Setting Up New System

[MajaMolly]

Does anyone have any links to a guide/instructions or... on setting up a new PC system? This will be used primarily for photos/editing with Photoshop/Lightroom/Bridge. It is Windows 8, and I am adding a SSD as it is my understanding that that is the best way to go.

I am not quite understanding how to set up Photoshop with the SSD and how to allocate where things go etc.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Richard Lundberg]

Is the SSD internal and do you have SATA III bus? If so, make sure Photoshop app is on the SSD. Store images somewhere on it until finished then move to external. Get all the RAM you can afford.

[MajaMolly]

Is the SSD internal and do you have SATA III bus? If so, make sure Photoshop app is on the SSD. Store images somewhere on it until finished then move to external. Get all the RAM you can afford.

Thank you, Richard.

The SSD is internal-but is not part of the original system. SATA-I am not positive and will have to check on that. I did get lots of RAM.

I don't think I previously had Photoshop set up to run the fastest and most efficiently, and would like to do it properly this time.

[Manfred M]

A SSD is a relatively expensive component versus a traditional hard drive. The main reason to use it is to have the computer's operating system start up quickly and the second most common use is to do the same thing for software you are running. I also find it useful as a buffer to temporarly store large files that are then transferred to a traditional hard drive. If you make this your startup drive, your operating system and software will go there by default.

When it comes to Photoshop and other editing products, you can also assign it to be your scratch drive.

The downside of SSD is that it is made up of NAND memory, which does wear out after repeated write cycles (but not read cycles), so I prefer to not use it as a scratch drive and do not use it for general file storage. The SSD controller is supposed to manage that to try to equalize out the write cycles.

Windows 8 is quite good at memory management (far better than its predecessors), so more RAM is better. I use 16GB on my editing machine. I rarely see more than 10 or 11GB in use, so I have plenty of headroom.

I'm not sure what you mean by not having Photoshop set up to run the fastest and most efficiently. With the exception of some filters, Photoshop and image editing in generally are not particularly resource heavy applications, so if you could point out specific issues you are having problem with. In my case, because of my workflow, I generate some huge PSD files (they can get close to 2GB) and these do take a long time to open or save and unless I change my workflow, this is not going to change.

[MajaMolly]

A SSD is a relatively expensive component versus a traditional hard drive. The main reason to use it is to have the computer's operating system start up quickly and the second most common use is to do the same thing for software you are running. I also find it useful as a buffer to temporarly store large files that are then transferred to a traditional hard drive. If you make this your startup drive, your operating system and software will go there by default.

When it comes to Photoshop and other editing products, you can also assign it to be your scratch drive.

The downside of SSD is that it is made up of NAND memory, which does wear out after repeated write cycles (but not read cycles), so I prefer to not use it as a scratch drive and do not use it for general file storage. The SSD controller is supposed to manage that to try to equalize out the write cycles.

Windows 8 is quite good at memory management (far better than its predecessors), so more RAM is better. I use 16GB on my editing machine. I rarely see more than 10 or 11GB in use, so I have plenty of headroom.

I'm not sure what you mean by not having Photoshop set up to run the fastest and most efficiently. With the exception of some filters, Photoshop and image editing in generally are not particularly resource heavy applications, so if you could point out specific issues you are having problem with. In my case, because of my workflow, I generate some huge PSD files (they can get close to 2GB) and these do take a long time to open or save and unless I change my workflow, this is not going to change.

In general I can't keep my system running. It appears to be worn out. In researching what might be the problem, I came across questions about scratch disk, SSD, etc. All of which I was clueless about.

When setting up CS5, I don't recall making any specific file writing places and just let it go to Adobe's defaults. So that's where I am confused. When I set up the new system, I am assuming that I should NOT select defaults?

[Manfred M]

The Adobe defaults work fine in most instances, so they are a good starting point.

What do you mean "you can't keep your system running". Does it keep shutting down on you?

[MajaMolly]

The Adobe defaults work fine in most instances, so they are a good starting point.

What do you mean "you can't keep your system running". Does it keep shutting down on you?

Yes, it keeps shutting down. I've cleaned it, defragged it, run malware and spyware, updated, restored. It is roughly 5 years old. I've been told that 4 years is what to expect?

[Richard Lundberg]

You will not see any benefit from an SSD for file transfers if you have old SATA. Must be SATA III. Boot and app startups will be appreciably faster. If you can use your RAM in a new machine you would be way better off with USB 3, SATA III, lots of RAM, more processors, etc.

[ajohnw]

I'd be inclined to put your images on a disc and just the applications and system on the ssd. It's rather well known that repeatedly writing different data to ssd wears them out.

Can't say as I agree that sata III is a must but if your building a new system it probably will be anyway. The main advantage of SSD is a dramatic improvement in read and access times. Writes are a little strange. They can be fast until space if filled up with deleted files. At that point these have to be erased before new data can be written. For some bizare reason people are calling this defrag. It isn't. If you happen on a situation where erases are needed writes are very slow. There is something called a trim facility to get round this but I have no idea how it works on windows. There are some suggestions here. One interesting aspect of trim is that ideally it's best to not run it until it's needed.

http://www.techradar.com/news/comput...ormance-943984

Windows can be set up so that C drive the default install for window is on the ssd along with all application software. You then persuade it to put home drives on a disc. Preferably a none green drive such as western digital red. If the motherboard supports intel raid 2 mirrored discs will be considerably quicker than one. It's rather surprising just how slow some green drives can be. I did find a good link on how to do this on win 7 for some one but so far haven't for win 8 and it's time for bed.

John
-

[Manfred M]

Yes, it keeps shutting down. I've cleaned it, defragged it, run malware and spyware, updated, restored. It is roughly 5 years old. I've been told that 4 years is what to expect?

If it keeps shutting down, it is likely one of the cooling fans is either dead or clogged. The computers do have overheat protection built in and it will shut down if the temperture sensors note an overheat situation.

[MajaMolly]

The more I read, the more confused I get.

[Richard Lundberg]

That's completely normal when dealing with forums.

[dabhand]

The more I read, the more confused I get.

Aye people do tend to get caught up in esoterica.

To try and simplify things for you, hopefully, but without going into the technical arguments.

SSDs are much faster than ordinary disk drives.

I install all my photo apps on my C drive which is an SSD, other apps go on a separate hard disk.

ACHI is the key to using an SSD as a system disk - If you don't understand what it is I would suggest you use a conventional disk as the 'c' drive and the SSD for putting your images on - they will load quickly that way.

However, if you want to be adventurous and know the make/model of your motherboard - google it and see if it supports AHCI - if it does you can now install the operating system on it just as on an ordinary drive and your system will boot very quickly.

Tuning photoshop and lightroom is a much deeper subject - Julieanne Kost has a good video re tuning Lightroom at http://blogs.adobe.com/jkost/2013/12...htroom-5.html; a paper at http://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/...lightroom.html and Jeff Tranberry has a paper on tuning CS6 at http://blogs.adobe.com/crawlspace/20...rformance.html

The above provide good start points - hope they help and best of luck.

[ajohnw]

The shut down is probably over heating. When I buy a PC I change the heat sink for one that blows through rather than into if needed and even those need cleaning periodically. My latest machine is an ex demo HP workstation. It blows through but they have also covered it so cleaning is going to be a pain.

The best way to clean up a heatsink is to use a soft paint brush along with the narrow nozzle on a vacuum cleaner. If the cpu heatsink is the usual intel type that blows down it's possible to disturb the dust with the brush if the bristles are a couple of inches long and suck it up at the same time but if you look carefully you will probably find that the fan clips on and can be removed with a bit of care. While your at it brush and hoover out the lot. The ones that blow through are easier to clean - apart from HP ones but again it's easier if the fan is unclipped.

In the interests of safety do please turn the machine off and disconnect it from the mains, wear a crash helmet, goggles, industrial gloves and have an observer standing by in case you fall over or get tangled up in the wire etc.

This link seems to be sensible but I would have doubts about win 7. It looks like win 8 asks a question that 7 didn't when this is done this way. I'd guess that the win 8 install will ask where to put things on a fresh install. If it doesn't the method mentioned here could be used by installing the ssd alone 1st and then adding the hard drives.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computi...torage-heaven/

I would also put the swap onto a hard drive. It sounds like win 8 will also raid 2 identical hard drives for you too.

When buying an ssd rather than going for the largest you can afford it would probably be best to buy and enterprise type of smaller capacity. Take too long to explain why but basically all sorts of wonderful things go on inside these things - the enterprise types are even more wonderful. The ultimate is called SLC but costs are very prohibitive. My son runs win 7 on a 32gb ssd and some applications and spent hours researching which make lasts longest. 64gb would be more than ample for applications and the operating system but it really is best to make sure temporary files and the swap are on the hard drive. In other words minimise the number of times the ssd is written to. If some one can't do that a bigger one wouldn't be a bad idea as the device will try and wear itself out evenly any way. Personally I either switch my machine off or suspend to ram. Can't see the point in suspending to disc.

If buying a new machine ex demo HP ones can be a rather good buy. Mine had 33 months left on the on site maintenance. It uses parity ram which adds to the cost and confusion but I found Mr Memory helpful - what type and the price of adding 16 to the existing 8. it's fitted with the latest 3.6ghz 4 core xeon. It came with a rather green and slow hard drive and I added the ssd and 2 wd red drives myself. As their cases are fairly heavily made it's a nice quiet machine. The motherboard supports intel raid and if some one plugs drives in it will set them up easily. That contains my work space. The ssd all software and a partition on the original disc is used for temp but never seems to be used.

John
-

[MajaMolly]

Steve and John-Thanks a bunch. I will try the cleaning...with all necessary protective gear...and see what happens. After that- well, looks like a fair bit of reading and contemplating to do.

[Manfred M]

Steve and John-Thanks a bunch. I will try the cleaning...with all necessary protective gear...and see what happens. After that- well, looks like a fair bit of reading and contemplating to do.

The cleaning means opening up your PC and clearing out the dust-bunnies you will find there. If you plug it in and run it and you see that one of the fans (likely the one on the CPU) is not spinning, that will be what needs the work / replacement.

[MajaMolly]

The cleaning means opening up your PC and clearing out the dust-bunnies you will find there. If you plug it in and run it and you see that one of the fans (likely the one on the CPU) is not spinning, that will be what needs the work / replacement.

Got it! Thanks.

[MajaMolly]

If it keeps shutting down, it is likely one of the cooling fans is either dead or clogged. The computers do have overheat protection built in and it will shut down if the temperture sensors note an overheat situation.

Thank you! It's clean inside and out and now sports a new fan. It's seems to be running great! Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Richard Lundberg]

Another victory for science!

[MajaMolly]

Thank you! It's clean inside and out and now sports a new fan. It's seems to be running great! Keeping my fingers crossed.

And for my bank balance. Really, thanks. You guys helped a lot.