Comparing the best Laptops for Photo Editing in 2018. In this third part of this series on the best laptops for photo editing, we increase the tempo and the budget (from and ).
We now raise the qualifying mark to in the first part of this comparison to just under $1,500 and later on, we look at the. With the increased budget we can expect something extra, better performance, better build quality and of course better features. You will notice that a majority of the picks in this discussion are labeled as gaming laptops. Although we photographers rarely pick a computer for playing PUBG, one can’t deny the fact that the best of features are usually loaded into a gaming platform.
These include a powerful processor, powerful graphics, beefier memory, flash memory and all the other embellishments that go with it. So, without further ado here are the best laptops for photo editing under $1,500: ✔ Top Laptop for Photography under $1,500. # Laptop Price on Amazon Rating on Amazon Reviews on Amazon 1 Our Pick 2 Runner Up 3 4 No Longer Available 5 (Certified Refurbished) 6 No Longer Available 7 8 9 ? Jump to the section with the. Price on Amazon: Best Laptop Photo Editing Under $1500: the, 17″ Full HD, Intel i7-8550U Processor, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA Gaming GeForce GTX 1050 The is powered by an 8 th Generation (Kaby Lake Refresh) Core i7-8550 processor.
The processor has a clock speed of 1.8 GHz. When boosted using Turbo, it can attain a clock speed of 4 GHz. Paired with the processor is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics processor with an integrated memory of 4 GB. Storage on the laptop is a combination of 1 TB of HDD and 256 GB of SSD. Needless to say that the SSD ensures a faster boot time and quicker loading of applications. The internal memory of the laptop is 16 GB DDR4 RAM.
I love the combination of the high DDR4 memory, plus the latest 8 th gen processor and the SSD drive. However, there is a downside. This particular model from ASUS isn’t exactly perfect for easy upgrade and maintenance. There are an awful number of screws that you have to unscrew before you can get access to the memory and the hard drive units. That said, if you don’t want to take the laptop apart, the built-in configuration is good enough for most photo editing needs. The display on the laptop is a large 17.3″ real estate with a resolution of full HD.
Editing in 4K: Minimum System Requirements. Sony Vegas Pro 13 has the best support for XAVC-S and XDCam footage. REDCODE (R3D) is supported natively by all the major editing software packages and has the major advantage in post of letting you choose a playback resolution. As for the comment that MAC's are faster editing computers.
We would have liked a higher resolution (at least UHD – 3840 x 2160) display as that would have justified the larger than standard display size. As a gaming laptop, it is likely that the machine will have a few features which are catered towards hardcore gamers. The backlit ergonomically designed keyboard is one of them. Connectivity includes several USB ports (USB 3.0 and USB 2.0), HDMI, RJ45, built-in Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Price on Amazon: Our #3 Pick: the 300 Gaming Laptop, 15.6″ Full HD, Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, GeForce GTX 1060-6GB; The is a full-fledged gaming laptop designed for the avid gamer.
It is based on a Core i7 -7700 HQ processor (7 th Generation) and can clock up to a maximum of 3.8 GHz. Paired with it is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU with 6 GB of integrated GDDR5 VRAM. Not that it would make any difference to a photo editor, but it is pertinent to mention that the laptop is designed for the PASCAL architecture which ensures it is VR ready. The internal memory of the device is 16 GB of DDR4. Storage comprises a 256 GB SSD unit. If you know me, I love the SSD option as it enhances the performance of the machine, reducing the boot time of the OS as well as the load time of your favorite photo editing application. That is a big thing for a laptop purchased solely for photo editing.
The display on the device is a 15.6″ screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 with IPS technology. The G3-571-77QK comes with full connectivity options, including USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Because this is a dedicated gaming laptop, there are many specifications which have been incorporated keeping the avid gamer in mind. The backlit keyboard with red accented W, A, S and D keys are one such feature. The keys have a long travel which gives a better ergonomic feel to it. One additional feature on the laptop I love is the extended palm rest. This is very comfortable and is a nice touch especially for someone who spends a considerable amount of time editing photos etc.
The only thing is that the keys are not programmable. But with Photoshop keystroke shortcuts (customizable) I don’t think this is going to be a significant problem. Finally, the dual cooling fan design ensures that the laptop is able to manage heat dissipation issues much easier compared to other traditional laptops. Windows 10 comes preloaded in the system.
From $1,138.00 3. Price on Amazon: The Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD The is a 15.6″ gaming laptop powered by 7 th Generation Core i7 processor.
This is an older generation (Kaby Lake) quad-core processor. The clock speed of the processor is 2.8 GHz.
However, when boosted, you can get a clock speed of 3.8 GHz. Paired with the processor is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics coprocessor with an integrated memory of 6 GB (GDDR5). The system incorporates the latest Max Q design architecture from NVIDIA. This technology is all about dissipating heat and managing the overall performance of the GPU.
For hardcore gamers, the Max Q architecture isn’t the best nor the most sought-after technology. For photographers, we don’t mind the balancing between heat and peak performance. The internal memory of the device is 16 GB DDR4.
We have already noted how the DDR4 RAM is miles ahead of the DDR3 RAM regarding performance. Add to this the storage option which is a combination of Solid State and traditional HDD (128 GB + 1 TB respectively). The presence of the 128 GB SSD translates into a faster booting time.
Plus, the minimal waiting time for your favorite editing app to load, makes a big difference in the final scheme of things. The display on the laptop is a 15.6″ unit with IPS technology and offers a resolution of full HD. The maximum refresh rate is 60 Hz.
Though the last detail is somewhat irrelevant if you are a photographer, you would be using this primarily for image editing and for browsing and for those purposes a high refresh rate is not a necessity. Being tagged as a gaming laptop it has a few other features that are synonymous with gaming – including a backlit keyboard. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB. Windows 10 comes preloaded in the machine.
$1,170.00 - 2% $1,149.99 Related Post: 4. Price on Amazon: No Longer Available The 13-inch Laptop with Touch Bar, 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 256GB, Retina Display is powered by an Intel Core i5 Processor with a maximum clock speed of 2.9 GHz when not boosted. This is a dual-core design. When boosted the processor can clock a maximum of 3.3 GHz. Graphics is powered by Intel Iris Graphics 550. The system comes preloaded with Mac OS Sierra. Internal memory on the MacBook Pro 13″ is 8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR3 SDRAM.
Internal storage on the machine is a 256 GB PCI-e based SSD unit. The Touch bar on this machine warrants a slightly different design than what we have seen in the other version without the touch bar. But the touch bar does give some added convenience when logging in to your device or when working.
The display on the MacBook Pro is what appeals the most. The 13″ display offers a resolution of 2560 x 1600. The keyboard on the laptop has a backlit feature. Connectivity options include four thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. Price on Amazon: (Certified Refurbished) The 15.6″ UHD (3840×2160) 4K TouchScreen Gaming Laptop The is a 15.6″ laptop with high resolution (UHD) display. For someone who is a professional photo editor, being able to edit stills on a high-resolution display is great to have, and that means s/he is going to enjoy working with the Dell.
By the way, UHD refers to 3840 x 2160, and that means you keep the same 16:9 aspect ratio as the full HD display. Additionally, the screen has touchscreen properties. Personally, I don’t quite fancy a touchscreen for photo editing purposes as they tend to be fingerprint magnets. Powering the Dell is an Intel Quad Core i7-6700 HQ processor with a clock speed of 2.6 GHz. There are four cores with eight maximum threads.
The processor can be overclocked to a maximum of 3.5 GHz. This is a 6 th Generation Sky Lake processor. If you are looking for the latest generation Core i7 processor, then you should opt for the (8 th Generation Kaby Lake Refresh) latest generation processor powered laptops. Graphics is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M unit with an integrated memory of 4 GB GDDR5. Storage on the laptop is a meaty 1 TB of SSD drive. There is no traditional HDD. Not that I am complaining either.
Internal memory on the computer is 16 GB DDR3L SDRAM. One of the salient features of the laptop is that it comes with a maintenance hatch. You can upgrade the RAM and the hard drive if need be very quickly. Connectivity options include built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI and the standard USB and Ethernet.
Windows 10 comes preloaded in the system. Price on Amazon: No Longer Available The 17.3″ Full HD Ultra Thin and Light Gaming Laptop,75HZ G-SYNC Display, GeForce GTX 1070 8GB, Intel i7-7700HQ 2.8 GHz, 12GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB 7200 rpm HDD I love a large display for editing purposes. The comes with a 17.3″ display. However, the thing I don’t like is that the huge monitor (for a laptop) is not backed up with a higher resolution. The system is powered by an Intel Core i7 – 7700 HQ processor with 2.8 GHz clock speed. The processor can be overclocked using Turbo to a maximum of 3.8 GHz.
Powering the graphics is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 100 graphics processor with an integrated 8 GB of memory. The internal memory of the laptop is 12 GB of DDR4 RAM. Internal storage on the laptop is 1 TB of HDD (7200 rpm). The system also comes with a flash memory option. There is a 128 GB SSD option on the laptop.
The presence of the SSD unit ensures that your applications and the operating system start pretty fast. Related Post: The machine comes with the proprietary Hyper Cool Duo-Copper cooling system that makes sure that the GPU and the CPU are cooled separately. Though as a photographer you will never quite need that extreme cooling, gamers will love that feature because they can now have a dedicated cooling system which is more efficient. The 17.3″ monitor screen is large, but it has more features for the gamer than the photo editor. I have already mentioned that the display resolution is only full HD.
The display has matte g-sync technology for better (smoother) gaming experience. The keyboard is a chiclet design which is a bit too crispy for my liking. However, I am judgmental here. Connectivity options on the device include USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RJ45, and HDMI.
Windows 10 comes preloaded in the system. Price on Amazon: The 15.6” FHD Powerful Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core 2.8GHz (Turbo up to 3.8GHz), 3GB GTX 1060, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, 16GB DDR4 Another ASUS on this list – the 15.6″ gaming laptop. It is a mid-range gaming laptop with some handy features. But we are least concerned about its gaming capabilities. What we are interested in is how capable it is for editing images (and videos).
The FX503VM is powered by a 7 th generation Intel Core i7 – 7700 HQ Quad-core processor. The processor clocks 2.8 GHz when it is not boosted. When boosted using Turbo the processor can clock 3.8 GHz. Paired with the processor is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics processor with integrated 3 GB of RAM. Internal memory on the device is a great 16 GB of DDR4 2400 MHz RAM. Storage options are a twin. There is a 1 TB of HDD as well as a 128 GB SSD (M.2).
That means you can enjoy a mixture of fast performance as well as speedy boot plus the convenience of a large storage option. That said ASUS’s design architecture is so good that upgrading both the RAM and the storage is a breeze. All you need is to unscrew a single screw at the bottom panel, and a panel will slide out revealing the storage and the memory units. Just like other dedicated gaming laptops the FX503VM also has a backlit (red) keyboard that gives you the advantage of using it in a dimly lit room.
The display on the laptop is 15.6″ with a full HD resolution. Just like most other dedicated gaming laptops the FX503VM also comes with better than standard heat management features. The FX503VM comes with a pair of copper heat pipes plus a dual fan system which ensures that the main processor and the graphics cards are individually cooled.
Though you are most probably not looking for a gaming laptop and would rarely be playing Grand Theft Auto on your photo editing laptop, this is a feature nice to have when working with resource hogging photo editing applications. Connectivity options on the laptop include USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as standard.
Price on Amazon: The (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) – Platinum The makes its first appearance in this series. This one is powered by an Intel Core i5-7200U 7 th generation processor. The processor clocks 3.1 GHz.
Internal storage of the laptop is a decent 256 GB SSD. There is no option for a traditional hard drive. The SSD option is smaller compared to a traditional HDD, but the performance and speed of the drive is much faster. The internal memory of the laptop is 8 GB of LPDDR3 RAM.
You can further upgrade the memory to fit in a total of 16 GB of memory. There is only one slot though.
Paired with the processor is an Intel HD 620 (some variations come with the Intel Iris Plus graphics option). The Surface has a 13.5″ display with a resolution of 2256 x 1504. Plus, you also get a touchscreen option as well. Would this be the best display for photo editing?
A small 13.5″ screen isn’t exactly the sort of display that I prefer. I prefer a larger display because it helps to view the image close to full resolution (though it is never quite full resolution and one would need a separate high-resolution display to achieve that).
The small display and limited editing power at your display would be good enough for small tasks like adjusting the white balance from a photo session, doing the basic adjustments which can be taken care off in batches. Now comes the question of connectivity. The Surface comes with a USB 3.1 (no USB 2.0) a min display port, built-in Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The machine comes preloaded with Windows 10.
ASUS ZenBook pro UX550VE-DB1T 15.6″ Price on Amazon: 15.6-inch NanoEdge FHD Touch Laptop The is a 15.6″ laptop designed keeping in mind the requirement of the power user. This is system is powered by a Intel i7 – 7700 HQ (7 th Generation) quad core processor capable of clocking 2.8 GHz.
When boosted in turbo mode the system clocks 3.8 GHz. Internal memory of the laptop is 16 GB DDR4. The processor on the ASUS ZenBook pro UX550VE-DB1T is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU. Integrated memory of the GPU is 4 GB. An extremely powerful graphics card is in the domain of dedicated gamers. Photographers rarely need that high a GPU. Storage on the device is a single SSD unit of 512 GB.
It comes with PCIe NVMe technology. There is no HDD option as such.
I don’t mind that at all provided the SSD option is large. In this case, 512 GB storage may not sound much and certainly is not enough for storing all your photos or even photos from a month of photo shoots. But then it would certainly be enough for all practical purposes. That said, you will need to plug in an external hard drive and back up your photos and videos from time to time.
The GTX 1080 and the GTX 1070 mentioned in some of the above-discussed laptops push the final price tag high. It is practically needless as well as mindless to invest such a high amount of money in a technology that you would probably never use. The GTX 1050 Ti and the GTX 1060 are much ‘saner’ choices. Finally, the weight of the device is about 1.9 kilos. That is extremely lightweight considering some of the other laptops that we have discussed here. It is a good unit to carry in your laptop bag while traveling Display on the laptop is standard (full HD). The 15.6″ display comes with touch options as well.
Windows 10 comes preloaded into the system. 15.6-Inch 178 degree wide angle view Full-HD Nano Edge touch display with Windows 10.
Latest 7th generation Intel i7-7700HQ Quad Core 2.8 GHz Processor (Turbo to 3.8 GHz). Fast storage and memory featuring PCIE NVMe 512GB SSD with 16GB DDR4 RAM with NVidia GTX 1050Ti 4GB. Extensive connectivity with HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen2) with Thunderbolt, 2x USB Type 3.0 Type-A, 802.11ac WiFi,. Sleek 4 lbs aluminum body for comfortable portability. Built-in fingerprint reader with one-touch login via Windows. $1,699.00 - 6% from $1,598.99 In the following section, we are covering the very best pro laptops for photo editing. So far we have covered the best laptops in $1,000-$,1500 range and in our other posts, we covered the the.
Now’s the turn to bring in the big boys. The best of the best! The ones that we can truly call monsters in a clamshell frame. We have left out the budget constraint for this leg of the review. There is no point in that anymore. We are looking for the best of the best so we don’t want to be bogged down by budget and other aspects. So without further ado, here are the best professional laptops for photo editing. Best Pro Laptops for Photo Editing in 2018 (No Budget Limits).
# Laptop Price on Amzaon Amazon Ratings Amazon Reviews 10 11 12 13 ? New Model Available: 14 ? New Model Available: 15 16 17 18 19 20 10. Price on Amazon: Our Pick for Best Laptop for Photo Editing in 2018: the This powerful 4K laptop features specs that any photographer/photo editor will dig. For a start, the display is a large 17.3″.
The resolution is UHD / 4K. The larger resolution is something that you would enjoy working with when editing your high-resolution photos and videos. A larger resolution allows you to view an expanded video timeline. The monitor comes with IPS display technology.
A thing that we don’t like is the low res display of the traditional gaming laptops. Large screens often wasted because the processor is incapable of handling the demands of a 4K / UHD display. The processor is the latest 8 th Generation Core i9 (i9-8950 HK Coffee Lake) Hexa Core (6 cores and 12 threads). The processor is capable of clocking 4.3 to 4.8 GHz. The processor is paired with the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 with an integrated 8 GB GDDR5X RAM. Internal RAM of the laptop is 32 GB (2666 GHz). There are two slots which can be used to upgrade the RAM to 64 GB.
Internal storage of the system is 1 TB of SSD (NVMe). There are 2 512 GB SSD units arranged in a Raid 4 architecture.
Plus there is also a 1 TB standard SATA HDD (7200 RPM) unit as well. This is a hardcore gaming laptop and therefore has the best features. Some of which would be inconsequential for photo editors but would be imperative for the photographers.
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Such as the massive cooling vents at the back on either side. There are a complete set of communication options including USB-C which you can use for video rendering at a decent rate. There are some USB Type A ports as well as HDMI ports. However, you won’t get a DVI port either, and there are no optical drives in the machine. The backlit chiclet keyboard is a nice touch though it is superficial for a photo editor because of the backlighting scheme.
There is a four zone RGB backlight area. The lighting scheme is programmable. You can use the Steel Series engine software that is provided with the laptop. The travel distance of the keyboard and their tenacity ensures that you can use it for a considerable period. It is a keyboard shortcut users dream come true. $4,499.00 - 7% $4,199.00 11.
Price on Amazon: 17.3″ 120Hz 5ms Ultra Thin and Light Gaming Laptop Another 17″ laptop and this one is from MSI. The is built around a 7 th Generation Intel Core i7 7700HQ processor. The processor can clock a maximum of 3.8 GHz. When not boosted the processor clocks 2.8 GHz. Graphics is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with an integrated 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM.
The GPU integrates the PASCAL architecture which ensures a much smoother performance. The machine itself has a memory of 16 GB of DDR4 RAM.
You can expect better performance compared to the older GTX 1060 GPU but nowhere near the performance of the GTX 1080 discussed above. Storage on the device is a combination of Solid State Devices and traditional HDD.
The SSD option comes with 256 GB of storage (one unit m2.2SATA) and the HDD option comes with 2 TB of HDD (5400 RPM). Exceptionally good heat management is a hallmark of the best gaming laptops in the business. As photographers, we use resource hogging applications ourselves. And often indulge in tasks that draw the last drop of power. Thus, we need more power. But more power comes with a price – heat.
The MSI’s heat management system includes 3 fans and 5 heat pipes. Though, originally designed for gamers it comes in handy for a photo editor. Gaming laptops come with their own unique features and one of them is the backlit keyboard. The GS73VR STEALTH PRO-060 comes with a multi-color backlit keyboard. The display on the 17.3″ laptop is full HD. As photographers and photo editors we definitely would have loved to see a higher display resolution.
The one thing that seems to be missing in most of these laptops is the UHD display resolution. That said, the refresh rate, as usual, is geared towards avid gamers – 120 Hz.
To top it all the GS73VR STEALTH PRO-060 is portable. Weighing in at just 5.35 lb, it is certainly way lighter than the HP Omen X 17-ap020nr we read about before.
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That makes the MSI a better option if you travel quite a lot. Windows 10 comes preloaded in the system.
$2,099.00 - 6% $1,969.00 12. Price on Amazon: The is a 15.6″ laptop designed for the photo editor in mind. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 – 8750H processor (8 th Generation).
The processor clocks 2.2 GHz. Paired with the processor is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with an integrated memory of 8 GB (DDR5).
The internal memory of the laptop is 16 GB (DDR4). Internal storage of the laptop is 512 GB SSD (PCIe) M.2.
There is no option for a standard HDD. There is 9 MB of internal cache memory.
The laptop covers 100% Adobe RGB color gamut. The laptop comes with various connectivity options. Apart from the standard USB options you also get the Type-C USB as well. Then there is the RGB Fusion software that comes along with the laptop. Using this software you can personalize the backlighting scheme of the laptop keyboard. Of course, you can also customize the keyboard for any functions that you want. The display on the laptop is 15.6″ and has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 (UHD).
The high resolution ensures that you can check your photos in greater detail compared to other full HD displays. The monitor comes with an anti-glare IPS display technology which is great for working in bright light situations. $1,999.00 13. Price on Amazon: The is powered by a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 – 7820 HQ Quad-Core processor. The processor is supplemented with an AMD Radeon Pro 560 graphics card with an integrated memory of 4 GB (DDR5). The AMD Radeon Pro 560 GPU should be faster that the GeForce GTX 960M but then when compared to the GTX 965M the performance is slower. Finally, internal memory of the laptop is 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM.
The memory capacity of the MacBook, however, is not upgradable. Storage on the laptop is comprised of 512 of SSD. There is no standard HDD on the laptop. I don’t mind that. A 512 GB SSD is more than sufficient to back up a few days’ worths of work (as long as you are not shooting videos). Of course, you will have to back up your work to an external hard drive afterward. The display has always been the more powerful features of a MacBook, and in this regard, the 15.4″ MacBook Pro does not disappoint.
The 15.4″ display comes with a resolution of 2880 x 1800. Apple calls it the Retina Display. The flat keyboard design is something that takes a while getting used to.
I personally, like a bit of an elevation for the keys. And this one surely does not comply. Then, I am subjective here. The other features of the MacBook include the highly publicized Touch Bar and Touch ID features. Mac OS X Sierra comes preloaded in the system. Speaking of the Touch Bar, this panel sitting at the top of the keyboard offers some functionality for popular applications. For our sake, it gives easy access to Photoshop tools including layers and brushes.
So, it has some applicability beyond changing brightness, volume and interacting with Siri. Overall this is a powerful laptop, and the display resolution certainly makes it very useful compared to some of the other laptops that we have seen in this review. However the fact that the RAM is locked means you can never upgrade it.
$2,799.00 - 55% from $1,259.00 14. Price on Amazon: The is a giant notebook powered by a 7 th Generation Intel Core i7 – 7700 HQ processor which can clock 2.8 GHz.
When boosted using Turbo it can clock a maximum of up to 3.8 GHz. This is a quad-core processor with 6 MB cache. Internal memory is a 16 GB DDR4 RAM (8 GB x 2). Paired with the processor is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 processor (faster than the previous generation GTX 1060). Integrated memory on the GPU is 8 GB. This is the third version of Acer’s premium 17″ laptops aimed solely at the avid gamers. The display on the laptop is a nice and big 17.3″ unit with IPS display technology and NVIDIA G-Sync technology.
The only thing that we don’t like is the absence of a higher resolution display. This monitor supports only full HD. Storage on the laptop is a combination of traditional HDD and a flash drive. There is a 256 GB SSD unit (actually there are two 128 GB units in RAID 0 configuration and for all purposes, it will show up as one unit) as well as a 1 TB HDD unit.
I prefer the larger SSD capacity as it allows a bit more leverage in terms of storing everything that one needs on the primary drive. That way your boot time is reduced plus your photo editing applications launch quicker. Windows 10 comes pre-loaded in the system. Gaming laptops come with a few distinct features that are different from or unnecessary when compared with traditional business or home laptops. One of them is the backlit keyboard. The unique thing about this laptop is the programmable RGB backlit design of the keyboard.
There are actually four customizable backlit zones. The other thing we like is the Predator FrostCore unit that comes with the laptop.
This is best used for intense gaming, but you can use it with photo editing applications as well, especially when rendering a big time-lapse or batch processing a large number of images and so on. A laptop can get pretty hot due to the resource hogging nature of these tasks. The only thing that you would probably not like, especially if you love to work sitting on a couch, is the short battery life. Specifications suggest that the average battery life is only 3 hours. Which is very limited. $1,599.99 - 56% from $699.99 15. HP Omen X 17-ap020nr Price on Amazon: This is a that is powered by an Intel Core i7 – 7820 HK (7 th Generation) processor.
Internal memory of the unit is 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM. Memory is upgradeable up to 32 GB. The processor clocks 2.9 GHz normally, but when boosted it can be overclocked to a maximum of 3.9 GHz.
Internal storage on the laptop is a 1 TB HDD and 256 GB of SSD. The HDD is a 7200 RPM unit with serial ATA and the SSD is a PCIe NVMe M.2 unit. The presence of the SSD unit ensures that your laptop boots up fast and when launching editing applications, there is a minimum lag time. Speaking of operating system Windows 10 comes preloaded in the laptop. Graphics processing unit is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU with an integrated memory of 8 GB GDDR5 VRAM. The GeForce GTX 1080 is even faster and more powerful than the previous generation GeForce GTX 1070 GPU.
This GPU is powerful enough to handle even 4K display and so, if you are planning on using an external 4K monitor you would love the extra smoothness that it imparts to your display. This is where the GeForce GTX 1070 (which also happens to be very powerful) loses out. It combines the NVIDIA Pascal architecture for better and smoother experience (especially for gamers). The large display of the laptop only offers full HD display. Which is a bit of a let-down. But then again you always have the option to plug in an external monitor.
True to its gaming pedigree the HP Omen X 17 comes with a very high refresh rate of 120 Hz. This is, of course, unnecessary for photo editors, and we rarely need it. The display integrates IPS technology.
Also, it features the G-Sync technology which reaffirms its status as a premium gaming laptop. But just like many other typical features of a gaming laptop g-sync does not mean much for photo editors. The large display and the bulk of the laptop mean it is hardly the kind of device that would work as your standard travel laptop. This is meant to take care of your bulk photo editing work and replace your desktop. $2,399.99 - 10% $2,157.79 16. Price on Amazon: with 17″ Full HD 120Hz Panel The is a dedicated gaming laptop designed for avid gamers. It has features that make it a great choice for photographers (and photo editors) as well.
The ASUS ROG Strix is powered by an older Kaby Lake (7 th Generation) Intel Core i7 – 7700 HQ quad-core processor. The processor clocks 2.8 GHz normally but when boosted it can clock 3.8 GHz. The internal memory of the laptop is 16 GB DDR4. Cache memory is 6 MB. Paired with the processor is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU with integrated 8 GB of memory. Internal storage of the laptop is a combination of HDD and SSD.
HDD unit is a 1 TB (5400 RPM) storage and the SSD unit has a 256 GB capacity. Personally, I love this because it is a practical combination of storage and performance. The SSD unit is an NVMe one which is miles faster compared to traditional HDD units as well as PCIe x2 units. The display on the 17.3″ laptop is full HD. I don’t want to gripe again but I don’t like a large display with a low resolution. Speaking of display, the refresh rate on the monitor is 120 Hz and it comes with G-Sync technology. This is a technology aimed at gamers.
True to its billing as a gamer’s laptop the ASUS ROG Strix Gaming Laptop 17″GL702VI-WB74 comes with good heat management features. There are two fans inside the laptop which dissipate heat along with heat pipes that cool the processor and the GPU independent of each other. Additionally, the backlit keyboard layout is geared for hard core gamers with programmable chiclet styled keys for more accurate keystrokes (long standing performance).
The best thing is that the colors are programmable meaning you can select the color combination for your keyboard for a more visually aesthetic experience. Desktop-grade performance with Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor 2.8 GHz (6M Cache, up to 3.8 GHz) and GeForce GTX 1080 8GB. 17.3' Full HD Gaming wide view display with 120Hz refresh rate, G-SYNC, for smooth gameplay and fast response time. Powerful thermal design: cooled by duo-copper system with heat pipes and dual 12V fans for CPU and GPU. ASUS AURA RGB Gaming keyboard with 4-zones of lighting control, 1.8mm key travel distance, 30-key rollover.
Robust connectivity: 1x HDMI, 1x mini DisplayPort, SD Card Reader, 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type C, 1x Headphone-out/audio. $3,999.11 17. Price on Amazon: Another ASUS system, the, is powered by an Intel Core i7-7700 (7 th Generation) HQ Quad-Core 2.8 GHz processor. When overclocked the processor can function at 3.8 GHz.
Internal RAM of the machine is 16 GB DDR4. Paired with the processor is a GeForce GTX 1060 GPU with an integrated memory of 6 GB. This is a slightly dated GPU processor and will lose out to the GTX 1080 as well as the GTX 1070 that we have discussed in the previous laptops. But that said, this is more than enough for photo editing. Storage on the device is a combination of 256 GB SSD and 1 TB of HDD. I keep saying this, but I love the SSD + HDD combination as that gives the best balance between cost and usefulness.
The SSD stores the operating system as well as the photo editing applications and improves the overall performance of the device. Windows 10 comes preloaded into the laptop. That said if cost is not a factor then go for the dedicated SSD unit.
The 17.3″ IPS display sports full HD resolution. I would have preferred a UHD display, especially because of the large real estate of the monitor. Just wanted to add something about the color space on the monitor. It supports 56% of the AdobeRGB and 87% of the sRGB color space. Being a gaming laptop has its advantages. Especially, in terms of heat management and the kind of keyboard that is provided; ideal for heavy duty work. The keyboard is an Aura RGB lighting unit with 4 individual hotkeys for easy access to key functions.
Though designed for the avid gamer, the 1.8mm travel of the keys and their 20 million keystroke longevity is perfect for photo editing tasks. Heat management is taken care off by 2 heat dissipating fans. Special design for FPS gamers: slim 0.9' profile with carbon fiber pattern keyboard. 17.3' 120Hz Full HD panel with. 7th-generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ quad-core 2.8GHz (Turbo to 3.8GHz) with discrete GeForce GTX 1060 6GB graphics.
256GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB FireCuda SSHD for combination of fast OS drive speed and high capacity storage. Aura RGB lighting keyboard with 4 isolated hotkeys, 1.8mm key travel, and anti-ghosting technology. 4 zones of lighting.
802.11ac 2x2 WiFi (up to 6x faster than traditional BGN); Bluetooth 4.1, 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.1 (Type C), 1x USB 2.0, 1x. $1,599.00 - 7% $1,484.01 18. Price on Amazon: The is powered by a 7 th Generation dual core Intel Core i7 processor.
The processor clocks a maximum of 4 GHz. Internal storage of the laptop is comprised of a 512 GB SSD. 16 GB of RAM has been provided in the laptop. Graphics is powered by an Intel HD 620 (or Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640). The display is small, only 13.5″ but the resolution of the laptop is very high – 2256 x 1504. That comes off as a better proposition as compared to some of the other laptops that we have seen in this discussion. At the end of the day, a better resolution and better computing power are what photo editors (and photographers) look for.
You also get touchscreen functionality on the laptop screen. That way even without a Wacom board you can do some basic editing. However, don’t pin too much hope on the editing prowess of a touchscreen and your fingers. Plus, touchscreens of laptops are susceptible to dust, dirt and fingerprint smudges. They are not your usual smartphone screen that can be easily wiped clean. It is more time consuming to clean laptop screens.
Of course, you are welcome to use the Microsoft Surface Pen on it to make your edits. That said, the small 13.5″ display is not exactly the sort of display that would move mountains. I like a 15″ display at the least. Anything larger than that would be welcome. Provided of course the display resolution is better than full HD. Among the other features – the laptop comes with a unique Microsoft Signature Alcantara fabric decked keyboard. The company states that the keyboard is spill resistant which is nice.
But more than that it is different to the traditional plastic keyboards that we normally see. Additionally, the keyboard is backlit which allows it to be easily used in dimly lit places, such as inside a long haul flight. Thanks to its long-lasting battery using it for long periods of time away from a charging point is possible.
The laptop comes preinstalled with Windows S. Windows S is the newest iteration of the world’s most popular operating system. It has advanced security features including a default mechanism that prevents the installation of programs that are not available on the Windows Store. That said Windows S can be upgraded to Windows 10 and that will remove all the limitations of the OS. $2,199.00 - 69% from $685.02 19. Price on Amazon: Display Ultra Thin and Light Gaming Laptop MSI has been a popular choice among gamers for many years. But of late their configuration and display resolution offerings are becoming increasingly popular among creative users as well.
Let’s take the example of the. The Stealth is a behemoth, just like the Titan detailed above.
This one too is going to set you back by several thousand dollars. For that incredible price, you get one of the best professional laptops for photo editing you can buy right now.
The GS73 Stealth 4K is built around a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 – 8750H (8th Generation) processor. This is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with an integrated 8 GB DDR5 VRAM.
The internal memory of the laptop is 16 GB DDR4. Internal storage of the laptop is a single 512 GB SSD (M.2) unit (there is an option which comes with 1 TB SSD). The laptop also comes with a 2 TB traditional HDD unit.
This is a serious piece of technology that will work for you regardless of whether you are a gamer or a creative professional. The hexacore allow you to run all your favorite photo editing applications at the same time and do a video rendering just for fun; something you have never dared to before. And it would not even break a sweat.
The display of the monitor is a large 17.3″ IPS display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. What I like about the display is that you get a high resolution which utilizes the large real estate of the display. Apart from the display, and the processor and the GPU, and the 1 TB SSD (I am gloating here) I like something else about the GT75 Titan. And that is its fantastic keyboard. The only analogy that I can use is that of the steering wheel of a pure driver’s car. The feedback you receive after each keystroke is phenomenal. This is probably what you would feel straight away as you start typing, but is something that you will never think of when purchasing.
This is one of the salient features of the laptop. $2,599.00 - 0 $2,598.48 20. Price on Amazon: I’ll include one more MSI laptop in this list. And just to clarify, I don’t get anything from the brand for doing this. MSI has been manufacturing fantastic laptops for gamers for years, and some of these laptops happen to be simply excellent for photographers and editors. The is powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7-7700 HQ (7 th Generation) Quad-core processor. The system can be overclocked to a maximum of 3.8 GHz.
Paired with it is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with an integrated 8 GB of GDDR5 memory. The main memory of the laptop is comprised of 16 GB of DDR4. The storage of the system consists of a 512 GB NVMe SSD unit.
There are no options for mounting a standard HDD unit. I don’t think anyone is going to mind that, especially when SSD is going to improve the boot time as well as the application launch time frame. Being a gaming laptop has its advantages, and that includes a better heat management system. The Raider comes with seven heat pipes. These are distributed between the GPU and the CPU which takes care of the heat dissipation and keeps the whole system cool even when handling multiple resources hogging threads. The other feature is the backlit keyboard.
The keys can be individually programmed as per an RGB color scheme. This allows for the keys to be arranged according to your preferences whether you are a gamer or a photographer. For all practical purposes, and that is speaking strictly from the perspective of a photographer/photo editor, this laptop has everything that you need.
The display of the laptop is a 15.6″ unit with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. There are some connecting ports, and one of them is a USB Type-C unit. Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core Processor (6MB Cache, 2.8GHz-3.8GHz) 45W. RAM: 32GB RAM DDR4 2400MHz Hard Disk Drive: 500GB NVMe Solid State Drive + 1TB 7200rpm Hard Disk Drive. Keyboard: Full Sized Chiclet Steelseries Per-Key RGB Keyboard with Anti-Ghost + Silver Lining Operating System. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5 Display: 15.6' Full HD 120Hz 3ms 94% NTSC Color Anti-Glare Matte Screen. 32GB RAM & 500GB NVMe SSD Upgrades 3-Year CUK Limited Warranty (View warranty section below for more details).
$1,899.99 Conclusion The wins the fight for the best professional laptops for photo editing hands down. The laptop comes with the latest 8 th generation Core i9-8950 HK Coffee Lake processor and a large 17.3″ monitor with UHD display.
The Hexacore processor, the large display resolution and the state of the art GPU (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080) and the 32 GB DDR4 RAM adds up to be a phenomenal machine that is capable of handling anything and everything that you can throw it. It undoubtedly has the pedigrees of a top-class gaming machine but also works like your desktop replacement for anything to do with the photo and video editing.
This is our recommended top choice. You can’t go wrong with it. We pick the as our next recommended laptop. Because it has the second best practical configuration that ensures you can handle all your photo and video editing works.
It features an 8 th Generation Intel Core-i7 processor paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. Yes, it has slightly less (16 GB of DDR4) RAM to start with, but this laptop, too, has a hexacore processor. That means you can use it for handling multitasking without major issues. Speaking of major issues, some customers have reported about the laptop’s propensity to heat up very quickly. But this could be a few isolated incidents and not the norm. That’s said the is also not far off. Thought it would not rate as the best professional laptop based on the products that we have listed here, it has the practical combination of a less expensive GPU but a 7 th Generation Core i7 processor.
As photographers, we don’t need too powerful a GPU and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti satisfies our needs. Plus, the system has a 512 GB all SSD storage which should make OS booting and launching of photo editing applications a breeze. We also include the. The Gigabyte is yet another 4K / UHD laptop powered by an Intel 8 th generation Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 CPU.
Useful SSD storage option and a powerful RAM and above all the high-resolution display along with its gaming pedigree makes this an excellent laptop to buy. Finally, we include the a very close fourth on this list. A few years ago the 2880 x 1800 Retina display of the MacBook Pro should have pushed it to the top of the discussion. But with the advent of 4K / UHD gaming laptops with advanced heat management and faster processors, the MacBook Pro is seriously threatened. Speaking about the display, it is better than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Platinum that we have discussed here. But what I don’t like about the MacBook Pro is that the memory cannot be upgraded.
Also, the fact that the memory of the MacBook Pro comprises of DDR3 RAM means it is slower compared to the DDR4 RAM of the top 3 best professional laptops for photo editing we have discussed here. Our Top 3 Picks: Best Laptops for Photo Editing. $1,699.00 from $1,598.99 More Photography Notebooks Compared: ✔ ✔ Consider these Tech Specs when Buying a Notebook for Photo Editing Tasks: ✔ Speed and Memory When it comes to serious photo editing work your laptop must have more than just decent computing speed and a good memory.
✔ Display Size & Color Gamut Speed and memory are just the bare minimum, to begin with. With increasingly high-resolution cameras hitting the market, the ability to edit files in as large a display size as one can get is also a major requirement. Note: Any serious/pro photography display should cover 90% or above of the Adobe RGB Color Gamut. Laptops in the price range under $1,000 can’t achieve those color gamut values, so consider buying a laptop in the $1,500 range and to check the color gamut values.
✔ Weight Photographers tend to look for lightweight solutions – laptops that they can carry with them wherever they go. What you need:. A high-resolution large-sized screen,.
an extremely high powered configuration capable of handling multiple applications, as well as large-sized files. and all this combined in a small, lightweight package; These notebook tech specs raise a lot of opposites! You need an off-road vehicle that handles like a sports car and gives the comfort of a luxury sedan. Note: Last Amazon.com Price Update: 2018-12-20 Refer to our.
Photographers get excited about lenses and cameras, but it's not every day that a computer can get the entire photo industry buzzing like the new iMac 5k has. Obviously, the main draw to the computer is the insanely high resolution screen, but it takes a lot more than a pretty screen to justify the high price tag of this photo-editing powerhouse. In short, the iMac 5k is the finest photo editing computer ever created, and has won a permanent place at my photo editing station. However, it's not all roses and unicorns. Most photographers will be underwhelmed by the ultra high-resolution screen at first, and the bugginess and port placements will put off some photographers.
Jim Harmer I've been using the iMac 5k for several weeks to get used to the computer before coming to a final recommendation since I new that hundreds of thousands of photographers will likely read this review as part of their buying decision. I'm glad I waited and spent some time with the device, because it will let us take a much more in-depth look at the computer, starting with the screen and then looking at every other aspect of the device. But before we begin, I should say that this review really isn't intended to be controversial, but I fear that I'll offend the fanboys with my honest, real-world review of the display, and at the same time I'll offend the Windows users who will hate to hear how much I love this computer.
The 5k Screen: All it's cracked up to be? I can't write about the screen on this computer without sounding entirely contradictory. After all, it's the best photo editing screen I've ever seen, and at the same time I think most photographers will only find a marginal difference between this screen and the previous generation iMac. If you are currently using a 1080p screen on your photo editing machine, you'll see a night and day difference and you'll never be able to go back. However, if you've already been using a higher resolution screen like that of the previous iMac's 2560×1440 display, you'll likely not be able to even tell the difference until you really spend some time on the screen and pay attention to the finest details on a photo. Background for Non-Techies Screens are made up of pixels, and the number of pixels on a screen is the resolution.
An HDTV manufactured any time in the last few years is likely 1080p, meaning that the screen is comprised of 1920 columns of pixels along the long edge of the screen, and 1080 rows of pixels on the short edge. If you multiply those numbers together, you see that a typical HDTV has 2 million pixels. This is also common for computers manufactured in the last few years.
It's likely that your laptop is 1080p if it's between 1 and 3 years old. Some computers, however, have higher resolution screens. For instance, the previous generation iMac 27″ has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, which figures out to 3.6 megapixels.
The iMac 5k crushes those numbers with a whopping resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels, which is 14.7 megapixels. Do the specs tell the real story? On paper, the resolution of the iMac 5k is a game-changer (I despise that word as it's usually used to over-hype incremental changes). Truly, it is. Allowing a photographer to see 14.7 million pixels in his or her photos would seem to be a massive improvement over the 3 megapixel images we have seen in days past. But the truth is that when I first used my 5k iMac, I was underwhelmed. At first, I had to squint and put my face right up next to the screen to even tell the difference between it and my 2013 iMac.
I could see the difference, but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as I had expected. In fact, I put the iMac 5k to the test and displayed 10 high resolution images to a group of about 10 people. Some of the guinea pigs are very experienced photographers with great technical knowledge, and others were casual photographers and even some non-photographers. I placed the 5k iMac side-by-side with the 2013 iMac and asked them to identify which screen was showing the 5k image, and which was displaying the lower resolution image. The results were absolutely shocking. In most cases, my test subjects could tell no difference whatsoever between the screens.
Watch my video review to see the confused faces of the test subjects–trying their hardest to see any difference at all. First impressions aren't everything I'll admit it. It was tough to tell the difference between the screens at first. I could clearly see that text was sharper, but when viewing photos, the difference was quite minor. Now, after my eyes have spent a few weeks with the 5k display, I can somewhat readily tell the difference between the screens and I really have fallen in love with the retina screen. Although the difference can be described as slight, it is not a useless upgrade by any means. In fact, as I looked back at some photos that I edited in the past, I noticed some rather glaring errors in my post-processing that are hardly visible on the “older” iMac screen.
The image below is a prime example. I reduced the noise on the background using a hard brush. The brush stroke was not visible enough on the old screen for me to notice the obvious brush stroke error. However, on the iMac 5k, the noise on the brush stroke looks terrible and is obvious. The higher resolution display makes noise far more noticeable.
I've zoomed in so you can see the error that is only really visible on the 5k iMac. I guess I'll have to watch my brush strokes in Photoshop and Lightroom a bit more carefully. Noise is much more visible on the iMac 5k display, so some errors I made in post-processing which weren't really visible before are now obvious. Now I hope you can understand my initially contradictory opinion of the 5k screen: It's the best photo editing screen I've ever seen, and at the same time most photographers won't initially be able to tell the difference between it and other medium resolution screens; however, if you're coming from a lower-resolution 1080p screen, you'll get your socks knocked off. Speed Many of you read where he describes how each component of a computer affects the speed of the computer for photo editing differently. The iMac that my wife (who won the “wife of the year” award as far as I'm concerned) purchased for me for Christmas is completely specced out with the fastest processor, ram, video card, and SSD that can be put into the iMac 5k.
It's not fast, it's insanely fast. I mention that right from the beginning of this section for two reasons: (1) I can't comment on the performance of the entry-level iMac 5k configurations available other than relating what I've heard from others, and (2) To point out that even with the max configuration, there are still speed and reliability issues for Apple and app developers to sort out. The following benchmarks and tests were performed on the iMac 5k, completely specced out: 1 Terabyte SSD, 32 gigs of RAM, 4.0 ghz i7 processor, and a 4 gig video card. Cinebench OpenGL Score. As you can see from the benchmarks and tests above (in addition to others I performed but which aren't worth mentioning individually), the iMac 5k can be an extremely fast computer for photo editing. In fact, it's significantly faster that base configurations of the Mac Pro in most benchmarks. Quite frankly, photo editing programs are not extremely demanding on a computer–certainly more than surfing the web, but far less than video editing or gaming.
At the base configuration of the iMac 5k, you're likely to encounter some sluggishness, but upgrading to an i7 processor, an SSD, and 16 gigs of RAM will yield a machine that will virtually never be dragged down by the likes of Photoshop or Lightroom. Running Adobe Software: Photoshop CC, Lightroom 5, and Premiere CC Some of the most demanding tasks for Photoshop are the liquify filter and the smudge tool.
Despite my best efforts, I couldn't work faster with the liquify tool than the computer could render. While the rarely-utilized smudge tool is still slow, it's noticeably faster than on other high-end Windows and Mac computers I've used. Lightroom is fast enough that there should be zero delay in moving sliders on a decently powerful machine.
However, tasks such as applying presets can present a split-second delay. On the iMac 5k however, I found that applying presets often takes several seconds–a major annoyance considering how important presets are to my workflow. I can guarantee that this is not due to the speed of the iMac 5k, however. Instead, I think this bug can safely be blamed on Adobe and I'd expect to see this fixed in an update soon. Adobe Premiere feels like it was made for the iMac 5k. I have not encountered any of the bugs like I found in Lightroom, and previewing a full 4k clip while still having real estate for controls and a timeline is useful for high-end video editors.
Everything feels slightly more responsive, from import to export. Even clips with several effects are less likely to cause slowness in 1080p video. For many years, I've heard photographers who use Macs tout that the Adobe programs run better on the Mac. While I love my Mac and wouldn't go back to Windows, I have not found this to be true at all. The Adobe programs seem to work equally well on both platforms in my opinion.
In fact, I might even say that I get about 5% more crashes of Adobe programs on the Mac. There are some compelling reasons to choose the Mac, but this one is pure fanboyism.
WHY did they put the ports in such an awkward spot? Would have made much more sense to the have the ports on the bottom and the speakers in the back. Design, and Usability If you are coming from a Windows computer–even a high-end Windows computer–you'll quickly be won over by the stunning design of the iMac. The iMac previous generation was my first Mac, and I went kicking and screaming. I was determined not to like it and despised the Apple fanatics, but even a quick glance at the computer and it's tough not to appreciate the gorgeous design. The sides of the computer are only 5mm thick to give the impression of thinness, but the middle of the back of the computer juts out significantly to fit the beefy internals of the machine.
The all-metal construction and glossy screen is enough to win over even the pickiest of aestheticians. For those of you who may already have a previous generation 27″ iMac as I did, you won't find anything new at all other than the fact that the Thunderbolt ports are now Thunderbolt 2 ports. Thunderbolt 2 uses the same cord and connection, and is backwards compatible. That, and obviously the screen change. Other than that, the body of the computer is absolutely identical in every way. However, there are serious drawbacks to the design of the iMac.
Most notable is the placement of the ports. Want to put in your SD card to download photos? The card reader is on the back of the computer–good luck reaching it. The same is true for the 4 USB 3.0 ports, the headphone jack, the two Thunderbolt 2 ports, the ethernet port, and the Kensington lock. It is a pain, but after a month or two of using the computer you get used to it somewhat and you'll be able to reach back without looking most of the time. I bought a cheap USB hub to hang down under the computer for quick plug/unplug of devices. Another drawback is the skimpy number of ports on the machine.
Since most iMac 5k users are photographers, videographers, and media creators, many users will want a few more ports. Most notably missing is HDMI. Those using the iMac in a video production environment will also wish the computer had a capture card. Also, there is no dedicated audio-in headphone jack. Some photographers still using cameras with CF cards will also wish it had a built-in CF reader. But for me the missing ports are in the Thunderbolt department. Thunderbolt absolutely shreds every USB 3 device I've ever tested.
Consequently, I've proliferated Thunderbolt devices, but only have two ports into which I can plug. I also run out of USB ports on occasion and had to purchase a hub. Upgrading the Internals For running Adobe programs and doing basic video editing, I recommend getting your iMac 5k configured with 16 gigabytes of RAM. Apple has always been a little skimpy on the RAM, and the stock configuration for the iMac 5k is not sufficient in my opinion and that of many other reviewers. 16 gigs of RAM is sufficient for the vast majority of users, but I beefed mine up to 32 gigs of RAM to handle the fact that I frequently have Premiere, Photoshop, Lightroom, Screenflow, and Adobe Audition open and running processes at the same time. As for the processor, I have found the i3 to be significantly underpowered in other machines, but the i5 included in this machine is quite good for most users. Adobe programs are processor-intensive so the processor is a smart upgrade if you've noticed slowness in the Adobe programs on other machines you've used.
The video card is not used by most photo-editing programs, but becomes extremely important when editing video for obvious reasons. If you plan to use your iMac for casual video editing projects that periodically come up, you shouldn't have any trouble whatsoever with the 2 gigabyte video card.
With 2 gigs in my previous-generation iMac I never saw any sluggishness when editing 1080p video files unless I added multiple effects. With 4 gigabytes now and a specced out machine, I could edit 4k in full resolution preview without issue until multiple effects are added, and the computer slices through 1080p like butter. And requires significant technical knowledge for anything other than the RAM. The hard drive and processor can be upgraded, but only for the adventurous and skilled few who dare disassemble the machine and know how to find the exact right part. The RAM, however, is easily upgradeable. If you purchase your iMac 5k from Apple and choose to upgrade to 32 gigabytes of RAM, you'll find the cost to be extremely high.
I and installed it myself, which saved me $300. The job took exactly 60 seconds from start to finish and can be done by anyone–no technical skill required. I and popped in the chips myself.
There is a small door on the back of the computer that can be opened where you'll find a convenient tray with the RAM. Remove the old sticks and pop in the new. Built-in Peripherals The iMac is a media production machine, and that's how it is used by the vast majority of those who purchase it. So peripherals like the webcam and speaker quality are significant for many users. The speakers on the iMac 5k are placed along the thin bottom edge of the screen. These downward-firing speakers produce a surprisingly full sound when compared with other computer speakers.
When I'm editing the audio for the Improve Photography Podcast, I still wear headphones; however, for less mission-critical audio editing I find the built-in speakers to be sufficient. The sound is still not to the quality of a decent external computer speaker setup, but it's 90% as good.
The FaceTime webcam is not something I've particularly found success with. The video is noisy even with studio lights turned on in my office, and exposure can sometimes flicker rapidly. I purchased a and have been much happier. The built-in microphone is average for quick Skype chats with Grandma, but is wholly inadequate for any professional audio use.
I purchased the for recording voice overs and webinars. Cost Make no mistake–the iMac 5k is pricey! My configuration cost $3,785.26 and I put in $300 of RAM, bringing the total cost to $4,085.26 for the top-of-the-line, completely specced out iMac 5k. However, the iMac 5k starts at $2,499. The base model I would consider slightly underpowered for an ideal photo editing system, but just the addition of $145 of RAM to bring it up to 16gb would make it an extremely capable, professional setup. There is no doubt that the iMac 5k will put a dent in your wallet, but compared to other 5k displays on the market, it's a bargain.
Dell's 5k 27″ monitor costs $2,499 at the time of writing–and it's just a monitor with no computer inside! You can price out your build of the computer.
Dannybuoy Interesting to see that so many of your guinea pigs couldn’t see the difference in the screens. You can clearly see much higher detail on the 5k screen close up. The older screen clearly has visible pixels. If you said they can only view from 1m then that’s probably obvious due to circle of confusion making both pretty much the same. But stick your face about 20cm away and it’s painfully easy to see.
I did so last week with 2 side by side in my local pc store. Strange the results were so mixed. Did you say they could look closely? Some seemed to sit back but some moved forward to look closer.
Roy I returned the 5k iMac and have opted for a 21.5 inch model with the following specs: 3.1GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz.16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2X8GB.256GB Flash Storage.NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 1GB GDDR5.Apple Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad.Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User’s Guide.Accessory Kit Based on my research the 5k iMac is not yet ready for prime time with Lightroom. It has been documented that Adobe is working on fixes for this, but that it is a huge jog and will likely take some time. But I have other reasons too. First, I think I prefer a 21.5 monitor. Its easier to move the mouse around without constantly lifting my hand, and I wont have to be switching resolutions all the time depending on what I’m doing. Viewing the internet at even the “Best” Retna resolution option, the text is too small. I also have to make mental calculations to determine how the hi-res image on my screen is going to look when its opened on the end user’s screen.
There is the size difference of course, but also images that look acceptably sharp on the 5k monitor are not so sharp when opened on a lower resolution display. I want to know what the end user is going to see.
Also, If I want to edit some fine detail, say around a person’s eye, on the 5k machine I have to zoom in to 200 or 300 percent to make the eye large enough for editing. Finally, by purchasing the 21.5 inch display (with the i7 CPU and Nvidia GPU) I can afford the 256 GB Flash Storage option, 16 GB of RAM, Apple Care and the optional Trackpad. BTW I got 5% discount when I ordered on the phone from a local Apple Store. Larry Coleman It is a mistake to gauge a screen’s resolution/appearance using the number of pixels. The eye discerns pixels because the eye’s resolving power is greater than the greatest LINEAR dimension of a pixel.
The eye does not really care how many pixels there are, only how big they are (linear dimension). Multiplying the horizontal and vertical pixel-numbers to get the number of pixels on the screen exaggerates the effect of increased resolution and is confusing, not helpful. As your experience showed. RHL I have had a 5K iMac for about a year now and have had numerous problems with Photoshop Elements. Version 9 would not run properly (probably an issue with Yosemite).
Version 13 runs but on my machine if you run the editor with the organizer open the editor hangs every few seconds with the spinning beach ball. If you close the organizer the editor runs fine. In addition, you can’t print multiple pictures on one page from PSE 13 on Mac, and other more minor glitches. Plus there are now numerous reports of PSE and other Adobe photography products not running properly on OS X El Capitan. Given the fact that Adobe (and through them, Apple) have known about the 5K iMac issues with PSE for just under a year, and the fact that Adobe has said nothing and issued no fixes for it, and the fact that Adobe offers no customer support for PSE (user forums are it), I cannot recommend the 5K iMac for PSE users at this time. And yes, it is a stunning machine – I just wish Apple and Adobe would fix things and be more open with their customers. If anyone in this forum has a 5K iMac that is using PSE and NOT having problems I would appreciate knowing your configuration.
Mine is fastest processor, 8GB RAM, 3TB disk. I use Capture one pro (just upgraded to version 9) and installed on a top spec 5k iMac it is very disappointing. The previews can take unto 2-3 seconds to display. Whilst this may not be a problem for many, whilst editing a selection of up to 4000 frames it can become a very teduis task. As I understand that this is an issue that can be cured by ‘open cl” but when I try nothing appears to change.
The only solution is to use the program in a smaller window. The resulting smaller image preview fast as I would expect, but this obviously defeats the concept of a larger screen!
In a word, crap! I believe this is not an issue of the computer but that of capture one? – Any feedback would be welcome.
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