How well does Lightroom Classic run with a Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics card under Windows 11

[Andy S H]

I'm getting a laptop for my teenage step-daughter, so that she can start using Lightroom with her photography GCSE. I've found one that meets the minimum spec for Lightroom Classic, and in some areas exceeds it. The one area I'm not sure about is the graphics card. It has Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics, which supports Direct X 12.1 and has 4GB of dedicated RAM. I've only ever had NVIDIA graphics cards myself.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't go with the Intel® Iris® Xe?

I know there's better graphics cards - there always is - but is there any reason why a Intel® Iris® Xe won't be fine?

Thanks,

Andy

[dj_paige]

I don't know what your financial situation is, but getting a PC to run Lightroom Classic that meets the minimum hardware requirements for Lightroom Classic is not something I would advise. Some things will be slow, other areas might not work at all (I'm thinking particularly the AI tools). I would go for an NVidia 30xx or higher.

If your daughter is going to use the same computer for a few years, what is the minimum spec today may well be below the minimum spec in a few years.

[JustAHobby]

As a starter computer for a teenager, that might work. I have a desktop with the same GPU specs, and it works fine for me ... as a hobbyist. There are some other specs beyond the GPU that are also important:

- What CPU does it have? For much Lightroom work, a fast CPU is just as important.

- How much memory does it have? Since this laptop has integrated graphics, the GPU uses memory from the same pool as the CPU. 16 GB would be the bare minimum.

- An SSD (as opposed to a spinning drive) is essential. Most laptops these days have an SSD.

- If your step-daughter will be editing photos no larger than 24 MP, will only occasionally use Denoise, and the laptop meets all of the other specs beyond those of the GPU that you mentioned, she should be fine. (Denoise with integrated graphics is sloooow, on the order of 5-6 minutes. But faster Denoise performance - requiring a high end discrete GPU - would probably mean spending twice as much for a computer.)

[dj_paige]

Obtaining good DeNoise performance would certainly require a better GPU, maybe $300 at most. It would not double the cost of the computer. (UPDATE: An Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB is $299.99 at Best Buy today)

If this computer is supposed to get your daughter through this GCSE exam and into an actual career using photography, I think a new computer is a good investment, given the importance of the computer in your daughter's plans. I wouldn't buy a computer that is limited now and could be obsolete in the next few years. May I ask how much you have budgeted for this gift?

[David De Backer]

It does run on my Surface Laptop 5 which has on Win11. Would I use it for my main edits no but it works.

[Andy S H]

Thanks to everyone for your replies and advice. It has helped me find a laptop that fits the bill. It cost a bit more, but worth the extra.