BIGRO wrote:
Hello all, it's probably been asked a million times but I would like your help in selecting a laptop to process my pictures. Learning how to use photoshop then lightroom. Currently looking at Hp Omen with GeForce 1050 and Lenovo 720, both similar specs. Also is 8 GB memory good or 16 to run this program. Much obliged
Best specs for Photoshop are:
Quad core CPU with hyperthreading
32 gb ram,with room for another 32gb (more memory means less paging to disk, and way faster performance)
NVMe m.2 System drive, 512 or larger
SATA III SSD, 2 TB for primary data storage
USB-C
NVidia Quadro Graphics card (with enough memory to display your images on your monitor(s) - if using just one display, or the laptop display, 2 gb is more than adequate)
For Lightroom:
6 or 8 core CPU
16 gb ram
Same system drive, storage drive, USB and even a more modest graphics card since you are only editing xmp or preview files.
Mild overclocking with an unlocked cpu will move things along a little faster.
Most of the MSI workstation/gaming laptops in this link will meet or exceed your "best" spec
http://www.xoticpc.com/custom-gaming-laptops-notebooks-gaming-laptops-ct-118-96-98.html#!/graphicscard=81-186&no_cache=true&p=clearTrying to get by with only 8 gb ram is only fruitful if you a) have a very limited budget, and b) have lots of time on your hands. Lr will just mosey along with 8 gb, but Photoshop will not perform certain tasks that are memory intensive, like content aware scale/fill/move, and will crash when you try to use too many layers.
The Quadro graphics cards will allow you to display 30 bit color if you have a monitor that is capable. I use a pair of Dell 2413 displays which are 30 bit capable because of their 12 bit LUT. A true 30 bit display would cost 2x as much or more.