Choice of two HP laptops for Premiere, Rush, After Effects, and the rest of CC

Report · Sep 25, 2019

Thank you for your time. I have what seems like a tough decision to make.

I have been using Adobe since CS2. I’m an Instructional Design Specialist and use Ps, Ai, Id, Au, and Pr. I currently have a ZBook (K4K41UT#ABA upgraded RAM to 24GB) which IT says is end of life.

I would love to have a smaller computer that is easy to transport. So my question is, can I get away with the Elitebook 745 G6 listed below?

IT has given me two choices due to security and the ability to use a specific image:

7RX05UT#ABA HP EliteBook 745 G6 14" Touchscreen Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Ryzen 7 3700U - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD - Windows 10 Pro 64-bit - AMD Radeon Vega – In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology
4RB08UT#ABA HP ZBook 15 G5 15.6" Touchscreen Mobile Workstation - 1920 x 1080 – Intel i7-8750H - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD – Windows 10 Pro 64-bit - NVIDIA Quadro P1000 with 4 GB - In-plane Switching (IPS)

I am editing video less but still do so including captioning for our Deaf and Spanish staff. So I need Premiere. But I could be fine using Rush primarily then once rendered into Pr for captioning. I also use Ae for super short motion graphic videos for WBT's.

I would love to have something small(er). But I have to be confident I can do my job. My 17” ZBook is 7lbs and barely fits in a bag. I need to take it back and forth to work every day. Thoughts? Opinions? Guesses?

Report · Sep 25, 2019

Unless Adobe Staff will correct me, I always prefer the use of CUDA cards over those that don't support this technology, since many of the Adobe apps will use it accordingly. That puts nVidia in front of AMD.

Another consideration is that with 15.6", you will have more real-estate to work with, although you can always attach an external monitor. 16GB RAM seems to be somewhat on the lower end, though. Also, Windows and Apps on my system already eat up 300GB of my SSD, which leaves not a lot for video footage and temp. Consider placing in an additional SSD for file storage and as a temp disk.

My system actually has three SSDs: one for apps (512GB), one for footage (1TB) and one for temporary files (256GB). As I transition from FullHD to UHD editing (with raw making inroads), I am actually considering upgrading the 1TB footage drive to a 4TB drive.

Hope this helps!

Report · Sep 25, 2019

It does help. I really appreciate your input. The majority of my time is spent in my office, docked with two external monitors. As far as space, I typically work on projects locally then move to external drives once complete. I also, at least currently, rarely go past 1080p. So space is rarely an issue for me. I agree on the CUDA. I've not had an AMD or intergrated GPU for that matter. I just have a longing for a smaller machine. Thanks again!

Report · Sep 25, 2019

As someone who supports HP at work, I recommend you look into Asus laptops. Their consumer support is much better, the computers are better built and more repairable, and they're more power for the money.

The Strix Scar III is a great value.

Report · Sep 25, 2019

My IT department only the HP Business models for security reasons, which I totally understand. In the past I was given a few select brands as options. But not anymore.

Report · Sep 25, 2019

If you have an enterprise support account with on site support it's not bad. Check your audio card when you get the laptop; we have 36 ZBook Studio G5s that are waiting on new drivers because there are all sorts of hums, hiss, and pops.

Report · Sep 25, 2019

I do have Enterprise support. Thanks for the audio card warning. I really appreciate your time. The more research I do the more I realize I was being naive. Clearly the ZBook is the best way to go.