I'm looking to build a solid photo editing PC for my wife, who is a photographer based in the US. She frequently uses Photoshop and Lightroom simultaneously, and occasionally does some video editing too. I've set a budget of around $2,000 and don't necessarily need the highest-end components—just something reliable that won't slow her down while editing.
Here's the build I've assembled:
- **CPU**: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 265K Processor (8X 3.90GHz + 12X 3.30GHz/30MB L3 Cache)
- **Cooling**: iBUYPOWER AW4 360mm ARGB Liquid Cooler - Black
- **RAM**: 32 GB [16 GB X2] DDR5-6000MHz
- **GPU**: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti - 16GB GDDR7 (DLSS 4.5 Performance)
- **Motherboard**: MSI PRO Z890-S - WiFi 7, ARGB Header (3), USB Rear Ports (2 Type-C, 6 Type-A), M.2 Slot (3)
- **Power Supply**: 750 Watt - High Power - 80 PLUS Gold, PCIe GEN 5, Non Modular
- **Primary Storage**: 1TB Lexar NQ7A1 M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD -- Gen 4 Read: 6000MB/s; Write: 5000MB/s
Do you think this setup is suitable for her needs, or is there something I should change? I'm considering downgrading the graphics card in favor of a better CPU—what do you think?
2 Answers
If it’s primarily for photo and video work, you might want to consider a Mac setup, like a Mac Mini. Apple's M processors handle the Adobe suite really well, and you’d avoid the hassle of constant updates and troubleshooting that comes with Windows PCs. Plus, for graphics work, the interface on a Mac can be a game-changer. You’ll also save the headache of driver issues too.
Honestly, DLSS isn’t really necessary for photo editing; it's more geared towards gaming. What might work better is focusing on a good monitor with great color accuracy and investing in fast storage options. You could likely get away with 16GB of RAM, but 32GB would definitely provide a smoother experience. I’d suggest using about half of your budget on a high-quality monitor and then the rest on a solid mid-range PC.
Switching to a Mac isn’t really an option for her right now, though. We’ve always used Windows.