out one of the graphics card from the list and install that into the current computer. It should help considerably.

__________________
-Every Rose has its thorn
My Blog

Dilyn

You don't really need a Quadro card, but it sure is nice to have for what he's doing.


I can do decent stuff in CS4 with my card, but if he's got the cash to spend, definitely go with high end and a tad bit more RAM (I vote six gigs).

I mean, he doesn't need an uber highend machine. He can go mid to high and still get amazing results. But if he's got the cash, go big or go home!

__________________

PhillyOverclocker

Thanks. I feel like a dope for not looking into the actual maker of the software. Cheers

I was thinking the same thing, but I don't want to have him drop $400+ on a video card just to find that he could have benefited more from a decent quad and a much cheaper gaming-type card.

So, for this type of software, which would be the most "bang for the buck" to get? Remember, the things he is doing is NOT in 3D, but is still extremely data-rich, if that makes any sense.

__________________

My daughter's super-fast kiddie rig

Coma

I don't think he needs that much RAM or even a dedicated graphic card. It seems to be mainly vector-based work to me. Fonts are the same. Open notepad, set the font size to something huge, then scroll the window. Has your computer exploded? :P

Granted software like Photoshop is slower, but not enough to warrant even 4GB IMO.

Show us a screenshot.

__________________
When asking for help: state the goal, not the step.

danewfie

A home user can deal with slowness but if you are running a business you need to be able to get your work done fast.

4gig+ is recommended if you are doing any photoshop on a 64bit operating system. And yes.. get a dedicated graphics card. The whole point of upgrading is to make the system usable without the lag.

__________________
-Every Rose has its thorn
My Blog

Coma

When I said 'need', I meant 'need for realtime'... I don't think he'll lag.

__________________
When asking for help: state the goal, not the step.