New PC help

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Name
Becca
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Hi I’m need of some help as looking for a new PC as my laptop fan is just running all the time now when using Lightroom.
I don’t need a screen as I already have a Dell so just looking for the main box but don’t know where to start really.
I don’t use photoshop and edit raw files which are backed up to google drive.
Have been taking a look at these guys but not sure what spec is really needed or if any alternatives can be suggested https://www.punchtechnology.co.uk/best-pcs-photography-editing-photoshop/
Thanks
 
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Hi Becca

Subject to the spec you settle on I would suggest to look at using these guys Novatech | Custom PCs, Laptops, Workstations & Servers

I knew of a company IT director who bought from them and indeed in the past I have used them to buy parts for my home built PC's

PS the one you link to looks very basic and a quick glance has limited expansion potential (because of the 300W PSU, mATX motherboard, onboard graphics (query how well might it calibrate?) and only DVI-D & HDMI display connectors)

HTH perhaps..................and I am sure others will be along soon with more feedback for you :)
 
That would certainly be OK for lightroom as it is at present. The SSD appears to be SATA3 rather than NVME, meaning that data rates are slower than they could be. I'd also be inclined to add a low-cost graphics card that doesn't share system memory. BB has mentioned the PSU already.

The MOBO is a 2 1/2 year old design, so OK, but was always designed to be a budget board. It does have a slot for NVME M2 memory so you could at least upgrade SSD type to the more recent design spec.
 
Hi Becca, what software are you using - that makes a difference. For example On1 relies heavily on the graphics card for processing, while Lightroom actually runs more slowly if you force it to use the graphics card.

Also do you have a budget or is it just to spend as little as possible?
 
Hi Becca, what software are you using - that makes a difference. For example On1 relies heavily on the graphics card for processing, while Lightroom actually runs more slowly if you force it to use the graphics card.

Also do you have a budget or is it just to spend as little as possible?

Im mainly using Lightroom to be honest and that’s all I tend to use the P.C. for as well. As far as budget I would say less than £1k but as most people want to pay less if possible for a good spec.
I really just don’t have a clue to be honest with this side of things [emoji29]
 
My minimum custom configuration from the site provided


Entry Plus Photography PC
Configuration:

Case:
Corsair 110Q Quiet Case

CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X 3.6GHz 6 Core CPU - 4.1GHz Turbo

Motherboard:
Gigabyte B450M-DS3H V2 mATX Motherboard

Graphics Card - Choose 750w+ PSU to unlock all options:
NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 GPU

Memory:
32GB DDR4 3200MHz Memory (2x16GB)

Primary Storage Drive:
500GB WD Blue SN550 NVME M.2 SSD (2400MB/R, 1750MB/W)

Secondary Storage Drive:
2TB Seagate BarraCuda 3.5" Hard Drive

CPU Cooling:
AMD Wraith CPU Cooler

PSU:
Contour 500W High Efficiency ATX PSU

WiFi:
300mbps 802.11n 2.4GHz Single Band PCIe Wi-Fi 4 Adapter

Optical Bay:
24x SATA Internal DVDRW with M-Disk Support (ASUS DRW-24D5MT) Black

Sound Card:
Integrated Sound Card On The Motherboard

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit
Reconfigure Build
£897.80£897.80 (incl. VAT)
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SUBTOTAL£897.80(incl. VAT)
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TOTAL£897.80(includes £149.63 VAT)
 
OK, so for Lightroom a faster processor and 16GB of RAM are the key specs.

Have you ever used an Apple Mac? The new Mini with M1 chipset seems to be a bit of a bargain at the moment, and the mini spec'd up with 16GB of RAM comes to £899.

Having said that, I'd probably take the system dcash29 has spec'd above over the Apple, because it's a fast system, bucketloads of memory & storage and user upgradable in the future.
 
I'm not familiar with AMD processors, however I'd possibly sacrifice 16GB of DDR4 memory to upgrade the CPU
 
That's a great spec for the money. I'd agree about swapping some ram for CPU, perhaps the Ryzen 5 3600? Much easier to slot in some extra ram sticks at a later date as opposed to changing the processor.
 
Do you really need the DVD drive I haven't used one for months.
That is good spec for under £900 listed above.
 

Pick the best recommended options that you can afford.

I'm not familiar with AMD processors, however I'd possibly sacrifice 16GB of DDR4 memory to upgrade the CPU

It's not what I would suggest, and the saving is only around £50.... While you can add it back later it is certainly better to get 2 x 16 instead of 4 x 8GB. Unless you live with a single 16gb module for a while which may not be ideal?

3500x is definitely on the weak side without SMT running only 6 threads. At the very least push for 3600X or even some 4650g mobile with graphics from aliexpress. At that point why not buy a prebuilt OEM system like some HP or Dell?
 
Do you really need the DVD drive I haven't used one for months.
That is good spec for under £900 listed above.

They are useless now, bin it.

Also bin the slow and noisy 2TB HDD and instead get a larger and faster 1TB NVME SSD.
 
OK, so for Lightroom a faster processor and 16GB of RAM are the key specs.

Have you ever used an Apple Mac? The new Mini with M1 chipset seems to be a bit of a bargain at the moment, and the mini spec'd up with 16GB of RAM comes to £899.

Having said that, I'd probably take the system dcash29 has spec'd above over the Apple, because it's a fast system, bucketloads of memory & storage and user upgradable in the future.

Thanks and although apple are good I don’t really want to transition across from windows
 

Pick the best recommended options that you can afford.



It's not what I would suggest, and the saving is only around £50.... While you can add it back later it is certainly better to get 2 x 16 instead of 4 x 8GB. Unless you live with a single 16gb module for a while which may not be ideal?

3500x is definitely on the weak side without SMT running only 6 threads. At the very least push for 3600X or even some 4650g mobile with graphics from aliexpress. At that point why not buy a prebuilt OEM system like some HP or Dell?

That was the other consideration and that’s why I originally came across this sight as the builds were aimed at photographers so thought it would be a good starting point?
Happy to look at any prebuilt recommendations [emoji106]
 
OK, so for Lightroom a faster processor and 16GB of RAM are the key specs.

Have you ever used an Apple Mac? The new Mini with M1 chipset seems to be a bit of a bargain at the moment, and the mini spec'd up with 16GB of RAM comes to £899.

Having said that, I'd probably take the system dcash29 has spec'd above over the Apple, because it's a fast system, bucketloads of memory & storage and user upgradable in the future.

I think there's a small window right now where the new minis are better value than anything near their price point. It won't last of course but right now if I wanted a fast photo processing machine for £8-900 I'd be buying a Mac Mini.

Thanks and although apple are good I don’t really want to transition across from windows

Then *personally* I would wait for the experts to finesse the above spec and then buy that :) Ryzen chip + NVME drive makes Lightroom fly.
 
So we're up to here now?


Configuration:

Case:
Corsair 110Q Quiet Case

CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8GHz 6 Core CPU - 4.4GHz Turbo

Motherboard:
Gigabyte B450M-DS3H V2 mATX Motherboard

Graphics Card - Choose 750w+ PSU to unlock all options:
NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 GPU

Memory:
32GB DDR4 3200MHz Memory (2x16GB)

Primary Storage Drive:
1TB WD Blue SN550 NVME M.2 SSD (2400MB/R, 1950MB/W)

Secondary Storage Drive:
2TB Seagate BarraCuda 3.5" Hard Drive

CPU Cooling:
AMD Wraith CPU Cooler

PSU:
Contour 500W High Efficiency ATX PSU

WiFi:
300mbps 802.11n 2.4GHz Single Band PCIe Wi-Fi 4 Adapter

Sound Card:
Integrated Sound Card On The Motherboard

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit
Reconfigure Build
£989.00

£989.00 (incl. VAT)UPDATE BASKET

Happy to look at any recommendations for builders other than Punch Technology too :)
 
As Joseph says, perhaps consider changing the PSU, an often overlooked but very important component. It think that one is their own brand, but I would favour something like a Corsair PSU and would even drop the RAM to 16GB if necessary to keep things in budget.

I had a wee gander at some other places and they come out a touch more expensive, but not much. Once you've got your spec sorted it may be worth doing a deep check of reviews to ensure they are definitely reliable etc.
 
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As Joseph says, perhaps consider changing the PSU, an often overlooked but very important component. It think that one is their own brand, but I would favour something like a Corsair PSU and would even drop the RAM to 16GB if necessary to keep things in budget.

I had a wee gander at some other places and they come out a touch more expensive, but not much. Once you've got your spec sorted it may be worth doing a deep check of reviews to ensure they are definitely reliable etc.

Is that because RAM can always be upgraded at a later date? Sorry I know thats probably a beginner question!
 
Is that because RAM can always be upgraded at a later date? Sorry I know thats probably a beginner question!

Not at all, always good to ask. Yes, it's incredibly easy to add more RAM and you literally just stick it in until the side tabs lock. It's best to match pairs and keep all RAM the same spec.

A PSU will be a little more complex to change at a later date as you'll have to unplug and reconnect all the various power leads and if cable management has been done for good airflow then that would need to be redone as well.

A CPU swap isn't really a big job, you need to be careful not to force anything and not overdo the thermal paste etc.

Price is another factor. To upgrade the PSU or CPU you have to replace it, so that's a whole new unit. To upgrade the RAM you are typically just buying another two modules to add the current sticks, so fairly inexpensive.

RAM-module-motherboard.jpg
 
Here's a few tweaks I made which can obviously be further tweaked by others.

I've changed the case because the original only had one rear exhaust fan, although it did have two USB3 ports at the front if that is important. The new case I choose has two large front intake fans (bigger are usually quieter but usually push more air) and a rear exhaust fan. This should help push the hot air out of the case via the rear fan and also any other gaps in the case. It only has one USB3 port at the front though (plus a USB2). You'll have USB3 at the rear via the motherboard though. The case would be a personal choice though.

I also changed Win 10 to Home as that saves money, unless you really need the features of Pro.



Entry Plus Photography PC
Configuration:

Case:
AeroCool Python ARGB Gaming Case

CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8GHz 6 Core CPU - 4.4GHz Turbo

Motherboard:
Gigabyte B450M-DS3H V2 mATX Motherboard

Graphics Card - Choose 750w+ PSU to unlock all options:
NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 GPU

Memory:
16GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX 3200MHz (2x8GB)

Primary Storage Drive:
1TB WD Blue SN550 NVME M.2 SSD (2400MB/R, 1950MB/W)

Secondary Storage Drive:
2TB Seagate BarraCuda 3.5" Hard Drive

CPU Cooling:
AMD Wraith CPU Cooler

PSU:
Corsair RM750 80 Plus Gold Full Modular Black PSU

WiFi:
300mbps 802.11n 2.4GHz Single Band PCIe Wi-Fi 4 Adapter

Sound Card:
Integrated Sound Card On The Motherboard

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Reconfigure Build
 
So we're up to here now?


Configuration:

Case:
Corsair 110Q Quiet Case

CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8GHz 6 Core CPU - 4.4GHz Turbo

Motherboard:
Gigabyte B450M-DS3H V2 mATX Motherboard

Graphics Card - Choose 750w+ PSU to unlock all options:
NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 GPU

Memory:
32GB DDR4 3200MHz Memory (2x16GB)

Primary Storage Drive:
1TB WD Blue SN550 NVME M.2 SSD (2400MB/R, 1950MB/W)

Secondary Storage Drive:
2TB Seagate BarraCuda 3.5" Hard Drive

CPU Cooling:
AMD Wraith CPU Cooler

PSU:
Contour 500W High Efficiency ATX PSU

WiFi:
300mbps 802.11n 2.4GHz Single Band PCIe Wi-Fi 4 Adapter

Sound Card:
Integrated Sound Card On The Motherboard

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit
Reconfigure Build
£989.00

£989.00 (incl. VAT)UPDATE BASKET

Happy to look at any recommendations for builders other than Punch Technology too :)


Have you thought about building yourself, I threw this together real quick, if you spent some time you could probably get a better build together plus I went with the 3600, the extra for the x variant isn't really worth it but if you got the budget go for the x. I would also spend a bit more on the GPU even though Lightroom is CPU heavy.

By building it yourself your going to be able to getter better components.


Capture.PNG
 
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Case:
AeroCool Python ARGB Gaming Case

My guess it will be very flashy just right for the Christmas party!

PSU:
Corsair RM750

Surely that setup isn't going to get anywhere near that power draw unless with major GPU upgrade to GTX 3070. ~550W should be enough here.
 
My guess it will be very flashy just right for the Christmas party!

I was thinking more of the cooling, don't think it will be built in time for Christmas! lol


Surely that setup isn't going to get anywhere near that power draw unless with major GPU upgrade to GTX 3070. ~550W should be enough here.

I was thinking more of the Gold rating which I think only came in at the higher wattage?
 
I was thinking more of the cooling, don't think it will be built in time for Christmas! lol




I was thinking more of the Gold rating which I think only came in at the higher wattage?

Prob no chance for Christmas delivery :bang:

It is quite unlikely that 3600X and 1650 would generate too much heat, nor would they be pushed too far with just Lightroom.

You can get Gold and Platinum with as low as 550W https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...m550x-modular-atx-psu-550-w-10191558-pdt.html
You just have to find a better deal from somewhere. Pretty much everything and everywhere is out of stock so they even get to sell their noname 80 white generics at a premium

Now Im trying to keep up aaaaahhhh!

Just wait till you try to order anything and be hit with unspecified delays and out of stock messages. I'm stuck with pretty much no GPU available to order and I plainly refuse to pay scalp prices for the newly released or 2018 obsolete hardware! Not much better with CPUs and £40 over RRP is impossible to justify.

In fact if you can wait until after Christmas or January you will make your life a lot easier and probably end up with far better gear.
What you really want is AMD 5600X + NVIDIA 3060. Hopefully we will have those in stock after the buying madness and scalping subside a little. It is terrible time to buy now.
 
Maybe it would be best to wait? Or grab an off-the-shelf from PC World, although I do find it quite rare to find a decent spec combo there.
 
What you really want is AMD 5600X + NVIDIA 3060. Hopefully we will have those in stock after the buying madness and scalping subside a little. It is terrible time to buy now.
£1200 quid?

I thought the brief was for under £1000 and help in finding it. I might be wrong but no Mac's, not a self build otherwise why would help be needed and possibly make up the system from one supplier to aid the experience for someone asking for help. Otherwise it starts to bamboozle the best of us
 
£1200 quid?

I thought the brief was for under £1000 and help in finding it. I might be wrong but no Mac's, not a self build otherwise why would help be needed and possibly make up the system from one supplier to aid the experience for someone asking for help. Otherwise it starts to bamboozle the best of us

280 + 350 (RRP) + 100 SSD + 130 MB + some for the rest and you are at 1000ish. Just not today. Today you can't have almost anything.

Or grab an off-the-shelf from PC World, although I do find it quite rare to find a decent spec combo there.

I looked out of interest. There is hardly anything left!!! The only place left is ebay with old junk but you will need a lot of luck to get anything for September prices.
 
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280 + 350 (RRP) + 100 SSD + 130 MB + some for the rest and you are at 1000ish. Just not today. Today you can't have almost anything.



I looked out of interest. There is hardly anything left!!! The only place left is ebay with old junk but you will need a lot of luck to get anything for September prices.


Aye, I had a look on PC World and the selection is poor.
 
Sadly I have to go along with that - HUKD is usually a good source of excellent deals, but nothing has come up since BF. There's some stuff in the Dell outlet, but not much with decent Ryzen chips.

Becca - best to wait a month or so when January brings low bank accounts and businesses have to re-start trading.
 
Thread resurrection

I'm now looking to get a new PC primarily for digital imaging using Lightroom and Photoshop.
Can I ask is the recommended spec in this thread still valid please. I will be using my local independent to build and so I need a spec list to enable him to quote
 
For LR and PS you want the fastest processor you can afford (at least 10 gen i5 or Ryzen 5) minimum 16gb ram, pref 32gb, NVME2 storage for OS and programs, SSD for working files. The graphics card can be fairly basic, as sufficient to support your choice of monitor.
 
For LR and PS you want the fastest processor you can afford (at least 10 gen i5 or Ryzen 5) minimum 16gb ram, pref 32gb, NVME2 storage for OS and programs, SSD for working files. The graphics card can be fairly basic, as sufficient to support your choice of monitor.
Many thanks
 
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