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Advice on Laptop config for CS3 please
I’ve been reading these helpful forums for some years, and have been searching for an answer to this query, so hope you don’t mind another “will this computer work with CS3?” thread.
I’ve been using Premiere to edit for a decade, and also use Photoshop, After Effects and Audition for video work. So far, I’ve been using only SD material, so never bothered with Premiere Pro, as 6.5 serves me well.
The time has come to buy a new laptop. I work in stunts, and often travel to locations to film. It would be very useful to video and edit rehearsals of stunt and fight scenes to show directors and cameramen to help visualise camera angles and edit points.
I own an HDV camera, and since the world is going HD, I would like my laptop to be able to handle HD material. So I’m planning on buying a new laptop and installing Adobe CS3.
The Adobe-endorsed configurations are out of my budget. I’m looking at this spec and would appreciate your comments:
Display: 15.4 INCH WIDESCREEN DISPLAY (1440 X 900)
Processor: INTEL® Core 2 Duo T7800 (2 X 2.60GHz) 800MHz FSB/4MB L2 Cache
Hard Disk: 200GB SERIAL ATA II WITH 8MB CACHE (7200rpm)
Graphics Card: 512MB GEFORCE 8600GT + D-SUB + TV-OUT
Sound Card: Realtek ALC268 2 Channel HD Audio + S/PDIF OUTIt has of course DVDRW, and firewire. I will install Windows XPpro myself (as I have the disks.
My main queries are:
Display is not the Adobe recommended 1,280×1,024. Can I still edit and playback at this lower res? If it was an important project, I’d use an external monitor for full res preview.Graphics Card. Adobe are very picky with regard to which cards they endorse, and they tend to be very pricey. Will the 512mb Nvidia 8600 work? If slower rendering times are the price I pay, that’s OK.
Lastly, I may in the future work with DVCProHD material shot on P2 cameras like Panasonic HVX200 and HPX500. Adobe CS3 can handle it. Could this laptop? I’d probably want to use the laptop for basic assembly edits and leave the complicated effects work to higher spec systems.
Many, many thanks for your time and help.
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5 Replies
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This setup of yours is well beefy enough to handle the HDV footage no probs. Let alone DV.
My Laptop is similar, but just a little less beefed up. Been working with HDV on CS3 production suite. It’s never gone belly up!
Didn’t see your specs for RAM I have 2GIG its a dream.
My Specs are:
Display: 15.4 INCH WIDESCREEN DISPLAY (1440 X 900)
Processor: INTEL® Core 2 Duo T5600 (2 X 1.60GHz)
Hard Disk: 120GB SERIAL ATA II WITH 8MB CACHE (7200rpm)
Graphics Card: 512MB GEFORCE 7300GT + D-SUB + TV-OUT
Sound Card: Realtek ALC268 2 Channel HD Audio
– Jon 😉On install it will whine about the graphics specs, ignore it and continue installing.
How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
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Thanks Jon.
It’s great to know that yr similairly specced computer runs CS3 with HDV no probs.
I have no idead why I didn’t mention RAM. I’m going for 4Gb, which is pretty “beefy”.
Anyone care to comment on whether this system can handle P2 DVCproHD material?
I think I will be buying this laptop.
Jude
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I don’t think it will work…. You need to have a minimum of 1280 x 1024. I believe it will fail before it will even install.
Maybe someone has a work-around for this?
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle
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I have been cutting on my laptop for ages and it does handle the p2 footage no probs either. 4 gig of ram is massive. You’ll have lots of fun with this setup.
The screen resolution does not matter. Ignore the message on install. It will and does work! I have working proof.
– Jon 😉How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
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Hi Jon,
Thanks very much. I will buy this laptop. It’s a shame that the company don’t allow me to select a higher res when building this system.
I was recommended the Dell 4300 Precision Mobile (which has higher res screen), but the model I’m building is considerably less expensive. It has a 15.4″ screen, which ought to make carrying it around a bit less troublesome than if it was 17″.
Thanks for the help. I will report back in a week or so with my experience of CS3 editing HDV.
Jude
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