Hi y'all, need a little advice here. I'm finally beyond frustrated with my windows computer inefficiencies and ready to switch to a mac notebook. I'd like advice on what type you guys use for maximum workflow especially with editing tools? What should i be looking for in specs? Affordability is key of course but i can always aspire to better options.
The problem with current one is that it constantly freezes when i'm using PS or LR for editing. I've tried all the ways to clear storage space but to no avail. the laptop was a christmas gift and although lovely, it has really been frustrating using it for editing work.maybe the specs isn't good enough for the editing software.
i have used a mac before and although it was a bit of learning curve i loved it and would prefer switching to it, i just want to get the specs right the first time
CURRENT LAPTOP SPECS: HP notebook
Intel(R ) core ™ i7-8550u CPU @ 1.80Ghz 1.99GHz
RAM: 4.00GB(3.89GB usable)
System type: 64-bit OS, x64-based processor
thanks in advance
A few years back I acquired a 27" iMac and that is my dedicated photo processing computer.
--Bob
I have been using a MacBook Pro for a long time. My current laptop is a 2013 with 16 gg of ram. Just last week I replaced the batteries.
My advice, if your going for a mac laptop, get a 2018 MacBook Pro 15" Retina display with min of 16 gb ram. Now with these things in mind spend the most you are willing to spend beyond these basic options. We never know what's around the corner and what it will take to keep it running efficiently for the next 5 years.
I know my next machine will be between $3,500 - $4,000 It will have 32 gb of ram and 1 T hard disk space. I use Photoshop with large files all the time and don't want it to slow down. Probably not much help but my two cents worth.
TriX
Loc: Raleigh, NC
A 27” IMac with the I9 CPU. Ultimately, you’ll need 16-32 GB DRAM, but you can save substantial $ by buying the Mac with minimum memory and adding after market memory. Forget the Fusion disk and instead go with 500GB or 1 TB SSD (for OS and aps) and add an external drive for photo storage.
Btw, the problem with your current laptop is the lack of adequate memory. If it had 16GB (or even better, 32GB), you would have a completely different experience with respect to performance. 4GB is barely adequate to run Windows, much less a PP application.
Your current system sounds fine except for the RAM. You need 16GB minimum to do photo editing, especially with large files. Windows is the platform that offers the widest choice of options where software is concerned.
Your problem is the 4 gigs of ram just buy enough to get 16 - 32 gigs and it will be fine.
Your current computer is lacking in RAM. You should have a minimum of 16GB for what you're trying to do. Also, no mention of the HD, but on an inexpensive notebook, it's probably slow. IMO you can get a LOT more bang for your buck with Windows than Mac. Power desktops are much less expensive than power notebooks. Look for posts from Gene51; he's posted a lot of very good data on computers for post processing in this forum. Good luck!
abc1234
Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
I agree with the others that the problem is not enough ram. I run with 8 G and have no problems. While you say what the CPU is and that should be just fine, you do not mention what version of Windows you have. Today, you should have 10 only with all the updates. If you cannot put more RAM in, then your system is either too old or was not much of a machine in the first place.
I definitely would not go to Mac. Windows does a great job with the right hardware. Something else to consider is a video card with at least 4 G of memory. Onboard video is usually a lot less. Sometimes, the bottleneck is the video and not the cpu.
UPDATE:
thank you everyone for your suggestions and feedback. i upgraded my RAM to 16gb and all seems well in my world again. now i will start saving for that dream mac!
Linda From Maine wrote:
Excellent news
Thank you and thanks to you all. this is the best platform ever!!!
TriX
Loc: Raleigh, NC
MegTee wrote:
UPDATE:
thank you everyone for your suggestions and feedback. i upgraded my RAM to 16gb and all seems well in my world again...
Right answer. No need for a new platform now, but any excuse will do when justifying a new toy 😎.
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