If you are looking for an in-depth analysis, you are in the wrong place. This article is straight forward, jargon-free advice on what to think about when buying a computer for photo editing. We get asked ALL the time whether PC or Mac is better for video editing, so why. PC vs Mac It’s a debate that never ends, and there’s some fierce opposition on both the Windows and MacOS sides Inevitably, doing a comparison video like this will stoke the flames and draw the hateful wrath of impassioned ‘fanboys’ on both sides of the fence but we thought what the hey.Seriously though, I thought it best to get this out of the way first. Instead, I thought I’d start with the one topic that everyone can agree on (or not) – Mac vs. PCWith performance being the most important factor when deciding between a PC or a Mac, we take a look at why a PC is a better option to use Adobe’s Premiere Pro video editing application compared to a Mac or iMac Pro 2019.I didn’t want to open this up with something that can descend into arguments.
![]() Both are capable of great results. If you go into a high-end design office, Macs tend to fit with the aesthetic better, hence why we see more Macs in these situations.Both platforms have their quirks. My personal theory is that Mac products tend to look better (thanks to Johnny Ive) and creative people tend to like to surround themselves with beautiful objects. The price difference is not always as large as people make out, and you will generally be invested in one platform or the other already.I know there is the old argument that most creatives use Macs over PC, but this is outdated and not strictly true. Software in the modern world is platform agnostic and very few programs are Mac-only or PC-only. ![]() 4k is nice, but it is not anywhere near as important as color consistency. My advice is color over resolution. It shouldn’t be.When looking to buy a monitor, you should really aim for one with a wide color gamut and if you can afford it, go for an IPS panel.Lastly, in terms of resolution, a 4K screen is great but comes with a higher price tag. But, surprisingly, a monitor can be, in many cases, an afterthought. Modern laptops are hugely powerful. Laptop or DesktopThis is something that depends on your situation. I have never wished for more resolution yet.A high-quality monitor, correctly calibrated, will have the biggest impact on your images. For me, as a wedding photographer, being able to import images into the computer whilst I get a break saves me time when I get home. You can also get the images off your memory cards (always back them up before you format the card though). Traveling with your laptop is great as you can edit whilst out and about. However, with the rise of the external graphics card, this is starting to be negated.Obviously, the benefit of a laptop is portability. You will always pay more for a laptop than a similar specification desktop PC. I have a fully-functioning desktop in seconds.However, this portability comes at a financial cost. I have a 2018 13” MacBook Pro which, with the use of a dock, simply requires me to plug in one cable to connect it to my monitor and external hard drives and charge it. In this situation, a laptop is essential.With modern laptops, the ability to have it transform into your desktop machine has never been easier. Also, when shooting multi-day music festivals, most outlets require a same-day turnaround of images. This is something that is not possible with a standard PC or iMac. ![]() Vs Pc For Photo Editing 2018 Upgrade Tasks ToFor photography, you really do not need a hugely powerful graphics card. Graphics CardYour graphics card (or GPU) is the thing that fools some people. However, note that in some computers, laptops especially, (yes, I’m looking at you Apple) it is not something that can be done after you have purchased the computer. RAM is one of the simple upgrade tasks to do yourself. They work in different ways, both of which have advantages and disadvantages.Hard Disk Drives have been around for years. Hard DriveThere are two types of hard drives: Solid State (also known as SSD) and a Hard Disk Drive (known as HDD). If you are doing video work (or plan to) then you do need to allow some budget for a dedicated graphics card, or GPU if you are going down the laptop route. This is where graphics cards will make a difference. If you are doing any type of motion graphics on your videos, you will see an even bigger boost. Now if you are planning on running a dual monitor 4K setup, then it is worth investing a little in your graphics card, but unless you are planning on doing some hardcore gaming, you will not really notice the benefit of the high-end graphics cards in almost all photo editing situations.When using certain photo editing tools, the graphics card will speed things up a little, but the price to performance ratio of a higher-end graphics card is not as beneficial as spending the money elsewhere, such as an upgrade to your processor.Now, if you do video editing as well as photo editing, this is where you will see the benefit from a good quality graphics card. This makes this type of drive ideal if you are looking for a large amount of storage. Because they have been around for so long, the cost is much lower than a Solid State Drive. Simply put, the faster the rpm, the faster the drive can read/write data. Most hard drives spin at 5400 or 7200 rpm. They are much faster than Hard Disk Drives, but have one major disadvantage – the price.The cost per gigabyte of storage Is much greater on SSD drives. The better the quality of the Controller, the faster the drive. They work via an inbuilt processor called a Controller that performs the tasks of reading and writing data. You will be most used to them as the storage in your phone and tablet. Upgrading to an SSD on your current computer will give you a great upgrade for relatively little money.Possibly the most boring photo ever put on DPS. Once you have experienced it, I guarantee, you will not want to go back from it. Programs will load much quicker, and the whole experience just feels snappier.This is one of those speed boosts that you will not necessarily miss until you have used an SSD-based system. SSD drives are much faster, less noisy (an SSD drive has no moving parts, unlike an HDD) and generally a little tougher (the head on an HDD does not like being banged about).How much faster? Well, on an average computer, the start-up time will generally be over four times faster with an SSD. However, that is really the only downside. Buy the best processor you can afford. Instead, I thought I would leave you with the top 6 things to think about when choosing the right computer. Not least because if you are reading this 6 months after I wrote it, it will already be out of date. However, I don’t want to do that. If you Google the phrase “best computer for photo editing 2019” you will find several lists. SummaryI could now list some machines that are currently considered the best for photo editing. Contrast settings in photoshop for macTry to go for a 1TB drive, or if on a tighter budget, a 512GB drive. Go for an SSD, but don’t go crazy for size. Just make sure before you stick at 8GB to save some budget, you can upgrade it later. If you can afford 16GB then go for it. Depending on what machine you buy, RAM is something you can upgrade yourself cheaply in the future.
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