Do Intel NUC need a separate graphics card?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
April 24, 2023
3 replies
2976 views

I need to upgrade from my 5 year old laptop and am considering the Intel NUC which does not have a graphics card but uses Intel Iris Xe graphics in its processor. I can't tell if this meets the minimum or recommended requirements for LR and PS. Can you advise whether it does or whether a separate graphics card will be necessary. i think the relevant specs are below

ProcessorRAMHard DriveGraphics Coprocessor

‎2.1 GHz core_i7

‎32 GB

‎1 TB SSD

‎28W Intel® Iris™ Xe Graphics, up to 1.4 GHz

Windows

This topic has been closed for replies.

Conrad_C

Community Expert

This reply isn’t only for you, but general background for others that might read this. In the past, Intel integrated graphics were OK but not ideal, in that they worked fine for general photo editing, like for basic adjustments and simple masking. And Intel Xe is a modest improvement over what we used to have to put up with before.

What changed everything was higher megapixel cameras (40 to 100 megapixels), having to drive higher resolution displays such as 4K and up, and most of all, the introduction of AI/machine learning features. Those have raised the bar for GPUs considerably. Now, Intel integrated graphics are often not good enough to use the latest AI features such as people masking, and can be very slow for the popular new AI Denoise feature. If you expect to use those features often, the latest discrete GPU hardware from Nvidia (or the graphics hardware integrated into the Apple Silicon SoC) can complete those tasks many times faster than older hardware.

ˉ

ˉ˚°º•♪♫ Robert ♫♪•º°˚ˉ

Known Participant

Great information about Adobe CC's high-end requirements.
But the following could have been more detailed :

..... If you expect to use those features often, the latest discrete GPU hardware from Nvidia (or the graphics hardware integrated into the Apple Silicon SoC) can complete those tasks many times faster than older hardware.
By @Conrad_C

" ..... , the latest discrete GPU hardware from Nvidia (or the graphics hardware integrated into the Apple Silicon SoC)" is very vague, not helpful and will not age well. Just like the system requirements by Adobe. So please do not experience this as an attack.

Just asking you to be more specifice and name one Nvidia GPU and one Apple Silicon iGPU which fullfill those high-end demands you mention.

D Fosse

Community Expert

Thanks! This is golden information. And one more thanks for providing a reference, with backup too (The Lightroom Queen Forums).

I have an RTX 3060, and it does 60MP in 33 seconds. I sent a file to a friend with an RTX 3090, and he reported back 13 seconds.

So that's the range you can take your pick from.

By contrast, I have another machine with an older card - a Quadro P2200 from 2019. It denoises the same file in two minutes and 30 seconds.

ˉ

ˉ˚°º•♪♫ Robert ♫♪•º°˚ˉ

Known Participant

You could look at Mini PCs with the following combo:
AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (a CPU without integrated GPU)
AMD Radeon RX 6600M (a discreet GPU soldered onto the motherboard)

AMD's product page for the : 6900HX: https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-9-6900hx

AMD's product page for the RX 6600M: https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/amd-radeon-rx-6600m

Just as an example, a YouTube review of such a mini PC: