If you get used to adopting Photoshop or Lightroom as your main photo editing software, then requiring a respectable computer would be quite necessary so as to support the processing power. But for a lot of photographers, buying the necessary equipment, including DLSR cameras, telephoto lens and all extras would cost a lot of money. Then, choosing a proper computer with decent price would be another daunting experience you may have. Then, how to choose the best computer to edit your photos efficiently? In this post, some straight forward information would be given to support your interests in photography. This post would be a great starting point to select the best computers for photo editing.

Part 1: How to Choose the Best Computers for Photo Editing?

How to select the most appropriate computers for photo editing? You have a lot of options, and some important factors should be considered ahead of time. The following aspects can be taken into consideration.

1. Mac or PC

There are various computer models in the market. The first thing you should consider is whether Mac or PC you would refer to. For some Mac users, without any doubts, Mac would be their firm choice. But you had better make the differences between both of them clear before buying. The key element lies in the difference of operating system. Mac adopts quite different OS X which would present totally different control panel. For a Windows PC, the Windows operating system would be more common to the public. Secondly, some users may tend to Mac because in their view, Mac looks better than common PCs. Last of all, the price would be another factor you should care. This would depend on your own demands and budget.

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2. Desktop or Laptop

Another factor to determine the computer you should buy is whether you should buy a desktop or laptop? In other words, you should take your working environment into consideration, and you can further think about your using scenes. Do you travel a lot or you spend most of time at home? What is your own preference toward the computer size? If you are a travel lover, undoubtedly, laptop with smaller size would be more proper to you. But you have accept its limitations in terms of hardware and upgradeability. By the way, if you are an advanced photographer who edits your photos in a fixed place, then a desktop would be your better choice.

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3. How to Choose Monitors for the Best Computers for Photo Editing

Larger displays are better, but they are also more expensive. Obtaining a high-resolution and larger size monitor is an important part of building a digital darkroom. Most 20-22 inch monitors have a resolution of 1,920×1,080. Larger 27-inch monitors usually provide a resolution of 2,560×1,440. And currently, you can find some 4K monitors (3,840×2,160). The difference in size and resolution means more working space. Monitors with the "IPS" logo use something called in-plane switching to help create wider colors in the sRGB profile.

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4. How to Choose Hardware for the Best Computers for Photo Editing

In order to obtain the best photo editing experience for photographers, the hardware parameters would be the key point while choosing a proper computer. The following tips should be included.

1. CPU

What is a CPU? CPU can be said to be the brain of a computer. Photoshop and Lightroom require high level of CPU, so it is better to have at least a quad-core CPU. Judging from the benchmark tests available on the Internet, Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop seem to prefer a CPU with a higher frequency. This is good news, because it means that the cheap 3.8GHZ quad-core i5 or 4.2GHZ Core i7 will perform better than the expensive 3.2GHZ 18-core i9 processor.

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2. RAM

The photo formats required for post-processing are all RAW photo formats. This photo format has more room for post processing. In order to have sufficient operating speed, there are corresponding requirements for the computer's memory. It is recommended to be at least 8GB or more.

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3. Flash memory

The biggest feature of solid state hard drives is that they are fast, which is more than a little bit faster than mechanical hard drives. Among various solid state hard drives, flash memory would be the one you should focus. The appearance of the flash memory can be made into a variety of shapes which can be easily moved, and the data protection is not controlled by the power supply, and it can be adapted to various environments and is suitable for individual users.

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4. GPU

A fast, independent graphics card will make Photoshop CC and Lightroom Classic work better. Photoshop supports graphics hardware acceleration for a long time, but the early version of Lightroom does not support graphics hardware acceleration. For editing, we recommend using a discrete graphics card with at least 2GB VRAM. If you are using a large, advanced, high-resolution 4K or 5K monitor, we recommend that you use a discrete graphics card with at least 4GB of VRAM.

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Part 2: 7 Best Computers for Photo Editing 2021

1. MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro still has 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes, and the thickness is still only 1.49cm. Even compared to many Win books, it is considered to be a very portable level. On the basis of satisfying performance, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is more friendly to those who often travel. Its standard performance is also powerful enough. The optional i7-8559U has a higher frequency, and the advantages will be more obvious under light load and medium-to-high load. It is very suitable for photo editing. If you are considering starting a thin and light picture processing laptop, this one will not be missed.

MacBookPro

2. Dell XPS 15 (2020)

The larger screen-to-body ratio of the Dell XPS 15 (2020) will allow users to have a wider field of vision, and will also give users a more comfortable operating experience. Overall, Dell XPS 15 (2020) is a very good laptop. It uses a beautiful form factor, which is equipped with Intel's 10th generation processor, independent Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card and very impressive 4KInfinityEdge four sides Narrow full screen. Its battery life and sound quality are also excellent, providing convenient picture editing services for photographers on the go.

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3. Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel

Acer launched a new ConceptD brand in 2019, aiming to provide designers with professional tools to unleash their potential -- Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel. On the whole, the Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel is an outstanding creative laptop. From the test results of all aspects, its creative performance is satisfactory. Especially with the help of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q graphics card, the video export speed and modeling rendering efficiency of Adobe Premiere Pro 2020 have been improved, which greatly saves photographers’ time and cost, effectively improves work efficiency, and makes the creative process.

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4. Surface Studio 2

Surface Studio 2 is designed for architects, engineers, designers and artists. If you are interested in painting and design, then Surface Studio 2 is an unparalleled weapon for you. The 28-inch large PixelSense display has become the most direct embodiment of inspiration, with a resolution of up to 4500 x 3000 (192 PPI), and it can provide 13.5 million pixels of vivid colors. By pairing with Ink Workplace on Windows 10 or UWP creative applications in the store, it can further stimulate our creative desire for Surface Studio 2 and Surface Pen, and provide you with the best and most suitable creative productivity tools.

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5. Lenovo Yoga A940

Yoga A940 is a very convenient desktop with its own advantages. The thickness of the display panel is only 0.7 inches. Like Studio, the touch screen of the A940 can also be used as a digital drawing board, allowing you to sketch, model and perform routine tasks on a PC. Two useful accessories are bundled. Surface Studio 2 is still the first choice for this recognized niche PC, but if your budget is limited and the concept is in sync with your workflow, the Yoga 940 is a unique functional alternative.

Lenovo-Yoga-A940

6. HP Pavilion Wave

HP Pavilion Wave is a unique amazing product which perfectly integrates technology and art, adding a unique feature to the tools. It breaks through the traditional personalized compact body, full of creative appearance design and internal structure, excellent sound performance, coupled with strong hardware performance. This desktop is very suitable for those who have a certain pursuit of product quality.

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7. iMac 27-inch (2020)

The 27-inch iMac has a faster Intel processor with up to 10 cores; doubled the memory capacity; equipped with a new generation of AMD graphics processor; the entire line comes standard with ultra-fast solid-state hard drives, and the storage capacity is up to four times that of the previous generation. Furthermore, it has optional new Nano-texture glass panel, bringing a more gorgeous 5K retina display and also has a 1080P FaceTime HD camera, higher fidelity speakers and studio-grade microphones, which can be called The most powerful and functional iMac to date.

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Part 3: Lightweight Photo Editing App for Underperforming Computers

If your budget is enough, you can freely select your preferred computer from the above list. But you have to remember that most of the photo editing programs running on these computers would occupy a lot of storage and consumption, which may slow down the running speed. However, if you only have the very basic needs on editing your photos, then a proper photo editing would be enough.

Here, you can take a try on Leawo PhotoIns. Leawo PhotoIns is quite appropriate for you to use, if you really desire to enhance the photo quality. This tool is powerful as an AI photo enhancer, which can optimize your pictures immediately. Its features are comprehensive, which includes enhancing images, intelligently retouching skin, removing freckles, reducing noise, enhancing eyes, adjusting lighting automatically and so on. It is also good at improving photo quality with the methods of fixing image exposure issues automatically, boosting image lighting and color quality, improving photo contrast for greater visual effect and more. The user-interface of this software is friendly, which can be handled quite simply. You can free download it by clicking below links and use it for free.

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  • Leawo PhotoIns

    - Enhance portrait photos easily with advanced AI technology
    - Fix photo exposure and white balance issues automatically
    - Optimize photo colors and perfect photo tints
    - Make photos perfectly clear with smart dehaze
    - Boost photo lighting and color quality
    - Process RAW and JPG files