Is this laptop any good?

[KateMac]

Hey Brian!

https://www.hp.com/au-en/shop/laptops-tablets/laptop-gaming/omen-by-hp-laptop-16-c0179ax-5s2m0pa.html

im new to photography and starting with buying a laptop to learn how to edit before I buy a fancy camera. 
Is this laptop any good? 
I read the guidelines and from what I could see it hit all the things you should look for. 
 

thanks!!

[Brian]

No. Missed the mark on a few items. 

Main HD is too small. 

Display is not IPS-based, so you will need to budget for an external display and a calibration device that will calibrate both your laptop and external display  

IPS Displays are a Pain in the Ass to find on a laptop, so it will take some searching. I’d also increase your budget . $2400 is probably a better starting point  

 

[Damien Symonds]

If you dig down that page, it does actually say IPS.

[KateMac]

Yeh I saw that is said IPS down the page. 
So I’m looking for a laptop with 1Tb or more for main hard drive?

appreciate the help  
 

[Brian]

On 7/28/2022 at 2:42 AM, KateMac said:

So I’m looking for a laptop with 1Tb or more for main hard drive?

Yes.

The reason is, you do not have the full 500GB (or whatever) to use. Some will be lost during formatting / partitioning. Why? Because Microsoft says 1024MB is 1GB and the HD Manufacturers say 1000MB is 1GB. Or 1024GB is 1TB / 1000GB is 1TB, pick your poison. Then there is the chunk taken up by Windows. Then the 7GB that's reserved just for Windows Updates. Not to mention all the Bloatware that the Manufacturers install, and HP computers have a lot of it.

There is a method to my madness. A 250GB - 500GB HD is meant for General Computing, not Photoshop work. If you get a HD that small, I guarantee you within a short time, you'll be posting in here asking why Photoshop is complaining about the Scratch Disk, etc. Since practically all laptops these days are "Sealed Units," upgrading / replacing the HD isn't as straightforward as it once was. Way back when, you could create a set of bootable media, and had an access panel on the bottom, so it was easy to swap out the HD. Manufacturers want you in the market sooner rather than later, so the old way of thinking doesn't apply.

Sorry about the IPS thing. I've been traveling and have been mostly on my phone this past week. If you can get that laptop with a larger HD, do so.

 

[KateMac]

Thankyou so much for taking the time to help me with this. 
back to the drawing board 😊

Edited August 1, 2022 by KateMac

[KateMac]

On 8/2/2022 at 4:22 AM, Brian said:

Yes.

The reason is, you do not have the full 500GB (or whatever) to use. Some will be lost during formatting / partitioning. Why? Because Microsoft says 1024MB is 1GB and the HD Manufacturers say 1000MB is 1GB. Or 1024GB is 1TB / 1000GB is 1TB, pick your poison. Then there is the chunk taken up by Windows. Then the 7GB that's reserved just for Windows Updates. Not to mention all the Bloatware that the Manufacturers install, and HP computers have a lot of it.

There is a method to my madness. A 250GB - 500GB HD is meant for General Computing, not Photoshop work. If you get a HD that small, I guarantee you within a short time, you'll be posting in here asking why Photoshop is complaining about the Scratch Disk, etc. Since practically all laptops these days are "Sealed Units," upgrading / replacing the HD isn't as straightforward as it once was. Way back when, you could create a set of bootable media, and had an access panel on the bottom, so it was easy to swap out the HD. Manufacturers want you in the market sooner rather than later, so the old way of thinking doesn't apply.

Sorry about the IPS thing. I've been traveling and have been mostly on my phone this past week. If you can get that laptop with a larger HD, do so.

 

How does this look?

Decided to go a desktop. 
it has ips but doesn’t say that I could find on the website, had yo google & find it on a different site. 
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/lenovo-yoga-aio-7-27-inch-r7-5800h-32gb-1tb-ssd-2tb-hdd-rx-6600m-8gb-all-in-one-desktop.html

 

thanks 

[Brian]

Personally, I would avoid all-in-one computers. For the same reason that I advise against getting a laptop. I know it sounds convenient and easy, but find something else. 

[KateMac]

On 8/9/2022 at 4:13 AM, Brian said:

Personally, I would avoid all-in-one computers. For the same reason that I advise against getting a laptop. I know it sounds convenient and easy, but find something else. 

https://www.jw.com.au/hp-z1-g8-tower-cto-desktop-pc-i7-11700-32gb-ram-512gb-ssd-1tb-hdd-nvidia-quadro-t1000-8gb-windows-10-pro?gclid=CjwKCAjwi8iXBhBeEiwAKbUofSbBkYPwbB5Ele7ANBGrbWDLWzS63MDsRscmaOSo94hJ6aG1JdxHURoC_ewQAvD_BwE
how does this look? 😂 I’ll get there eventually 

[Brian]

Nope. The video card is under-powered. You really want a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080.

Again, it sucks to be in the market for a new computer. It's even worse since you seem to live in OZ. Your budget should be around A$ 4000. I'd recommend this one:

https://www.dell.com/en-au/work/shop/desktops-workstations-all-in-ones/xps-desktop/spd/xps-8950-desktop/smhdx89508400au?view=configurations

[KateMac]

3 hours ago, Brian said:

Nope. The video card is under-powered. You really want a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080.

Again, it sucks to be in the market for a new computer. It's even worse since you seem to live in OZ. Your budget should be around A$ 4000. I'd recommend this one:

https://www.dell.com/en-au/work/shop/desktops-workstations-all-in-ones/xps-desktop/spd/xps-8950-desktop/smhdx89508400au?view=configurations

Amazing! Thankyou Brian. 
yep I’m in Aus. 
I’ll grab that one for sure. Sick of looking 😂
while you’re at it I’d love a monitor recommendation if you have the time.

 

very appreciated 

[Brian]

Really...my default search is for a Dell Ultrasharp IPS 27" Display that is 2560 x 1440 Resolution. If it has a Matte Coating or isn't Glossy, even better. That's all I do, is head to Amazon, and search "Dell IPS Ultrasharp 27" Display."

That's it. That's the "Magic" that I do.

Really-Really.

I'm looking for IPS, either a HDMI or DisplayPort, Matte Coating or 3M Coating, basically a non-glossy screen. 4K is really over-rated and chances are you are just going to enlarge the display area anyway, just because 4K in a 27" screen makes everything so tiny.