CPU upgrade for Photoshop

[StipeP]

Hey people!

I'm upgrading my ancient PC to squeeze a bit more life for another year before going all out with DDR4 based MBO and DX12. For now I need it mostly for Photoshop and occasional gaming. Photoshop is multilayer (up to 100) 1800x5000px stuff (if that means anything to you)

 

So far:

MBO: Asus M2N68-AM Plus 

CPU: Athlon 64 X2 4000+ with CM Hyper 212EVO 

RAM: 8GB DDR2 800MHz

GPU: nVidia GTX580

PSU: Chieftec 450W

HDD: 2.5" Seagate 160GB

 

I decided not to change MBO. I know it's shit but there is still RAM I can use, plus, more DDR2 is cheap to buy (which I did). And it can host up to Phenom X6 1075T, which is cool.
I've gone for nVidia GTX580 because cheap and CUDA - thy say it's good for Photoshop :huh:  (no idea :unsure: ) and now I'm stuck with CPU.

Phenom II X6 1045T 2.7GHz can be found for  around $100, but will those 2 extra cores make any difference to X4 945 3.GHz which is $66? I'm talking Photoshop and gaming.

 

Please advise Thank you!!!

 

PS. here is compatibility list, if that helps. 

[dadasmithywinkle]

snip

 

Welcome to the forums! 

 

If you're not gonna change the mobo, I'd stick with what you have. 

[Bussinateur]

A quad core will do photoshop just fine. And Cuda isn't really that important in Photoshop. I would put that money towards an SSD

[Ertman]

Would those CPUs even be compatible with that motherboard, am2 and am3?

[EcDarkSky]

Helli bro for big budget take a i7 5820k and 32gb of ddr4 that expensive but best performance on image rendering

[vembutech]

You can choose i7 processor. Because they liberate less heat and more efficient in video works.

[StipeP]

Yes yes yes... I'm getting uberPC (+$2000) in a year or two, but for now I've decided to stick with this one - upgraded. I have another PC with SSD that will be put into this one, so I got that covered.

 

The main question is: Upgrade to X4 3.0Ghz or X6 2.7GHz?

[Bussinateur]

Helli bro for big budget take a i7 5820k and 32gb of ddr4 that expensive but best performance on image rendering

 

No brainer that a high end build is better. And photo editing barely even needs 16gb of ram. 

 

-Experienced Lightroom and Photoshop CC user

[i_build_nanosuits]

The main question is: Upgrade to X4 3.0Ghz or X6 2.7GHz?

X6 2.7ghz and overclock it...but i fear your motherboard is too cheap to support such a power hungry chip.

EDIT: yeah your board will most likely die if you do that...

Edited March 4, 2015 by i_build_nanosuits

[StipeP]

X6 2.7ghz and overclock it...but i fear your motherboard is too cheap to support such a power hungry chip.

EDIT: yeah your board will most likely die if you do that...

 

Yes, I know, it's shit. But I'm staying with it. It has overclocking profiles +3%,5%,7% so you know it's not for overclocking. I've had it for 5-6 years and I just want to stretch it a bit more (1year) before DDR4 and DX12 become standard. 

 

So, without thinking of overclocking, X6 2.7ghz or X4 3.0Ghz? $100 vs $65?

[HEU7Hwhu7]

An SSD helped more than the CPU upgrade did in Photoshop.