04-08-2016, 05:31 PM
Hello! It's become clear to me that I need to upgrade to a new PC from my old 2009 Mac Mini and the now-going-off-color hand me down screen that my parents gave me years ago. I've decided to build my own PC 'cause it looks like fun and I'm a DIY kind of guy. I want to build the best system for digital painting I can afford. I'm hoping to have a budget of 1.5-2k USD for the box alone, and another 1k on the screen since this is an investment in my work. But if I end up being a poor artist (LOL) and have to cut corners, it might helpful to know just how little I can spend for a good painting rig.
The only recommendations I've found online are these: http://www.fantasio.info/2014/01/the-101...nting.html This guy says that a good gaming PC can suffice for most Photoshop work, but then he goes on to recommend expensive workstations. Since I'm building my next PC I can choose what features I want, so I picked over his list. But I'd like to ask you professional digital artists out there what you use and what to look for in a PC for digital painting.
I need a sold, reliable workhorse of a PC that supports a good monitor and doesn't lag with big brushes. Since I'm custom-building this myself I want to optimize it for painting, not for gaming like many do. On my new system, I'm planning on switching to Linux and learning to use a FOSS workflow– Krita, GIMP, and Mypaint for painting and Blender for 3d. If I really need Photoshop I guess I can install Windows 7 and ignore Microsofts prompts to update. But I don't ever want to use Windows 10 so I'd prefer to learn to live in Linux entirely. (╯︵╰,)
I'll try not to get to tech-geeky with this, but I'd like to ask what you guys think is best for digital art.
CPU and Memory– I'm looking at either an Intel i5, i7, or Xeon processor. This document says that Krita can use all the cores your machine has– https://krita.org/wp-content/uploads/201...ta-2-4.pdf. So I guess I'll go with a fast, multi-core processor. Programs like Photoshop and Krita tend to use a lot of memory, too, so going for a fair bit of RAM sounds like a good idea. I don't want brush lag.
Graphics– This is a big one!! I'm looking at investing in a good monitor, maybe an NEC, that has and IPS panel with >90% Adobe RBG coverage. So I have to choose between a Geforce card or a professional Quadro. Geforce cards are more affordable and optimized for games. Quadros are pricier, but they have features that are locked out on Geforce cards, like 10 bit color. So here's the big question...
Do I need 10 bit color?
Do you use 10 bit color? Some of the artists I've seen don't seem to (like anyone using an earlier Mac), and earlier Cintiqs only offered 8-bit. Color calibration seems to be more vital. BUT, I've noticed that the latest Cintiqs have 10 bit IPS panels. But unless the rest of the system supports 10 bit (you need the right graphics card and Displayport), that panel will only be able to display 8 bit. If I don't need more than 8 bit, this won't be an issue. But if I want 10 bit color, I will need a pricier Quadro card. Now I'm a total color management noob, so I don't know half of what I need to know. But I know Krita supports deep color– https://userbase.kde.org/Krita/Manual/Co...#Bit_depth. So, should I plan my build to take advantage of 10 bit displays? Is a 10 bit screen relevant for concept art and painting?
The Monitor- Since this is my canvas, I know I should not skimp on the monitor. I'm planning to invest in a good pro display with an IPS panel and >90% Adobe RBG coverage, and a colorimeter to calibrate it when necessary. Possibly an NEC. Maybe 4k, since those have become pretty affordable overall. Wondering what kind of graphics card goes with such a monitor as I explained above.
I have a better idea of the rest of my build. For storage, I want a SSD as my system drive for speed and a Western Digital Red series as the spinney drive. I'm looking for a nice full ATX tower with enough room for all my stuff. For the PSU, I will calculate the required amount of watts for the whole system and get one that is a bit overkill so I can expand later if necessary. But I'm still unsure as to the best specs for a digital painting workstation.
Please give me any advice you can! I'll really appreciate it. :^) And if I'm totally off-base as to what I need tell me that too LOL. What do you use, and what do you recommend for digital painting? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!
The only recommendations I've found online are these: http://www.fantasio.info/2014/01/the-101...nting.html This guy says that a good gaming PC can suffice for most Photoshop work, but then he goes on to recommend expensive workstations. Since I'm building my next PC I can choose what features I want, so I picked over his list. But I'd like to ask you professional digital artists out there what you use and what to look for in a PC for digital painting.
I need a sold, reliable workhorse of a PC that supports a good monitor and doesn't lag with big brushes. Since I'm custom-building this myself I want to optimize it for painting, not for gaming like many do. On my new system, I'm planning on switching to Linux and learning to use a FOSS workflow– Krita, GIMP, and Mypaint for painting and Blender for 3d. If I really need Photoshop I guess I can install Windows 7 and ignore Microsofts prompts to update. But I don't ever want to use Windows 10 so I'd prefer to learn to live in Linux entirely. (╯︵╰,)
I'll try not to get to tech-geeky with this, but I'd like to ask what you guys think is best for digital art.
CPU and Memory– I'm looking at either an Intel i5, i7, or Xeon processor. This document says that Krita can use all the cores your machine has– https://krita.org/wp-content/uploads/201...ta-2-4.pdf. So I guess I'll go with a fast, multi-core processor. Programs like Photoshop and Krita tend to use a lot of memory, too, so going for a fair bit of RAM sounds like a good idea. I don't want brush lag.
Graphics– This is a big one!! I'm looking at investing in a good monitor, maybe an NEC, that has and IPS panel with >90% Adobe RBG coverage. So I have to choose between a Geforce card or a professional Quadro. Geforce cards are more affordable and optimized for games. Quadros are pricier, but they have features that are locked out on Geforce cards, like 10 bit color. So here's the big question...
Do I need 10 bit color?
Do you use 10 bit color? Some of the artists I've seen don't seem to (like anyone using an earlier Mac), and earlier Cintiqs only offered 8-bit. Color calibration seems to be more vital. BUT, I've noticed that the latest Cintiqs have 10 bit IPS panels. But unless the rest of the system supports 10 bit (you need the right graphics card and Displayport), that panel will only be able to display 8 bit. If I don't need more than 8 bit, this won't be an issue. But if I want 10 bit color, I will need a pricier Quadro card. Now I'm a total color management noob, so I don't know half of what I need to know. But I know Krita supports deep color– https://userbase.kde.org/Krita/Manual/Co...#Bit_depth. So, should I plan my build to take advantage of 10 bit displays? Is a 10 bit screen relevant for concept art and painting?
The Monitor- Since this is my canvas, I know I should not skimp on the monitor. I'm planning to invest in a good pro display with an IPS panel and >90% Adobe RBG coverage, and a colorimeter to calibrate it when necessary. Possibly an NEC. Maybe 4k, since those have become pretty affordable overall. Wondering what kind of graphics card goes with such a monitor as I explained above.
I have a better idea of the rest of my build. For storage, I want a SSD as my system drive for speed and a Western Digital Red series as the spinney drive. I'm looking for a nice full ATX tower with enough room for all my stuff. For the PSU, I will calculate the required amount of watts for the whole system and get one that is a bit overkill so I can expand later if necessary. But I'm still unsure as to the best specs for a digital painting workstation.
Please give me any advice you can! I'll really appreciate it. :^) And if I'm totally off-base as to what I need tell me that too LOL. What do you use, and what do you recommend for digital painting? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!
"Drawing is a skill like hammering a nail. You might not be great at it yet, but there is nothing stopping you from gettin' down and hammering away." -Irshad Karim
Sketchbook!
Sketchbook!