Thanks for the support and taking the time to comment! Cheers, Craig

Hello, thanks for your kind comments, we're glad to have helped you! With regards to the graphics card, it would be best to speak to one of our team to help you out. Dells are notorious for not allowing customers to upgrade their desktops easily. If you can email our sales team, with the model number of your Dell we can look at what it can and cannot support :) - Ryan

Wow, many thanks Ryan, that sounds great!

Thanks for your kind words and support! I've got limited experience with Intel Arc in laptops and Adobe applications. I would advise that the next generation of Arc is just around the corner (Battlemage). Perhaps wait until that lunch to see what the performance is like? I'd also say that something like an Nvidia RTX 3050 or 4050 will give you solid and reliable performance in Photoshop, no questions asked and is what I would choose. If you have any other questions or want to dig deeper on this point, just ask! Cheers, Craig

I'm also a professional illustrator with the same use case in Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint. The biggest factor for a laggy experience, both with moving around the canvas, crashing, and/or stuttering when using larger brushes, is ram quantity. If you can up the ram in your laptop, you should do that. 32gb isn't that much if you're handing files with that many layers. If you decide to move on to a new computer, I would recommend against a laptop and go desktop. Mostly because for the price of a laptop, you can buy a prebuilt pc (if you don't want to build your own), AND THEN upgrade the ram. Find a pc that runs ddr4 instead of ddr5 (because you don't need ddr5 speed ram for illustration work), since ddr4 systems will be much cheper to buy and 128gb ddr4 3200 ram kits are VERY inexpensive now. I have 128gb ddr4 3600, Ryzen 7 3700x, GTX 1660 Super, and I can handle pretty much any canvas/task size with zero lag on the biggest brush setting in Ps, CSP, Ai, Pr, Zbrush, and Flash.

@@ccayco Nice share! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I agree on choosing a desktop over a laptop (when you don't need the portability of a laptop). Desktops do indeed deliver better performance and upgradability. Cheers, Craig

Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. Your rig is shaping up nicely! That 14700K and 32GB of 6000MHz RAM combo is going to make Photoshop a breeze. Now, about that GPU... Given your work with large PSB files, having a dedicated GPU will certainly help, but since you're waiting for the 50 series and just need something to tide you over, let's find a cost-effective option. Here's a Quick Breakdown: Budget-Friendly GPU: GeForce GTX 1660 Super: It’s an older card, but it still packs a punch for Photoshop tasks. It’s not as powerful as the 4070Ti, but it’s definitely capable and won't break the bank. Why the GTX 1660 Super? Performance: It handles Photoshop's GPU-accelerated features like a champ. Think smoother zooms, panning, and faster filter applications. Price: You'll save some cash, which you can put towards that shiny new 50 series when it drops. Availability: It’s widely available, so no hunting around required. A Couple of Tips: Stay Updated: Keep an eye on driver updates from NVIDIA. They often improve performance and compatibility with Adobe apps. Consider Your Workflow: If you’re working with 4K monitors or multiple displays, even a budget card will be better than onboard graphics. Generative AI Note: Just a heads-up, for generative AI features in Adobe Firefly, most of the heavy lifting happens on Adobe’s servers, so your internet connection will play a bigger role here than your GPU. Waiting for New Hardware? Waiting for the new series to arrive is always tempting. But by the time you get that shiny new GPU, you might then be tempted by the latest CPUs. Since you're primarily working in Photoshop, the GPU requirements are less demanding. Much of the cutting-edge AI processing in Photoshop, like the stuff with Adobe Firefly, is done online, so a top-of-the-line GPU isn't as crucial as you might think. Top Tip for RAM Compatibility: If you’re thinking about getting a 14900K down the line, a top tip is to make sure your RAM supports XMP (Extreme Memory Profile). You may also need to tweak your BIOS settings for full stability. JaysTwoCents is doing some brilliant content on this right now, so definitely check him out. If I can add more value than what he is already doing, I'll do my own take on this. While the GTX 1660 Super is a great stopgap, if you find a good deal on a 3060, it might be worth considering as it will give you a bit more longevity and performance for the price. Good luck with your build, and happy editing! Thanks for watching and commenting. Great questions like this add value to everything we are trying to build on our small channel! Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers, Craig 😎

@@utopiacomputers thank you very much for this detailed explanation. You are correct about focusing more on CPU than gpu but since I am already investing in all this why not to put in little more and make it a good gaming pc as well. Cheers.

@@Ruderajput Can’t argue with that logic! Thanks again for your great question. All the best with your new build and happy gaming 😎 Cheers, Craig

Hey, thanks for taking the time to comment and for the great question. In short, yes the requirements for Lightroom and Photoshop are very similar. High-frequency CPU, 16GB RAM minimum, 32GB recommended, with more than that only for those with huge catalogues or very large image sizes. If you have any other questions be sure to ask. Cheers, Craig

Hello thanks for getting in touch! We do have a great selection of Photoshop systems available to browse on our website. If you scroll down near the bottom of the following page we have 3 small desktops ready for Photoshop: utopiacomputers.co.uk/pages/best-pcs-for-adobe-photoshop They are MATX in size however, we'd be more than happy to configure you a smaller form factor if you wish.

Great question. Start with the CPU, then consider the use case and connectivity. For productivity and creative apps like Photoshop, look for features like Thunderbolt and plenty of USB ports. Next, think about your case size: ATX, mATX, and ITX. These determine the size of the board and the number of features you'll have access to. Once you have done all this, then, you should have narrowed your choices down to a more manageable range. If you want more advice, then feel free to ask and I'll try to help! Thanks for watching and for asking a nice question. Cheers, Craig

@@utopiacomputers Many thanks for your quick reply!!

@@fotomanal It's all good! Here to help!

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reach out. Your CPU and GPU are solid for Photoshop. You shouldn't be experiencing issues on basic projects. However, performance issues might be due to insufficient RAM, poorly configured RAM (XMP is BIOS) or slow storage. Ensure you have at least 16GB of RAM and an SSD (preferably NVMe). Also, optimise Photoshop settings: go to Preferences > Performance and adjust memory usage to 70-80%, and reduce cache levels. Lastly, make sure your OS and drivers are up to date. Try all this and still having issues, let me know, and I'll try to help more. Cheers, Craig

@@utopiacomputers Thanks for your reply! I have all of those including the XMP settings. I'm not sure what else to change in bios. Upgraded my ram from 16 > 48 GB and still nothing. I have an SSD M2 with Photoshop. I might try the storage one. Currently it's less than 50gb free

@@kahosin890 I'd suggest that 50GB free is more than enough and not where the issue lies. Double-check your drivers. You could also try reinstalling Photoshop. Good luck! Cheers, Craig

Hello Mick, thanks for getting in touch! As you mentioned the large amount of screens that are available today is quite overwhelming however, for Photoshop opting for and LED panel is a great option. LED technology offers benefits such as lower power consumption and thinner form factors compared to traditional LCD panels. However, not all LED panels are created equal, and some may exhibit issues like blooming, where bright areas bleed into darker areas. This is more of a panel-specific issue rather than a general problem with LED technology, so it's important to read reviews and do your research before purchasing. As for resolution, if your budget allows, consider opting for a QHD panel for the added detail it provides. And when it comes to LED panels, just be sure to research and read reviews to find one that doesn't suffer from issues like blooming. We do offer a selection of laptops with QHD LED panels with up-to 100% sRGB colour space perfect for a Photoshop user like yourself. If you have any specific laptops in mind or further questions, feel free to ask! - Ryan

@@utopiacomputers Thanks for your reply and very informative video. I'm currently using a 7yr old HP Omen 17inch with IPS display. Looking on your website I'm thinking of the Stratos 17 with 32GB 5200 ram, 4070 card, 2 x 1TB Samsung 990 drives. Is the display QHD? What are your feeling on this setup for Photoshop use please?

@@MickPayton Thanks for getting back in touch Mick. The Stratos-17 is a fantastic laptop , certainly one of the best on the market in my opinion. Yes it comes with a brilliant QHD display, great for pixel peeping! I've replied to your email that you just sent us. Speak to you soon :) - Ryan

Hello thanks for your comment. We do touch on this topic nearer the end of the video stating that you're best to go with the fastest CPU, RAM and Storage you can afford. However we'd be more than happy to dedicate another Photoshop video for a more reasonable budget. We'd love to hear your thoughts on which price range you'd like to see in the next Photoshop video. - Ryan

@@utopiacomputers Make 3 categories, for the people who are getting into the industry of graphics design or video editing or 3d . Make another intermediate setup, give some options what they can follow to upgrade if they are getting clients and need up their games now. Then comes the professional rated build. I can't give you a particular price range category, because your video is watched by many countries and they have different prices than in your country. So it's gonna be helpful if you do the category wise. When a kid who wants to pursue graphic design or video editing watch your ultimate pc guide for Photoshop and your recommendations, that may make the kid's mind think, I have to get that processor, that GPU, they will ask their parents to get those configurations, which is not affordable to all.

@@gouravcullen6779 Thanks for taking the time to share your insights. We will take all this into account as we work on our next videos. Cheers, Craig

Just finished the script for our next long form video. It's going to be on Unreal Engine 5. I've taken this into account. Might not be of interest to you as an application...but wanted to let you know that we take the feedback of our viewers really seriously! Thanks - Craig

Hey, Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! You’ve hit the nail on the head there! Adobe’s AI tools are truly game-changing, and it’s fascinating (and sometimes a bit overwhelming) to see how our roles are evolving because of them and other AI tools! I completely get where you're coming from. As tech keeps advancing, it feels like ever da is a school day with these powerful AI tools. And yeah, with this shift, the hardware that can handle all this AI processing smoothly is becoming crucial. It sounds like you've go the right idea, be open to new tools and techniques and enjoy the journey. As it stands the processing for these tools is a mix of on your workstation and in the Cloud. With that single threaded CPU performance is still key to getting the best out of the application. Again, thanks for sharing our insights with us and for supporting our small channel! Cheers, Craig

@@utopiacomputers Glad to have a space to share. I had been thinking I needed to find the right mix of Performance cores and Efficiency cores, the more the better, so it’s good to know about the single-threaded performance, that should simplify things, thanks. I have been interested in the new refresh of Intel’s lineup - ending the ‘i’ moniker with the 14th gen and switching to Ultra - because I know they have a whole new architecture, including a new discrete unit that’s all about running AI - but I never like buying the 1st gen of a product (tend to not be optimized well compared with the outgoing veteran specs) so I think I’ll hold off on that til next year and just look for a sale on a budget gaming laptop from ‘22 or ‘23, with the best single core performance I can find, to hold me over - my 5 yr old Lenovo Legion w/ an 8th gen i7 and gtx 1050ti has really been struggling to keep up lately, even though it does have 16GBs RAM (finally upgrading from DDR4 to DDR5 may do more good than the newer processor anyway, lol)