Good computer for photography -- this seems too good for the price, what am I missing?
Oct 13, 2022 13:08:52 #
Bridges wrote:
I currently run an HP Envy i7-10700 with 8 gb. of ... (show quote)
The downside for photo processing is the lack of a separate graphics card (I believe the Intel 770 graphics is the graphics embedded on the CPU). Find out if it has an open PCIe slot and the power supply capacity. If there is an open slot and the PS is at least 400-450 watts (and it has the correct connector for a graphics card), you should be able to add a graphics card later. It would also be good if the SSD is an m.2 NVME (rather than SATA connected).
Oct 13, 2022 13:29:51 #
Oct 13, 2022 14:30:47 #
Mike Ga
Loc: Long Island, NY
The Dell 8950 comes with various configurations. Mine is similar to yours with the following additions NVIDIA 3060 8GB graphics card, SD card reader, HDMI & usb type C, DVD/RW drive. I purchased it form Costco for $1350.
Oct 13, 2022 14:49:59 #
hookedupin2005
Loc: Northwestern New Mexico
therwol wrote:
The 450 watt power supply in this computer can't power a decent dedicated graphics card.
My power supply is 265 watts, and it handles my 4GB dedicated graphics card just fine.....
Oct 13, 2022 17:03:53 #
rck281
Loc: Overland Park, KS
Bridges wrote:
Thanks all. The onboard graphics card is the killer for me. I hate it when a company puts things together to lessen the price and doesn't allow the consumer to be able to upgrade. It is just another way of making their product proprietary. I'm glad some of you were familiar with the Intel 770 graphics card. I know my way around computers better than the average Joe on the street but am far far from being an expert in such matters. I'm glad you guys are out there!
The 770 is not a "card." It is integrated into the CPU and motherboard. You don't swap anything out and it's easily upgrade by adding a graphics card. However, a 450 watt power supply (not on sale for $28) isn't going to cut it. The problem with Dell is that many components are not standard and you have to buy from them. I wouldn't have a non standard PC. Then you have to ask if there is sufficient air flow in the case to support a graphics card. More power means more heat, just like a 200 watt light bulb puts off more heat than a 60. Don't concern yourself with DDR5. You would have to run benchmarks to tell the difference. If fact, if you are using an Intel CPU ram speed makes little difference. However, if using an AMD CPU, I would recommend DDR4-3600 minimum.
Oct 13, 2022 17:18:18 #
hookedupin2005 wrote:
My power supply is 265 watts, and it handles my 4GB dedicated graphics card just fine.....
You didn’t mention what CPU or graphics card you are using, but consider this: 12th Gen Intel I-7 &1-9 CPUs have a TDP power consumption of 125 Watts when not in overclocked mode (where it will be higher) and the 13th Gen is higher at 181 to 253 Watts depending on the chip. Add to that the graphics card (even my older 6GB 1060 is 120 Watts), and you have nothing left for the MB, memory, disk, fans etc. And even if you don’t exceed the max output of the supply, running it at 100% is not an invitation to PS longevity. Maybe YOUR computer runs OK with that very small supply, but it would be a bad recommendation for anyone buying a modern machine.
Oct 13, 2022 18:12:45 #
What ever you pick remember All is negotiable. Call the maker ask for the best pricing than negotiate. Good luck!!
Oct 13, 2022 19:03:14 #
Oct 13, 2022 19:06:30 #
Bridges wrote:
Last desktop I built was 9 years ago, 32GB of DDR3 RAM (that's how dated it is). No separate graphics card, on-board graphics Intel I7-4770 Haswell. YET it runs all the latest Topaz software, ON1 2022.5, LR 6.14, Luminar Neo, DxO PhotoLab 6... Yes, it's not the fastest when rendering a final edit, but it gets the job done. Point is, that 32GB gives it the room it needs to run Topaz (their assessment when I asked why it ran without the minimum specs), etc. So I'd go with 32GB.Good idea. I know a couple of people in the area that build computers from the ground up. I didn't think they could build one with a price that would compete with a mass-produced one. By asking for just the things I need, like a lot of RAM and a good graphics card, and leaving out things like a burner and storage (I have a large amount of external storage), maybe I could keep the price down.
While SSD's are great for OS and programs, don't discount spinners for data; their cost per capacity is worth it to me. I've had some spinners in an HTPC that have run 24/7/365 for 5+ years and they get a lot of reads/writes.
Oct 13, 2022 19:31:28 #
I googled add memory to an HP Envy i7-10700.
If you have the all in one there's a door on the back. Remove it and you can replace the memory with a larger one.
Here's a link to a BestBuy that says the Envy desktop can be upgraded to 32GB.
Q: QuestionCan I Upgrade the Ram to this model?
Asked 1 year ago by Dez.
A:Answer Yes you can. Here is the Memory upgrade information Dual channel memory architecture (One DIMM per channel) Two DDR4 UDIMM (288-pin) sockets Supports up to PC4-23400 (DDR4-2933) Supports up to 32 GB (unbuffered) with two 16 GB DIMMs on 64-bit systems
Here's a link to that page:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/questions/hp-envy-desktop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-512gb-ssd-nightfall-black/6428087
I suspect someone may be trying to take advantage...
Ed
If you have the all in one there's a door on the back. Remove it and you can replace the memory with a larger one.
Here's a link to a BestBuy that says the Envy desktop can be upgraded to 32GB.
Q: QuestionCan I Upgrade the Ram to this model?
Asked 1 year ago by Dez.
A:Answer Yes you can. Here is the Memory upgrade information Dual channel memory architecture (One DIMM per channel) Two DDR4 UDIMM (288-pin) sockets Supports up to PC4-23400 (DDR4-2933) Supports up to 32 GB (unbuffered) with two 16 GB DIMMs on 64-bit systems
Here's a link to that page:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/questions/hp-envy-desktop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-512gb-ssd-nightfall-black/6428087
I suspect someone may be trying to take advantage...
Ed
Oct 13, 2022 22:19:07 #
EastendSteve
Loc: New York Metropolitan Area
The only thing you should have to replace to upgrade your memory could be the SoDIMMs that are already installed.
One thing that I have found annoying is how computer (especially laptop) manufacturers sell their wares with too little memory.
I suggest you install a minimum of 32GB of RAM in the computer. Note that the more cores you have, the more limited RAM becomes a bottleneck.
HP is a good brand (except for printers, in my experience) and upgrading memory and storage should not be a hassle. But it doesn't require removing/replacing any "cores". As I said, you may have to remove the low capacity memory to upgrade. Trust me, it's worth it.
For photography, the only unusual (and expensive) recommendation I'd make is to go for a 4K monitor. I just bought a Dell 17" laptop with a UHD+ (2400p H x 3840 W) screen and it's wonderful. 14 cores and 32GB of RAM. Not cheap but worth every penny, in my opinion.
One thing that I have found annoying is how computer (especially laptop) manufacturers sell their wares with too little memory.
I suggest you install a minimum of 32GB of RAM in the computer. Note that the more cores you have, the more limited RAM becomes a bottleneck.
HP is a good brand (except for printers, in my experience) and upgrading memory and storage should not be a hassle. But it doesn't require removing/replacing any "cores". As I said, you may have to remove the low capacity memory to upgrade. Trust me, it's worth it.
For photography, the only unusual (and expensive) recommendation I'd make is to go for a 4K monitor. I just bought a Dell 17" laptop with a UHD+ (2400p H x 3840 W) screen and it's wonderful. 14 cores and 32GB of RAM. Not cheap but worth every penny, in my opinion.
Oct 14, 2022 05:50:44 #
Oct 14, 2022 20:17:00 #
Paul Diamond
Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA
Always go back to the specs for the motherboard. What is the most RAM it will support and at what speed? (I upgraded my 32GB RAM to 64GB.) And look at the expandability of the motherboard to take more plug in cards, more/faster SSD, how many drives, what is the best VRAM video/graphics board that can be added? And some will need to plan for how many USB connections are available. Don't forget the graphics attachment - not some wimpy built-in video graphics capability on the motherboard. And look at the capability of the power supply to handle all your 'add-on' toys.
i've built a lot of computer systems since the 1970's. You can get a lot of good ideas from mags like Maximum PC. Don't just buy one copy and think you know everything in one 'gulp'. The 'river' is wider and faster than that.
i've built a lot of computer systems since the 1970's. You can get a lot of good ideas from mags like Maximum PC. Don't just buy one copy and think you know everything in one 'gulp'. The 'river' is wider and faster than that.
Oct 14, 2022 21:53:59 #
Paul Diamond wrote:
Always go back to the specs for the motherboard. ... (show quote)
One is well advised to build/upgrade not just to what is needed now, but for the reasonable future - without going overboard. As I have said previously, when I rebuilt a few months ago, I upped RAM from 16 GB DDR3 to 32 GB DDR4. I'm using a lot of different software, including ON1 2023, and don't even use one-fourth of that RAM!!! - I have a program which shows everything going on with the computer - in real time.
Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City
Oct 15, 2022 10:36:41 #
Harry0
Loc: Gardena, Cal
Bridges wrote:
I currently run an HP Envy i7-10700 with 8 gb. of ... (show quote)
This PC is designed to be an excellent office computer. Made identical units in numbers.
Maybe just last years overstock? It will run Windows and Office very well.
The Intel 770 is built in. I doubt you could find a real GPU this bad,
They are very good PCs otherwise. You'll need a decent video card ASAP!
BTW the ad shows an optical drive- but that's extra.
Your "old" PC is not bad; how many memory slots does it have?
Each slot can have 8gb of DDR4. 2 slots = 16, 4 slots = 32gb ram.
And yes the mobo has to e replaced to go from DDR4 to DDR5.
Do the RAM and SSD upgrade on it and be amazed.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.