What computer(s) do you recommend for photoshop painting?

[SquirrelMonkey88]

Hi,

I have a 4-year Packard Bell laptop computer that running on its last legs. So it's time for me to buy a new computer. I plan on mainly using it for digital painting with photoshop cs6. Therefore a computer that's very compatible with the newest versions of photoshop and graphic tablets like intous 5 is critically important. I am, however, terribly indecisive when it comes to choosing which one as there are so many and I'm not exactly tech savvy. I do have a short list of preferences though, that should help narrow down the dicision-making a bit:

- desktop computer

- large adjustable monitor

- compatible with photoshop cs6 + premium graphic tablets

- no Apple computer

- under $1500

It´s been suggested that I "build" my own computer, however this I do not want to do.

Thanks!

[JJMack]

The T550 can be expanded much.  Noel machine is a t5500.  You can add a second processor e5640 more RAM and storage devices and you can do it over time. The Hard disk is fast  15000RPM and the video card is fast, The 875watt power supply can power a lot more then what is currently installed in the machine. The t5500 can be made into a beast but it will cost.

[SquirrelMonkey88]

Ah, thank you JJMack! I have just sent a message to the seller about purchasing this desktop. Now I need to figure out what display I want to buy. Are there any specs in particular I need to know about regarding a monitor for painting/drawing in photoshop? And around how much would one cost if i want a screen size of 24"?

[JJMack]

http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/04/Product/precision-t5500

http://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/Common/precision-t5500_setup%20guide_en-us.pdf

http://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/Common/precision-t5500_user%27s%20guide_en-us.pdf

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/PfydFeaturedCategoryResults.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&mfgpid=202...

[gessoclick]

I just came across this thread last night. I know this thread is two years old, so I will be amazed if someone responds! I've been doing a lot of research, but I really need advice for getting a computer for painting in Photoshop, as I am not computer savvy.

I've been learning as much as I can about different computer specs, but it's been very slow going. I'm getting a bit muddled, and I just need some pointers/feedback.

I read this post, and did some research. I'm thinking of starting with a refurb Dell. As I searched, I came across this site (and others like it) that allow you to customize your refurb. Is this a good place to start, or should I buy a more recent workstation (refurb, with warranty) from Dell and then adjust where it might be lacking (such as RAM). I would take it to a local computer shop and have them put the parts in, both to maintain the warranty and because I cannot do it myself. Is it okay to buy older, even two-year old computers? I know to look for a computer than has room for expansions/upgrades. Could I theoretically get an older computer and upgrade certain parts? (e.g. the processor?)

I really have quite a limited budget, $800. (not including peripherals) From what I read on this thread that is no where near enough, but maybe it's a start. Someone did put together a custom build for my purposes that landed around $800 (OS included) but a build makes me nervous as I do not want to spend hours tinkering with it if some mysterious thing goes wrong.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but I would really appreciate some advice on this!

Thank you to anyone who responds!

[War Unicorn]

Where Photoshop is concerned: RAM, RAM, and more RAM. That'll be your benchmark. A two-year-old system would be fine as long as it was bleeding edge when it was first released. (See my RAM comment at the beginning.) 

I would imagine you wouldn't command too much from Photoshop unless you're going to gigapixel-size documents, especially where painting is concerned.

[gessoclick]

Thank you! This is exactly what I need: to know what to look for.

So if I get an older (but good) refurb, can I update the RAM, or is that something that gets glued onto the motherboard and can't be switched? (my ignorance is exposed!)

This is why I am attracted to the customizable refurbs. The only issue is that I could switch out many parts upon ordering. Is there a heriarchy of parts importance? I keep hearing that the processor, power supply, and (as you said) RAM.

Here's another refurbished Dell with customizable components: The Dell Online Store: Build Your System‌ (and the one I linked to in my last post is even more customizable, as far as I understand)

I'm going to keep searching around, see what last year's highly-rated workstations are going for price-wise now.

EDIT: I've been looking at the Dell Precicion line, hoping to customize it here. There's the T7500 and the T5500 that seem like they can really be outfitted nicely. I'm not able to find out when these computers where new, or reviews from when they came out. Even searching the model name and "release date" has yeilded little information. One site seemed to say the T7500 came out in 2014, while another article about it is dated 2009. I couldn't find dates on the official Dell site, either. Hmm...

[Terri_Stevens]

Hello,

There is a lot of confusion surrounding Photoshop. Its true it can be a very power hungry beast but that depends on what you are doing with it. A large wall poster produced in hi resolution and 16 bit color will tax the hardware, or scanning in A3 documents in 48bit at 2000dpi will do the same, but if your creating web graphics or adjusting photographs you don't in all honesty need anything all that special. To do 3D work you need a powerful processor and a good graphics card plus plenty of memory, but not everyone wants to make Toy Story 5.

To give you an example I have a couple of computers. The oldest is 6 years old , has 6GB of memory, a graphics card that was good in its day but would be regarded as entry level today and its powered by a dual core 3Ghz Intel processor. That computer runs Photoshop CC2015 beautifully and as a graphics designer I tend to be critical when things don't work well-so I'm not saying that for effect.

If I was you, I'd look for these specs

8GB of memory

A large hard disk 500GB Plus but not necessarily an SSD drive as it doesn't do much in Photoshop itself

A 3Ghz Processor

A network card or chip as Photoshop is a Cloud application. You also need a broadband connection 6Mbit is fine if you can't get fiber.

Probably more important than the computer itself is the monitor. Don't skimp on cost with that and buy a new one not a reconditioned one. You will find some will be outside your budget but you can get a nice 27 inch panel that will do 1920x 1200 for around $350  I would look at iiYama or Samsung for that. Or Dell as their monitors are nice although will be slightly more expensive.

If you want to do artistic work then you should also consider buying a graphics tablet as a mouse is a poor alternative if you like to draw. You will find that everyone recommends Wacom tablets here and they are good but expensive and one would take up a third of your budget, so instead research the Huion 610 pro which you can buy for less than $100 and you will not be a disappointment.

When I looked at your links two gave errors, but the one to Dell worked. It looked to me as if those are brand new computers. When they say build your own they don't mean you do the building you just choose the specifications and they build it for you so you shouldn't have to worry about installing things.

Here's the formal hardware requirements for Photoshop CC2015

System requirements | Photoshop

Hope that helps

Terri

[gener7]

Limited budget? Roberto Blake is a designer and these are his sub $1000 recommends: 5 Budget Graphic Design Laptops 2015 - YouTube

[xtcmax]

Hello.

Basically you are asking for a computer build. I would suggest going to tom's hardware and asking about a build there. It is not like people here don't know anything, but this is photoshop forum and tom's hardware is specifically for PC/Mac tech stuff. I wish you all the best in your search.

p.s. Building your own system is much more rewarding and money saving. It is not hard to do, I built my system for the first time and still using it. But if you absolutely don't want to do it, god speed to you.

Regards,

max.

[gessoclick]

MissTake Thank you so much! Yes, I don't think I'm going to be designing massive images or using 3D animation. It's good to know that if I shop carefully, I'm not going to accidentally wind up with a computer that just can't handle Photoshop.

I'm glad to hear your computer is still performing well! I will look carefully at the specs you provided. I think part of the reason for my confusion is that I understand the names of the components themselves, but then I see computer specs listed that only give the brand name of the item - it's like seeing "Honda Accord" when the phrase you're looking for is "four-door sedan."

Sorry about the links! The site I've been looking at offers refurbs with a lot of customization, here's the full address: http://www.servermonkey.com/workstations/refurbished-dell-workstations.html

Thank you for the monitor info, I will budget for that as well. Monitors don't typically have comparability issues with various PCs, do they?

I do have a tablet, (not a monitor tablet - saving up for that!) but my 5-year-old secondhand Samsung laptop can barely run Photoshop and the tablet at once.

xtcmax  Thanks for your feedback! Yes, at one point I was looking to build, but now I'm really not. The computers I've been looking at offer a lot of customization, which is why I've been asking for so many specifics on components. (The link is above) I just don't have the computer know-how to tinker with a build if something goes wrong!

gener7‌ Thank you! I'm not currently in the market for a build - right now, I'm just trying to learn enough to get a good computer, possibly a customized refurb. Thanks for the link, anyway! Always good to learn more.