Brian Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Buying a Computer in 2021 It's no secret that 2021 is an extension of the year 2020. We are still dealing with a Global Pandemic, COVID-19, and a Global Shortage of chips that make up components of the various parts of a Desktop / Laptop; really ANY electronic device that you can think of, including Video Game Consoles. Combine that with the fact that the US is still imposing Import Tariffs on various items, especially when it comes to computers and other electronic devices. The majority of people are still working from home if they are able, offices and schools are still closed and the demand for computers is at an all-time-high. Many products are on a 6 month of more back-order, and that's if they are being produced at all. All of these things combined drive up the prices, and I will say it again: IT IS THE WORST TIME TO BE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW COMPUTER! Personally, I've never seen it this bad, and I've been playing with computers since 1981! Sure, personal computers in the early 1980's tended to be a bit more expensive than they are today, but that was because the technology was still very new and it was more of a hobbyist's world. Today in the 21st Century, Home Computers and their Smartphone counterparts are commonplace across the board. They have become ubiquitous as owning a Color TV, a Toaster or Refrigerator. Hell, indoor plumbing for a Bathroom was a "New" thing 120+ years ago! With things the way they are, I personally feel that they won't get "better" until at least 2022, with 2023 (or longer) being an ideal time-frame when things start to level-out. That said, there are configurations and decent computers still out there, albeit you will be spending A LOT more that you are used to. Gone are the day's of getting a computer for $999 that has "Decent" hardware; it may not be the fastest out there, but it gets the job done. No, in 2021...manufacturers are faced with tough decisions. Nobody wants to be the "Bad Guy" and jack-up prices, and they want to keep their COGS low. It's the same reason that you purchase "Almost a Gallon" of Ice Cream, or that Box of Cereal just a tad bit smaller than it was a few short years ago. But I'm starting to digress a little, so let's stay on topic... When it comes to buying a computer in 2021, it can be summed up by one of my wife's famous phrases, Quote You need to have Realistic Expectations... You are NOT going to get a computer between $500-$1000 in 2021 that has the features that are required to run Photoshop well!! You just won't be able to, plain and simple. No matter how much you complain. Manufactures have really cut back on main HD storage, RAM and other components that make up a computer, just to keep the prices to where customers expect them to be. Furthermore, this requires more homework on the part of the consumer and you really have to MAKE SURE ON WHAT YOU ARE BUYING; do not assume that spending $3000 on a computer will guarantee you performance or things like Adobe Photoshop to run well. Those days are over. So what can you do? To sum it up, as I've said in the above paragraph, you need to "...do your homework" and really pay attention to the Technical Details that make up a computer that you are looking to purchase. It's not that hard, you just have to follow a basic formula: BIGGER. BETTER. FASTER. MORE. Any new computer that you are looking at purchasing, whether it's a Desktop or Laptop, will fall into one or more of those 4 main categories. That's it. That's the "Secret" to computers. As long as you understand these four categories, you can pick-out things that are in the technical details. You may not understand WHY I recommend a 1TB Hard Drive for a main drive; rest assured that I have very good reasons behind my recommendations. It is a well known fact that I'm a HUGE proponent of "Buy it Right-Buy it Once," but I also hate-hate-hate WASTING MONEY. When I recommend things, I have a 7 or so year time-frame in mind. Unfortunately, with 2021 and the current prices that are out there, I really need to adjust my way of thinking. Sure, you I can recommend a computer that will last this long, but it will be out of your Comfort-Zone on what you are used to spending. So for right now, we both need to adapt to the current market situation. A computer that you are buying in 2021 will more than likely be "Good enough for now, maybe 18-24 months...tops." The reason is the prices are so high; from what I've seen across the board...both Desktop and Laptop Computers are $800-$1000+ more expensive now than their 2019 equivalents. That's right, that "$499 Special" from a Big Box Store in 2019 is probably being sold for around $1200 or more. It's insane! So what do you do? Well, your budget needs to increase by A LOT!! I'm not saying you can't come across a deal or find a Coupon Code, I encourage you to, I'm saying those things are more of luck these days than commonplace. In the next section, I will be going over both configurations for a Windows Computer, not only to look items that are required to run Photoshop well, but the items that you should AVOID. There are a lot of "Gotchas" these days and if you aren't careful, you can easily WASTE money and just not be satisfied. For Macintosh users, I will create a separate article, or maybe add a section tomorrow...haven't decided. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 Windows Based Computers: What to look for. One of the most common questions that I get in all of my sections in "Ask Brian," is... [Drum-roll pleeze...] Quote "What is a good computer for Photo Editing?" My main Go-To Answer has almost always been the following: Intel i7 (or AMD Ryzen Equivalent) 16GB of RAM 1TB Main Hard Drive A video card that has a dedicated GPU and dedicated Video Memory IPS-Based Display Windows 10 Since we are in the "Windows Based Computer" Section, I included Windows 10 in my list. From a hardware standpoint, the 5 main things really haven't changed in years. In fact, I can remember recommending these same things back in 2016...and that's five years ago. Sure, some things have changed, like the size of those items / components but for the most part they have remained unchanged. They still are my recommendations for 2021. The problem is, THEY ARE NOT TYPICALLY BEING OFFERED BY THE MANUFACTURES in today's models. Why? Because there is a shortage of these parts due to COVID-19 and a extraordinary demand for Desktops / Laptops. This in turn costs the manufacturers MORE to purchase the items that make up a computer, and as I stated in the first part of my article, nobody wants to be the "Bad Guy;" those extra costs have to go somewhere, and that's usually placed on the consumer's wallet. People aren't used to paying more and will often choose a cheaper alternative, if given the chance. This puts the Manufacturers in a difficult scenario. Offer something that will be more affordable, but not meet your needs, OR go ahead and charge more...a lot more, for a computer that will meet your needs. For the average user that is wasting time on Facebook, binging Netflix or falling down a YouTube Rabbit-Hole, answering e-mails, wasting money on crap from Amazon...you don't need that much horsepower from a computer. So you can pretty much buy anything that you can afford. It's when you throw Adobe Photoshop (and Lightroom) into the mix do your needs change. That's the rub...Photographers NEED more from their computers vs folks that just do "General Computing." So we've covered what I always recommend. But the problem with 2021's Computer Configurations is WHAT the manufactures have cut out in order to keep the costs down. Often you will find these things, and ALL OF THESE THINGS YOU NEED TO AVOID in 2021! Intel i5 CPU 8GB RAM 128GB / 256GB Main HD Integrated Video I can hear it now... Quote So what do all of these things mean? What is the difference between RAM and Hard Drive Capacity? Why not a i5? Is a i9 better? Integrated Video? My PC has a video card, how can I tell? Let's start off with the basics. CPU - This stands for Central Processing Unit. It's the "Brain" of your computer. There are different types and brands which usually determines performance on how things work. This is the #1 thing that people tend to grab onto, they know that a i7 is "better" than a i5, likewise an i9 CPU is "better/faster" than a i7. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. You see, software needs to be programmed to take advantage of what makes a higher-end CPU chip so fast. Photoshop is now just taking advantage of what an i7 can offer, and really doesn't utilize a Intel i9 as much as you think it would. Intel i5 CPUs are yesterday's "Affordable" Chips; they were the middle of the road and got the job done. Since the older versions of Photoshop didn't take advantage of a i7 CPU, it didn't make sense to spend the extra money. Well, now in 2021...the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop CC do take advantage of a i7's Architecture. Intel i9? Notsomuch. There is some performance boost, but not enough to spend the extra money on a i9. RAM - This stands for Random Access Memory. This type of memory is what your computer uses to do it's work in. The more you have, the better your computer functions and "Breathes" easier. Hard Drive - This is usually abbreviated to HD and is the long-term storage of your computer. Like RAM, there is no such thing as "Too Much;" the larger the capacity of your HD, the better your programs like it and the more things can be stored on the Hard Drive. A Main Hard Drive is where your Software Programs and Operating System reside. Computers can have multiple Hard Drives, both Internal and External, but we are just going to talk about the Main HD in this article. If you still are confused, I've written yet another article on this subject, titled, "All About Memory - The Difference between Hard Drives & RAM." Please, give it a read. Anyway...if a person purchases a computer with a small main hard drive, they will ultimately run into problems, not only from lack of storage capacity, but from an operational standpoint as well. A full HD is a sad HD. Programs will come to a screeching halt, and generate all sorts of error messages when a HD becomes low on space, especially Adobe Photoshop. With a 256GB (or smaller HD,) that capacity is MICROSCOPIC by today's standards; at those capacities, that HD is meant for the Operating System and one or two programs ONLY, forget about any data files or photos. Unfortunately, with today's modern computers in 2021, a 256GB Main HD is CHEAP, so the manufacturers use them to keep costs low. If they were to put something in more reasonable, like a 1TB drive or even a 500GB Drive, the amount of money that they would charge for the computer would increase...and we can't have that! See how these small "Gotchas" add up? Video Card - This is the device in your computer that is responsible for your Monitor to have the ability to display something. There are TWO KINDS OF VIDEO CARDS: Integrated - This type of Video Card is built into the Motherboard and instead of having a dedicated chip to do Video Compiling (The 1's and 0's that make up a image,) uses the CPU chip to accomplish this task. In addition, this type of Video Card does not have its own memory but instead uses a section of the Computer's RAM in order to function. Non-Integrated - Non-Integrated can be a physical card that resides in a Expansion Slot on a Desktop Computer OR reside as part of the Motherboard, which is typically found in Laptops. The main difference with a Non-Integrated Video Card is that it has its own "Brain" called a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and it's own dedicated memory called "VRAM" or Video RAM. You will typically see this type of memory listed below the RAM, usually in small increments...2GB / 4G / 6GB / 8GB, etc. What trips people up is when you get to the larger capacities, like 8GB of Video RAM; which is a completely different kinds of Memory than RAM. Clear as Mud? Anyway, with today's modern Adobe Photoshop CC and Lightroom, the programmers at Adobe have encoded those software programs to take advantage of this dedicated GPU and Video Memory for a performance boost. Things like Content Aware, Liquify, Warp Tools and various what I call "Fancy Tools," primarily utilize the GPU and Video Memory. If Adobe Photoshop isn't compatible with the video driver or the video card is integrated (uses the CPU & RAM) the performance of Photoshop/Lightroom takes a hit. This is why it is so important that one much choose a PC with dedicated Video GPU. I'm not saying Photoshop will not work if you have Integrated Video, it will...but it works A LOT better if you have Non-Integrated / Dedicated GPU and Video Memory. Make sense? At it's core, Adobe Photoshop hasn't changed a whole lot from CS5 or CS6. The folks that are still running CS5 or CS6, those fancy tools aren't as robust as the current versions are now, so a person who does run these older versions aren't aware of the new Photoshop CC's requirements. They are blissfully unaware until they upgrade to Photoshop CC. That's when problems start and error messages happen. Surprise!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 If you have made it this far, I congratulate you. This is pretty dry material and I can sense the frustration now with people thinking, Quote Brian! I just don't know about computers! I don't get all of these terms! Just tell me what to buy!! Usually, my typical response is, "What is your budget?" Unfortunately, that's not going to work in 2021. Manufactures have really cut their product offerings down to the bare-minimum these days and personally...I would hold off on buying anything Technology-Wise in 2021. Yep, you read that correctly. Keep saving, resist the urge to buy anything and plan on spending money in 2022 or even 2023. Hopefully the shortages will end and prices will even out globally. Quote But Brian! My computer is soooo slow! I need it to run my business, is there ANYTHING out there that is decent? Sure! Just expect to pay A LOT MORE in 2021. As I've stated above, no way around that. What you need to do, now more than ever, is take a look at the Technical Specifications on what you are planning on buying and look at everything. If the manufacture doesn't list a particular item, like a Non-Integrated Video Card, do not assume that is has one. Actually, that's a good point: Do not assume ANYTHING in 2021 with today's Desktops / Laptops. If there is any feature that would be "Good" or cause a demand for that particular model, believe me...they are going to list it and brag about it. It won't be buried in the list. So let's go shopping. Normally, in the past I recommended the Dell XPS line, as they are decent for what they are. Are they Performance Beasts that will run the latest Video Game on the Highest Graphical setting? Probably not. But for the majority of Adobe Photoshop users, they tend to work "fine." Without further ado... First, I went to the Dell XPS Section on their website and picked the two computers on the right side: This is a really good example of what I'm talking about. The computer for $769.99 has a couple of "Gotchas:" Intel i5 CPU - "Meh" in this dept. Only 8GB of RAM - Not enough for today's modern software, you want 16GB at a MINIMUM. Intel® UHD Graphics 730 with shared graphics memory (Meaning it's integrated and won't play well with Photoshop. In fact, this is a pretty low-end card.) The Hard Drive, capacity is fine at 1TB, but it's a traditional spinning hard drive and not a SSD model, which is way more expensive and A LOT faster. "...but can't you upgrade those things? at some point?" Sure! But there is a catch, especially with the video card: You need a Power Supply with enough wattage to support the fancy video cards, and Dell's Power Supplies are proprietary, meaning you can't install a 3rd party one, especially on their lower end models. So while you could increase the RAM and HD, you are kinda stuck with the Video Card and Photoshop complaining about it. So let's spend a little more and choose the $999 model: Intel i5 CPU - "Meh" in this dept. NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 SUPER™ 4GB GDDR6 - See how the Manufacturer point this out? This is a very good thing, it's a non-integrated video card. While certainly not the best, it's WAY better than the $769 counterpart. 16GB of RAM - This is a good thing 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive + 1TB 7200 rpm 3.5" SATA Hard Drive - OK, this is going to get it's own paragraph, which will be covered next. I see this all the time, a manufacture will install a small / Microscopic SSD or M.2 Drive and include a 2nd Hard Drive for storage of files. While in practice, this sounds like a compromise: You get the benefit of 15 Second Boot Times and a faster overall experience, and the ablity to store stuff on the 2nd drive. Sounds like a win, doesn't it? Well, yes and no. Sure it "Works," but you really need to by HYPER-ANAL on what is installed on that M.2 / SSD Drive. Since it's only 256GB, when you install programs or copy files, you need to choose the 2nd hard drive. You simply can no longer click "NextNextNext...OK...Next-Next...Finish." You will need to choose a "Custom install" and specify that the software be installed on the larger HD. Basically all files and programs really need to be on the 2nd HD and that will take more mental effort on your part. Sure, you can install one or two programs on the main / small M.2 drive, but that's it. Believe me, I have enough trouble with people having problems with 256GB Drives and Photoshop having issues. Now we throw two Hard Drives into the mix, and we are asking for trouble. So this is a "Gotcha" model, even though there are some good points with this model. Quote "So how about something good to compare with?" I'm so glad you asked. A friend of mine just purchased this PC before it was sold out and it's a perfect model for not only Adobe Photoshop / Lightroom, it also can be used for gaming:ABS Gladiator Gaming PC - $1799.99 Here are the highlights: i7 CPU - Check NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB - Non-integraded and one of the best video cards on the market. Photoshop CC LOVES this card! - So BIG CHECK! 16GB RAM - Check 1TB M.2 Drive - Check Windows 10 This particular computer checks all of the boxes! All we need is to pick a IPS-based display, and we have all the things needed for a "Good Computer for Photo Editing." Here is another computer line that is "Good for Photo Editing." The Lynx line by Digital Storm. Here are the four different main models: As you can see, those prices are a bit higher, but ANY of those computers would be "Good for Photo Editing." The only thing I would change is to click 'CUSTOMIZE' and UPGRADE the Main Hard Drive (It's listed as Storage Set #1) to a 1x SSD M.2 (1TB Samsung 970 EVO PLUS) (NVM Express). It only adds about $142 to the cost and is totally worth it. All of the other components are fine and they check the "boxes." For this example, I picked the Intel based one, and the final cost $2252, plus shipping and tax. To give you an example of how much the prices have increased, this same model was $1599 in 2019. It's still "reasonable," but expensive none-the-less and has WAY more horsepower than that $999 Dell with the "Gotchas." Make sense? This is what you need to do when buying a Windows Computer in 2021. Edit: If I were to fork out money for one of Lynx computers, I'd pick the one on the right for $2744 and upgrade the HD and Windows to Windows 10 Pro. That will set me back $2915. Man...$3000 for a Windows Computer! That's a cost of a Macintosh! I'd never thought I'd see the day! 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Brian Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 Quote I need it to run my business, I'm not comfortable with buying 3rd party and want tech support with a warranty. Is there ANYTHING out there that is decent? Now that I think of it, yes...and it's the next step up from the Dell XPS line, the Dell XPS Special Edition. They cost a little more, but usually come with better components under the hood and have traditional tech support and warranties. That said, you really have to pay attention, often you must PAY for these type of things. So let's get into it... I went to the Dell XPS Special Edition on their website and found the following: Looking at the specs, we can clearly remove the two models from the columns on the left as I do not like their Hard Drive Configuration and the one on the left only comes with 8GB of RAM. Plus the video card, while it has its own GPU and Memory, it's a lower end card at this point. So we will begin by comparing the $2099 and $2649 Models: Either one of these systems will work well with Adobe Photoshop. They check all of my boxes and there is one main difference between the two of them: The Video Card. The one for $2649.99 has a more powerful and robust video card than the other. NVIDIA video card's drivers seem to play well with Photoshop, but as I've said before...either will work. Since I like NVIDIA's products and it's a more powerful card, which is required for Video Games as well as Photoshop, I will pick the $2649.99 model and take a look at what I'm getting. Remember, NEVER ASSUME anything before clicking "Buy." Scrolling down the options, I discover that better components that are offered, for a slight price increase. So let's configure it as I would if I were buying it. CPU: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900 processor (8-Core, 16M Cache, 2.5GHz to 5.2GHz) - This is the default option and is "fine" for Photoshop needs. I'm not into many video games and the ones that I do play, aren't that intensive. So we can skip upgrading this feature and put that $100 up-charge to something else. Graphics Card: I see that the NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3070™ 8GB GDDR6 is offered for a $200 up-charge. This card is my current favorite on the market and the one that I would by buying. It works BEAUTIFULLY with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Video Games also run well. Hands down in 2021, this Video Card is the "Best Bang for your Buck" model. In fact, these cards are in such high-demand that they retail for $1500 or more all by themselves. Optical Drive: This is worth upgrading if you still offer DVDs or Blu-Ray Discs to clients. It's only $50 more to upgrade to a Blu-Ray Drive, so I will add this too. Now we get into the RAM and Hard Drive Configurations. Believe it or not, both of these items are fine with this model, so we will leave them alone. OK, we have the bulk of the computer configured and we have moved onto the "Warranty" Section. Dell now includes basic Hardware Support, but if you want more, like the phone support that you are used to getting, guess what? You will have to pay extra for it!! As of the time of this writing, this is the current default warranty offerings: So if you aren't the Tech-Savvy Type and want someone to call, you will need to pony up the $$$ for this to happen. Between the two, the Premium Support is the one to get. I don't care how much a manufacture advertises about "Accidental" Coverage, whether you spill, drop something or have a power-surge, they always seem to find a way to get around things. Personally, I try to take care of my stuff even while on the road, so for me, "Premium Support" is fine and is worth the small up-charge. For this example, I will pick the 2-Year Premium Support which is $199 extra. As of right now, the cost is $3,098.99! Since I'm more of a Power User and do "Stuff" with my computer in the world of IT, for me...I'm upgrading to Windows 10 Pro. This adds another $95 to the cost and we haven't figured out Shipping and Tax yet. I see they have "Free Shipping" but I'm also wondering what other options they have. Free Shipping isn't always the best choice, especially if using the US Postal Service and if I'm spending over $3000, I want a tracking number that provides real-time updates, or at least something more than "We picked up your package..." "We delivered your package." KWIM? I want to see what Airport it's at, what distribution facility and where it is on the truck in my neighborhood. "Porch Pirates" are a very real nuisance in today's world and I want to be aware of WHERE my $3000+ computer is! To recap, this would be the computer that I would personally purchase in 2021 that is "Good for Photo Editing" That's right folks, $3200 for a Dell Computer. That's the cost of a Macintosh Computer! For a stinkin' Dell!! Welcome to 2021's pricing! A year and a half ago, this same PC would be closer to $2000. Again, there is still tax and shipping on that price, so the final outcome will probably be closer to $3400 or so. Now do you understand why I'm not recommending purchasing anything in 2021? We are paying more...A LOT MORE, than we should. I seriously recommend just dealing with what you have and keep saving. Sooner or later things will level out. But as you can see, there is no getting around today's high prices for something "Decent." 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 Quote Have a question or concern? Please post a new question in one of the Main Hardware Forums in "Ask Brian." Buy Brian a Beer!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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