Shopping for Vid card - need help please

[hinkus]

I'm not up on the new hardware if PC parts today. Building complete from scratch and need some referrals on good vid card.

- Needs to run 2 monitors
- Good color calibration and clarity
- focus on art creation and multitasking -- not gaming

Going to have 4gb DDR3 RAM, Amd Phenom x6 core, and competent MOBO

What features should I focus on? Thanks in advance.

[poopipe]

buy more RAM than that

get the most expensive nvidia GTX you can afford

[Freespace-3DT]

If budget is not an obstacle, my recommendation: http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gtx_480_us.html

If budget is an issue, I've got a GeForce 260 GTX and I'm still quite pleased with it.

[hinkus]

What amount of RAM would compliment well?

[poopipe]

8gb - you will run out with only 4gb

do the phenoms use dual, triple or quad channel memory?

you'lll have to check cos I believe that affects the chunks you can install in (ie. you'll want 3gb chunks for triple chanel memory like the i7)

[hinkus]

Here is the link to the Phenom Cpu

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849

[poopipe]

dual channel memory - usually means you need matching pairs. I'd go with 8gb on 2 sticks myself, that way you've got space for another 8 later

I envy people who don't have to buy fully buffered ECC memory in 4 stick groups :(

[hulahuga]

Why not a 5870???

[Tarik2d]

The quadro 4000 looks really good