Slow image generation in PS Elements

[zsk240]

I am using photoshop elements 7 on an older XP computer with 1.5GB memory. The 5-6MB images I take are very slow rendering in the organizer or editor. I suspect I need a hardware upgrade to improve this but I would like an opinion on what are the important features to include. Is this a function of processor speed, main board ram, video card, video card ram, or ?

Thanks,

[revjvegas]

in my opinion, in order of need:
1. RAM
2. CPU
3. Video

Adding more RAM to a system is usually the best bang for your buck if you were to do only one upgrade.

And of course the more powerful the video card, the more it can off-load from the cpu.

Then your cpu has to be able to handle all the processes you're asking it to do...AMD or Intel whatever flavor you like best, if you're getting a new system, don't go cheap. You may not need the latest CPU that came out last week, but you also don't want the one that came out 18 months ago. Your best deal is usually the second to latest generation.

A newer PC, with windows 7, 6-8GB of RAM and a decent video card and you'll be amazed at how fast PSE will run.

Again, that's just all my .02.

[zsk240]

Thanks, revjvegas, this helps a lot. I have not seen any affect whether I have another program running when I run PSE or not. I do plan on a new PC in a few months and this helps me decide where to put my money. If anyone else has a thought, please pass it on.

[Rson]

Originally Posted by revjvegas

And of course the more powerful the video card, the more it can off-load from the cpu.

I beg to differ (at the risk of sounding like an a-hole or E-thug)

1:Ram
2: CPU
3: HD transfer rate (SSD or RAID 0 with 6gb/s drive)
4 Distant forth is video. you won't see much improvement from a 100 card to a 400 card. GPU utilization is very primative. PS doesn't off much to the video card and most is eye-candy and PSE doesn't use the GPU

Before you dump money into a killer video card:

GPU and OpenGL features and preferences | Photoshop and Bridge | CS5, CS4

Since you are on XP I doubt you have x64; therefore you can only address 3.5 gb of Ram, a new machine should be based of x64 and run more ram. I don't think PSE harnesses the GPU at ALL.

[Rson]

Originally Posted by zsk240

Thanks, revjvegas, this helps a lot. I have not seen any affect whether I have another program running when I run PSE or not. I do plan on a new PC in a few months and this helps me decide where to put my money. If anyone else has a thought, please pass it on.

Put your money into a quality built machine.

[revjvegas]

Originally Posted by Rson

I beg to differ (at the risk of sounding like an a-hole or E-thug)

Nope; you don't.

Excellent point which I totally forgot about and completely agree with.

This is why it is good to have more than one weigh in. Someone else is always likely to see something missed.

[Hanky]

7200 rpm?

[revjvegas]

rpm is one factor, but you also need to look at the bit transfer rate