What is the best computer configuration for a photographer?

Film era of the darkroom has evolved into today's digital darkroom, when you want a darkroom to do, today with a computer can be, money is really save a lot of it. So today's photography and computer are inseparable, especially in the post-production of photographers need a stable and reliable and fluent computer. But liking photography does not mean liking computers, and very understand the computer is not necessarily understand the needs of the photographer, happened to the younger brother in two aspects are a little experience, such as you are dissatisfied with the performance of the computer on hand, or new photography, want to add a "photographer's computer", this article is worth reference.

　MAC VS PC

First of all, do you want to use a Mac or a PC? Although the younger brother is a PC home, but if you do not have the old baggage, computer hardware and do not want to spend time research, I suggest using Mac, because in the choice of relatively simple, buy 8GB or more RAM of the imac or Mac Book Pro can be, very simple? But if you are a long-term PC home, Accustomed to Windows operating environment and do not want to spend time to learn a new operating system, or work need to use the PC, the choice of PC is completely no problem, the same efficiency, the PC will be cheaper. With software like Photoshop or Lightroom, the Mac and PC have the same effect, and the Mac will be better, but it makes sense to use a Mac to make people look good.

The advantage of PC is that each kind of hardware can be flexibly configured, according to their need to freely add and subtract replacement, but for people who do not know computer hardware is very headache.

Photographer's computer goal: Smooth running Photoshop, Lightroom and storing lots of photos

　　Ram

The main purpose of the photographer's computer is to run programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom smoothly and to store a lot of photos. The common point of the two sets of software is how much of the system RAM affects the speed of the operation. The proposal must at least 8GB Take-off, if you want to listen to music, while the picture, while the Internet to see data, may need more RAM. PC User note: Your Windows version must be Windows 7 or above, and you want to use the 64bit version.

If you want to make a more complex image, the picture is large, the system will use more than 8GB Ram.

　　Cpu

Then the computer's brain cpu,photoshop and Lightroom for the CPU is a bit of a requirement, so it is best to have at least four core CPU, but everyone does not have to pursue the top model.

　　Hard disk

Younger brother strongly recommends that do not put the operating system, procedures and information, photos, such as an ancient brain on the same hard drive, to know the hard drive and people, one day will die, if the hard disk suddenly died, your memories will not be yours. So we must have the hard drive will be at any time the consciousness of death. The safe approach is to put the operating system and program on the primary hard drive, while the photos are on separate hard drives and, of course, regularly backed up. Ideally, an SSD drive of about 240GB is a storage operating system and program, because SSD is a very high speed hard disk, operating procedures will be greatly increased fluency, but because of the expensive, and not suitable for a large number of storage, so that the storage of photos of the hard drive is another large (TB) of the traditional magnetic hard drive, This hard drive can be external (if you are using a Mac or laptop, it must be external), and note that the transfer interface is better to use USB 3.0 or faster (such as Thunderbolt) connection.

　　Display Card

The independent display card's computational ability is strong, the Photoshop uses certain functions to also be able to use the independent display card's computational ability to speed up, but overall, uses the CPU integration the display to be sufficient, but Lightroom will not apply to the independent display card's computational ability. Therefore, if you do not use a computer to play video games, independent display card money can be saved.

　　Monitors (monitor)

There is a big drop in the price of the display, but as a computer that handles photos, the monitor must not be sloppy. We recommend that you buy a display with IPS panel, although this kind of display will be more expensive, but the ability to display color is definitely not comparable to other bargains. You don't have to worry if you're using the imac, because the imac display is using the IPS panel.

Color calibrator (colour calibrator)

Have you ever tried to go out and rinse out the photos or print them out with a higher-order photo printer and the colors you see on the monitor are different? In fact, the color of each display is slightly different, to make the display output standards, you have to use color calibrator to adjust the color output of the display, that is, "Cal Mon." As photography enthusiasts, we have to the display of the color requirements is to be accurate. In the absence of "Cal" on the monitor to repair the picture is like playing in a piano without a tune, even if the player how exquisite, the sound quality is not right. Not tuned display because the color is inaccurate, your hard to pull out of the color may not be what you want, too thick or too light you are not sure, so regardless of the flat expensive, also please get a color calibrator.

Drawing board

It's not necessary, but when you experience the benefits of drawing boards, you can't go back because it's convenient and saves a lot of time. You know, using the mouse to do the point selection pull on the map is very inaccurate.

To put it simply, you want a ...

Cpu:intel i5 or equivalent four core CPU

RAM:8GB above (Windows must be WINODWS 7 or above, 64bit version)

Hard drive: A single operating system and program as the primary hard drive (256 GB SSD is preferred), plus one or more internal/external hard drives that are primarily used to store photos.

Display card: random, or directly using CPU-consolidated display output

Monitor: Ips-panel display (24 inches is preferred)

Peripherals: Color calibrator (required); Drawing board

If your computer is equipped with the above suggestions, the operation of Photoshop and Lightroom should be very smooth.

Hopefully this article will help the photographer who wants to add 罝 computer.