[raider]

It's a matter of personal preference nowadays, with the title of fastest GPU switching between the vendors regularly. You can't go wrong with either vendor, unless you want to exploit advanced capabilities (e.g., Crossfire or SLI) and your motherboard doesn't support them.

I just realized that you have a Mini-ITX motherboard. That tiny thing, and the tiny enclosure it goes into, limits the video cards that you can install, so your best bet will be to look for a single-slot card with the most video RAM it can fit. This EVGA card has 4GB of memory, two DVI ports, and a mini-HDMI port. You will need a new power supply unless you want to get a video card with ten-year-old technology.

Before you start swapping components, though, you need to diagnose your random reboots. Try running a memory and hardware testing suite; the Ultimate Boot CD should help.

Thanks for that ultimatebootcd link. I will try that out.

For the casing, I have a Bitfenix Prodigy case so while the motherboard is tiny, the case is fairly expansible.

That EVGA card is quite appealing! I will check that out. It appears to also support 3 monitors.

[johnmflores]

What resolution should I aim for a 27" monitor? That monitor you quoted is 2560x1440. Do I stick with that or do I go higher or ? Not sure I can afford a curved display at this stage but I am quite concern when you say the "edge" of the display is too far...that would mean that it is harder to use for lightroom no?

I think the correct way for me to go is to find suitable display with the right resolution and then find a display card that can drive this properly. While I can decide on the brand/model via more researching, I am not sure what is the most optimum screen size and resolution for lightroom. Any ideas?

When I first set up the 27", my initial response, was, "Woah, those corners are far away!" But over time, I've gotten used to it. It's not terrible, just noticeable when I think about it.

As far as resolution, I think that it's a big step up in price to go to the next step up to 4k with full AdobeRGB gamut. Mine was also a refurb, so I saved some money there. With 1440 I can see plenty of the image and the palettes are still decently sized.

[raider]

When I first set up the 27", my initial response, was, "Woah, those corners are far away!" But over time, I've gotten used to it. It's not terrible, just noticeable when I think about it.

As far as resolution, I think that it's a big step up in price to go to the next step up to 4k with full AdobeRGB gamut. Mine was also a refurb, so I saved some money there. With 1440 I can see plenty of the image and the palettes are still decently sized.

John I just realized that that screen you quoted is a 16.9 aspect ratio....wouldn't it be better if we go for a 16:10 screen size as this is better for viewing photos?

---------- Post added 02-22-2016 at 10:38 PM ----------

I just realized that you have a Mini-ITX motherboard. That tiny thing, and the tiny enclosure it goes into, limits the video cards that you can install, so your best bet will be to look for a single-slot card with the most video RAM it can fit. This EVGA card has 4GB of memory, two DVI ports, and a mini-HDMI port. You will need a new power supply unless you want to get a video card with ten-year-old technology.

Hi aremmes, I did a comparison with my existing 5 year old graphics card (the Asus HD6850) and this is what I am seeing...

Radeon HD 6850 vs GeForce GT 740

It would appear that my 5 year old card is faster than the Geforce GT740? Not sure if I googled this right....

[aremmes]

It would appear that my 5 year old card is faster than the Geforce GT740? Not sure if I googled this right....

I'm not surprised: most new GPUs from the last two years or so come in two-slot boards. I'm also more familiar with AMD GPUs than Nvidia's.

[raider]

I'm not surprised: most new GPUs from the last two years or so come in two-slot boards. I'm also more familiar with AMD GPUs than Nvidia's.

So would it be advisable if I keep my current Asus HD6850 rather than upgrading to new graphics card? I think my current one can drive 3 monitors too although I have not tried. Also it says it can drive up to 2500 x 1440 resolution too.

[aremmes]

So would it be advisable if I keep my current Asus HD6850 rather than upgrading to new graphics card? I think my current one can drive 3 monitors too although I have not tried. Also it says it can drive up to 2500 x 1440 resolution too.

Yeah, I'd say keep it and look into the cause of the reboots first. The comments about having too small a power supply seem prudent, though, so that could be the first item to swap if the results of hardware tests appear inconsistent.

[raider]

Yeah, I'd say keep it and look into the cause of the reboots first. The comments about having too small a power supply seem prudent, though, so that could be the first item to swap if the results of hardware tests appear inconsistent.

Thanks. Will do that.

---------- Post added 02-22-2016 at 11:53 PM ----------

I was just reading this article.

How to choose a monitor for photo editing by Arnaud Frich
How to choose a monitor for photo editing by Arnaud Frich

In 22": ideal definition of 1,920x1,080 - pitch is almost invisible but texts are really tiny! Interesting for video artists or gamers.
In 23/24": definition of 1,920x1,080 or 1,200 - Pitch is visible (but it also depends a lot on the anti-reflections treatment applied to the plate and in 2015 big advances have been made on this particular point) but size of the texts is OK and the level of details in the images as well.
In 4K, the definition is so important that I can only see its use for a video artist.
In 25": 2,560x1,440 - Pitch is almost invisible (120 dpi) but texts and details are too small except if a software trick enables to display at least the texts bigger. Perfect screens for video artists and gamers who son't want to switch to 4K and can thus use it as an additional monitor.
In 27", I don't like 1,920x1,200 because I find the pitch really too visible at 60 cm. I prefer 2,560x1,440 by far but then texts are really too small (and the same is true about fine details). Not a big fan of this size!
In 30": 2,560x1,440 - The pitch is the same as 24"/1,920x1,200 hence with a reasonable size of the texts and an acceptable level of details in Photoshop. 4K might impose as a new standard but graphic cards will have to follow, and you'll need a last generation Display wire (1.2) and you'll still have to accept that the details in our photos are less invisible unless you pass the 100% zoom! A 30" in 2,560x1,440 is thus an excellent compromise for photographers especially.

It suggest that the best way to go is to opt for a 25" with 2560x1440...what do you guys think?

[mee]

Without seeing the PC first hand it is hard to tell. But I suspect you're probably stressing the PSU. Other issues that can cause reboots are faulty drivers and bad RAM.

Oh yeah is the computer dusty? Buildups of dust can raise the temperature of your PC, causing it to overheat and do strange things (especially reboot). So that is another aspect to consider.

Beyond ensuring a clean PC, the next cheapest option is to update drivers. All drivers -- USB, Videocard, Network/LAN/Wifi, Audio, motherboard, etc.

After that, THEN I'd start considering the hardware. First the PSU, then the RAM, followed by Videocard. If all of those check out fine then there is the hard drive, the motherboard, the CPU. in that order. CPUs rarely go so long as they are not overheating (and you're not overclocking).

You can buy a decent PSU checker for around 35 bucks (I prefer/use this one Amazon.com: Thermaltake Dr. Power II Automated Power Supply Tester Oversized LCD for All Power Supplies - AC0015: Electronics).
Or you can just buy a decent new PSU for around 60 or 70 bucks.

Unless you have multiple computers, I'd probably just opt for the new PSU. Weight matters. Heavy coils are a plus. A lightweight PSU generally means a poor PSU. A poor PSU will be the bane of your computing experience. (I like Corsair CX PSUs -- using them in a handful of PCs)

For what you use, minimum 450 Watts. Looking at the 500w range wouldn't be a terrible idea. Anything too much over that is overkill imo.

That is only, though, if you spring for a new PSU. Check the other stuff first.

ITX is so tiny. You know you can upgrade to a larger case and put your ITX motherboard in it (then be able to upgrade to more powerful PSUs and videocards right?

Also, if you haven't already, you can disable the automatic rebooting if due to blue screen so you can actually SEE the blue screen of death. That way, it is easier to see what caused the BSOD (since it will show at the top of the screen.) I think the default is just to reboot (skipping the BSOD screen).

Hope you get it sorted

[raider]

Hope you get it sorted

Thanks mee.

Yes I have this sorted. I replaced the PSU with a Seasonic 550w gold and the system has been running fine so far. no automatic reboot.

The computer is not dusty at all. It is nicely positively pressured and no dusts at all even after 1.5 years. There are some dusts on the fan blades but none on the other components inside the case.

I am still pondering about the display though....wondering what screen size and resolution I should go.

[VoiceOfReason]

I like the 28 inch 3840x2160 display I have. I couldn't go lower resolution after getting used to it.

[mee]

Thanks mee.

Yes I have this sorted. I replaced the PSU with a Seasonic 550w gold and the system has been running fine so far. no automatic reboot.

The computer is not dusty at all. It is nicely positively pressured and no dusts at all even after 1.5 years. There are some dusts on the fan blades but none on the other components inside the case.

I am still pondering about the display though....wondering what screen size and resolution I should go.

Good to read!!

Even though most of the screens are 16:9 today, I still prefer a 16:10 ratio on the resolution. That little extra height is soo much nicer (when surfing the web, reading documents, and imo even editing photos). They are harder and harder to find though.

I planned years ago on upgrading my own monitor to an IPS type (currently use an HP 22" 16:10 glossy with a TN panel) but it is still solid after 9 years of heavy use. Not sure they make them like that anymore.. it has been a fantastic monitor even with the TN panel.

I haven't checked in a long while, but Eizo seemed to (at the time) make some really solid IPS displays... for a price.

[Hornet]

Just wading in here... It's easy to get caught up in specs with video cards so to keep things in perspective consider that:

1) video card GPUs are really only taxed by 3D real time rendering applications like gaming; 2D applications are rarely, if ever, limited by a video card. Few 2D applications even offload work to the GPU.

2) the OP is looking for high resolution. multi-monitor setup. For this application the type and number of available ports is critical. These days 2 or more Displayports is best for supporting the highest resolutions and most monitors. Many cards, even expensive ones, have very limiting sets of ports and may or may not support 4k or higher resolutions and/or multiple hi res monitors . Research the capabilities of the card!

3) The amount of memory needed for displaying 32bit colour at 4k is roughly 4bytes/pixel*4000*2500=40,000,000 bytes. This is only 0.04GB of data for a 4K monitor. Memory is cheap so getting 2GB might cost only marginally more than 1GB or less so perhaps this is a moot point. Point # 2 above is much more important considerations than memory or GPU.

4) Buy a bigger power supply. Especially if you plan on driving a powerful video card.

That's my 2 cents worth. Good luck on the purchase

[chesebert]

My aging and dying Dell 2005FWP and 2007FWP were up for replacement - blast from the past I am sure.

I looked at LG 34UM95, Asus PA279Q and NEC 272w. Also considered were used 30in Dells from few years back that were well rated. After a few months of consideration, I finally bit the bullet and got the NEC with calibration software and Xrite i1 Display Pro. The cost was significant and I have no budget for a second monitor at this time. However, I am hoping the NEC once calibrated will really allow me to see all the colors and print exactly what I see on the screen. Please tell me I made a good choice

It also didn't hurt that NEC was on sale at B&H. I probably would have gone with PA279Q if NEC wasn't on sale.