unclebe1 Loc: NYC & Wellington, FL

I searched the archives, but didn't see this topic in the last few years, so I'm going to put it out here.

I have an older HP All-in-one desktop with an Intel i7 processer that literally can take 10-15 seconds to render an image in Lightroom CC. I know that Lightroom now benefits from a GPU, so I'm trying to figure out what I need to be able to work in Lightroom CC and not have to wait seconds for each image to clear up. If possible, I'd like to get a light weight laptop and then add a monitor for work at home. After a brief visit to Best Buy, the 'recommendation' was a Microsoft Surface Book 2 for $2,499 with i7 cpu, 16 GB ram, and GeForce 1060 GPU.

It certainly was an attractive package, but at $2,499 it is pricey. The question is, can I get more reasonably priced laptop and still be able to easily work with LR CC. Just for reference, my photos do tend to be large. I shoot a 46 Mp, Sony a7RII in raw mode most of the time. The reason I want a laptop is that I do a fair amount of travel and would like to work on photos while I'm traveling and not have to wait until I get back home. I have been known to be away from home for a month or more.

I'd love to hear from our UHHers in the know. Thanks!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

All anyone is going to do is copy or link to Adobe's site. Have you search there yet?

unclebe1 Loc: NYC & Wellington, FL

No, I haven't. It didn't occur to me. Sometimes I can be so thick. I'll go there now and see what they have to say.
However, I still think that UHHers can provide me with real, hands on experience and expertise. Thanks

unclebe1 Loc: NYC & Wellington, FL

Here are the requirements as shown on the Adobe website:
Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support
Windows 10 (64-bit) Version 1511 or later
4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
1 GB of Video RAM (VRAM). 2 GB of dedicated VRAM is suggested for large, high-resolution monitors, such as 4K- and 5K-resolution monitors
10 GB of available hard-disk space
OpenGL 3.3 and DirectX 10-capable video adapter for GPU-related functionality

Thanks again CHG Canon

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You would do well to take a look at what Puget Systems suggests. They do real-world optimized systems for Lightroom and/or Photoshop.

Fast drive, separate gpu, 16 gb ram (more doesn't matter much), and multicore, hyperthreaded cpu - quad core is minimal, better to have more.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-Adobe-Lightroom-Classic-CC-141/Hardware-Recommendations

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

If you prefer a laptop, the ones from Sager may meet your needs. I would get a minimum of 8GB RAM and a fast i5 or i7 and a discrete graphics card.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

The minimum spec is as above - you then have to decide 'what else you feel you need' regarding the hardware. Gaming machines need high refresh rates for instance. Lots of people get stuck on loading up on RAM. LR is ONE programme. what else do you use the PC for? (or want to use on there). I would then look at the websites for those programmes and see if any require more (?) than is already wired in.

unclebe1 Loc: NYC & Wellington, FL

Gene51

Thanks! A great reference to see how performance is affected by hardware differences. I was a bit surprised that the choice of GPU appears to have less impact than I would have thought.

unclebe1 Loc: NYC & Wellington, FL

Hpucker99

Thanks. Never heard of Sager, but went to their website. It looks to me that even their least expensive notebook is fully packed and would easily handle LR CC. Giving it serious consideration as it is $900 less than the Surface 2 product.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

Consider support when you buy. I bought a surface pro at Best Buy i7 4 core, 2.7Ghz, 16gb ram, 256GB SSD Win 10 and couldn't get it to work. Took it to the Geek squad and the only help they could offer was to reload the OS putting it back to the original state. Ended up returning it and buying a 15" Macbook Pro, i7 4 core, 2.7Ghz, 16gb ram, 512 gb SSD. It works and, like the surface pro, is light and portable with good battery life so I can take it out on shoots. I get great support at my local Apple store although I haven't needed it very often. Got it connected to a 24" srgb calibrated monitor, bluetooth keyboard and mouse at home. BTW, I have been making and supporting my own pcs for a good 20 years so I am partial to Windows. I am typing this on my gaming desktop I built myself, which I also use for PP.

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

You can check out "Digital Storm" as well. They do custom desktops, workstations, and laptops at reasonable prices.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

If you need a new laptop and price is an issue, you might want to look at a refurbished laptop from Dell or Lenovo. A Dell XPS 13 with 16GB, a touch screen and a 512GB SSD will run between $1,000 and $1,500 depending on processor, etc...

gary8803

Get a MacBook with an ssd drive, support is great, they last a long time and the system is easy to use. I'am using a 2012 MackBook and it works great. I also hook it up to a 25 inch monitor with no issues. Just remember the drive needs to be fast plus get a back up drive to store your pictures on.

davidcaley Loc: Utah

Agree, I use MacMini and Apple 30" Cinema Monitor with external hard drive for images.

aquadiver Loc: Planet Earth

Surprised at this. I recently reinstalled Windows 7 on my home desktop after Windows 10 repeatedly stalled during forced upgrades (another topic for another time). I am running LR Classic CC and Photoshop CC on Win 7 with no trouble. In fact, if anything, it's faster than it was under Win 10. So I don't understand why Adobe says Windows 10 is required.

This is probably moot for most people, since any Windows machine you buy now will have Win 10 as the OS. But if you're tired of it and want to go back and can get hold of Win 7, you might be very happy.

gc