Mac or PC: Like: Ford or Chevy? Nikon or Canon? Right!?! Thoughts on comparing desktop PC with i7, 16 GB Ram, 256 ssd primary, 2TB hdd secondary, with integrated intel iris xe vs...

Viningct

Like: Ford or Chevy? Nikon or Canon? Right!?!
Thoughts on comparing desktop PC with i7, 16 GB Ram, 256 ssd primary, 2TB hdd secondary, with integrated intel iris xe vs MacBook Pro 13 inch with M1, 8gb, 256 or 512 ssd?
Also, thoughts on whether Nvidia is needed on PC. I’ve read both.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Pick whichever you want, as long as it makes you happy. Everything else is just fodder for the forum advertising machine to churn a profit.

Also, Nvidia (again, a personal choice, not a necessity) is a company, which card specifically?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Viningct wrote:

Like: Ford or Chevy? Nikon or Canon? Right!?!
Thoughts on comparing desktop PC with i7, 16 GB Ram, 256 ssd primary, 2TB hdd secondary, with integrated intel iris xe vs MacBook Pro 13 inch with M1, 8gb, 256 or 512 ssd?
Also, thoughts on whether Nvidia is needed on PC. I’ve read both.

Well, I know which I’d choose, but which OS (Win 10 or MacOS) are you familiar with? If you choose the M1 platform, I would certainly choose 16GB RAM and the biggest SSD available, because they are not upgradable. If you choose the PC, I would certainly opt for a separate graphics card with its own VRAM rather than use the integrated Intel graphics.

BebuLamar

I have to choose PC because I don't want to run Windows Apps on the Mac. I have many applications that is not available with any other flatform besides Window and yes DOS.

Hip Coyote

Fwiiw, I switched over to Mac from windows being familiar with my iPhone and iPad. I also have a friend in the computer support business who helped me set it up perfectly. But, I did not like the system. I found windows more customizable to my preferences. So I switched back. In stead of a desk top now have a lap top that I can use anywhere. I set up my home system with a docking station with all peripherals attached. Works good for me. I use PS and LR. No video.

The hardware upgrades on Mac were very expensive. I can say that my various subscription based programs all worked perfectly except Quicken. Mac / Quicken messed up years of data and did not have a seamless data import export. I always have backups so no big deal. But to use Mac was going to cause me way too much work.
I’m happy

Viningct

Not sure which Nvidia card, more of a question if I need a separate graphics card or if integrated intel card is sufficient?

Viningct

Also, I guess I should have clarified I’m using PS/LR.
I haven’t used a Mac in a long time, but use an iPhone.
I am concerned about not being able to upgrade hardware and to upgrade to 16GB and 2TB doubles the price.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Which platform are you familiar with? You will have enough new things to learn about without trying to learn a new operating system too. This applies to a Windows only, I know nothing about Mac. Setting up a computer for serious photo processing is not cheap: As much as you can afford and don't forget the need for a good monitor.

Processor: The newest fastest you can afford.
Drives: 2 TB SSD System Drive, 4 TB Secondary Drive
RAM: Minimum of 16 GB and as much more a you can afford
Video Card: I use Nvidia. What ever you choose at least 8 GB vRam.

Good luck in what ever route you take. Final thought: Spend every penny you have on RAM. More RAM means more speed.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Curmudgeon wrote:

Which platform are you familiar with? You will hav... (show quote)

Sorry, but the processor is responsible for speed. If you have a weak processor and an over abundance of RAM, your volatile memory will be under utilized. Likewise, if you have a very fast processor and barely enough RAM to run basic operations, the processor will be forced to use page files (virtual RAM) which is the primary cause of thrashing and the dreaded system lock ups.

Make sure you have plenty of RAM, but really, stop spending money when it is about to exceed the capabilities of the processor.

And sort of on the same note, if your graphics programs can utilize the GPU (graphics card), and you have a decent one....then maximizing every ounce of RAM isn't necessarily needed. It's all a balancing act.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Viningct wrote:

Also, I guess I should have clarified I’m using PS/LR.
I haven’t used a Mac in a long time, but use an iPhone.
I am concerned about not being able to upgrade hardware and to upgrade to 16GB and 2TB doubles the price.

I would not buy a new computer, either Mac/M1 or PC/I7 with 8GB of DRAM for Post Processing. If the large SSD costs too much on the Mac, buy 512GB SSD for OS and aps and use an external drive for data. You can buy an external 2TB SSD for just over $200. You could get by with 256 SSD for OS/aps, but if you’re going to keep the machine for awhile, I would spend the extra $200. On a PC, that’s a trivial price differential. On an M1 Mac, not so much. Either way, I would definitely buy 16 GB DRAM on either platform, and If I had to choose, I would spend the $200 on 16GB DRAM and stick with 256GB SSD on the Mac.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Curmudgeon wrote:

...
...
... Final thought: Spend every penny you have on RAM. More RAM means more speed.

More RAM just means less disk cache is required, which may increase the overall program operating speed if more RAM is available. (Less disk access times.)

The processor speed (system clock) is not affected by more RAM. The processor speed remains the same no matter how much RAM one has in a system. It's all related to disk cache.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

johngault007 wrote:

Sorry, but the processor is responsible for speed.... (show quote)

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

M1 based Mac with SSD - easy choice my friend

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

PC hands down...my new machine.

Operating System: Windows Professional Edition (64-Bit)
Chassis: Corsair 465x Mid-Tower RGB, Black
Motherboard: Aorus Z490 Master, LGA 1200
Processor: Intel 10th Gen Core i9 10900K (5.3GHz Boost Clock) 10-Core
CPU Cooling: Corsair H100i Pro 240mm Liquid CPU Cooler
System Memory: 64GB Corsair Pro DDR4 SDRAM 3200MHz RGB
Graphics Processor: 24GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, GDDR6
System Power: 850 Watt Seasonic Focus Gold Power Supply
Sound Card: 5.1 Channel High Definition Integrated Audio
Storage Drive 1: 1TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe Solid State Drive
Storage Drive 2: 1TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe Solid State Drive
Networking: Wired High-Speed Internet Ready (10/100/1000)
Networking: Integrated 802.11ax Wireless (WiFi) Card
Display: None Selected
Keyboard & Mouse: None Selected
Speakers: None Selected

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Viningct wrote:

Like: Ford or Chevy? Nikon or Canon? Right!?!
Thoughts on comparing desktop PC with i7, 16 GB Ram, 256 ssd primary, 2TB hdd secondary, with integrated intel iris xe vs MacBook Pro 13 inch with M1, 8gb, 256 or 512 ssd?
Also, thoughts on whether Nvidia is needed on PC. I’ve read both.

If you stand the heat the 16 inch MacBook Pro might be a better fit for editing.