Workstation Card Structure?

[Salt-City_Slasher]

I read a really nice forum about the difference between video game cards and workstation cards, one being there made
a little different one being for super high FPS and one for 3D modeling and what not. If I remember right it
had to do something with the clocking or timing.

So I don't know much about the FirePro or Quadro line of cards, but I had a few questions about them!

1st- If I don't play video games, and only produce music and use CS5 for hobbie/school would the workstation card be more suitable for me?

2nd- If I am just doing basic to intermediate web design and graphic design, could you even tell a difference between
regular cards and workstation?

3rd- I read that both Nvidia and ATI make equal counterparts and that Nvidia's cuda is special only to Premiere, but
is there a norm or certain line of products that beginners/intermediate get to start with?

4th-IF you know of a link on some info please post it, I know everything about the video game cards, up until last week
I was just going to one of them, but I thought I would read and look around first.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

You can get a ATI FirePro V4800, which is a workstation card as you already would be knowing, for about 200$.. So if your system would be used for only works then i'd recommend you getting that.

No worth it for his uses.

If you wish to stick to desktop video cards then i'd recommend you getting a Nvidia video card as they work better with productivity apps compared to ATI cards..

You're basing this on what? Wishes and Fanboism?
Did you even bother to look at a recent review like the one I posted;

Yeah that GTX480 was working just great, especially at 0.9 fps. [:thegreatgrapeape:5]
Seriously stop living in the past, the reality is ATi gaming cards with standard drivers do better overall, but get nVidia workstation drivers in there and voila massive improvement and domination, but due to the specialized optimized drivers, which means if you get the desktop model, you're scr3wed.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

It looks like the Asus 5830 is 200$ now, thats worth the upgrade from the 5770, they are selling the 5770 for 200$ at the best buy right now!

NAh, not a good card for this role, it consumes a TON more power, and generates alot more heat, and is not really any different for these tasks, the HD5830 is a bad card for the role.

I just need to figure what I want for memory than what GPU to get or none at all!
I have the 960GT currently so maybe I will save the 200 or so and get a 400-500 workstation in like 6 months

If you've already got the GF9600GT and it still works fine, then build around that and get the best CPU and memory combination you can that will make the most difference beyond a good GF9600GT starting point, and you can then play with the MPE features in CS5 with the hack, and then when you're comfortable knowing what you want with the experience of having some actual worktime under your belt.
Then you are in a better position to decide, and IMO, the truly nice cards will be coming in the spring of next year, and even the Southern Island ATi refresh this fall is likely worth waiting for on the ATi side of things.
The GF9600GT will do just fine right now, as long as you don't need good multi-monitor or high bit-depth support and don't have benchmark GPGPU score envy , and really you'll know that better if those matter once you've actually used it for a while because it'll do the basic of all those well enough to get your feet wet.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Well my nvidia 9600GT is pretty basic I have two screens on it right now(23" and 19"), but I was wanting to try and
get at least one more of the Acer H233H's before there gone one day. Cause it always looks cooler when you have matching
screens!
Well I do have CS4 and so I will be using the programs with-in it, but since I am no master at it yet, so I will only
be doing small projects and nothing on a grand scale..yet.
I will just wait until later to get a card, like you said if some nicer ones are to come I will just wait save the cash, and
either I get the cool new whatever.

But I do got to buy everything else at the time, obviously I can add hard drives and memory and so on, but I think I have
a good list going now. Here is kinda what I amped up and what I am about to consider:
1090
HX750
Crosshair 4
212+
HAF-X
WIn 7 home 64
2x 1tb 6gb/s Caviar Black
128gb sata 3 Crucial SDD
asus dvd burner
then either I want to get just 4gb's of 2000 lat 7 flare's, or 2x4gb's of 2000 flare, or 4x2gb Crucial Tracers red?
The Flares 8gb would be insanly cool, and I would be able to add another set of 8gb's later, but then
I would be spending 400$ on memory! Which is worth it cause I can drop the 2nd HD and the 212+ if I needed.

4x2gb of crucial=1689$ w/everything

2x4gb of Flare 2000 lat 8=1828 w/ everything

2x2gb or flare 2000 lat 7=1608 w/everything

So if I take out a few little things the 8gb's of flare is just as cheap! I really don't need 2tb's I would just use them for different things, but since I am getting a super sata 3 SSD, I should be more than fine!

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

this computer purchase has been my hardest one yet! Before I never had any problems I knew exactly what I wanted.
Now I so many possibilitys i am sick.
God knows what would happend if mac sold a iMac but with out the 800$ led screen, then I wouldn't know what to get!
I wish they would just be the same and let you have snow leopard on PC, why they got to stingy!

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Well I did my new test and tell me what you think of this build?
i7 930
Rampage 3
HAF-X w/CM 200mm and 120mm red
Windows 7 home 64
Asus GTX460
Crucial 128gb Sata 3 SSD
Hyper 212+ w/two CM red 120mm
Gskill Flare 1800 Lat 7
HX850
2x Caviar Black 1tb Sata 3
Asus DVD Burner