Brian

No. You can use them on any display. The ones that come with displays and are the same brand are only really meant to calibrate that display only. So you can't just remove it when you buy another monitor and use it. The ones that I recommended, that's the ones that you can move them from monitor to monitor. Calibration software does get upgraded from time-to-time, but the actual hardware device, they manufactures aren't THAT nice. That's like asking Toyota to give you a new car because yours wore out. The big question is if you are going to stay with a Mac or head over to a Windows computer and if it will be a laptop or not. If you are staying with a laptop and external display, especially a Windows-based computer, then look at the SpyderX Elite or X-Rite i1Display Pro, as both of those are the top of the line in their class, and are meant to calibrate two or more displays. For the Mac, either is fine...as there isn't much you can change other than brightness when it comes to a Mac. Damien prefers the i1Display Studio over the SypderX Pro, but only by a small margin. I will say that X-Rite orphaned the ColorMunki when Apple decided to make its Operating Systems 64-bit only, and the ColorMunki's software was 32-bit based. Spyder on the other hand, did offer a patch to make their software work with a new OS. So that get's points in my book. Honestly between which one when it comes to a Mac? Either. That's just it...24" displays are the "Norm" these days, and 27" isn't as "BIG" as you might imagine. Remember, that's 27" on the diagonal. My 27" iMac is only 25.5 Inches from side to side. So if you have a standard 60" desk, a 27" iMac is no big deal. Heck, you could go to a 48" smaller desk and a 27" iMac will still work. In fact, here is my desk currently: Pleased heed my warning about 21.5" iMacs. YOU. ARE. THROWING. MONEY. AWAY...IF YOU GO THAT ROUTE. They are basically sealed units; even if you purchase a $1499 21.5" iMac and upgraded things, it will run slower than the 27" counterpart as the built-in components are less powerful. Plus, you will only be about a $100 or so less than a 27" model after you purchase the SEVERELY OVER-PRICED APPLE UPGRADES. I hear it now... "...But the size!! I don't have the Space!!!" Don't let the whole size thing scare you. I realize that most people are only used to 17" or so displays or even 14" CRT tube displays. Do not let that old thinking come into play. Now, I can see if you were thinking about a 40" + display, that's a different story, but a 27" display is actually common-place in 2021. You are the odd one out if you do have a 19" or smaller display. Once you get used to it, you will not ever want to go back. I will say this, Apple does have scaling down to an Art-Form. You do not realize you are on a 5K (soon to be 6K) display. It just works and looks really good. Yes, you still need to get calibrated even if you are on a Mac product.

No. I don't think it's a "Hard Drive" problem per se, as I think the problem lies in the physical connection between the Hard Drive and computer. You see, that case the LaCie HD resides in, there is a small computer controller board that also contains the USB port and sometimes, the power port. IF that board is flaky or the firmware (software that makes a computer device physically work) has a bug in it, that could explain your issues. Basically, I highly recommend getting off the data from that LaCie Drive and then just stop using it. "But I spent all that money..." Yep. I get it. But these are your images you are talking about. Taking the loss on the HD and moving on is way less expensive than sending that drive out to have emergency data recovery, which could cost thousands. Not worth risking your data/images on a flaky drive. I also own ONE LaCie Drive, but stopped recommending them once multiple members started having problems. Still love my G-Drives though! Best money that I have spent in a long time, even though they are pricey. I like my HDs to be Enterprise Grade and really beefy / fast. Beats me. Let's get a HD that is stable first, then we will worry about Bridge. Keep in mind with today's modern cameras, Raw files are HUGE. So it doesn't surprise me you have to purge the cache every-once-in-a-while to keep things running smoothly. As far as why Denoise is showing up, that has to do with your Operating System getting confused with the file association type. The "Open with..." thing. But like I said, first things first. Get your HD situation straightened out first.

BenQ Displays aren't my favorite. Even for non-photographic purposes. Traditionally they have been a pain to calibrate, that said...our members have reported otherwise. Whatever you do, make sure you have physical prints to check your calibrated display against. Don't think for a hot-minute that you can run a calibration routine and you are "good." You NEED to compare your prints to your screen, no matter what marketing BS you are being fed, or what some YouTube Video says otherwse. ALL computer technology has a life-span. Whether it's the gradual over-all improvement, or simply the manufactures want to stay in business. Why bother making an automobile last for 28 years? Why not build it to last about 7 years or so? This way it gets the customers back into the market sooner rather than later!! Stockholders rejoice!! Computer devices and washing machines, heating systems, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, light-bulbs, clothing, basically everything that you purchase will wear out. Photography has never been a "Poor Man's Hobby." NEVER. Sure, the costs have come down, and you can thank technology for that, but nothing lasts forever. I'm not a big fan of having a Calibration Device be "Married" to a Display. What happens if you accidentally drop the calibration tool or your glass of water spills all over it and it breaks? Then what? I will say, a calibration tool should last you a good 5+ years, provided that the Display Technology doesn't change dramatically. If you do end up with a quality display, 5 years or so is pretty typical, if not longer. Just think, you are probably into a new computer between 5-7 years, depending on what you buy. A good monitor is no different. Going forward, choosing the right calibration tool depends on how many screens you are using at once. If you are in a dual monitor setup, the more expensive current SpyderX Elite is what you are after or a X-Rite i1Display Pro. If you are just going to use a single display, than you can go for a less expensive option with a SpyderX Pro or X-Rite i1Display Studio.

You are throwing money away if you go the MacBook route. A "Good Mac Laptop for Photo Editing" is about $3800 USD! Plus, Apple makes current MacBooks sealed units and you must purchase the Apple over-priced upgrades at the time of purchase! Not to mention the batteries will wear out, and you'll get about 36-48 months out of the damn thing. (Yes, even if you leave your laptop plugged in all the time.) Bonus! You will spend more money than on a upgraded 27" iMac AND have less performance in the end. Not to mention if you really want to take advantage of Apple's full graphics, you need an Apple Display, so that adds to the cost. Sure, you can get a 27" 4K display, and graphics would probably look fine, but text and such, notsomuch. But you can edit by the pool!! In the car on your way to the beach!! In all sorts of places!!! Color accuracy be damned!! Edit: Apple currently has a "Pro Display" and it's really meant for "Pros." They no longer offer the "Consumer" model as they once did. I think they were planning on releasing one, but then COVID-19 hit, and I haven't heard much. Anyway, the Pro Display that Apple offers is $5000...and that is just for the display panel. If you want a stand to place it on a desk, that's $1000 extra. $6000 for a stinkin' Apple Display. So $6000 USD for an "Apple Display" on top of your $3800 USD MacBook Pro. So $9800 vs $3200-ish. All for "Portability." Plus, this is US Dollars, you are in NZ, so you have to add to the cost. $10,000+ NZD is like buying a used car. You are better off buying a Windows Laptop, 27" screen and converting all your files over.

Yeah, people are so used to integrated video, they don't think twice about hooking up to the old VGA port. You aren't the first to do this. I just forget about it. Please tell me you are using either a HDMI Cable or DisplayPort Cable with the video card? You do not want to use the 15-pin VGA cable. That's analog. You want a High Def / Digital Signal. That Blue VGA Port has been around since 1989, and it's meant for the old-style tube displays, not today's fancy flat-screens.

So you are in the UK. Hmmm...the same rules apply, but I don't have the slightest clue where to link you to. A friend of mine just bought this computer, and the video card is what you want for Photoshop performance. https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali479/p/N82E16883360074 This is the type of PC you are looking for spec-wise.

Yes, but I will warn you...I have expensive tastes. One thing I do not cheap-out on is my external hard drives, since that's where my data resides. I own two G-Drives, a 12TB and a 4TB. The 12TB is where my images are stored, and the 4TB is a dedicated Time Machine Backup Drive, with nothing on it except Time Machine Backups. The cool part is, G-Drives come Mac-Formatted and include all necessary cables. Here is a 6TB Thunderbolt G-Drive. For a bit more, you can get a 10TB Version. I find this to be a better deal as the cost per Gigabyte is less. If you think about it, $350 for 6TB vs $490 for a 10TB. That's only $140 difference for 4TB more. Basically, it's like you are buying two drives. What I would do, is get a G-Drive, and use your Passport as a dedicated Time Machine Drive. Oh, you'd use the Thunderbolt 3 port in your Mac for the G-Drive. Thunderbolt 3.0 is extremely fast and it's almost like working off your internal hard drive.

Replace. Don't bother upgrading. We could replace Hard Drives and upgrade the video card, which would more than likely require upgrading the power supply, not to mention that video cards that are "Good for Photo-Editing" are running around $1500 or so by themselves, due to the global shortage, etc. etc. When we get into it, it's time for a new one because by the time you spend upgrading all sorts of things, you are almost getting into a new computer. Unfortunately, now is the worst time to be in the market for a computer. Between import Tariffs, COVID-19 and the lack of supply for thing like Semiconductors and the individual parts that make up the actual computer parts, drives up the prices. You could keep your Dell U2413 display, which will save you some money. Give this article a read: What is a Good Computer for Photo Editing (short version) What is your budget?

Yeah, that should work, but I’m not sure how much less vibration you are going to get. Damn cheap & thin plastics. They do make a difference.

Wow. Yeah, that's loud. Synology is correct, the HDs are causing the issue. Specifically the spinning platters at a high rate of RPM. What WD Red Drives did you get? How fast is the RPM? The other thing that is causing the issue, is cheap plastic from the Synology. There is nothing to cut down on the vibration of a spinning HD. Man, are they making them incredibly cheap these days, but that's with everything unfortunately. If you are looking for more quiet drive, I'd try a WD Black 7200RPM Drive and see what happens. You might have to return the Synology. Sorry for recommending it, on paper it looks good and I have another Synology Unit, and it's quiet. It's also about 10 years old and they used better plastics back then.

Plus budget for a new calibration device, and that puts it around $5000 NZD. There is your target budget.

I agree. Back up any important data, browsing favorites, e-mails, whatever. Give the HD a format and re-install. If it works, great. If it doesn't and you still can't have it on your lap, "Do Not Pass Go...Do Not Collect $200." I'm serious about Lithium-Ion batteries and them catching on fire. Any doubts, don't push your luck. Have them replaced or buy a new laptop.

Your video card's driver is not playing well with PS, so Photoshop shut off the "Use Graphics Processor" option in the performance settings. Without Video Card Memory, and GPU (The "brain" of the video card) to utilize, tools like Content Aware and Liquidfy won't work, since they use the graphics card in order to work. That's why you are getting the error messages. I would run the Dell Utility to check for Driver Updates. Hopefully we will get lucky and there is some sort of video driver update for your model of computer. Otherwise, we are probably looking at replacing the video card and power supply, and video cards are really tough to come by these days and are quite expensive. The other thing to try is use an older version of PS CC, like PS CC 2019 and see if that works. Oh, the problem with Dell Computers, is the video cards that come with them, are really the "Dell Version" of the video cards, so getting the OEM driver for your particular brand will give you mixed results. It may work, or it may not. Often, Manufacturers "Orphan" their computer models and stop updating drivers after about 3 years or so. In which case, you are put in the position that you are in... ...and now their is COVID-19 to deal with, a shortage of the individual components that make up computer products, combined with the fact that Scalpers are using Bots to buy up limited supply, because Bit Coin Miners need the high-performance video cards to do the mining, which drives up prices... ::: Brian takes a breath ::: Seriously, a normal high-end video card that works well with Photoshop, should be a few hundred or so. Now those cards are being sold at $1500 or more.

Nope. That's one thing that Apple does...is keep their prices relatively the same. Bear in mind, when I configure a computer, I build it with a 7-8 year time-frame in mind. All too often people will buy a less expensive model, only to replace it within 3 years or so. Apple does have their "Refurbished Mac Store," but you are in New Zealand, so I'm not sure how that will work for you. What they have in the store is what they have. It's not like it's a discount store with 100's of the same item. No, this is the twelve 27" iMacs in various configurations that are in stock...oops, someone just bought one, now we have eleven 27" iMacs... My $6000 NZD could be way off. It might end up being cheaper. Head to Apple.com and it should take you to the New Zealand portion of their website. Configure the iMac the way that I did and see how much it will cost you. Start with clicking on "Mac" then iMac (not a iMac Pro,) then click 27" and "Buy." Start with the one in the right column, which should be the most expensive out of the three. Upgrade the CPU Upgrade the Video Card to the middle one (8GB Video RAM) Upgrade the HD to a 1TB SSD Upgrade the Keyboard to the one with the built-in number-pad, it's totally worth the extra $30 or so. Then click "Add to Cart." Add the AppleCare option Then see what the total is and let me know. I'm curious to see how my numbers are and how far off they are.

If I had to buy a brand new iMac right now, this is the configuration that I would get. This is what I consider the "Tricked Out iMac" for Photoshop: The cost is $3229 (US Dollar) before AppleCare, Tax and Shipping. The exchange rate as I type this puts your cost around $4469.99 NZD, and that is before AppleCare, Taxes and any possible Shipping charges. So I'd budget around $6000 NZD or so out your way. You will know this better than I will. Now, if you look, you will see 8GB in the configuration. That is way too small for RAM with today's modern software. You want 32GB or preferably more. Unfortunately, Apple is insaine when it comes to their RAM prices! You could spend $600+ to get 32GB, OR you could upgrade the RAM yourself to 40GB and pay only a few hundred or less! All you need is a 32GB RAM Kit. When it comes time to purchase your new Mac, hit me up for some help. I will get you a configuration that will run extremely well for Photoshop.

Hmm... 16GB of RAM is the minimum these days, and the free capacity of the HD is fine, but the "Super Hot" is what concerns me. Heat is the enemy, and the hotter your laptop runs, the slower it performs. If you are unable to have in on your lap, that is a big problem. The HD could have data corruption, and the CPU is working harder, or you could have a clogged fan and it's not getting rid of the heat fast enough, which is causing a slow down. I have also seen faulty internal batteries, especially Lithium-Ion start to bulge and overheat, basically they can start a fire if you aren't careful. (This is what brings down airplanes.) Honestly? If it's more than 3 years old, I'd suspect something is wrong with the Batteries, or there is another failure of some kind. This is beyond a "I just ran Glary!" type of fix; I'd seriously have it looked at by a local repair shop.

All my prices are US Dollar based. You do not need a Mac Pro for Photoshop. Trust me, you are wasting money if you do.

Video Cards are as bad as the latest Xbox and PlayStation Game Consoles. One does not simply walk into a store or even order one online. "Cue the Lord of the Rings Meme..." Seriously, they are being bought up by bots and then resold for triple of the actual cost. $500+ is a starting point. Some of the higher demand cards these scalpers are asking $1000, $1500 or more! Has Adobe ask you to do this in PS? Head to the Preferences, and set the "Use Graphics Processor Mode" (Advanced Settings Button) Set it to "Basic," click OK and OK...then restart Photoshop.

You didn't read my article, did you? I covered that in the Mac Pro section: So if you are just doing Photoshop work, a tricked out standard 27" iMac will run better than a if you had a Mac Pro. Now if you want to go ahead and blow $10,000+ NZ Dollars, be my guest. It won't do you any good. I would rather you get a standard 27" iMac, upgrade / tweak its configuration, and then take whatever money you would have blown on a Mac Pro and upgrade your lenses or possibly spend your money on education. THAT will make your photos better.

Out of all of those three models, YES...the Asus Vivo is the best choice!

The fun part is, since it's a Dell, you need to get the video driver FROM DELL!! Sure, sometimes the Manufacture's OEM drivers will work, but often you will have mixed results. Of course, Dell likes to orphan their products after a few years, which puts you in a bad position...like where you are now. PS wants updated drivers, but you have a Dell Version of _________ video card, which changes things since they haven't upgraded their driver for the video card that came with your computer for 3 years. Fun times, eh?

NEVER EVER-EVER-EVER-EVER DEFRAG A SSD!!!! YOU. WILL. KILL. IT!!! Seriously, like never-ever. The current versions of Windows 10 won't allow you do defrag a SSD. Besides, defraging doesn't do much in terms of the performance that you are looking for. You have no idea. Hard Drives aren't dumping grounds, and you really never want to go more than 75%-80% full. Once you reach the point where you were at, your HD has a very good possibility of corrupting itself; in which case can put you into the position that you are in. How do you fix it? Format the HD and re-install everything. But before we get into that, how much RAM do you have and how much HD space?

You win the Gold Star from me today!! Congratulations!! I am a HUGE proponent of "Buy it Right-Buy it Once!" I hate-hate-hate wasting money on this sh*t. Remember, your laptop is from the 2013-era, 4K really didn't become a thing until around 2016 or so. So it doesn't surprise me one bit that it only goes up to 2560 x 1600 (or really, 1440) which was the top-of-the-line back in 2013. Now, I wrote a thread for what to configure for when it comes to a iMac. You defintely want to stick to a 27" model. No matter how tempting, DO NOT BUY A 21.5" iMac!!! Here is the article: Quick & Dirty iMac Configurations

OK. Let me clarify. Regular people like myself, do not go out and blow $3000 on a Eizo Display, especially for a 2013 Macbook. Granted, your thinking is on the right track, to not cheap out, but I'd like to keep things more realistic in terms of budget. Of course, depending on where you are geographically located will affect prices. Places like New Zealand, Australia and Canada will cost more...so it is possible your budget could be closer to the $1000 mark. But if you live in the US, $500-$700 is more than enough for something decent. Wow! I just noticed you are in New Zealand!! Yeah...you are going to pay out the arse for a display. That very same display you linked to is around $600 here in the US. OK, now for your laptop. Bad news! 4K is not going to play well on your laptop and external screen. In fact, your laptop NOT will support 4K! From Apple's website for your model: "Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors." You are better off with a standard 27" 2560x1440 and not the UHD stuff. Retina is going to kick external display's butt. Pictures will be fine, but text might be a bit fuzzy. Apple is very good at scaling and sharpness and colors on their displays, but you won't get that same "Look" on an external 3rd party display. So whatever you do end up getting, make sure the return policy is decent and have realistic expectations. I'd recommend a Dell Ultrasharp U2719DX IPS Monitor and be sure to use a HDMI cable. Keep this thread in mind to refer to: Macrumors.com - Fixing External Monitor Scaling and Fuzziness. Some people seem to have minor success, while others seem to really go out of their way to make the external display look good. If you want 4K, you are going to need a new / current MBP. Can I interest you in a 27" iMac? Do you really need a Laptop? I have a feeling you aren't going to be happy long-term. But I'd try that Dell that I recommended first. If you can't get it looking the way you want, start saving for a new Mac.

It's hard to tell from the screenshots on which ones have a IPS based display panel. Can you get me links?