Graphic designers and Video editors need a particular set of requirements when it comes to computers. If you have decided to resist the lure of Apple’s seemingly irresistible marketing and go with a PC – congratulations! You will get the the same or superior hardware at the same or less than cost of the equivalent Apple Computer!
Out of the box solutions will not meet your needs if you are a graphic designer!
If you are using the creative industry specific Adobe software such as Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign then you will benefit from having a chat to us about your computing needs. Adobe do have recommendations for the minimum level of spec a computer should have when trying to run their programs – and we are well aware of these.You will become quiet frustrated with a branded out-of-the-box HP/Acer/Samsung etc. system from Harvey Norman or Joyce Mayne, which typically results in you not getting the type of hardware that you really need.
Every persons needs are a little bit different. Maybe you use multipule prgrams at one switching between Photoshop and Dreamweaver or do you dabble in a bit of video editing? Perhaps it’s not all hard work and you are a gamer in the evenings? Our great team at Maleny Computers can put together a system that does the job.
“How would you techies know what a designer needs?”
Take that back! We also have a digital marketing division (head on over to Ignite Digital Marketing to check it out!) and so of course our design girls had to have the best. Not only are they impatient and hate waiting for 15MB files to save, but because they know that time means money. Sitting and waiting for the computer to process large files is a waste of time and is incredibly unproductive. If you ever want to see the machines in action, or request a demo… feel free to drop into Maleny Computers.
“Do I really need an i7 and a massive video card…won’t this cost me a fortune?”
It really depends on the type of work you are doing, for example, If you are doing photo editing, website design, print or stationary design (small and large format) – it is very likely that you wont need a graphics card. You will however need a decent processor (i5 or above), a good quality motherboard and most importantly – a fast hard drive, solid state hard drives have a huge impact on the speed of your file saving/file opening and generally everything you do!
If you want to run more than 2 screens then you will benefit from a good graphics card. Some will let you run up to 6 monitors from the 1 card. They can be treated as ‘extended displays’ or as 1 monitor (also known as eyefinity). We have a 3 screen system on display at our office if you want to check it out in person!
If you are into video editing, or rendering then this is where having the RIGHT video card will make the difference. But that video card needs to correctly match your motherboard, processor, memory and of course power supply (being under powered will cause you issues).
So how much should I budget for a Custom built Graphic Designers Computer?
Well if this is your main source of income and this machine is going to be used daily then we would recommend spending as much as you can afford. The quicker and more responsive your computer is – the more efficient you are going to be. If you allow from $800 you will get something pretty decent. As mentioned above though – it depends on the exact nature of your activities so call or email us today and get a quote or even just a second opinion!