OK Computer, look sharp
Here’s what to look for when buying a computer for high-end image editing
Legendary pro photographer Ansel Adams famously said, “The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print the performance.” It’s all down to darkroom prowess and, nowadays, the computer has become our digital darkroom. The quality of the monitor screen is of paramount importance. It’s futile to painstakingly edit a photo so that it looks its best on an inaccurate screen, especially if you plan on sharing it with others or photoprinting a physical print, as it’s likely to end up looking completely different.
But for these latest highresolution screens, and for photo-editing in general, you need a computer with a bit of clout. Slow processing speeds and tardy screen redraws can waste time and ruin your creative flow, turning what should be an enjoyable experience into a frustrating and laborious chore. But just how powerful a computer do you need for these big screens and today’s high-resolution image files? Let’s take a closer look at the most important specifications to look for.
Processor 01
Processing power is not just about speed, measured in GHZ (Gigahertz), but also the number of ‘cores’ it has. These essentially act as multiple processors running in parallel, helping to power through complex tasks. Processors with four, six and eight cores are widely available. For multimedia tasks, we’d recommend a minimum of a quad-core Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor, with the additional cores of a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 helping to greatly speed up video rendering.
RAM 02
Random Access Memory is another key factor in computer performance. Most modern computer motherboards take DDR3 or DDR4 format memory, and
have varying numbers of slots for accommodating multiple Ram modules. These usually come in 4GB or 8GB capacities and should ideally be installed in pairs. Current editions of Photoshop CC and Premiere Pro recommend a minimum of 8GB and 16GB of RAM, respectively. However, for multi-tasking and future-proofing, we recommend that you double these amounts to assure a smooth image or video editing experience.
Storage 03
Nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly common to find computers with solid state drives (SSDS) for primary storage; similar tech to that used in your camera’s flash memory cards. SSDS are dramatically faster than conventional mechanical hard drives, but capacity is relatively limited and you pay significantly more per gigabyte of storage. The best option is to combine an SSD for your operating system and apps and use a hard drive as a large, cost-effective store for data. Go for either a 250GB or 500GB SSD depending on your budget, as anything larger will be extremely pricey and mostly unnecessary if you store images and video on a separate hard drive.
Graphics processor 04
The main choice here is whether to use an integral graphics processor, built into the computer’s motherboard, or to opt for a dedicated graphics card. Integral chips are fine for undemanding use, but with multimedia software being increasingly able to exploit the power of a graphics card to accelerate tasks like video rendering, a dedicated graphics card can be beneficial. Even so, a mid-level card like the Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 3GB in our test PC will be perfectly sufficient for high-end photo and video editing, as top-end cards are built for gaming or professional CAD work and can be astronomically expensive to purchase.
Video ports 05
Video ports likely to be found on current computers include DVI: an ageing, but still widely used digital connection that can transmit resolutions up to 2560x1600 in its most recent dual-link guise. DVI can only transfer video and not audio signals, whereas DP (Displayport) is a newer connection that can carry both and is suitable for 4K video. Lastly, there’s the hugely popular HDMI connection that’s able to link video and audio to wide-ranging devices. However, you’ll need the HDMI 2.0 specification to support 10-bit rather than 8-bit colour depth, and 4K transmission above 24fps.
External storage connectors 06
Popular current standards include ESATA, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 2, the latter being mostly confined to Apple devices. They’re all fast, with USB 3.0 being the most common connection for downloading digital photos and video from memory cards via a card reader, or to store data on external hard drives for purposes of back-up.
Mac or PC? 07
This decades-old dilemma is a tougher choice than ever. Most of the best photo and video editing apps, including Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere, are available in both Mac and Windows editions. A major advantage of Windows is its ability to run on a myriad of different computers, but this degree of choice can also be problematic, as cheaper PCS are unlikely to run editing apps smoothly. Apple’s tightly controlled Mac ecosystem assures you of a top quality computer with premium components that should work flawlessly out of the box – though you will pay handsomely for this attention to detail. Then there’s the question of upgradability. It can be tempting to buy an ‘all in one’ computer like an imac, but it’s likely only the RAM will be upgradable; otherwise you need to get the specs right when you place your order. A conventional tower PC will usually be completely upgradable, but in a few years when you may want to upgrade, there’s a high chance the latest and greatest processor will also require new supporting components, and this domino effect can mean an upgrade becomes as costly as a whole new PC.