How much computer power do I need? I placed this question on the FAQ thread - I suspect that may be the incorrect thread :oops:so I've repeated it here. Sorry for any inconvenience to...

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

I placed this question on the FAQ thread - I suspect that may be the incorrect thread :oops:so I've repeated it here. Sorry for any inconvenience to anyone. Also my question may well have already been covered...my apologies if it has.

I recently upgraded to a Nikon D800 (36 MP) and I'm finding my old steam driven computer is labouring under the load when editing images using Photoshop Elements. It's ancient, so I intend to replace it. Pls note I use the computer for image editing only - I store on a separate drive.

Would appreciate any advice on how much horsepower (RAM or whatever) I'd need for reasonably quick working with Photoshop Elements.

Pls no high tech jargon as I'm easily confused - just a little guidance from those who know so that I can go shopping with some idea of what I'm on about. Thanks in advance.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

zneb240 wrote:

I placed this question on the FAQ thread - I suspe... (show quote)

For your existing computer or a new one? If for the existing computer, how much RAM will it handle?

BTW, do you fire your steam drive computer with wood, coal or oil?

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

zneb240 wrote:

I placed this question on the FAQ thread - I suspe... (show quote)

I am not being facetious...as much as you can afford. Quad core, 16 Gig with a serious graphics card.
Are you considering a PC or a laptop? Rob.

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

Mogul wrote:

For your existing computer or a new one? If for the existing computer, how much RAM will it handle?

BTW, do you fire your steam drive computer with wood, coal or oil?

I'm told that my current one is full to the brim with RAM (about 6GB) and cannot take more so I intend to replace it with a new one.

I saw one with 16GB of RAM (whatever that means) & 1Terrabyte (whatever that is) of hard drive. Would this do the job editing RAW & jpeg taken with a Nikon D800 (36 MP)?

Remember, I don't intend store on this - only edit.

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

winterrose wrote:

I am not being facetious...as much as you can afford. Quad core, 16 Gig with a serious graphics card.
Are you considering a PC or a laptop? Rob.

Thanks Rob, but not sure what all this means. What does Quad core, 16 Gig and serious graphics card mean? I'm prepared to pay up to probably $2k if necessary - more if I have to.

PC only, as I already have a very good screen and keyboard which I intend to use.

Warren

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

zneb240 wrote:

I'm told that my current one is full to the brim with RAM (about 6GB) and cannot take more so I intend to replace it with a new one.

I saw one with 16GB of RAM (whatever that means) & 1Terrabyte (whatever that is) of hard drive. Would this do the job editing RAW & jpeg taken with a Nikon D800 (36 MP)?

Remember, I don't intend store on this - only edit.

1 Terabyte....one million million megabytes...storage capacity of the hard drive.
16 Gb....16 million megabytes....think of RAM (random access memory) as how many balls a juggler can keep in the air at one time.
Dual core - quad core processors...how many arms the juggler has. Rob.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

zneb240 wrote:

I'm told that my current one is full to the brim with RAM (about 6GB) and cannot take more so I intend to replace it with a new one.

I saw one with 16GB of RAM (whatever that means) & 1Terrabyte (whatever that is) of hard drive. Would this do the job editing RAW & jpeg taken with a Nikon D800 (36 MP)?

Remember, I don't intend store on this - only edit.

YES!

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

A little bit of overestimation with mistaking thousands for millions by winterrose

1 Gigabyte = 1024 Megabytes

1 Terabyte =1024 Gigabytes = 1,048,576 Megabytes

winterrose wrote:

1 Terabyte....one million million megabytes...storage capacity of the hard drive.
16 Gb....16 million megabytes....think of RAM (random access memory) as how many balls a juggler can keep in the air at one time.
Dual core - quad core processors...how many arms the juggler has. Rob.

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

lighthouse wrote:

A little bit of overestimation with mistaking thousands for millions by winterrose

1 Gigabyte = 1024 Megabytes

1 Terabyte =1024 Gigabytes = 1,048,576 Megabytes

My sincere apologies, you are of course perfectly correct. You will forgive me, I hope, it's just that I got mixed up because I had just been looking at my investment portfolio. Cheers, Rob.

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

Thanks guys for helping a computer numby (I love being a photographer - although I'm not interested in computer workings, I love what they do).

So if wander into the computer store and ask for a computer with quad cores, 16 GB of RAM and 1 Terabyte of memory I'll be able to bring it home, hook up my screen, install Photoshop Elements then load and happily edit both RAW and jpegs from my D800. Is it that simple?

Thanks Mogul, I'm encouraged by your response

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I do hope someone else runs that for you if you are in the habit of misplacing the decimal point by 6 places.
Which philosophy or mentor do you listen to?

winterrose wrote:

My sincere apologies, you are of course perfectly correct. You will forgive me, I hope, it's just that I got mixed up because I had just been looking at my investment portfolio. Cheers, Rob.

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

lighthouse wrote:

I do hope someone else runs that for you if you are in the habit of misplacing the decimal point by 6 places.
Which philosophy or mentor do you listen to?

one hundred, two hundred, three hundred....how'd that fifty get in there!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

winterrose wrote:

My sincere apologies, you are of course perfectly correct. You will forgive me, I hope, it's just that I got mixed up because I had just been looking at my investment portfolio. Cheers, Rob.

Winter, had you been looking at my portfolio, you would have recommended he get an even smaller steam engine! SS

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

SharpShooter wrote:

Winter, had you been looking at my portfolio, you would have recommended he get an even smaller steam engine! SS

Just send it over, I'll scribble in a couple of zeros here and there for you. Works for me!

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

Me again....Pls, no advice on the share market.
Anyone who knows about these things - will quad cores, 16 GB RAM, 1 terabyte hard drive and a 'serious' graphics card (whatever that is) do the job as described??