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Todd_Kopriva
Todd_Kopriva
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system requirements for CS6

May 6, 2012 8:22 AM

Have a look at the new system requirements page:

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/tech-specs.html

 

In the past, a legitimate criticism of the system requirements on the box (and on that page) was that they were just the bare minimum for running the software. I encouraged the folks writing the system requirements to add some parts to go beyond that minimum and at least suggest what an "optimum" system would be. Of course, one can only fit so much text on the box, and we don't want to scare people into thinking that they need a juggernaut of a machine to just do simple things... but I think that we made some progress here.

 

Thoughts?

11527 Views   36 Replies   Latest reply: samanthahhi, May 15, 2012 2:48 PM
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  • Dave Merchant
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    1. Dave Merchant,
    May 6, 2012 8:29 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    To clarify the statement "Broadband Internet connection and registration are required for software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services." - although customers require some Internet connectivity, the speed of that connection is not important for activation (you can use WiFi, 3G, dial-up, whatever).

     

    Some online services (e.g. Creative Cloud) involve the upload and download of large data files - including the software itself - so for those aspects a fast connection is important. Activation of a product only transfers a tiny amount of data.

     
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  • John T Smith
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    2. John T Smith,
    May 6, 2012 8:33 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    >7200 RPM hard drive (multiple fast disk drives, preferably RAID 0 configured, recommended)

     

    Might read...

     

    2nd 7200 RPM hard drive for data (multiple fast disk drives, preferably RAID 0 configured, recommended)

     

    But... the "multiple" part will go a LONG way toward letting people know that a single drive is not going to work very well

     

    >QuickTime 7.6.6 software required for QuickTime features

     

    VERY good to specify the QT version!

     
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  • Todd_Kopriva
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    3. Todd_Kopriva,
    May 6, 2012 8:42 AM   in reply to Dave Merchant
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    Regarding the Internet connection for activation part: I argued strongly against that wording.

     

    Here's what it should say:

     

    Activation is required to use this software.

     

    If you have purchased a perpetual license for CS6 software, you can activate the software on a given computer by connecting that computer to the Internet, or you can enter an activation code if the computer is not connected to the Internet. You may retrieve the activation code using any Internet-connected device, including a smartphone.

     

    If you have purchased a Creative Cloud Membership subscription for this software, you must connect the computer to the Internet to activate the software on that computer. The computer must be connected to the Internet at least once per 30 days to confirm the status of the subscription license.

     

    Here's a page that links to some documents with more details about the licensing and activation systems:

    http://blogs.adobe.com/premiereprotraining/2012/05/a-few-creative-clou d-and-cs6-resources.html

     
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  • John T Smith
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    4. John T Smith,
    May 6, 2012 9:47 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    >QuickTime 7.6.6 software required for QuickTime features

     

    One more note... you may want to put QT766 on an Adobe server, and provide a link on the requirements page

     

    It is VERY hard to find that exact version... Apple only lists 7.6 on their "old stuff" page, with no indication (that I can find) as to the exact number you are downloading, out of the several different 7.6.? versions

     
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  • Todd_Kopriva
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    5. Todd_Kopriva,
    May 6, 2012 9:50 AM   in reply to John T Smith
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    As with other items, the QuickTime version has an implied "or later" or "at least" associated with it. (I tried to make it explicit, but it got edited out.)

     

    Of course, as we know, some later QuickTime versions break things, so you can't really say "any version of  QuickTime from 7.6.6 onward".

     
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  • John T Smith
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    6. John T Smith,
    May 6, 2012 10:27 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    >versions break things

     

    Yep... also happens with graphics drivers... makes things a REAL mess to try and figure out a problem, when the usual advice is to update to the latest driver

     
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  • Jim Simon
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    7. Jim Simon,
    May 6, 2012 5:58 PM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    I'd still have gone with two categories, Minimum (which is mostly what we see now) and Recommended, which would include an i7 processor and at least and three hard drives (no RAID) as a starting point.

     

    QuickTime should fall under the Optional: heading, just like the certified GPU.

     
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  • Alan Craven
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    8. Alan Craven,
    May 7, 2012 12:17 AM   in reply to John T Smith
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    John,

     

    You are quite right about the (lack of) availability of 7.6.6.  The date of the Apple old version 7.6 suggests that it is older than 7.6.6.

     

    After an hour's effort I located 7.6.6 here:

     

    http://www.oldapps.com/quicktime_player.php?old_quicktime=27

     

    I am still using 7.6.2, which is positively ancient, but problem free for me.  Does anyone know which, if any, versions after 7.6.6 are OK to use?

     
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  • Harm Millaard
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    9. Harm Millaard,
    May 7, 2012 2:45 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    Todd,

     

    I would suggest the following changes/adjustments, at least for Windows machines:

     

     

    Windows

    • Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD Phenom® II processor; 64-bit support required as bare minimum. Intel quad core or better recommended.
    • Microsoft® Windows® 7 with Service Pack 1 (64 bit)
    • 4GB of RAM as bare minimum. (8GB or more recommended)
    • 4GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices)
    • Additional disk space required for preview files and other working files (10GB recommended)
    • 1280x900 display
    • OpenGL 2.0–capable system
    • Separate 7200 RPM hard drive in addition to the boot disk (multiple fast disk drives, preferably RAID 0 or parity raid configured, recommended)
    • Sound card compatible with ASIO protocol or Microsoft Windows Driver Model
    • DVD-ROM drive compatible with dual-layer DVDs (DVD+-R burner for burning DVDs; Blu-ray burner for creating Blu-ray Disc media)
    • QuickTime 7.6.6 software required for QuickTime features
    • Optional: Adobe-certified GPU card for GPU-accelerated performance
    • This software will not operate without activation. Broadband Internet connection and registration are required for software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services.* Phone activation is not available.

     

    These few words go a long way to making the minimum requirements easier to understand and more realistic IMO.

     
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  • jamesp2
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    10. jamesp2,
    May 7, 2012 9:48 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    One would have hoped Adobe would be  more forthcoming.  For example, are the new Xeon processors (1600, 2600) preferable to the 3930 series, all else being equal?  How are current CPUs ranked generally, with respect to PP6 performance?  What are the relative advantages of its approved GPUs, one from the other?  What kind of performance can be expected from any Adobe system recommendations, such as Dell or HP?

     

    It's understood that Adobe cannot control for all variables or test every system, but we're talking, after all, about a company with enormous resources.  Why should the consumer have to do all the guesswork?

     
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  • Harm Millaard
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    11. Harm Millaard,
    May 7, 2012 11:07 AM   in reply to jamesp2
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    See PPBM5 Benchmark

     

    Dell and HP are always slower and more costly than from a dedicated custom builder or from a DIY system.

     
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  • Jim Simon
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    12. Jim Simon,
    May 7, 2012 5:30 PM   in reply to jamesp2
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    Why should the consumer have to do all the guesswork?

     

    You don't.  Tom's does.

     

    http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-2010/Video-Editi ng-Adobe-Premiere-Pro-CS5,2428.html

     

    If you want performance numbers with CS6, it would not be a bad idea to write Tom's and suggest they update their test with new software and newer model CPUs.

     
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  • Nicol Simard
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    13. Nicol Simard,
    May 12, 2012 6:11 PM   in reply to Jim Simon
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    Damn, that chart is two years old! It really needs updating.

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    14. samanthahhi,
    May 13, 2012 7:29 AM   in reply to John T Smith
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    >John...Why Multiple HDs? I've seen this mentioned, but I don't understand how you would use them. Do you keep all running programs on one frive and data on a secondary drive? Does this mean you are partitioning one hard drive into 2 or you have 2 actual hard drives? Sorry...this may be basic question.

     
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  • John T Smith
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    15. John T Smith,
    May 13, 2012 8:02 AM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    >samanthahhi,

     

    NEVER, EVER partition a hard drive for video editing!

     

    My 3 hard drives to edit AVCHD are configured as...

    .

    1 - 320Gig Boot for Win7 64bit Pro and ALL program installs (2)

    .

    2 - 320Gig data for Win7 paging swap file and video project files

    When I create a project on #2 drive, the various work files follow,

    so my boot drive is not used for the media cache folders and files

    .

    3 - 1Terabyte data for all video files... input & output files (1)

    .

    (1) for faster input/output with 4 drives

    - use drive 3 for all source files

    - use drive 4 for all output files

    .

    (2) only 60Gig used, for Win7 & CS5 MC & MS Office & other smaller programs

    .

    Search Microsoft to find out how to redirect your Windows paging swap file

    http://search.microsoft.com/search.aspx?mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US

    .

    I do not use RAID... AVCHD is CPU intensive, not drive intensive like uncompressed, so I have no problems editing without RAID (but, this is for "simple" home videos)

    .

    http://www.video2brain.com/en/videos-5353.htm

    .

    http://forums.adobe.com/thread/784220?tstart=0

    .

    Trying to use only ONE Hard Drive for Video Editing

    .

    You are a music conductor, with a baton that you use to point to various parts of the orchestra... this is like Windows pointing to various parts of the hard drive to do Windows housekeeping or to load program segments for various functions

    .

    Now, at the same time and with the same hand... while still using the baton to conduct the orchestra... pick up a bow and play a fiddle... this would be doing something with your video file at the same time as all the other work

    .

    You as a person cannot do both at the same time with the same hand

    .

    A computer is a LITTLE better, in that it can switch from one kind of task to another very quickly... but not quickly enough for EASY video editing

    .

    You need AT LEAST two hard drives (separate drives, never a partition http://forums.adobe.com/thread/650708 for more) with Windows (or Mac OS) and software on your boot drive, and video files on a 2nd drive so the boot drive is not slowed down by trying to do everything

    .

    Partition = Crash http://forums.adobe.com/thread/957286

    .

    I find that the three drives I use work very well for me, for editing AVCHD video... some people use a 4th drive, so video INPUT files are on drive three and all OUTPUT files are on drive four... I only bought a mid-tower case instead of a full tower case (my bad... but had to fit in the space available on my office desk!) so I use the three drives that will fit

    .

    Depending on your exact hardware (motherboard brand & model AND USB2 enclosure brand & model AND external hard drive brand & model) AND the type of video file, you may... or may NOT... be able to use an external USB2 hard drive for SD (Standard Definition) video editing

    .

    Steve Grisetti in the Premiere Elements forum http://forums.adobe.com/thread/856208 and Jim Simon in the Premiere Pro forum http://forums.adobe.com/thread/856433 use USB externals for editing

    .

    A USB3 hard drive connected to a motherboard with USB3 is supposed to be fast enough for video editing (I don't have such, so don't know) but eSata DOES have a fast enough data transfer for video editing... I have not used the eSata Dock below... for reference only, YMMV and all the usual disclaimers

    .

    http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-BlacX-eSATA-Docking-Station/dp/B001A 4HAFS/ref=cm_cmu_pg_t

     
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  • Harm Millaard
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    16. Harm Millaard,
    May 13, 2012 8:51 AM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    Have you ever considered what happens when you have a single lane for traffic from both directions? There are traffic lights, allowing only one side to pass and the other side must wait for the light to turn to green, a clear method to create traffic jams and delays. The same happens with SATA disks, since they are half-duplex, in fact similar to single lane roads. There is no reading and writing at the same time. Only one way traffic and that causes traffic jams and delays.

     

    If you have multiple lanes available (multiple disks) traffic would flow much easier with less traffic jams and less delays. It is as simple as that.

     

    Also see: Adobe Forums: Generic Guideline for Disk Setup

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    17. samanthahhi,
    May 13, 2012 9:48 AM   in reply to Harm Millaard
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    Great info, guys. No one has eve explained this to me. I have been doing basic video editing in Premiere elements, but I am having to step up my game as we have bridal clients who absolutely love the fusion videos I am creating.

     

    I am looking at getting a new computer - cost IS a factor.  Specs are listed below. Would this meet or come close to the ideal? and can I use an external drive as my additional drive or is it better to use an internal drive?

     

     

    Thank you so much for your imput and I absolutely agree with the movement towards listing minimal reqs AND ideal reqs!

     
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  • Bill Gehrke
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    18. Bill Gehrke,
    May 13, 2012 9:56 AM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    1. Do not handicap yourself with an AMD processor it does not have some instructions that the Intel CPU's do have and that slows down your system significantly
    2. Do not use an AMD GPU as it currently does not have MPE code that nVidia GPU's do have to also accelerate your editing experience
     
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  • samanthahhi
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    19. samanthahhi,
    May 13, 2012 10:21 AM   in reply to Bill Gehrke
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    Hmmm...someone was telling me that now there isn't much difference between amd and intel now, but you are saying that is not true. Ok.

     

    Not sure what the "AMD GPU" stands for. Guessing it means it is better to have an ATI graphics card rather than an AMD...is that correct? And I would also venture a guess that it is critical to have a discrete graphics card, right?

     

    Again, I don't need to have a smoking system. I currently have a Dell Inspiron 545, Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q8200 @2.33GHz, 64-bit with 8 gigs Ram and an ATI Radeon HD 3400 graphics card (dual monitors) - and I love my setup. But I am thinking of giving it to my son for online gaming and moving up to an i5 processor. I took a look at the AMD as it was less expensive.

     

    **Wanted to also say that this is all real key info you guys are filling me in on that no one ever really gets into discussing when you are at a computer store or buying software.

     
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  • Todd_Kopriva
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    20. Todd_Kopriva,
    May 13, 2012 10:22 AM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    AMD = ATI

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    21. samanthahhi,
    May 13, 2012 10:28 AM   in reply to Todd_Kopriva
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    Correct...sorry...mind is getting boggled. So I currently have an Intel processor with an AMD graphics card which Bill is saying is not as geared towards graphics as is a Nividia card...correct? So "No" to anything AMD is I am primarily looking for a sleek and effiecient graphics and video editing experience, yes?

     
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  • Nicol Simard
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    22. Nicol Simard,
    May 13, 2012 10:40 AM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    The AMD CPUs fall way behind Intel's when it comes power and speed. They are not in the same league. As for the AMD/ATI video cards, they are not supported by Adobe - except for a couple of cards used in Macs... and Macs only. So you cannot take advantage of GPU acceleration with those cards. You need an NVidia.

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    25. samanthahhi,
    May 13, 2012 6:51 PM   in reply to Harm Millaard
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    Harm -> You've done an amazing job with that write up. Your guidance is everywhere! And I understand about 60%...lol! But that's what learning curves are all about! I really don't have it in me to build my own system. I am looking for an off the shelf, budget system for handling my light load of video editing.

     

    I guess I need to take baby steps here with my current computer as it still has potential albeit it is not  an i3-i7, nor does it have Windows 7 (does that really make a difference??). I am going to start by first installing a second hard drive. Then I am going to get a new graphics card. Ill take a deep breath and see where these steps, along with following setup guidelines above, leave me. Hopefully in a much more manageable space.

     

    Thank you all for your insights and taking the time to post these gantastic links!

     
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  • RjL190365
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    26. RjL190365,
    May 13, 2012 7:17 PM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    Yes, Windows 7 64-bit with Service Pack 1 is absolutely required to even run Premiere Pro CS6 at all. It will not even run at all with an older OS or with any 32-bit OS, and the program might not even install at all in such older OSes.

     
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  • czarek jb
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    27. czarek jb,
    May 15, 2012 12:07 PM   in reply to Bill Gehrke
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    Bill Gehrke wrote:

     

    1. Do not handicap yourself with an AMD processor it does not have some instructions that the Intel CPU's do have ...

     

    Hi!

    In the case of the AMD processor mentioned above by Samantha, yes, you're right: it does not have those instructions.
    But don't forget about those AMD processors which do have .

     

    Cheers

     
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  • Nicol Simard
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    28. Nicol Simard,
    May 15, 2012 12:56 PM   in reply to czarek jb
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    Take a look at http://ppbm5.com/DB-PPBM5-2.php. The best AMD machine ranks 377 out of 868. AMD computers simply do not compare to an Intel rig.

     
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  • czarek jb
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    29. czarek jb,
    May 15, 2012 1:17 PM   in reply to Nicol Simard
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    Nicol Simard wrote:

     

    Take a look at http://ppbm5.com/DB-PPBM5-2.php. The best AMD machine ranks 377 out of 868. AMD computers simply do not compare to an Intel rig.

    In this rank you have old generation AMD CPUs only.

     
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  • RjL190365
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    30. RjL190365,
    May 15, 2012 1:24 PM   in reply to czarek jb
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    czarek jb wrote:

     

    Nicol Simard wrote:

     

    Take a look at http://ppbm5.com/DB-PPBM5-2.php. The best AMD machine ranks 377 out of 868. AMD computers simply do not compare to an Intel rig.

    In this rank you have old generation AMD CPUs only.

    Actually, there are now a few FX series (Bulldozer/Zambezi) AMD CPUs on the chart. In that rank the fastest of the three PCs that are powered by such a CPU ranks only 437 out of 868.

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    31. samanthahhi,
    May 15, 2012 1:53 PM   in reply to RjL190365
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    Continuing the learning process....

     

    I've upgraded my computer with a new graphics card (GeForce GT430 - couldn't even find the ones recommended and out of price range), Windows 7 and a 500 gig secondary hard drive. I have carefully read all instructions, but am confused as I thought I read somewhere that if I have only 2 hard drives (all that will fit in my case), that the pagefile should be on the non-OS hard drive. But then I looked at Harm's chart:

     

    Guideline+Disks.jpg

    ...and it looks like the Pagefile is to remain on OS. Is this correct? If so, should I adjust my pagefile settings size on my C drive or let Windows maintain it?

     
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  • Harm Millaard
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    32. Harm Millaard,
    May 15, 2012 2:05 PM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    It will not make a huge difference, but the thinking behind it is that you want to distribute your disk accesses as much as possible and during editing you will be accessing your project and media files regularly, so it makes sense that (especially with limited amounts of memory installed where your pagefile use will be relatively high) you leave the pagefile on the boot disk. However, the best advise in that table is in the last column. Windows managed has the distinct drawback of being dynamic. I always suggest a static, fixed pagefile size (where minimum=maximum) and have it at the fastest part of the disk, which is difficult on the same OS disk, but in that case it should be the first thing you do after installing the OS and before installing applications. See the tuning guide for that.

     

    Maybe it is time to consider a different case that gives you some more space, like I show here: http://ppbm6.com/Planning.html

     

    Navigate to the panel "Case" and then hover the mouse over the heading 'Start with the Magnum TH10'

     
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  • czarek jb
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    33. czarek jb,
    May 15, 2012 2:11 PM   in reply to RjL190365
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    RjL190365 wrote:

     

    Actually, there are now a few FX series (Bulldozer/Zambezi) AMD CPUs on the chart. In that rank the fastest of the three PCs that are powered by such a CPU ranks only 437 out of 868.

    Thanks for correction. When I looked few days ago there were none. But what we see here is not a rank of CPUs but a rank of whole PCs.

    That's why more important here are CPU-based tasks. So, the question is - what to look for here?

    When I looked at (for example) x264 coding benchmarks (on the net) the FX 8150 is on the same level as 2600K but costs 58% less (in my country).

    So it's competitive in it's price range. The situation also will change this summer with the Vishera (BD 2.0) premiere.

     

    EDIT: 42% less not 58%.

    Message was edited by: czarek jb

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    34. samanthahhi,
    May 15, 2012 2:28 PM   in reply to czarek jb
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    Thank you for your timely response, Harm. At this point, I really don't have the time or money to go into a new case and so I just need to optimize what I have. I do still have my old Sony Vaio case which (due to this discussion I had a look see at the interior) was a fairly rocking computer back in the day. It has 3 bays. May make a project out of it and slowly build up to what would be ideal.

     

    The recommended page file size is 12285. So I've set the min/max to that value on my C drive and removed page file from my B drive. And I will put all of my projects on B drive. That should include all media including graphics and images, too, right?

     
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  • Harm Millaard
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    35. Harm Millaard,
    May 15, 2012 2:42 PM   in reply to samanthahhi
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    Complex. It is not a simple matter of saying put this here and the other stuff there. It is about distributing the workload among your disks as best you can. If you have graphics intermingled with video, then you can leave the graphics on one drive and the video on the other drive, if OTOH you have a huge amount of images and graphics in your timeline, you may have to look into distributing them among your two disks.

     
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  • samanthahhi
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    36. samanthahhi,
    May 15, 2012 2:48 PM   in reply to Harm Millaard
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    That's a far different perspective than I've ever understood before regarding workflow organization. And, yes, it is complex, but I am beginning to get a better feel for it. I need to look at how I am working and redistribute a bit better. Thank you...much still to understand all of this.

     
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