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MarcySB
Inspiring
September 22, 2018
Question

New PC computer configuration sort of techy questions

  • September 22, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 492 views

I am thinking about what I might need for a new Windows desktop computer and have a few questions. I know I’ve posted this type of stuff before, but I’m still a little befuddled about what direction to go.

Which part of the computer configuration is most important for Photoshop (and Lightroom) to work properly – the processor or the dedicated graphics card? Which is more important to consider spending a little extra money for? How does the amount of RAM fit into this?

That said, a B250M-BAZOOKA has been recommended as a mother board, with i7 7700K processor and 16 Mb RAM. The graphics card I have is a Radeon RX 470 4 GB discrete graphics card and my computer guy thinks that is good enough to move over to a new computer. I will definitely be getting a 240 gig SSD drive.

One of my concerns is that the graphics card is 2 years old, and the next-to-lowest one Radeon makes. It is listed among the tested cards for Lightroom and Photoshop, so that is good.

Any thoughts on this setup would be greatly appreciated. I don’t want to spend a huge amount for this computer, and I want to spend it in the best way possible. If anyone thinks this graphics card should be upgraded, what would be your suggestion for one or two levels up? Or is this graphics card OK?

Thanks so much,

Marcy

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1 reply

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 22, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Early+Music+Lover  wrote

I will definitely be getting a 240 gig SSD drive.

Not enough. Get 500 minimum, preferably 1TB.

If anyone asks me what the most important thing is for Photoshop, I'd say disk capacity. Space and speed. The thing is, Photoshop moves vast amounts of data around, and RAM is never enough, no matter how much you have. Then it goes to disk for temporary storage. That's the scratch disk.

Or more precisely, Photoshop reserves scratch disk space and uses it from the moment you open the file. Think of RAM as a fast access cache for the scratch disk's main memory.

Next to consider is the video card. This time not for performance, but for reliability. Video drivers are bug-ridden as h***, and that's because they're made for gaming. So they take shortcuts to get the latest games to work.

I usually recommend Nvidia Quadros. They aren't as expensive as people think. More to the point, the Quadro drivers aren't optimized for the gamers, but for graphics, CAD and 3D.

M
MarcySBAuthor
Inspiring
September 22, 2018

I totally forgot to include that I am getting a 2 TB secondary drive for data. Am I right in assuming Photoshop can use this for scratch?

Otherwise, thanks SO MUCH for the quick response and all the info. I am going to look at the Quadros right now.

Marcy

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    D FosseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 22, 2018

    It can, but if it's a spinning HD it will be kind of slow. An SSD is much better, and if you can put PS scratch on the system drive that will be the best performance.

    The new PCI-e SSD's, the type you just plug directly into the mainboard, are crazy fast - to the point where amount of RAM almost becomes irrelevant. At any rate the scratch disk is no longer the bottleneck it used to be.

    BTW - the Quadros start at around $140 or so for a P400. This and the next up, the P600, are both excellent for Photoshop. Photoshop doesn't tax the video card to any degree, it's mostly to enable a series of functions. As long as the card works, you're basically good to go.

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