Good computer to edit photos

[amanda_casto]

<p>What would be a good, affordable computer to edit photos? It's time to upgrade my computer and I want a fast, reliable computer that won't slow down while editing photos. I'm on a low budget, so I can't spend a lot. Ideal budget is $400-$500 but will consider going higher. Thanks!</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Unless you deal with very large raw files, edit very existensively (tens of layers in photoshop) and/or a huge catalog (in a program such as Lightroom), the hardware requirements for photo editing are actually quite modest. The main things you want are sufficient hard disk space (to store the photos) and sufficient RAM memory, in terms of the specification of the system. On modern machines, aim for at least 1 TB drive and 8-16 GB of RAM. For a CPU, AMD A8/A10 and Core i3 and faster will all be able to do the necessary. Graphics card isn't very important (and for some software, such as Lightroom, it makes no difference at all even). Something along this lines should be doable on your budget.<br>

I hope the budget does not include a monitor, if yes, things might be a bit tight - a good monitor is really pretty important. And a good keyboard and mouse are definitely worth the money (and too often overlooked) - you can get really good quality keyboard and mouse if you don't mind them having wires (else the cost will go up, and considerably, and the actual real work advantages of a wireless mouse and keyboard are pretty miniscule).</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ditto, Wouter's advice. I'm a big fan of the value of AMD's APU - accelerated processing unit combining CPU and GPU in an integrated package. But it's not as easy to find those low end and mid-tier bargains in desktops and laptops now as it was in 2012 when I upgraded my PCs. At the time most value priced makers like Acer and Lenovo offered two versions of the same models: one with Intel Core processor; another with AMD for around $50 less. The AMD options were good values for tight budgets. But I'm not seeing as many of those this year in the local big box stores and discount retailers. Gamers and power users tended to disparage the AMDs, but their standards for performance are irrelevant for most photographers.</p>

<p>So on a tight budget you might consider bargain hunting among the discontinued but new-in-box PCs with 2012-2013 era AMD APUs. Put the savings toward a backup system. The $50 or so you'll save will buy a 500GB to 2TB external hard drive.</p>

<p>And do be sure to include the cost of at least some form of external backup storage such as a small USB hard drive. Even if it means skimping on RAM - getting 4GB rather than 16GB - it's worthwhile for the ability to back up your PC's main internal HD. I can recommend the Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1 TB USB backup hard drive - the WD SmartWare backup software is easy to use and reliable.</p>

<p>Most desktops, even minitowers, offer some upgradeability, so you can add RAM and better graphics later. But you may not be able to recover photos and files lost in a hard drive crash. So if the budget is really tight, do consider skimping a bit on some specs in order to have at least one external USB drive for backup purposes.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I'd also point out that you get more "oomph" for your buck with a desktop. Not only can the components such as memory and monitor be upgraded as you progress, but you can get a decent sized monitor to start with.</p>

<p>A laptop is no way to go through life photoediting.</p>

[savagesax]

When editing weddings Raw files to jpeg or to tiff often the computer runs out of memory. I have 32gbs of

Ram in my computer and so far Photoshop 6 hasn't crashed the computer. Just the ram costs about $90

for an 8gb stick.

 

Needless to say with this amount of Ram your computer will be very fast.

 

Feel free in emailing me if you need more details.

[lex_jenkins]

<blockquote>

<p>"When editing weddings Raw files to jpeg or to tiff often the computer runs out of memory. I have 32gbs of Ram in my computer and so far Photoshop 6 hasn't crashed the computer. Just the ram costs about $90 for an 8gb stick."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I've never had any crashes or similar problems with RAM editing 16mp raw files in Lightroom 4, even with only 4GB RAM, including batch processing.<br>

<br>

Adding RAM did speed things up a bit. But I had to wait awhile to afford to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB RAM, at a cost of around $65 from Amazon. I had to replace both 2GB sticks with a pair of 4GB, the maximum my PC could handle.<br>

<br>

At the OP's stated budget that difference of $65-$90 for RAM can be a significant cost. And I'd personally advise putting that money toward backup rather than extra RAM that isn't absolutely necessary. With the OP's Nikon D3100 (<a href="/beginner-photography-questions-forum/00crQH">per this previous thread</a>), 4GB RAM is adequate for now, although 8GB would be a bit better. More RAM can be added later as the budget permits.</p>

[nick_peters]

<p>I went from a PC to a Imac 27in, While the learning experience was a bit of a long winded thing I really enjoy not having to reinstall the operating system every 6 to 12 months due to bugs etc. I find the mac a little clunky still but worth paying the extra and having the amazing screen and reliability.<br>