Best Laptops For Photo Editing and Photography in 2022www.sleeklens.com
Over the years, I have come to consider myself a little bit of a technology nerd. Perhaps it’s because I tend to spend in front of my PC, which allows me to keep track of the topic which is constantly evolving. If you’re not aware of the latest trends within just a few months, you could feel as if they had happened 10 or 15 years before even acknowledging how many things you missed. In this article, I am going to take you through a series of reviews covering the very best laptops for editing and retouching.
When it comes to laptops, finding the best choice for yourself is not as simple as weighing the price vs. configuration and picking the most powerful notebook. The fact that you’re looking for the best laptop for photography helps a little, because you know certain features and criteria that suite your needs, but there’s still a lot more to it. You’ll find many similarly priced laptops that vary in quality. Not to mention the fact that even a certain specific model can greatly vary in specifications. When you’re on a budget, which most of us are anyway, it’s all about detailed research so you can find something that satisfies all your needs without asking you to make (too much) sacrifices. This is possible, but not easy. Usually, if a laptop has a powerful processor and graphics, chances are it’s got weak battery life, or a bad screen, or it is too bulky, or something else that is sub-par and might turn out troublesome in the long run. But the truth is, if you look hard enough, you’ll find that every now and then a company will release a jewel, a laptop that manages to balance its pros and cons incredibly well. Our job is to sort through hundreds of potential candidates and present you with a select list for your choosing. Your job is to act when you recognize one among these that is perfect for you. Different types of camera, or laptops, we got you covered!
I must admit that due to the nature of my work, I am not really known for being a fan of ergonomic laptop computers – given a chance, I think that I would choose a Dell Alienware 18″ or an Asus ROG G752VT over a more practically sized and portable option such as a Macbook Air 13″ or an Asus Zenbook NX500. Working with RAM-eating software such as Photoshop or Illustrator for my photography/design jobs (not to mention my love-hate relationship with 3ds Max for ArchViz works) requires having a system build that can survive the “beatings” of 10-12 hours of work in addition to good performance.
Many times friends and colleagues have asked for my advice on what would be a proper laptop for “design apps” or “the best laptop for photo editing.” Well, my first question is: “what is the ultimate goal of your work?”
As many of you know, there is a tendency to encompass a wide variety of software under what is known as “design apps”; and such assertion is wrong since despite being related, the demand of each one is actually very different. It is not the same to compare a photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Corel Photo Paint, and several others with software like Adobe Premiere, which is dedicated to video editing. Each software within this “category” has different hardware requirements according to task we want to fulfil – for example: Adobe Photoshop recommends that our system build needs to have a video card which optimizes the display; however, unless we use Photoshop 3D editing tools, we can work perfectly with integrated graphics (the set of instructions applied to a CPU that make virtual RAM available under short spans for compelling graphics-demanding tasks), with the slight risk of receiving a warning or noticing that the user interface does not behave with fluency that it may give if we had a video card in our PC rig.
This can be confusing for many people out there, as it is necessary to define which are the minimum requirements to support a program of this caliber. In my opinion, it’s easier to explain this is through the “price vs. performance” point of view. The greater the budget invested in the PC you want to have, the higher the quality of the parts we buy, and most will keep us from experiencing the “bottleneck” situation we would have if we are “on budget” – It is also important to note that buying high-end parts does not necessarily guarantee powerful performance, unless the user actually takes full advantage of them. Considering all the factors above, I have put together a list of the best 12 laptops for photographers on the 2019 market, followed by a list of key points for any PC/Laptop intended for photo-editing use.
The pandemic led us to question not just our need to secure an income but also if it’s possible to convert hobbies and side hustles into full-time jobs. For this very reason, it’s not surprising to find people looking for the best laptops for photo editing as the investment can be little, and your passion can easily become profitable with the right set of tools. As technology quickly changes, we want to cover in detail what’s relevant while also keeping in mind two factors:
A) Budget
B) Multiple uses for the selected equipment (such as streaming, video editing, gaming, etc.)
Without any further ado, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Our selection of Best Laptops for Photo Editing in 2022
A powerhouse meant to be a desktop replacement. With its LED IPS monitor and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics, you won't see any issues to work on both photo editing and video production.
As part of the XPS series, this the powerful version tier. There are several possible configurations to acquire this laptop, which vary in the processor (from Intel i5 to Intel i9) and RAM amount (16GB to 32GB), while it's also being possible to save some money and opt for the integrated graphics version - although we highly recommend not to miss its RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics with 6GB GDDR6 dedicated memory.
The laptop - in either configuration - is amazingly thin. Its max weight is 4.7 pounds - nothing to envy its direct competitor, the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2020). Portability became a key element for Dell on this unit, yet it can surprise us to utter those words when discussing a 17-inch laptop. It's made out of CNC-milled aluminium and carbon fiber - which help the laptop to reduce weight - while the screen emulates the smartphone feeling by using Corning Gorilla Glass for maximum durability.
Many can say there's no need for a touch-enabled display on a workstation laptop, however, this model proves us wrong with the easy-to-use finger gestures to operate the display. You won't be needing a mouse to zoom in details, or to adjust sliders in photo editing software as it's as easy as moving your finger without lag in the process. Certainly, it's a brilliant move when the workspace area is limited, allowing us to ditch the mouse.
To continue discussing its screen, you can get the laptop in either Full-HD or 4K resolutions, both LED IPS panels sRGB 94%. They both are also intended to reproduce HDR content thanks to its Dolby Vision technology. The minimal bezel makes the viewing experience unique, and you don't need to fret about damaging your laptop as its build is strong enough to last many, countless flight miles.
One particular aspect I didn't like was the lack of a numeric keyboard. Dell opted for this solution to pair the unit with two impressive audio speakers, however, if we're being honest, most users would rather pair their laptop with external speakers for enhanced sound experience (and better volume) instead of losing the valuable asset of the numeric keyboard. It's annoying even to consider inputting long series of numbers without it so that immediately implies getting a wireless keyboard to work properly.
The laptop also ditched many connectors, such as USB-A or HDMI. Thankfully it retained its SD-card reader. The reason is to favour Thunderbolt 3 bridge via USB-C Docking - which means you can also use an e-GPU if needed with this laptop - or plug it via DisplayPort to external monitors with a USB-C to DisplayPort cable. Not the fanciest solution if I'm honest.
All in all, it's a powerful laptop intended for long sessions of both photo and video editing, especially if you use Adobe Premiere you will thank the extra 16GB of RAM in contrast to other laptops. If said RAM wasn't enough you can always upgrade it to its final 64GB max support.
Lenovo's ThinkPad laptops are almost an equal term for long-term endurance. A classic among design users, let's take a look at the Gen 3 of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme.
It's considered a contender for the tier in which both the MacBook Pro 16-Inch and the Dell XPS 15 stand, however, this laptop has its own perks and downside worth to be evaluated prior to pick it as your next computer.
Following the lines of prime-design brands as Gigabyte, Asus, Razer and MSI, you can expect this laptop to be top-class in material build. The 4K spec of this laptop comes in an elegant carbon-fibre lid, while also pairing a black matte finish and sturdy built with just 4.0 pounds of weight.
On processor, you can opt - as our recommended options - from either an Intel i7 10850H or an i9 10885H, both with integrated graphics, which set the difference from previous generation processors in increasing both core speed and core count.
The average config for this laptop comes with 32GB of RAM, again intended for workstation usage, but if you want to save some money you can get the 16GB RAM spec. Its maximum allowed RAM is 64GB in 2933Mhz speed.
Though the screen speaks for itself with its anti-reflective and anti-smudge coating while retaining IPS HDR specs in 4K, the graphics are absolutely disappointing, coming with an Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti, something that's not only far from the performance of the RTX line, but also the GTX 1650 line is considered a cheap build graphics card to perform a bit above integrated graphics. You won't be able to use GPU-demanding software, neither play the latest released videogames as the card simply won't hold up. It would have been a better bet to opt for the GTX 1660Ti as that card at least can throw some shadow to the RTX 2060, or opt for AMD cards with better performance.
Since it's also a laptop intended for travellers, there are many authentication methods allowed for the users, such as FIDO, fingerprint reader, the typical Kensington lock, and also Windows Hello facial recognition thanks to its IR Camera (keep in mind you need to get the version that actually comes with the IR camera, as not every version has it).
Storage is managed via SSD drives, up to 4TB in PCIe SSD format (M2), meaning you can opt for an NVME drive if required for your work.
As we tested, the battery life is disappointing, reminding us of some Samsung laptops. You can expect up to 8 hrs of true performance, which can also be dramatically decreased if you start working with video editing software, but nowhere near the claimed 15 hours. That's an area only Apple has been able to give convincing results, and we also need to keep in mind that batteries do wear out in a matter of 2-3 years, so expect about 40% less of the time I mentioned as the average battery span for normal work sessions.
Connectivity is covered with 2 USB-A 3.2 ports and 2 USB-C ports (with support for Thunderbolt 3 and eGPU). DisplayPort connection works in DP 1.4 for the models of this laptop that come with the graphics card, DP 1.2 for those with integrated graphics. There's a 4-in-1 SD card reader and also an HDMI 2.0 port, but if you want to connect this computer to the internet via cable you cannot do it unless you buy the RJ45-to-USB-C ethernet adapter - a lousy option if you ask me considering that not all users like to be working wireless due to interferences, not to mention upload times are much faster via a wired network connection.
In conclusion, disappointing for the price, but a laptop to consider given the solid backup Lenovo has as a brand. It's also a laptop that can be found in almost every market worldwide.
Dell Alienware laptops are the definition of high-end performance for the user that just needs the best. Certainly, the Alienware m15 R3 won't disappoint you.
This is the laptop many gamers dream about: slick design, powerful at performance, top-notch ventilation for resource-demanding tasks. The Alienware m15 R3 was released by the first half of 2020, and though the Alienware m15 R4 was released this January, the laptop doesn't have much to envy its new successor.
Again we see a laptop that ditches the numeric keyboard to house better-performing parts, however, the Alienware m15 R3 is a laptop originally intended to be paired with a docking station - provided by them as well as an accessory. That way you wouldn't mind missing the Numpad considering you can use an external keyboard to help you out.
And when we mention it's intended to be paired, Dell gave no room for that discussion by placing the Alienware Graphics Amplifier port, a USB-C compatible with Thunderbolt 3, the HDMI 2.0 port and the Mini-DP port on its back, as well as its power supply cable. This gives plenty of comforts to work with the laptop without worrying about cable management (something I, as an MSI user, would highly appreciate to see on my laptop).
The high-power fans in a honeycomb protected pattern are also integrated into the design by using an RGB ring LED along its path, matching the colour with the keyboard RGB LEDs. You can ideally use this lighting setup if you love to work in a dark room and count only with RGB LED lights around.
Unlike what it looks like, the chassis for this laptop isn't metallic bur rather high-quality plastic. It's solid enough to be considered a travel-safe laptop, but I'd highly advise being mindful when packing it to avoid damaging its corners. Also, keep in mind such a bulky laptop usually tends to wear its screen hinges rather quickly.
The bezels are minimal, as we've seen with the Dell XPS 17 9700, meaning you can enjoy a working session without disturbing elements around and also feel the benefits of its UHD OLED display. It's not an HDR display, nor it has the full 4K spectrum, but the viewing experience is stunning.
To end up this review, let's talk about this laptop's power specs. You can get it in either Intel i7 10875H or i9 10980HK - both 10th Intel processors able to be clocked above 5GHz for the knowledgeable user. The graphics cards options range from the RTX 2060 to the RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, with 8GB GDDR6. But honestly Dell, just 32GB as max RAM?! This laptop is a powerhouse, so the minimum you could do is to directly match the 64GB RAM max spec standard in the market. Even lower-quality brands are able to deliver that, whereas the Alienware line falls short; and not even the recently released Alienware m15 R4 meets that demand.
This is the little sister of the Dell XPS 17 9700 reviewed above. A more compact design intended for those users that have a need to travel around with their work. It's a bit on the heavy side for a 15-inch laptop, still, it won't disappoint in becoming a desktop replacement for most users.
The chassis for this laptop is made of aluminium with a touch of carbon fibre for the keyboard and monitor bezels. The 4K config with dedicated graphics and touchscreen weights 4.3 pounds, so despite the size difference you won't find a really comparable difference with the 17-inch model.
The display is the same LED IPS Adobe sRGB 94%. For the cheaper option you get a full-HD LED IPS panel, but lacking touchscreen support. The speakers are placed on each side of the keyboard, explaining the main reason why this model doesn't come with a numeric keypad. In contrast, the size of the touchpad was increased to ease the hand movements for panning, zooming and scroll.
The main upgrade for this laptop in comparison with its previous version was Dell's take to ditch the USB-A ports and go for an all-in USB-C config. In my personal opinion, the market is not yet optimized to fully use USB-C ports. Many manufacturers are due to create accessories in its USB-C versions rather than the current USB-A, and the adapters not only can affect transfer speed but are expensive as well (and easy to lose, key point).
Ventilation happens on its bottom part, so I'd highly advise against using this laptop in bed or you'll be constantly covering its vents.
The unit comes with an Intel i7 10875H processor, upgradable to Intel i9 10885H (but highly increases the price), and 16 GB of RAM as the average powerful config. You can opt for the 32GB of RAM spec but that's as far as you'll go when it comes to RAM.
For a promising laptop as this is, the graphics fell short, offering only an Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti, which as explained before won't suffice for many GPU demanding tasks.
This is THE laptop to get if you aim for a lightweight solution without paying $$$ for an Apple Macbook Air. It's a 15.6-inch laptop, amazingly thin - and thanks to that it sacrifices graphics performance by pairing an Nvidia GTX 1650.
The low profile of this laptop implies that many elements of more powerful builts were sacrificed to make it a zero-package. The RAM this laptop uses is not your average DDR4 RAM but rather LPDDR3 RAM, and if this name sounds familiar it's because is the same kind of low-profile RAM used by Apple. The max supported RAM by the laptop's motherboard is 16GB. When it comes to storage, it only allows for M2-format PCIe SSD drives, so it's natural to then opt for an NVME drive - max supported storage falls in 1TB.
For connectivity, we get 2 USB-A 3.2 ports, 2 USB-C 3.2 ports (one for Thunderbolt 3 support), and the HDMI 1.4 port. A 4-in-1 SD card reader completes the connectivity area, so basically you have everything required for travel photography sessions.
One aspect worth to be mentioned is the Asus ScreenPad, a functionality that so accurately resembles Apple's Touchbar on MacBook Pro units. Instead of just allowing you to change simple configs, it's intended to act as a second spare screen for the daily tasks and paired with the accessory known as Asus Pen - which also works for the touchscreen display.
In a few words, it's a laptop mostly meant for those who are on the go, always moving from place to place, but not a computer that can handle long editing sessions, and mostly not a laptop for intense video editing.
No laptop ever has created as much hype as this release of the first M1-chip MacBook Pro. Let's see what the new Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch laptop has to offer today.
Overall rating:
84
Battery Life:
0
100
100
Design:
0
95
100
Storage Capacity:
0
60
100
Graphics:
0
70
100
Speed:
0
95
100
Weight:
0
85
100
Pros
Incredibly long battery life
Apple M1-chip
Retina display
Improved webcam in comparison with previous versions
We can only expect high-quality out of this laptop. With an aluminium chassis, it's a sturdy piece of technology meant to last many years of intense usage. Its finishes can be either Space Gray or classical Silver.
In contrast to what was initially expected, Apple placed the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with four USB-C ports, intending to solve the eternal debate in whether users had to buy expensive USB-C hubs to compensate for the lack of ports. Still, the same issue as other vendors offering USB-C only shows: not all accessories are USB-C native, meaning expensive adapters are to be purchased to fix this.
Two out of those four USB-C ports allow not just charging but DisplayPort bridge, Thunderbolt 3 and data transmission up to 10Gbps.
The introduction of the new M1-Chip not just translated into the powerful performance it bears but also a price increase for a laptop that's already considered a luxury in many markets. The RAM falls considerably short with just 8GB of RAM for the average build, 16GB as max supported. If we consider that upgrading the RAM is an extra $200 charge, certainly we would have hoped not for a 8GB increase but something more significant. Perhaps even more dramatical is the storage update in price range, as to pair this laptop with a 1TB SSD storage - its only allowed drive - equals another $400.
The display is a native 2K with very high sharpness settings - you'll notice it especially while reading texts - and the True Tone introduced by Apple delivers a proper setting of the WB values to match the ambient lighting, something intended to help reduce eyesight strain.
Just as seen in other MacBook Pro models, you'll find the TouchBar to enhance the display capabilities. It still remains a feature to be seen as effective to justify the extra money in some models, however for the MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air debate, it doesn't make that much of a difference in saving money.
The quarantine situation inspired Apple to work on better performing webcams, meaning this unit pairs a native 720p with less noise and expanded dynamic range. Even if you don't get 1080p video recording quality, you can notice significant enhancements in low-light conditions.
Finally, the introduction of the M1 Chip is more than a reason to get this computer. This new Apple-exclusive CPU pairs both CPU and GPU on a very compact, high-efficiency unit. As it proves to be the case for Apple's software, the apps are tailored to get the most out of the hardware used. The introduction of the M1 Chip changed the assembly code required in apps to run, as it entirely changed the software architecture for these computers. Hence, the new apps for the M1-chip MacBooks are faster, and improved stability to even compensate for the low quantity of RAM we're seeing out of these models today.
In case you still have doubts about the value of this new release, don't hesitate to check benchmarks on the performance of the M1-Chip against Intel counterparts with dedicated graphics. The results speak for themselves.
Must-Have Accessories For Your Photo Editing Laptop
There's no such thing as "big" when it comes to storage in the average photography work. Meet this 8TB external hard drive and consider whether to ditch cloud subscriptions.
Storage management is one crucial part of our work, especially for professional photographers and videographers who not only keep backups of their clients' albums but also unreleased footage, editing tools and resources, learning material and much more.
Some people may consider that external hard drives can be easily replaced with Cloud-based storage. If you happen to process countless GBs of data as I do, I much rather prefer to handle the storage at the Office, with my own hard drives at bay, rather than to depend on Internet access to retrieve big-sized crucial data.
This Seagate external drive is meant to be a desktop drive, requiring an external power supply to work. The sizes go from 8TB to the outstanding 16TB. And with a brand like Seagate you can't go wrong. Works with Windows and Mac, plus they offer a 1-year rescue service guarantee for data loss.
It's way more than a mere graphics tablet, it's a medium to express your creativity and a spare monitor of sorts. Meet the Huion KAMVAS Pro 16, a graphics drawing tablet that doesn't have anything to envy to Wacom models.
No one can discuss the flexibility it gives you to work with a graphics drawing tablet for photo editing, especially if your niche is either portrait or wedding photography. Time management is notoriously improved, and so are your results as it feels like you're painting digital data into your photos.
Wacom has been the sole star in this industry, especially with its Cintiq professional line. The main thing is that many users are not willing to invest over 1.2K dollars in a graphics drawing tablet just to "feel" if their workflow is truly improved. Yes, it's true you can make the same process with the Intuos line, but you lack the visual input and you have to get used to drawing without looking down (which almost resembles the way you operate with the mouse). So, for that price/quality ratio, we opted to recommend the Huion KAMVAS Pro.
This 16-inch graphics drawing tablet almost feels like another monitor to have around your desk. It requires a power supply, and you have to leave it on its stand. The precision level you can achieve is unbelievable thanks to its improved pressure levels on the pen (8192 levels with a 266 PPS report rate). The pen adapts to your hand movements, supporting up to a 60-degree tilt and no virtual lag (an issue mostly present in the first Huion units). It's a battery-free pen much like the Wacom ones, so you can draw, edit, or paint for as many hours as your hands can hold up - amazingly useful for creating professional vector graphics.
The screen bears an anti-glare coating, meaning that even if you use desk lamps on your working surface you won't experience eye discomfort while working with the tablet. Right next to the screen you can find the ON/OFF Switch, the 6 programmable Express Keys, 1 TouchBar, and the Function Key.
You also get replacement nibs for the pen, the pen nib clip, a power adapter, the cleaning cloth and an adjustable stand, all for the very same price - which is less than a third of the average Wacom Cintiq price.
The revolutionary mouse intended to fix any kind of wrist strain produced by prolonged usage. Either tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome or other pain-inducing conditions can be drastically reduced.
With a 57-degree posture angle, this mouse is ergonomics-intended. It's the by-product of longstanding research by Logitech on how to help users reduce muscle strain without compromising the functionality of a mouse.
Its performance equals the Logitech MX Master line, and they are also pretty much relatable in size. The gesture feels as if you were giving a handshake, and instead of continuous wrist movements, you are using your full arm in motion to minimize discomfort, also not requiring extra padding.
There's a cursor speed switch on top of the mouse, meaning to be used to alter its sensitivity. The buttons on the outside part of the mouse are entirely customizable. The thumb area offers texture padding to help comfort and avoid slippery situations.
You can charge the mouse via USB-C - usually required once each 15 days, depends on the usage of course. The methods to connect this mouse to your computer are either Logitech Unifying, USB-C cable, or Bluetooth (making it compatible with up to three devices). For enhanced performance and aesthetics, you can pair it with the Logitech MX Keys keyboard.
Processor
The brain of your computer, the processor. And perhaps the piece that tends to suffer the most damage without us even noticing (hello overheating!). To explain this in a few words, processors are classified under two main parameters: number of cores (physical or virtual) and their frequency in GHz.
Speaking of cores, we refer to them as the first parameter for measuring its calculus-power and capacity to perform tasks simultaneously or “multitasking.” Physical cores are those who actually determine the working capacity of the processor and allow us to quickly classify them regarding a number of cores they have. These classifications are cataloged in:
Two Cores
Intel Celeron
Intel Pentium Dual Core
Intel Core2Duo
Intel i3 series
AMD Athlon II
AMD Sempron
AMD Phenom II
AMD Phenom II X3
AMD Phenom II X4
AMD A4 series
AMD A6 series
Two Cores with Four Virtual Cores
Intel Core2Quad
Intel i5 series
AMD Phenom II X4 Black
AMD Phenom II X6
AMD A8 series
AMD A10 series
AMD FX 6000-8000 series
Four Cores with Eight Virtual Cores
Intel i7 series
Intel i7 Extreme series
AMD FX 9000 series
Six Cores
Intel i7 series
Intel i7 Extreme series
Intel Xeon series
Eight Cores
Intel Xeon series
Note that for most laptops, the top performance you may come across is a system-built with a 4-core Intel i7 Extreme series, as systems built for more performance are meant only for desktop pcs, being Intel Xeon series used for server builds, mostly on clusters for advanced calculus.
As we see, Intel has the distinct advantage in the processor market, and one of the main differences I’ve noticed between both brands (when working with them), is that AMD processors tend to operate under higher temperatures, as well as leading to higher energy consumption. Independently of the absence of processors that can compete with the range Intel i7, AMD produces cheaper processors than Intel; however, most of the updates featured for design software are meant to optimize the performance of codes of instructions for Intel processors.
RAM memory
Since the old times of the SIMM memories have been gone quite a few years; at the present moment, we can say that, as very old, we can find on the market PCs equipped with DDR3 memory, since new trends are forced toward the recently built DDR4.
The RAM memory is in charge of storing the entire set of instructions given by a user to the operating system. For example, it is very common to say that our PC works slowly if it has a low RAM, as this will limit its ability to perform several tasks simultaneously. If a PC has no free RAM available, a crash with memory dump might happen (also known as BSOD, which can also occur by energy problems or hardware conflicts). In minor cases, low RAM can cause the programs that consume more working memory to close unexpectedly. Another scenario that can occur when the system has no RAM available, is system freeze that will require a manual restart. RAM memories are sorted by frequency (in GHz) and by latency.
As a starting point, any current PC dedicated to designing applications must have a minimum of 8 GB of RAM for optimal performance.
Graphics Card
Another of the important aspects to consider are video cards. In general, when speaking of them, we tend to think that they are responsible for making everything work when in reality its function is to allow the visualization of detailed graphics or facilitate movement in the work interface (under the mode of viewports). As previously mentioned, in specific programs like Adobe Premiere it is a must to have video cards; However Photoshop or Lightroom does not demand it except for advanced tasks, although the performance of these two programs is clearly benefited by adding a video card to the team.
This also showcases the war Intel vs. AMD, where Intel also takes the lead as CUDA-powered video card processors enable an optimized use of system resources.
Regarding this, we can say the better the quality of the card into processing graphics (higher clock frequency, memory bandwidth and a number of cores), the better their performance will be. In the case of Nvidia cards, we have two clear ranges: conventional users and enthusiasts.
Old line GT cards are practically obsolete for high-demanding task or processing multiple images at the same time; and in the line of the GTX, from series “X60” onwards are considered video cards for enthusiasts (or gamers), with the highest rate of benefits but higher price, while previous models are used for conventional users.
Example: a GTX 950 is a card for a conventional user, while a GTX 980 a card is high end.
The difference lies in the software architecture of both cards, being the series exceeding 60 designed for PCs with high demand for labor.
There are also cards designed for Workstations, labeled as Nvidia Quadro or ATI FirePro respectively. Although they are designed for professional work, we can certainly see a great benefit in CAD applications or Computer Graphics visualization; There is a discernible difference in the case of photo editing. So, going to a comparative cost-benefit, it is better to acquire a video gamer card since Workstation video cards have a base price stipulated in $200 when its performance is the same as a card for $60 if we don’t use those applications mentioned above.
Considering all these factors, you can now have an easier understanding of what to look for when deciding to get your next laptop. By favoring some factors over others (for example the amount of RAM, as most laptops offer us the possibility of expanding it later on or the quality of the graphics card), we can save some money while getting a powerful system build. The same rules apply for desktop system, although when it comes to a static computer, you also need to consider the power consumption (for getting the proper power supply unit), to project its future lifespan (then again, PSU capacity), and also its cooling system (if you can, please do yourself a favor and get a liquid cooling system).
We hope that this guide has been to your liking, and see you next time!
Pia Lopez is a self-taught photographer, graphic designer and ArchViz artist. As Content Director of Sleeklens.com, her work is driven by her two biggest passions: technology and art.
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