Brian

Well, there's updating and there's UPGRADING. Going from Photoshop 22 --> 24 will likely cause you issues. UPDATING Photoshop (or patching it) to fix issues is a whole other thing. I'm at Big Sur and 11.7.10, so your Mac OS is a bit outdated. I'm also running PS 24.7.2, which is Photoshop 2023. You should be able to upgrade to each of those levels on your Mac. PS 2024...I'm avoiding with my iMac. First, start with updating the Mac OS. Head to your System Preferences (Gear Icon on the Dockbar.) Click Software Update. In the Middle, there should be a "More Info..." link. Click the "More Info..." Link. From there, you should see updates for macOS Big Sur AND Safari. INSTALL BOTH OF THOSE UPDATES AND ANY OTHERS IN THAT LIST!! Don't worry, it won't upgrade you to Ventura. I want you current with Big Sur AND Safari. After we get your macOS situated, I'd like for you to try Photoshop again and see how it works. We might have to upgrade you to PS CC 2023 and see if that helps, but let's hold off for now. Video Drivers and such are part of the macOS and you can not install them by themselves. So if a Video Driver Update exists and Photoshop is looking for it, the only way you are going to get the update is via a Mac Operating System update. Report back after updating your Big Sur to 11.7.10.

Apple will blame ANYTHING that is not Apple Branded. PERIOD! Mouse batteries died? Oh it must be the 3rd party RAM. Locking up? Gotta be the 3rd Party RAM. Mac reboots? It's the 3rd Party RAM. If it doesn't have a little Apple Sticker on the RAM, Apple will blame that Every. Stinkin'. Time. Now for the bad news... Your wallet isn't going to like you very much, especially the Credit Card that will be smoking when you purchase a new Mac. But first things first. That does sound like a RAM issue, but! it's most likely the Motherboard or it's even overheating. How so? Because Manufacturers don't always put on the correct amount of Thermal Paste AND use low-quality Thermal Paste to begin with. It breaks down over time and your CPU could be overheating a little when it's crunching stuff. Not enough to warrant a Warning Message or be blatantly obvious, just enough to be really annoying. Hell, it could be a clogged fan. The motherboard itself could have issues, particularly the USB Controller Chip so your images are being corrupted as they are copied to the hard drive. So in the end, it's better for you to purchase a new Mac. I would not invest any money into your current computer, and it sounds like your AppleCare has expired. I have seen power supplies go bad, but not after a particular event; if your Mac shuts off after editing, that's usually not a power supply issue. If it did it randomly with ANYTHING running, then it's a suspect. Oh, your Video Card and/or Video RAM could be the issue, since the current versions of Photoshop really rely on the Video Card to work. Guess where that is? That's right, the Motherboard. Now, is Apple lying? No...it could be the RAM, but faulty RAM usually doesn't cause your Mac to shut off. It will corrupt images, cause lock-ups and other messages, crash on your that requires a restart, but not power down your Mac. That's the Motherboard. See a theme here? In any case, I wouldn't blow $1100 on a refurbished Motherboard for your Mac (or whatever the cost is,) I'd put that towards a new computer. "New" doesn't mean shit these days. People always ask, "...gonna get me a new one?!?" or "How about a new _________." New doesn't mean "NEW." It means different. It's all crap, MADE IN CHINA. As for "only" lasting 4 years, yeah...it happens. I've been a Professional Computer Tech since 1993, which is 30 years and have made a Career out of fixing things. You have to think of one little tiny part out of 100,000+ decided to fail. I've seen $30,000 pieces of equipment that are Dead on Arrival. Hard Drives die all the time. Power Supplies fail. I've replaced hundreds of Motherboards over the years, it happens. Unfortunately, people normally don't have money laying around to buy something new. I empathize. "Only" is a 4-Letter word. "It's only..." "What do you mean it's expensive, it's only $4600!" Yeah, it's all about perspective. I'm so used to the large numbers that the prices don't phase me as much but for someone else...it's A LOT of money. To answer your question about lifespan? I'd say it's average. Though configuration-wise, it should have lasted you a little longer. I'm still using my 2017 27" iMac as I type this comment. I've seen Computer Motherboards or other components die in 3-4 years, some in a few months and others last 8+ years. It's all a game of Roulette; it sucks when it happens to you and you get to be smug when you are the other guy that has no problems. This is a tough one. Personally, with the current versions of Photoshop requiring so much out of the Hardware, that it doesn't make me want to put ANY money into a computer that is from 2019 or earlier. But what is interesting is images are corrupting when you copy them from the reader. There is something about that. Hmmm.... Have you tried removing any and all devices from the USB Ports? Just as a test. No Card Readers, No External Drives, No Time Machine Drives, just the iMac itself. I have seen a bad Hard Drive cause shut-down issues like you are experiencing, and to diagnose this, we need to isolate your Mac. Do this before attempting anything. If it is an external, spending a few hundred on a new EHD is a lot better than blowing $4600 on a new Mac. This is especially true if your Mac lasted for a few days without it rebooting, since it was all by itself at the Genius Bar! What surge protector are you using? How old is it? I've seen cheap power strips being used on $4000 computer setups and that's not a good thing. Power Strips wear out over-time. They do their job by dispersing surges and spikes, but those components do wear out and they become glorified extension cords allowing things to hit your computer, which kills Motherboards and Power Supplies over time. This is the APC UPS that I have hooked up to my Mac. The "Sign Wave UPS" helps filter the current a little better. I even have one on my Home Theater System. It could be the RAM since Apple said that "Memory was failing" with their diagnostic tests. You have 40GB of RAM, so I'm thinking that's two 4GB Sticks and two 16GB Sticks? Yes? What slots are the RAM Sticks in? You might want to try pulling the extra RAM that you installed and see if you can edit a single image and see what happens. It might be the Apple RAM causing your issues or the 3rd Party stuff. Try pulling the Apple RAM, that should leave you at 32GB. Does it work, or does the problem remain? If it remains, pull the 3rd party RAM and install the Apple RAM only. Then try it again. Hell, sometimes re-seating RAM makes things better. Bottom Line: Before condemning your Mac, let's try a few minor things first. Pull any external devices and try editing some things as you normally would. Then start dorking around with the RAM. Hopefully it's something simple and we won't have the conversation about you buying a new Mac.

The RTX 4090 is a bit overkill for Photoshop, and Photoshop really won't take advantage of it. (You only have a 5-ish% performance boost with a 4090 vs a 4070, so if you are just running PS, it's not worth the extra money.) Either a NVIDIA 4070 or 4080 is fine. So a better comparison would be the model below what you linked to: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1745683-REG/lenovo_82wq002rus_16_legion_pro_7.html Which is the Lenovo for $2749. Now for the real answer to your question: EITHER. Personally, I have had excellent luck with Lenovo Laptops, but the larger screen and more video memory with the Asus ROG is also a plus. The Asus also has a 2.5Gb Ethernet as well. So going by specs only, the Asus edges out the Lenovo by a small margin. That said, both are excellent. Final Verdict from the Judge: Asus ROG - 51% Lenovo - 49% ...but really, you can't go wrong with either.

Ugh. That's terrible. While the default is for us to recommend Dells, as they tend to be easy to obtain and calibrate, I can confirm the quality isn't as it once was. That said, practically everything across the board isn't as it once was...it's all JUNK, "Made in China." Any of those is fine. I would, however, use a DisplayPort connection if you have that option. DisplayPort seems to work better with 4K Displays. (Though a HDMI connection will do it, I just find Display Port does it better to my eyes. YMMV.) I also like the fact that the Dell has WAY more reviews than the Asus ones. So I'm still leaning towards the Dell.

The basic rule-of-thumb, is you store the current job(s) that you are editing on the main HD, deliver the images to the client, then move those files (.psd files and all) to the external / secondary HD for long term archiving. 1TB is "fine" for operational every-day use as long as you do not treat it like a "Dumping Ground." That's where you run into problems; when you go clickclickclick-ok-ok-click-click-click, or "copy everything to the C Drive" without thinking once about storage. If you use the main HD for Programs and your current editing projects, 1TB is fine. Because in reality, you are only using a 100GB or so between PS Swap Files, Programs, Images and the like. You should have 500GB-600GB free at nearly all times to play with. Now, if you had say, a 250GB HD, with only 80GB to play with, that's a different story. One more thing, like I mentioned above, you can add a 2nd internal SSD HD, either a 2TB or 4TB, and I can help you install it. Believe it or not, it's not THAT hard to do. Hardest part is getting the case open and the Drive mounted, then about 5 minutes fiddling in Windows to get it partitioned and formatted.

Remember, you could always add a 2nd HD, like this 2TB Samsung SSD. All you'd need is a SATA Data Cable, and that's a few bucks. This way you'd have a C Drive and a D Drive.

It is...from a certain point of view... This whole 1024 / 1000 thing has been going on since forever. At least as far back as I can remember, and I started fiddling around computers way back in 1981. When HDs became really popular, larger AND more affordable in the 1990's, back when we had 425MB HDs, people asked the same question then. So here we are 30-some years later and we still have this 1024 / 1000 thing. Think of it like the Metric System vs. Imperial. Miles vs. Kilometers, etc.

YUP!! Microsoft says 1024 is 1MB, 1GB, 1TB of something. So 1024K is 1MB, 1024MB is 1GB, 1024GB is 1TB, etc. etc. The Hard Drive Manufacturers say that "1000" is 1TB (or whatever) is 1MB, GB or TB, so there is this discrepancy. Plus, when you partition and format the drive, you lose a little of that "1000" and are left with 929GB. On a 2TB Drive, your number is closer to 1.8TB to work with, conversationally speaking. A 4TB drive, you are left with about 3.6TB after formatting. BUT!! That is before you install Windows, Drivers and the other Bloatware and Programs that Dell adds. So in the end, you are left with 848GB before you add Photoshop and such. Now you know why I jump up and down about getting at least a 1TB HD!! Imagine if you got a computer that only had a 256GB HD! You'd have even less space available for Photoshop and the Scratch Disk, never-mind your images.

Also, turn off auto-brightness, etc. Your screen WILL BE BLUER / run on the cool side because you are not calibrated. Mac Screens are on the cool side by default. You need to purchase a Calibration Device, I recommend this one, and get a set of Test Prints to compare your screen to. You just don't calibrate and call it good, it doesn't work that way. We need to not only check colors, but also the brightness of the prints against your screen as Mac Screens tend to be really bright. I only recommend using 2-3 ticks from the Left for Brightness when it comes to Macs. If you are somewhere in the middle, your screen is too bright and your prints will come out dark.

OFF!!

Do I think you should spend this much money on a Laptop? No. Absolutely not. Unfortunately, people have a Love-Affair with Laptops, especially Mac Laptops. They can't be chained to a Desk!! They MUST be free to be able to move around!! I've even had one member ask about editing in a car while being in a passenger seat on their way to vacation! True story. Another one wanted to edit photos by the Pool when her kids were on Summer Vacation. You do not want to do either of those things. See the article titled, "The Light around your Computer" that Damien wrote for more information. I realize that my configuration is WAY OVERKILL for PS CC 2024. With Adobe adding more-and-more AI Crap, with each-and-every update, amongst other Bloatware, this laptop is BEEFY. This configuration is meant to get the most years out of as I build my computers/laptops with a 7+ year lifespan in mind. Many Members here are now upgrading their computers/laptops from when I helped them build them in 2013...that's 10 years folks.

One very important thing!! For those buying this laptop, Apple decided to change the Display Panel type, AGAIN! So you will need to purchase a new Calibration Device that is compatible with the new Mac Screens going forward. I recommend this model, the Calibrite Display Plus HL (CCDIS3PLHL). Cost at the time of this writing is $339.00 (US Dollars.) It's only money, right?

This is the January 2024 edition of this article. Yes, it is being written in December 2023, but with the new year a few weeks away, now is a good time to publish this article. I've also been inundated with requests from people who: Have Extra Money burning a Hole in their proverbial "Pocket." Photographers / Legit Business Owners who need to spend some cash in December for Tax Purposes. I'm sure there are other reasons, and I've delayed this article long enough. So without further ado... This is how I would configure a MacBook Pro in 2024. I will give my thoughts and reasons why in a comment below the main portion of the article. One thing that has not changed, is Apple still wants you to "Go Big or Go Home." Meaning, you can go with a cheaper option, but ultimately, you are either penalized OR are guided into a more expensive model to get a particular upgrade. Also the other thing that still is the same, is you MUST configure the Mac Laptop with all upgrades and features you'd like AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE!!! I can not stress this enough!! There are no "fixing" things at the Apple Store after the fact. If you do not choose the correct configuration at the time of purchase, you are returning the Mac Laptop or canceling the order and starting all over again from scratch. So save yourself the stress. The reason is, PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING CONFIGURATION-WISE IS BUILT INTO ONE SINGLE CHIP!! Things like the CPU, RAM, Video Processor (GPU) and Hard Drive Controller Chip is built into the M3 Processor. This is why Apple calls the M3 (and M2, M1,) a "System on a Chip." So if you mess up and choose the wrong thing...again, there is no going back!! Unfortunately, I can only show you photos and tell you what to click on, the Apple Website does not carry over the configuration that I prefer in a link. Here is how I would configure a Mac Laptop that's "Good for Photo Editing" in 2024: First, head to Apple's Website. I will save you a few clicks, and we will start in the MacBook Pro section. Click "Buy." Select "16 Inch." Choose your color, either the new "Space Black" or the Traditional "Silver" version. The click the "Select" Button in the Column all the way on the RIGHT. Regardless of country, this will ALWAYS be the most expensive option. Currently in the United States, at the time of this writing, this price is $3499. Now comes time to upgrade a few things. I realize that even the base $3499 model is "fine" for the current versions of Photoshop CC, I build my Desktops / Laptops with a 7-8 year lifespan in mind. As I've stated above, there is no upgrading ANYTHING after the initial purchase!! The Apple products of today are glorified iPads, meaning you aren't adding extra RAM in a few years, or replacing the Video Card in 5 years, or adding a second internal Hard Drive, there is nothing to upgrade. It's all built into one single "System on a M3 Chip!" Select the M3 Max Chip with 16-Core CPU, 40-core GPU for $300 more. This will give us more choices when it comes to RAM configuration than if we stayed at the base level. Remember, "Go Big or Go Home!" I would increase the RAM to 64GB, it only adds $200 and at this level of spending isn't a big deal and like I have said, there is no upgrading after the fact. For Hard Drive Storage, you can leave it at the default 1TB option. If you want to go higher, that's fine. You can never have "Too Much" Hard Drive Space, but in reality...even in 2024, 1TB is fine for a Main Hard Drive. If you chose everything from my recommendations, your configuration should look like this at the top: Now the only option left is to chose your Keyboard Language and click "Add to Bag." If you want to add additional software, that's completely up to you. For this documentation, we are going to skip adding Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. At this point, you are given a VERY IMPORTANT CHOICE...AppleCare+. Yes, you WILL be adding AppleCare+!!! The reason is simple, Apple is the only one who fixes their products. Mac Laptops are very expensive, and I've seen a lot of repairs and people having issues with them. Apple does not sell parts to 3rd party repair shops, and even "Authorized Repair Centers" are extremely hard to come by in 2024. So do yourself a favor and add AppleCare+! There are two choices, either purchase an Annual Subscription for $149 per year until cancelled or spend $399 for three years of coverage. Both are the same level of coverage, and you save $50 if you get the 3 year version instead of the Annual Subscription Plan for the same 3 years of coverage. That said, you won't get any notifications about your coverage expiring, unless your Country / State / Location has Laws that say otherwise. More details are written here. AppleCare information and the particulars are covered here. As to which one to buy? It depends on how long you plan on keeping the Laptop, and what type of person you are. If you are detail oriented and keep tabs on things, or are planning on replacing this laptop in about 4 years, than the "Three years of coverage" is fine. If you don't want to think about it, and plan on keeping your laptop running until current software no longer runs on it, then choose the Annual $149 Plan. Either way, CHOOSE SOMETHING!! For this example, I'm going to go with the $149 Annual Plan, since it does cover the batteries. Lithium-Ion Batteries seem to have about a 4 year life-span, give or take a year and those suckers are not cheap. I also never recommend 3rd-party Batteries for ANY Laptop, Mac Laptops OR Windows Laptops. The Generic Batteries don't ever last 99.999999% of the time and the other .000001% of the time you get 6 months life out of them. It's just not worth it to install Generic Batteries, always go with OEM Batteries if you can, regardless of laptop type. Warning! Not only do you have to choose which AppleCare+ to get, you must click "Add to Bag." Otherwise, it won't automatically register it with your Mac Laptop!! Another Up-sell Page will appear. Choose any other add-ons that you might like. I did see a form fitting hard case that's meant for MacBook Pros, it's very much like a Phone Case, so if you plan on doing a lot of traveling with this laptop, that extra $54.95 might be worth it to you. But for this example, I'm going to skip the extras/up-sells/add-ons. Now the fun begins and your wallet feels it...or your Credit Card...pick your poison. Click the blue "Review Bag" button. If everything is set correctly, your bag should look something like this. MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW YOUR BAG AND PAY ATTENTION TO SEE IF APPLECARE+ WAS ADDED!!! I had to restart my configuration since the Apple Website glitched and AppleCare+ wasn't added at first. Again, you should see this added below your configuration: If you don't, something went wrong and I'd recommend starting over. Of course, depending on your physical location, your local taxes will be different. For those living in the US, I'd expect to pay around $4500-$4600, conversationally speaking. For those living in Australia, I'd expect a price closer to $7000 AUD. Canadians...about $6000 Canadian. Shipping is free, and at this price-point is should be, and personally...if you have the option to ship your fancy new MacBook Pro to a AppleStore, DO IT!!! No sense having a $4500-ish Laptop sitting on your Porch waiting for it to be stolen. Click the Blue Link to the closest Apple Store. Since I live relatively close to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the "Apple Park City" is automatically selected for me. When I click that link, I'm given other store options, the Estimated Delivery Date and times the closest stores are open. Click "Confirm Your Store" and then "Check Out." Enjoy your Purchase!

I do not like nor recommend HP Laptops. Junk! Junk! Junk!

That'll work!

The "Studio Drivers" are really meant for the NVIDIA RTX 3000 Series, (i.e. NVIDIA RTX 3070,) and not the "4000 Series." Here is a snapshot of what cards are supported by the Studio Driver: Notice how the 4000 series is absent? Don't worry about it. For Photoshop work, there isn't THAT much difference between a 4070 & 4070 Ti, that's for a Gaming system and for people who need the extra 3 fps while playing a First Person Shooter. As for that Dell, don't worry about a 750 Watt Power Supply, it's fine. In addition, this is a Dell System, so they have things already mapped out. The reason that I recommend a 850 Watt Power Supply, is for the folks that have a Generic System which can have all sorts of Motherboards and different configurations. 850 Watts is overkill for a Dell System, who already has the power requirements already figured out. Remember, Ask Damien is a World-Wide International Group, and sometimes I have to "paint with a broad-brush." Now here is the thing you are most wondering about... BUY IT! Enjoy your purchase! Edit: You could save yourself the $150 and just go with the NVIDIA 4070, or just buy the Ti version now and be done with it. Liquid Cooling is also an upgrade, but if this is just a computer for Photoshop, where you really aren't pushing it, standard Air Cooling is fine. That said, if you live in a Dusty Environment, you may want to consider Liquid Cooling. At this price-point, if it were me...just spend the extra $200 and be done with it. You want this computer to last for at least 7 years or so. Anything you cheap out on now, you will just be upgrading at some point in the future, and who knows what cost it will be?

Yep, that laptop is a good one. In fact, it's been the one I've been recommending lately. Make sure you purchase it while it is on sale and before it's sold out. Enjoy!

Here's another idea: LOTEYIKE Monitor Riser Desktop Stand, Flat Screen TV Monitor Stand Riser, Sturdy Metal Laptop Computer Monitor Stand Shelf for Printer, iMac, 3 Height Adjustable PC Stand with Mesh Platform Now, that stand you could have 4 Hard Drives, two on the top and two on the bottom. You might need to find one that suits your color/ascetic, but you get the idea.

That’s a good question. I realize space is an issue, but heat dissipation and more importantly, vibration from two 7200 RPM drives stacked, with aluminum cases, I wouldn’t recommend it. You could use something like a Rubbermaid wire thing meant for Dishes to stack one on top of the other. That might be better.

It's fine. Some Power Supplies are "better," meaning "well regarded." I personally like EVGA Power Supplies. Such as this one, but take a look at that price-tag...that's a little less than A$500. I just installed one of these more affordable EVGA Power Supplies in a friend's computer, and if I were building my computer, this one would be the one I'd purchase: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G5, 80 Plus Gold 850W See if they have that Power Supply in stock (have the Oz equivalent) and could add it to your build. The difference between the two? Higher Grade Components internally. If you were doing all sorts of crazy things, Overclocking, Liquid Cooling, running a High End Video Card that is also performing at the Maximum...then you want a really beefy power supply. For the average person editing photos, such as yourself, you don't need a A$500 Power Supply.

That Calibrator is a bit "Long in the Tooth" going into 2024. I'd seriously budget for one, regardless of new display.

That's a decent config. Though I really like this one: https://www.eaglegaming.com.au/products/eagle-platinum-ultimate-gaming-platform I LOVE Lian-Li Cases. Also that Power supply is a better one as well.

I'd budget for a new Calibrator as well. Try your existing one and see how it goes, but be prepared to replace it if needed.

No Touchscreens!! They are a Bitch to Calibrate. I like the first one. ($1734)

Seems to check all of the boxes. Now the real question is, how easy will it be to get calibrated? What Calibrator do you have? If it's more than a few years old, you might have to budget for one of those too. Thoughts @Damien Symonds?