could use some help picking a good computer for the wife

[Lt. Bob]

I wanna build/buy a good 'puter for the wife.
It won't be a music 'puter but I'm hoping someone here might have some suggestions and/or advice.
She's basically into graphic design and ad layouts.
It's what she does for a living and she's into it and good at it.

So it's time to get her something with serious graphic power. I want it for the express purpose of graphics design and web design and I want it to be fast and bad-ass. I don't care much about the cost if it's gonna be bad-ass enough. I would like to stay below $1500 if possible ..... we already have all the peripherals ..... monitor ,,, printer .... all that. Just getting the tower.

I had someone at Tiger Direct tell me I ought to go for a gaming 'puter 'cause graphics is what they're built to do.
Sounds right to me but I wanted to know what you might think.
Are the graphics in 'puters more aimed towards being fast at the expense of pure graphics or are they serious graphics monsters that would be a good fir for the wifes' purposes?

 

[ocnor]

I had someone at Tiger Direct tell me I ought to go for a gaming 'puter 'cause graphics is what they're built to do.
Sounds right to me but I wanted to know what you might think.

Yes a gaming computer would work well for your wife. I've found that usually Tiger Direct's prices are a bit higher than Newegg.

 

[altitude909]

gaming graphics and design graphics are not really the same thing. The environment she works in will determine her needs (i.e. OpenGL is popular for graphics software so you will want a gfx card that supports it). For $1500 you are set on all accounts though since OpenGL compatible cards are not that expensive (under $100). I would go with an i5 processor with windows 7 64bit, 8 gigs of ram and a HUGE ass monitor. That should not run more than a grand at most.

 

[Lt. Bob]

gaming graphics and design graphics are not really the same thing. The environment she works in will determine her needs (i.e. OpenGL is popular for graphics software so you will want a gfx card that supports it). For $1500 you are set on all accounts though since OpenGL compatible cards are not that expensive (under $100). I would go with an i5 processor with windows 7 64bit, 8 gigs of ram and a HUGE ass monitor. That should not run more than a grand at most.

thanks ...... those are the kind of details I need.
We were already told the i5 was fast but there's a newer one the i7.Any thoughts on that?

8G of ram ........ done.
That's about the most ram you can get right?
And OpenGL .......don't know what that is but wifey might and either way, now we know to look for it.

 

[TimOBrien]

#1: What programs does she use and WHAT DO HER CLIENTS DEMAND?

If she does print advertising, do they want Mac or PC files??

Pick the software FIRST, then the computer and OS to run it on.....