Will a graphics accelerator chip make any difference for picture editing

[Page]

I am looking at a new laptop for picture editing and general use.

I can pay more and get a model with a graphics accelerator chip but will it make any significant difference for picture editing?

Less important - but what about for video editing - not doing yet but you never know.

Or is it just for gaming of which I have no interest.

[JoyDivision]

Its mainly for gaming but I find the colour can be better with a proper graphics chip, it also dosn't eat into your system RAM so that may help. For graphics editing a fast processor and lots of RAM is better.

[Page]

It will be on a laptop by the way

[Pentangle]

For video editing you would need the fastest processor and most memory you can get into the device.

As for the original question, editing photos won't require a specific upgrade to your graphics chip (it's been decades since graphics chips *weren't* 'accelerated', so don't be caught out by the hype - it's like asking whether a Ferrari is required to drive to the shops....sure it's 'better', but only in some categories, none of which would be of particular interest to you).

Hope that helps.
Mike.

[Subbynet]

CS4 (Maybe 3, I'm no graphics guy) and decent video editing software will have the ability to offload work to the GPU, which will increase the speed of your machine.

Saying that decent GPU's are more or less mini-computers in themselves these days, and cost just as much.

[Page]

This is the graphics chip it would have ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 with 512MB so I suspect nothing to fancy in terms of being a graphics chip.

[GreJoda]

Well, I would ask you something else.

Picture editing. Can you be more specific? REtouching or colour editing? For what purpose?

I am asking that because laptop displays are not good for colour corrections.

[Page]

I do not know the terms and it is not me that usually does it and the lad is on holiday.

But after taking the picture getting it ready for the web.

With a budget but not a pro budget.

Currently done on a laptop and okay I suppose.

Laptop also gets used elsewhere around the business and needs to be a laptop.

But that said ....

I am open to comments and considering a rethink.

[Pentangle]

I do not know the terms and it is not me that usually does it and the lad is on holiday.

But after taking the picture getting it ready for the web.

With a budget but not a pro budget.

Currently done on a laptop and okay I suppose.

Laptop also gets used elsewhere around the business and needs to be a laptop.

But that said ....

I am open to comments and considering a rethink.

Laptop should be fine. If you need true colour retouching for the publishing nerdy types, an external display can be added quite cheaply.

[Page]

If the laptop has HDMI does it need DMI if I was thinking of adding an external monitor of some form?

Or does HDMI make the having DMI irrelevant?

[GreJoda]

I do not know the terms and it is not me that usually does it and the lad is on holiday.

But after taking the picture getting it ready for the web.

With a budget but not a pro budget.

Currently done on a laptop and okay I suppose.

Laptop also gets used elsewhere around the business and needs to be a laptop.

But that said ....

I am open to comments and considering a rethink.

It is fine then. And for that you dont need a graphics accelerator.

[GreJoda]

If the laptop has HDMI does it need DMI if I was thinking of adding an external monitor of some form?

Or does HDMI make the having DMI irrelevant?

Mmmm, you probably think DVI instead of DMI?

Here is a comparision...

hoop://vvv.home-theater-automation-and-electronics.com/HDMIvsDVI.html
(replace hoop with http and vvv with www due to forum restriction for not allowing weblinks for under 15 posters)

[Pentangle]

The laptop will have VGA and/or DVI outputs. These are connectable to a HDMI input on a suitable flatscreen TV if you want to use that, although HP do some decent monitors with good colour reproduction if you need that.

[paulears]

Most modest laptops now have performance quite able to run picture editing software - I do this kind of thing as part of my business, and although we're running fast, powerful machines with better video cards for editing video in HD, simple laptops can even do this quite well with their onboard fairly basic video card. Editing still pictures isn't processor intensive - but memory is a different thing. If you are on XP or Vista, then 2Gb of memory is handy to cope with multiple layers and copy and pasting large images, without waiting for caching to your hard drive. Also - some software like Photoshop is pretty memory intensive when you start trying to adjust things in real time with large images. Processor speed isn't a real problem, nor is video performance - but working memory is, as it tries to adjust the image in real time as you make small adjustments. With Windows 7, slap in as much memory as the machine will take -always worth it.

[Page]

Does using a plug in usb drive on windows 7 speed things up?

There is some way you can set it up to do this as part of 7 and maybe vista i think.

[trebor8]

Does using a plug in usb drive on windows 7 speed things up?


No!

Get a Macbook and all your questions will be answered. Even a good 2nd hand one from Ebay will more than suffice. They have a alot more stability about them.
They take abit of getting used to, but like an automatic car, once you get use it, they're great!!