My suggestion is: whatever makes it easier for you to achieve your vision, go for it.  The current Gc discussion/argument as definitely drawn battlelines, but understand that there are methods that simplify your workflow and reduces rendering overhead to create your art.  You may use a brute force method of expensive processors, mega ram and luxury video cards to blast your images into submission, or a technical approach which applies sensible settings and technology to reduce you computer's workload to accomplish the same end.  Which would you select? 

It is a matter of choosing the right tools to develop the style that is right for creating your art.