Hardware help

[Smalltalk]

Hi all

I am looking to upgrade my PC and was looking for some advice as to what spec to look for. My current set up is OK but when using InDesign and my publications start to get full of images it really struggles and sometimes locks up.

I am using Adobe cc 2019. Using mostly Indesign, photoshop, illustrator, acrobat and a bit of Premiere Rush.

Currently using:

• Windows 10
• Intel Core i5-2500 cpu
• 16 gb ram
• 64 bit OS
• AMD Radeon HD 6450 graphics card.

Any tips on what to go for really appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[Nancy OShea]

Read the system requirements for all the apps & services you use regularly including Creative Cloud desktop app, Adobe fonts and your operating system.

Adobe Creative Cloud system requirements

• Get a faster chip
• Lots more RAM
• Plenty of SSD hard disk space.

[Smalltalk]

Thanks Nancy

[RjL190365]

In addition to what Nancy stated, get a newer, more powerful GPU as well. That Radeon HD 6450 is too old and too slow to be supported in any newer apps. In fact, its memory throughput (in GB/s) is much, much lower than that of the main system RAM. That mismatch will slow down the performance of absolutely everything because it will prevent the CPU from ever becoming anywhere close to fully utilized even if the programs themselves demand such high utilization. That makes it one of the relatively few discrete GPUs that are still in use that actually make everyday app performance slower than integrated on-CPU graphics (Intel UHD Graphics, for example). That's the computer equivalent of equipping a car with a powerful multivalve V6 engine with direct injection but only equipping it with a dodgy 6-speed automatic transmission that wouldn't shift past second gear.

[RjL190365]

Following up on posts from both Nancy and myself, here is a good Intel-based starting point for your planned apps:

1) Intel i7-9700K CPU

2) Quality Z390 chipset-based motherboard (GigaByte, MSI, Asus, etc.)

3) 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666 RAM

4) 500 GB 2.5" SATA SSD (for OS and apps)

5) 1 TB or larger m.2 PCIe SSD (for project and media files)

6) 500 GB m.2 PCIe SSD (optional) (for cache files and previews)

7) GeForce GTX 1660 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 580 GPU

From there, you can downgrade the GPU to a GTX 1650 Ti or RX 570 if my suggested component list is above your budget limit. And if you are not planning to use Premiere Pro much, then you may downgrade the CPU to an i5-9400F (but make sure that you also downgrade the GPU to a GTX 1650 Ti or RX 570 if you're going the i5 route to avoid the GPU overpowering the CPU). And the GTX 1660 (non-Ti) is worth the extra cost for the i5 build if you're going to use Premiere Pro frequently with that i5-based build.

And if your system's power supply is as old as the i5-2500 CPU itself, then I would strongly recommend replacing the power supply unit. Eight-year-old PSUs, especially from companies and platforms that are of lesser quality, may no longer be able to handle its rated output for long or at all. For this planned system, go with a newer 650-watt PSU from Seasonic (or another brand that uses a Seasonic-based platform).

I know only the Intel side of things. I will let others chime in about the AMD Ryzen CPU-based systems to consider.