I have decided to take the plunge and build my own system rather than trying to configure an off-the-shelf Dell or Gateway. In addition to home office use, the computer will be most heavily used in photographic editing (Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Silverfast AI Studio) and CAD (Autodesk Inventor). The computer will only rarely be used for gaming (if ever).
One of my principal objectives is to configure a flexible system with a high potential for future growth. Thus, a principal aim is to configure a system that will accommodate the ongoing hardware and software migration from 32-bit operating systems to 64-bit operating systems. I consequently am considering a high end processor and motherboard such as the Core 2 Duo E8400 and the Intel DX48BT2 motherboard (only supports DDR3 memory).
That said, my question is in regard to memory and the Vista operating system. I am planning on a system with 4 Gbytes of installed memory even though a 32 bit operating system will only allow me to use roughly 3 Gbytes. Notwithstanding this limitation, it is my understanding that the available memory will roughly double to about 7 Gbytes when the system is upgraded to a 64 bit system.
Is this a wise choice? Or should I only configure 2 Gbytes and add more memory when the upgrade to a 64 bit operating system occurs? (I’ll probably upgrade when Photoshop upgrades to a 64 bit version.)
Also, I’m also interested in any recommendations for processors and motherboards.
One of my principal objectives is to configure a flexible system with a high potential for future growth. Thus, a principal aim is to configure a system that will accommodate the ongoing hardware and software migration from 32-bit operating systems to 64-bit operating systems. I consequently am considering a high end processor and motherboard such as the Core 2 Duo E8400 and the Intel DX48BT2 motherboard (only supports DDR3 memory).
That said, my question is in regard to memory and the Vista operating system. I am planning on a system with 4 Gbytes of installed memory even though a 32 bit operating system will only allow me to use roughly 3 Gbytes. Notwithstanding this limitation, it is my understanding that the available memory will roughly double to about 7 Gbytes when the system is upgraded to a 64 bit system.
Is this a wise choice? Or should I only configure 2 Gbytes and add more memory when the upgrade to a 64 bit operating system occurs? (I’ll probably upgrade when Photoshop upgrades to a 64 bit version.)
Also, I’m also interested in any recommendations for processors and motherboards.