I want to buy a new notebook. My question is what type of processor and what type of graphics card? Because of my existing bag system, I would like to get a 14" display. I would like to spend $1,000 but could go $1,500 if necessary. This machine would be for editing photos while traveling.
I'm considering Asus from B&H.
K42JR-A1 comes with 2.26 HZ Intel Core i5-430M processor and ATI mobility radeon HD 5470 1 GB graphics
K42F-A1 comes with 2.26 Intel Core i3-350M processor and Intel graphics Media accelerator HD
Both are 4 GB RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit).
Please let me know your opinions on these processors and graphics cards.
Thanks
Paula
Posted by Rohn B. McKee on March 13, 2010 at 12:18 PM
Why would you buy a PC? For an artist of any kind a PC just dosn't make sence
Well , for one thing, most PCs come with a spell checker, which only makes sense. Many of us "artists" enjoy the use of a PC, for very good reasons. One of which is they come a good deal cheaper than a MAC.
Paula, the K42JR-A1 sounds like a good system with a fast graphics card, and ASUS has a good reputation. The only thing I would suggest is more RAM, since you will be running a 64 bit system. You didn't specify your editing software, but both CS4 and Lightroom have 64 bit versions, and they run very well with 8 gig of RAM.
MACBookPro is a great machine, and you can get it with 8 gig. They do not make a 14" model, but they do have a 13" and a 15". Depending on what software you would have to install, a comparable machine would cost you between $2000 and $3000. That said, it is an excellent mobile editor.
However, I assume you have a library of Windows software you plan to use; most of us do. If you are starting from the ground up, a MAC is a good option.
Posted by Scott Nelson on March 13, 2010 at 1:31 PM
I agree with Phil, The K42JR-A1 does sound like a better choice of the two. I also would upgrade to a minimum of 8G of RAM. The video card and processor look like a great choice. The K42F-A1, has a lower grade processor, and probably has integrated video, which pulls resources from the system(it's better to have a dedicated video card).
I'd also take a look at the screen quality, My Dell Vostro has some issues with color representation, which is significantly different from my desktop system. So I tend not to do much editing on my laptop. I should've gone with the higher quality screen(in hind sight)
Posted by Rodney Ninow on March 13, 2010 at 1:41 PM
No offense to you guys, but 8gb ram is overkill. Unless she can get it for say $50 or less more than 4gb, then it isn't worth the expense. I'm still running 2gb of ram in my Dell Inspiron with a Core 2 Duo T7200 chip and I have plenty of power. Sure, it's 3 years old, but still gets the job done.
She says it is only going to be here traveling laptop, so not her heavy duty go to editing machine.
Scott: I've been looking at new Dell's. What is wrong with your Vostro, I mean you said the color is off, do you have a calibrator like Spyder or other?
Posted by David Bostedo on March 13, 2010 at 2:45 PM
I have 4GB of RAM in my laptop and it's plenty adequate for now. Given that there's usually a big price premium for going to 8GB in a laptop (something like $500) I'd have no problem sticking with 4GB. And I'd definitely get :
-- A separate graphics card with at least 512MB of VRAM
-- The highest res monitor offered - don't forget to look at the monitor options
(And Rohn - there's nothing about being an artist that should force you toward's MACs anymore. Color accuracy, calibration, software available, etc. are all equivalent between PCs and MACs. In fact, for Photoshop, PCs have a genuine advantage right now in that CS4 is available in 64-bit. That's not the case on MACs until CS5 comes out. That being said, many people love OSX and the use of high quality parts that Apple uses - they're very nice, albeit pricey, machine.)
Lenovo T60 (IPS screen), W700 (IPS) or the X200 (AFFS) - otherwise you are kidding yourself into thinking you can do photo editing. Most laptop screens do not offer a color depth that is sufficient to render sensor dust on a blue sky, so think about how difficult it would be to perform all but the most rudimentary editing. And if you are lucky to find a W700, it comes with a Wacom tablet and color calibration built it. It is a fantastic platform for photo editing, even by today's standards.
Posted by Rodney Ninow on March 13, 2010 at 8:55 PM
Gene, can you explain more thoroughly what you are saying? Laptops don't have the color depth? They use the same flat screens that desktops come with. My Dell Inspiron has 32 bit color and I can certainly see sensor dust on a blue sky. (well, I could when I shot with my D200, since getting the D300, I rarely have dust with the built in sensor cleaning)
Most laptops combine low-quality display technology (TN) with poor viewing angles. Few laptops are at eye level as the keyboards force the user into an inflexible (and un-ergonomic) position--unless they use an attached external keyboard.
It is very challenging to calibrate a laptop monitor and get an accurate profile. Most photographers and editors who use a laptop professionally for serious post processing rely more on an attached IPS or PVA-based monitor. The only laptop I've used that has rendered color fairly accurately out-of-the-box is my wife's 2009 Macbook Pro with a matte screen.
Ultimately it comes down to personal requirements for processing images. I've done some very basic photo editing on an average laptop, but this tends to be cropping, image in/out, and metadata admin tasks. For any black & white work, and basic rendering judgements, I have to use my desktop Mac Pro.
Discussion
9 repliesI want to buy a new notebook. My question is what type of processor and what type of graphics card? Because of my existing bag system, I would like to get a 14" display. I would like to spend $1,000 but could go $1,500 if necessary. This machine would be for editing photos while traveling.
I'm considering Asus from B&H.
K42JR-A1 comes with 2.26 HZ Intel Core i5-430M processor and ATI mobility radeon HD 5470 1 GB graphics
K42F-A1 comes with 2.26 Intel Core i3-350M processor and Intel graphics Media accelerator HD
Both are 4 GB RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit).
Please let me know your opinions on these processors and graphics cards.
Thanks
Paula
Paula, the K42JR-A1 sounds like a good system with a fast graphics card, and ASUS has a good reputation. The only thing I would suggest is more RAM, since you will be running a 64 bit system. You didn't specify your editing software, but both CS4 and Lightroom have 64 bit versions, and they run very well with 8 gig of RAM.
MACBookPro is a great machine, and you can get it with 8 gig. They do not make a 14" model, but they do have a 13" and a 15". Depending on what software you would have to install, a comparable machine would cost you between $2000 and $3000. That said, it is an excellent mobile editor.
However, I assume you have a library of Windows software you plan to use; most of us do. If you are starting from the ground up, a MAC is a good option.
I'd also take a look at the screen quality, My Dell Vostro has some issues with color representation, which is significantly different from my desktop system. So I tend not to do much editing on my laptop. I should've gone with the higher quality screen(in hind sight)
She says it is only going to be here traveling laptop, so not her heavy duty go to editing machine.
Scott: I've been looking at new Dell's. What is wrong with your Vostro, I mean you said the color is off, do you have a calibrator like Spyder or other?
-- A separate graphics card with at least 512MB of VRAM
-- The highest res monitor offered - don't forget to look at the monitor options
(And Rohn - there's nothing about being an artist that should force you toward's MACs anymore. Color accuracy, calibration, software available, etc. are all equivalent between PCs and MACs. In fact, for Photoshop, PCs have a genuine advantage right now in that CS4 is available in 64-bit. That's not the case on MACs until CS5 comes out. That being said, many people love OSX and the use of high quality parts that Apple uses - they're very nice, albeit pricey, machine.)
It is very challenging to calibrate a laptop monitor and get an accurate profile. Most photographers and editors who use a laptop professionally for serious post processing rely more on an attached IPS or PVA-based monitor. The only laptop I've used that has rendered color fairly accurately out-of-the-box is my wife's 2009 Macbook Pro with a matte screen.
Ultimately it comes down to personal requirements for processing images. I've done some very basic photo editing on an average laptop, but this tends to be cropping, image in/out, and metadata admin tasks. For any black & white work, and basic rendering judgements, I have to use my desktop Mac Pro.
ME
Paula