Brian

The current Mac Studio is still decent in 2026, but personally...I'm waiting for the refresh that has a M5 Chip. Apple really has changed their website, but my previous WTB Article still applies. Here are some screen-shots: Between a Mac Studio and a Mac Mini, I'm going to lean towards the Mac Studio. If you want to wait until the M5 hits a Mac Studio, you are probably going to wait until late this year or a better prediction...this time next year. Things are in such turmoil with all this MicroSlop / AI / Data Center Crap, that things like Memory and HD storage chips are at a premium and are very scarce. In fact, when I tried to configure a tricked-out Mac Mini, it was a 12-16 week delay! Oh, don't forget to add a Macintosh Studio Display for $1600, whatever you buy. So since 2026 is completely fucked technology-wise, I'm really not sure what to tell you. I would just keep saving at this point and be prepared to jump on any deals. That said, Apple controls the prices, so I wouldn't hold out for any "deals." Just be ready to buy when the time comes. As to what I recommend, it will be the Mac Studio.

Keep in mind, RAID1 (Mirrored) is just redundancy. If the file is corrupted on the 1st drive, it is instantly corrupted on the 2nd HD in the RAID1 configuration. Sometimes it's a fluke, other times it could be something like a bad sector on one of the HDs, in which case things can get botched up, as the data is mirrored. Keep an eye on things. Once...OK...things happen. But if you find multiple images giving you grief? Something is wrong with one of those HDs! Again, RAID allows for tolerance in keeping you up and running for as long as possible, so you can get to your data; RAID is not a backup strategy!! How you choose to back up your data, is really a personal thing. In reality, before going nuts with backup strategies, it is more important to have a file/directory/folder structure that makes sense to you. This way you can avoid triplicates all over the place and you can find things quickly in the event of a disaster. Secondly, testing your backups is imperative. I can't tell you how many times I've performed resurrections and voodoo chants with my Customer's Servers, only to find out that several backup tapes are no good and they haven't had a good backup in MONTHS. Then their main HD dies and I can only restore the backup from 11 months ago, the recent stuff has to be inputted in, by hand, all over again. So the first thing I would do, is to get your file structure files/folders straightened out, THEN purchase a larger external HD, like a 8TB (or even larger) to copy stuff to. One big data-dump. Use that as your "Workbench" to see how easy it is to navigate to, pretend your main HDs and Server was in a flood or fire. If you can figure out what is where within seconds, THEN you can pay attention to the Cloud Stuff and folders on your Server. Keep things simple. It doesn't do you any good not knowing what is and what isn't backed up when things go horribly wrong. Yes, this is going to be a PITA and a huge time-suck, but you are wasting time when things are working, rather than doing it the other way around, which is not fun at all. I speak from experience. Offsite Backup is imperative, Home Server is another, and having external access to that server helps. Always remember, the Cloud is "Someone else's Computer," and OneDrive isn't fool-proof. In fact, NONE of them are and I would always remain skeptical of these services. TRUST NO ONE!! Always read the fine-print with Cloud Storage. I do not care how great a service claims to be, again...read the fine-print. That's why I recommend having a simple external HD to duplicate you main backups and then that EHD is stored off-site somewhere. For long-term storage, I recommend spinning traditional hard drives and not fancy SSD Drives for this. Why? Because Flash Media breaks down over time if the drive isn't powered on at least monthly. Digital Rot is a very real thing and a Traditional HD stores things magnetically, and lasts for years. SSD Drives? Notsomuch. Especially if you don't hook them up for a few years...the data goes "Poof." So fiddle around with things. Figure out a Directory / Folder Tree. You need to be able to find something within 30 seconds at all times, that's the goal. In fact, it needs to be as logical as possible, in the event that someone else needs to find things if you aren't around to do it for them. Do a data dump to a large EHD, then see how easy it is to get to your files, even using another person's computer.

That one checks all the boxes. I do recommend NVIDIA’s Studio Driver over the default one that’s meant for video games / general computing. The Studio Drivers are meant for Adobe’s products.

What are you actually editing on? A Server of some kind or an actual workstation? Having a quality P/S is a good thing, but choosing the right Video Card AND using the Drivers that Adobe's Products like, such as the NVIDIA Studio Driver - Windows 11, along with having enough RAM is key. Don't forget having a decent cooling setup; Water-Cooled might be a better choice for you than an Air-Based only system. Video Cards that I recommend currently are still NVIDIA's products, usually a RTX 5070 with 12GB VRAM at a Minimum, and if you can swing something like a NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Graphics Card - Gun Metal, even better. Especially with Large Panos...which I also do and can totally relate; I often have to divide photos into 3rds and process each separately, then combine them at the end. Otherwise, my system crashes or the fans sound like a Jet taking off. RAM, that's another thing you are going to consider. Unfortunately, with all of the AI Slop and products being diverted to Data Centers, which haven't been built, are driving up the cost. For your needs, I'd look at least getting 96GB of DDR5 EEC RAM, or more. Also, you will need a motherboard that supports ECC. So there's that. CPU? I always used to recommend Intel's Chips, but Intel is being stupid and the latest chips have a flaw, which causes them to short out. Intel says they have released a Motheboard / BIOS Patch, which should take care of the issue, but Chips are still dying and Intel isn't Warranting them. So currently, AMD seems to be a better bet at this point. For your needs, I'd probably recommend a Ryzen 9 9900X/9950X. Power Supply? Yes, you want quality. 850 Watts is the minimum I'd recommend, and I'm going to tell you to invest in a 1000 Watt "Platinum" Power Supply. Here is a Montech Century II 1050W Power Supply. I've also had good luck with EVGA Power Supplies, but I've also seen bad reviews with Customer Service Experience. Of course, you need to take things with a "Grain of Salt," Power Supplies work or they don't and after a period of time, manufacturers will usually tell you to "Pound Sand." Now there is one more thing you need to worry about!!! The Electrical Line Conditioning on the power itself. I highly recommend APC's UPS Sine-Wave products. There is absolutely no sense in building a $5000 Computer, only to use a el-cheapo power strip that's 10 years old purchased from a Big-Box Store. THAT'S JUST STUPID. Here is my UPS that I purchased a few years ago, and is currently sitting at my feet as I type this: APC UPS Back-UPS Pro 1500VA Sinewave UPS, 900W Battery Backup. Not only does that UPS save your ass in the event of a "Power Blip," it also monitors the current coming into your CPU. Now, that UPS is from 2022, and a power supply of 1000 Watts or more, we might need to get a bigger model (something like a 2200VA model.) In any case, you will want one that has "Sine Wave" Technology. Yes. You can buy all the fancy hardware, and still have issues. Plus, not only is Server Grade things more expensive, Photoshop will most likely not take advantage of all that stuff you are throwing at it, there needs to be a balance. In 2026...that $999 Computer Bundle isn't going to cut it when it comes to Photoshop. Likewise, building a Server with a XEON CPU that is meant for SQL Databases is just a waste of money...Photoshop will just ignore all of the extra tech. That's why a i7 CPU was only about 5-7% faster over a i5 about 10 years ago. PS never took advantage of what made a i7 CPU so fast. Personally, I'd recommend a High-End Motherboard, 96GB - 128GB DDR5 ECC RAM, NVIDIA RTX 5080 16GB VRAM, Liquid Cooling, NO STUPID RGB STUFF (you are editing photos and don't need to deal with color casts messing you up,) and a quality IPS-Based Display. HD capacity...at least 1TB, preferably 2TB OR have a 1TB main drive and a 2nd 1TB Drive that is just meant for PS's Scratch Disk. You can tell PS to use the 2nd drive because at the current prices of HDs, you are spending BIG bucks on a 4TB m.2 Drive. Power Supply, probably around 1000 Watts, but 850 Watts is still viable, you just need to get a CPU with higher-grade materials.

It happens.

They should be fine, just as long as it's a IPS Panel. That said, you may have to upgrade your Calibration Device / Software which may not be completely compatible with Mini-LED Lights. Technology just keeps pushing out things and old farts like me must adapt. If you do get a Mini-LED, please report back on how things go and if it calibrates well, matches your physical test prints, etc. Be sure to mention the Make / Model. Thanks!

Are you editing in LR first? This usually happens when doing something like a HDR or Panorama Merge in LR, possibly ACR. If you just opened the file (with no edits what-so-ever,) and it says, "Layer 0" just flatten and it will turn into the Background Layer that you are used to.

IPS stands for In-Plane-Switching. This type of display panel ensures that colors, contrast, sharpness are consistent from corner to corner, which is kinda important for editing photos. If your laptop doesn’t have one, it’s not a huge deal, you will need to purchase an external IPS Display and edit off of that. “That means I’m tied to a Desk!! I must be free!!” Yep. It sucks. This is why I really don’t like Laptops being used for Photo Editing, as 99% of them do not contain IPS Screens. I just got tired of arguing since people have a love-affair with laptops.

Recent Microsoft updates have been causing your exact issue. You can return it, but I’m 80% sure it’s going to happen with another unit, as soon as the crappy windows updates happen. It’s a Windows 11 thing Yes, you should routinely run Windows Update Manually, but not right away; meaning, let others be the Guinea Pigs and not you. For example, I just saw a notice that a recent windows 11 update killed access to hard drives. So lots of computers can’t boot. Lenovo updates are almost never automatic and you should run the Lenovo Update Tool every few months or so. I’m not sure what Lenovo calls their software now, just type Lenovo in the start menu and something should pop up.

The link I just sent...it's in stock. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadt/thinkpad-t1g-gen-8-16-inch-intel-laptop/21td000mus?orgRef=https%3A%2F%2Fask.damiensymonds.net%2F I just added one to my cart: It's just the 2025 model, which is fine. I'd buy it directly from Lenovo, sooner...rather than later.

That one is close, but it does not contain a IPS Display Panel. For editing photos and such, it NEEDS to be a IPS Based Display. Those suckers are tough to find in a Laptop, so if it's not mentioned in the tech specs, there is a 99.99999999999999999% chance it doesn't have one. I don't care about how fancy the OLED stuff is...it needs to be IPS, ESPECIALLY if you are editing photos.

It should be. At its core, PS is still PS. If you have any weird issues, you can always downgrade and stay at that version. I’m stuck on PS 2023 due to my 2017 iMac. I won’t dare upgrade, no matter how much Adobe Bugs me.

No to either of those! I’m sure money is tight, but a $1000 laptop isn’t going to cut it for today’s modern Photoshop. What is a dead give-away is the “Intel UHD Graphics.” That video card is meant for general computing, wasting time on FB, watching YouTube, Netflix, doing taxes, answering e-mails…everything else BUT Photoshop! Adobe’s products are using the GPU and dedicated Video Memory in order to support all the new AI Slop, fancy tools, and for a performance boost. Hell, even things like ACR use the GPU these days! (Graphics Processing Unit) Photoshop with the Intel UHD Integrated Graphics, will do nothing but complain and give you error after error message, and the lag…the lag will be unbearable. This isn’t CS6, where you could get away with a low-end card; PS has become a REAL Bloated Beast in 2026. Now for the fun part. Since AI is all the rage and companies are jumping on the bandwagon, things like RAM and Storage are going to be priced at a premium since manufactures are catering to them and ignoring the consumer market. Even my beloved Crucial RAM is no more, Micron has shut that part of the business down in order to sell to AI Data-centers. . So expect to pay $3000-$4000 for a Windows Laptop that’s “Good for Photo Editing” in 2026. This is a laptop that you should be looking at for Photoshop in 2026: Lenovo Laptop for Photoshop Now before you ask, no…there really isn’t a cheaper alternative. Everything costs so much in 2026, because things are “Made in China.” So you have Tariffs messing with things. But keep this in mind, Rent is between $1800-$2000 a month, houses that should be $300,000 or less are being sold for $500,000+. A Big Mac Meal used to be $5, now it’s around $14. EVERYTHING IS MORE EXPENSIVE!!! Now with RAM shortages, it’s only going to get worse.

Did you by any chance update ALL the Windows Drivers AND Lenovo Drivers?

No to either of those! I’m sure money is tight, but a $1000 laptop isn’t going to cut it for today’s modern Photoshop. What is a dead give-away is the “Intel UHD Graphics.” That video card is meant for general computing, wasting time on FB, watching YouTube, Netflix, doing taxes, answering e-mails…everything else BUT Photoshop! Adobe’s products are using the GPU and dedicated Video Memory in order to support all the new AI Slop, fancy tools, and for a performance boost. Hell, even things like ACR use the GPU these days! (Graphics Processing Unit) Photoshop with the Intel UHD Integrated Graphics, will do nothing but complain and give you error after error message, and the lag…the lag will be unbearable. This isn’t CS6, where you could get away with a low-end card; PS has become a REAL Bloated Beast in 2026. Now for the fun part. Since AI is all the rage and companies are jumping on the bandwagon, things like RAM and Storage are going to be priced at a premium since manufactures are catering to them and ignoring the consumer market. Even my beloved Crucial RAM is no more, Micron has shut that part of the business down in order to sell to AI Data-centers. . So expect to pay $3000-$4000 for a Windows Laptop that’s “Good for Photo Editing” in 2026.

Too bad, Adobe says you don't have a choice. Since you have a fairly recent Mac, with the M2 chip, you should be "fine." In your case, I'd update to PS CC 26.11.2. PS CC 27.xx.xx is a whole other version with its own set of quirks / problems.

You are right. that ThinkPad T1g Gen 8 Intel (16") is even better, and has current technology. I will warn you, it's on clearance, meaning it's about to be discontinued!!! SO CLICK BUY WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!! Now, before you ask, that T1g Gen 8 isn't "outdated," not by any means, it's just on "Clearance" because Laptop Models / Configurations tend to only last around 90 days or so, before they are replaced with another configuration. Why am I telling you to not wait for the "Gen 9" version? Because of the Display Panel. It's IPS and those are damn hard to find on laptops. Since you are editing photos on said laptop, the screen NEEDS to be IPS Based.

Very Cool!!!

= The main thing with laptops, is they are designed to be portable and have long battery life. When you throw in a powerful video card, that requires A LOT more power and cuts down on battery life. Why is this important? Because of all of the fancy tools and other AI Crap that Adobe keeps putting in their software, and it's these features / tools that require a high-end video card in order to function. Even things like the ACR module, primarily use the VIDEO GPU in order to function; while the CPU is still important, when it comes to Adobe's current products, the choice of Video Card GPU and having dedicated Video Memory is more important than the CPU!!! This is not CS6 where it really didn't matter what Video Card you were running. Photoshop is a professional program, and Adobe expects you to have current "Professional Grade Hardware" to support it. The "Consumer" version of Photoshop is Photoshop Elements, but most people run Photoshop. As far as brands, I've had the best luck with Lenovo Laptops. Avoid HP / Hewlett Packard Laptops at all cost, they are JUNK. Avoid Laptops that only list "Intel Graphics" or "Intel Integrated Graphics" for Video Cards. Photoshop will flat-out refuse to work with them and give you error message after error message. Right now, things are in a state of flux; with AI Data Centers being the "Gold Rush of 2026," RAM prices are triple of what they used to be a year ago. Plus some manufacturers, like Micron, are switching to the AI Data Center Market only and are closing the consumer lines, like Crucial RAM. This limits supply and drives up the cost of RAM, which then gets passed down to the consumer. Now enter all of the people who want their laptops to be desktop replacement, combine that with the stupid choices that Adobe is making, and I'm finding recommending things to be nearly impossible. Especially when it comes to Laptops. People with their damn Laptops; I hate Laptops for Photo Editing, I always have...I've just given up arguing. Yes. People have problems with RTX 3070 Video Cards and the current versions of Photoshop. A 2000 series is even worse. Expect LAG when sorting/culling photos. OMG! THE. LAG. The RTX 3000 Series cards were released around 2020, and that was a solid 5 years ago technology-wise. Why do they offer 2000 in current laptops? Because they are cheap. I call it "Shrink-flation;" Manufacturers don't want to charge more, so they give you less for your money. Take Ice Cream for example, you don't get a Gallon anymore, but "Almost a Gallon." At the very least, headed into 2026, I would invest in a RTX 4060 with 8GB of dedicated Video RAM, not shared. That is the bare minimum that I will recommend in 2026 and not lie to you. Personally, I'm still saying a RTX 4070/4080 with 8GB-16GB Dedicated Video Memory is still preferred by me and gives you more wiggle-room. "But Laptops don't offer that!!" Yes I know. I hate laptops for Photo Editing. The Lenovo Laptops that did, are no longer sold. Well, that's not completely true...HERE IS A LENOVO LAPTOP THAT CHECKS ALL OF MY BOXES. Yes, it's a special order. Yes it's expensive. A year ago, that Laptop would be around $2499 in price, with prices as they are, they are closer to $3500!! Bottom Line: That Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 that you were talking about is what I would buy with my own money to be used for Photoshop CC, and not Bullshit you.

That's the real key; you need to have "Realistic Expectations." It's really-really-really tough to get screens perfectly matching, even if they are the same make/model. So make sure that the screen you primarily edit on matches a set of physical prints, and use the other monitor for Tool Windows / Boxes / E-mail / Spotify / Web Browsers, whatever.

Honestly? If you can hold out for a few more months, I would. The M5 chips are on the horizon, and the Mac Mini will be refreshed soon. 2027 will likely be the Mac Studio with a M5 Chip. The Mac Laptops that usually get the newer chips tend to be ones with the smaller screens; larger screens come later, usually around the time of the Mac Mini refresh. In a nutshell, now is NOT the time to be buying anything when it comes to Macs. If you can wait 6 months, that would be ideal. Now, here is a curveball… Memory (RAM) manufacturers are gearing up to jump on the AI Datacenter Bandwagon. It’s the new “Tech Goldrush” and prices of RAM are insanely high. Why? Limited supply and manufacturers are only producing RAM (in large quantities) for these Datacenters that have yet to be built. Bonus Points, after they build them, the power companies can’t provide power to them, so they sit idle. What does this mean for us? The RAM Prices are going to push Apple’s profit margins, which may or may not affect pricing. Since there is no upgrading after the fact, you have to buy the RAM configuration that you think you will need in a few years and not for right now and that costs money. Adobe keeps adding AI Crap and other fancy tools / bloatware, which causes a higher demand on hardware performance. So you are right to be concerned about Cores and such. Kudos to you. The days of CS6 are gone, and Adobe wants to keep people hooked on their subscription model so they keep adding things which then in turn add more hardware requirements, which determines what you pay. It’s a stupid cycle. So what to do? At the end of the day, it’s your money. The M4 units should work perfectly fine for the next 5-7 years. If you want a 7-8 year lifespan, then look towards the M5 line when they are released. I would not buy a 14” Laptop for photo editing, unless you absolutely have no choice otherwise. A 16” M4 MBP would work for about 5 years or so, just be sure to purchase AppleCare because that Lithium-Ion Battery will need to be replaced in 3-4 years on average. Plus, you will need to purchase ALL the upgrades that your heart desires, because there is no upgrading after the fact. This is such a hard time for me to write a concrete set of upgrade instructions, and I’m waiting on Apple to release things, which is why nothing has been touched. Adobe’s products are relying on the Video GPU and Dedicated Video Memory more-and-more, with each and every update. So make sure you have as many Video Cores that you can afford and at least 64GB RAM. 1TB HD is a Minimum, and I’m toying around with the idea of 2TB being optimum. it just sucks that all of this costs so much money. Use my current recommendations as a guide, and if you want to buy more of something, that’s perfectly fine.

Huzzah!!!

Are you running any antivirus software or malware scanning software? If so, disable it and try it again. The other thing you can try is right-clicking on the .exe file and select, "Run as Administrator."

The main issue is, you need A LOT more storage than you think you do! A Mac Computer does not distinguish between an internal or external hard drive; as far as the macOS is concerned, they are all mounted devices. What does this mean? If you go above 80% ON ANY HARD DRIVE, INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL, >>> PERFORMANCE TAKES A HIT!!! <<< Unfortunately, I'm seeing full hard drives everywhere. You NEED like 12TB or 18TB or larger. Stop it with these smaller hard drives!!! As far as getting a bigger internal HD for your Mac...I've got news for you... It's not possible. Surprise!!! When Apple switched over to the Apple Silicon Chips (M1-M4, and soon to be M5,) there is no upgrading after the fact. Why? Because the HD controller chip is built into the CPU Chip itself. The only HD media that works with the Apple Silicon is Apple HDs, and guess who doesn't sell Apple Internal HDs? Apple!! Same thing with RAM, what you buy is what you get. If you want to add more RAM or get a bigger internal HD, you are buying a whole new computer. Think of the new Mac Desktops / Laptops as glorified iPads; if you find that you want more RAM or bigger HD a few years down the line after the initial purchase, you are SOL. Upgrading RAM & HD? That thinking was 20-30 years ago. Now they want you buying new computers sooner, rather than later. Fun Times... This is why I configure my recommendations of WTB as I do, yes...they are expensive, but there is a "Method to my Madness." I'd rather have you fork out more money up-front, and grow into your purchase and have it last as long as possible. When I configure my computers, I have a 7-8 year lifespan in mind. Otherwise, you are buying a new computer every 18-24 months, if Apple had their way. So what do I recommend? Honestly? I'd get a Sandisk 18TB Thunderbolt HD and hook it up to a TB port on your Mac. The Throughput on a TB Drive is like working off an internal HD, even if it's a spinning EHD. Then store your images there. Now, I'm sure you just clicked that link and said out loud, "$693 for a fucking EHD? Are you serious?!?!!!" I'm dead serious. $693 (plus tax) is WAAAAAAAAAYYYY cheaper than forking out $4000-$5000 for a new Mac.

Here is a shot of all my EHDs that are hooked up to my Mac: Yours should be similar.