Recommend me a good PC & monitor, ideal for photography

Zephyr

Zephyr

Suspended / Banned
Messages
373
Name
Graeme
Edit My Images
No
Hi

Recently my laptop of 5 yrs died, looks like the motherboard has died. So, I am in the market for a new machine - there are things i would like to know since I've never really invested in a proper photography dedicated machine, i just had a laptop which i personally thought was pretty decent for photoediting and going about my everyday business. I am wondering:

What do I look for in a machine for processing photos,

And especially, what do I look for in terms of monitor - ignoring the buzzwords that mean nothing and just there to market a product. I keep seeing IPS panels mentioned, OK, is this tech still current, or is there something better? I want something that will last me a good while, 5 or so+ years, but equally i don't wish to break the bank.

I understand you don't need to pay a great sum for a decent PC & Monitor these days with the advancements becoming more incremental and not so much revolutionary.

So, anyone got any suggestions for me and things to look out for? Even suggestions of machine and monitors would be great

Many thanks, and really appreciate your help and time!

Graeme
 
Hi Graeme,

Have a look at these threads re monitor suggestions:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/recommend-me-a-monitor-for-processing.538857/#post-6222836
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/th...e-for-photography-gaming.517215/#post-5983942
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/th...but-not-sure-what-to-get.518975/#post-5967683

The Dell IPS one are good and do not forget to factor in the cost of a decent calibrator. With regards to a PC, what is your budget and what apps do you use? This will help people with suggestions.
 
sep9001 said:
Hi Graeme,

Have a look at these threads re monitor suggestions:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/recommend-me-a-monitor-for-processing.538857/#post-6222836
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/th...e-for-photography-gaming.517215/#post-5983942
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/th...but-not-sure-what-to-get.518975/#post-5967683

The Dell IPS one are good and do not forget to factor in the cost of a decent calibrator. With regards to a PC, what is your budget and what apps do you use? This will help people with suggestions.
Click to expand...
Thank you, i will have a good read up! How much is a decent calibrator?
I guess around £1000, but if i can keep the cost down then that would be preferred - Lightroom & Photoshop are the two apps i use, i don't game or anything like that, so if i can get something that can easily process my RAW files and such, i will be happy, basically what i'm saying is, if i don't need something powerful to run these particularly and it can save me a few hundred then so be it :), photography is my main reason for using it & surfing the web. I would like a good quality monitor but don't think you need to break the bank for one as you did a few years back, is this right?
 
Basic Screen Calibrators are between £80 - £130. With regards to the system a i5 system should do fine. Are you going to build it yourself or you need a built system. If you need a built system have a look at https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/ website to see what your money will get you.
 
sep9001 said:
Basic Screen Calibrators are between £80 - £130. With regards to the system a i5 system should do fine. Are you going to build it yourself or you need a built system. If you need a built system have a look at https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/ website to see what your money will get you.
Click to expand...
I was kind of hoping i could just find a decent PC on ebuyer or amazon that someone could recommend - is the pcspecialist place the best value for money of what i could buy by building using their tool?

I checked out the monitor threads and now feel more confused than before, so looks like IPS is still the technology i should be looking for in a monitor but eg a 10bit monitor is better than an 8bit etc ?
 
Sorry note sure what you could from either. You will get a better pc when you decide on the parts to use.

If I had a choice I would go for i5 pc with 16gb RAM, ssd for boot drive and 2 additional hd for data + backup. You will also have a to factor in a keyboard and mouse.

With regards to the monitor what size are you after, is the 24" and good?
 
Zephyr said:
I was kind of hoping i could just find a decent PC on ebuyer or amazon that someone could recommend - is the pcspecialist place the best value for money of what i could buy by building using their tool?

I checked out the monitor threads and now feel more confused than before, so looks like IPS is still the technology i should be looking for in a monitor but eg a 10bit monitor is better than an 8bit etc ?
Click to expand...

Chillblast make great preconfigured pc's.
 
with that gear in the bag it must be some form of apple :) MBP retina + nice 27" screen is a great combo. mini + 27" is a cheap stationary version of the same. 32" 4K IPS screen is obviously a lot better for editing, but as very new tech they are still terribly expensive.
 
daugirdas said:
with that gear in the bag it must be some form of apple :) MBP retina + nice 27" screen is a great combo. mini + 27" is a cheap stationary version of the same. 32" 4K IPS screen is obviously a lot better for editing, but as very new tech they are still terribly expensive.
Click to expand...

Must be? hmmmm...
 
OK so let's refine this ...

I want to know, what solutions would be the best if i were to go
sep9001 said:
Sorry note sure what you could from either. You will get a better pc when you decide on the parts to use.

If I had a choice I would go for i5 pc with 16gb RAM, ssd for boot drive and 2 additional hd for data + backup. You will also have a to factor in a keyboard and mouse.

With regards to the monitor what size are you after, is the 24" and good?
Click to expand...
24" is a good size imo :)

the pc route
I get the impression from the other thread that the Dell UltraSharp U2413 monitor is good, and whatever i get the X-Rite i1Display Pro is exactly what I'm going to need - is it possible to calibrate any monitor with it, and would i need this if i bought a mac ? or do they come out of the box preconfigured?
can someone suggest a PC? or anyone know of any other monitors they would recommend? I note the threads are 2013 so there is probably newer kit out now
Is as Gary suggests an all in one solution for PC? and are either the Dell XPS 2710 or 2720 decent?

&
daugirdas said:
with that gear in the bag it must be some form of apple :) MBP retina + nice 27" screen is a great combo. mini + 27" is a cheap stationary version of the same. 32" 4K IPS screen is obviously a lot better for editing, but as very new tech they are still terribly expensive.
Click to expand...
the mac route

So, for the Mac, I'd rather not have something portable after my laptop died, i'd definitely prefer something static so a desktop / the like, as i feel they're more built to last (though i imagine being apple they probably are, anyway)
I'd probably be wanting (going by your post) a 27" all-in-one iMac - are there any features which i should specifically look at upgrading asides from the default options you can buy it as? I must admit I AM tempted.

Phal said:
Must be? hmmmm...
Click to expand...
Suggest something otherwise then? :p
Thanks all :)
 
Last edited:
Whatever you get make sure it has 16GB of RAM and an SSD for the operating system and apps.
 
I own the XPS 2710 with 3rd Gen i7 processor, 32 GB SSD and 2 x 2tb drives with 16GB Ram, its bloody superb Graeme, screen is amazing out of the box, dont worry about calibration, its done in the factory, i can stitch 20-30 massive files with no issues or slow downs, the 2710 can be picked up for £6-700 now and the 4th gen i7 2720 is very reasonable as well

As for the 27" iMac, bear in mind that all Macs are now intel based machines, exactly the same innards as any PC, you will pay nearly double for the equivilant iMac 27" compared to the XPS 2720 27", on a Hardware only basis apples are seriously over priced, the OS is though a different ball game, you either love it or hate it.
 
Last edited:
twist said:
Whatever you get make sure it has 16GB of RAM and an SSD for the operating system and apps.
Click to expand...
Well i'll definitely need a 64 bit OS to utilise the 16gb ram, i've always had 32 before as i've never gone past 4
as for SSDs, I've never had a harddrive fail and i backup on multiples so could probably live without

Gary Coyle said:
I own the XPS 2710 with 3rd Gen i7 processor, 32 GB SSD and 2 x 2tb drives with 16GB Ram, its bloody superb Graeme, screen is amazing out of the box, dont worry about calibration, its done in the factory, i can stitch 20-30 massive files with no issues or slow downs, the 2710 can be picked up for £6-700 now and the 4th gen i7 2720 is very reasonable as well

As for the 27" iMac, bear in mind that all Macs are now intel based machines, exactly the same innards as any PC, you will pay nearly double for the equivilant iMac 27" compared to the XPS 2720 27", on a Hardware only basis apples are seriously over priced, the OS is though a different ball game, you either love it or hate it.
Click to expand...
Where can you pick one up for the price you stated, then? The one you linked me to was a grand. I checked dell's website and they're out of stock.

What do you other people use? :) anyone else got suggestions?
 
Last edited:
sep9001 said:
Basic Screen Calibrators are between £80 - £130. With regards to the system a i5 system should do fine. Are you going to build it yourself or you need a built system. If you need a built system have a look at https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/ website to see what your money will get you.
Click to expand...
+1 for pcspecialist too - my pc is coming up to 2 years old now, for £700 quid i got a 64bit amd 3.2HGZ 6-core with 16GB RAM, nice graphics card too so good for playing the occasional game when i have the time. Will be going back to them for a new build at some point.
 
Zephyr said:
Well i'll definitely need a 64 bit OS to utilise the 16gb ram, i've always had 32 before as i've never gone past 4
as for SSDs, I've never had a harddrive fail and i backup on multiples so could probably live without
Click to expand...

You're missing the point of SSD, its the speed not the reliability.
 
Zephyr said:
So, for the Mac, I'd rather not have something portable after my laptop died, i'd definitely prefer something static so a desktop / the like, as i feel they're more built to last (though i imagine being apple they probably are, anyway)
I'd probably be wanting (going by your post) a 27" all-in-one iMac - are there any features which i should specifically look at upgrading asides from the default options you can buy it as? I must admit I AM tempted.
Click to expand...
watch that you can work on a glossy display, some hate it and glare can be a nightmare
 
This Chillblast 'photographers' PC has a good rep, £1100 - http://www.chillblast.com/Chillblast-Fusion-Photo-OC-Lite.html I used one briefly yesterday, seemed mega-quick and also quiet.

I have a couple of Dell 23in IPS monitors, very pleased with them, though buying today I would get the 24in version - fractionally larger and the aspect ratio is a bit better for viewing upright images.
 
daugirdas said:
with that gear in the bag it must be some form of apple :) MBP retina + nice 27" screen is a great combo. mini + 27" is a cheap stationary version of the same. 32" 4K IPS screen is obviously a lot better for editing, but as very new tech they are still terribly expensive.
Click to expand...

Why? Honestly I don't get this why must it...if your going to make such a sweeping statement at least try and back up or risk being know as just a brainwashed apple fanboy...
 
HoppyUK said:
This Chillblast 'photographers' PC has a good rep, £1100 - http://www.chillblast.com/Chillblast-Fusion-Photo-OC-Lite.html I used one briefly yesterday, seemed mega-quick and also quiet.

I have a couple of Dell 23in IPS monitors, very pleased with them, though buying today I would get the 24in version - fractionally larger and the aspect ratio is a bit better for viewing upright images.
Click to expand...

Got to say that's a pretty nice out the box option, I know it's not out the box al a Dell but still nice...got to say having built (had built) my own machine last year the reliability and performance has been wonderful, especially over the standard consumer machines, my computer hasn't missed a beat since its first power up :thumbs:
 
MWHCVT said:
Why? Honestly I don't get this why must it...if your going to make such a sweeping statement at least try and back up or risk being know as just a brainwashed apple fanboy...
Click to expand...
unfortunately its par for the course with him. youll never hear anything other than "get a mac" "windows is rubbish" without any real substance.
 
HoppyUK said:
This Chillblast 'photographers' PC has a good rep, £1100 - http://www.chillblast.com/Chillblast-Fusion-Photo-OC-Lite.html I used one briefly yesterday, seemed mega-quick and also quiet.

I have a couple of Dell 23in IPS monitors, very pleased with them, though buying today I would get the 24in version - fractionally larger and the aspect ratio is a bit better for viewing upright images.
Click to expand...
That sounds awesome and very tempting - i'm guessing this would last me many years? i always get a bit wary when people overclock processors, does it reduce the life of it ? what disadvantages are there to it ?

I would also need to work out a good monitor then, which 24" are you referring to?

MWHCVT said:
Got to say that's a pretty nice out the box option, I know it's not out the box al a Dell but still nice...got to say having built (had built) my own machine last year the reliability and performance has been wonderful, especially over the standard consumer machines, my computer hasn't missed a beat since its first power up (y)
Click to expand...
Good value for money would you say? I would only need a monitor then!
 
Zephyr said:
That sounds awesome and very tempting - i'm guessing this would last me many years? i always get a bit wary when people overclock processors, does it reduce the life of it ? what disadvantages are there to it ?
Click to expand...

Overclocking isn't bad, if its got components it will be fine, chillblast have been around ages building quality systems (why I recommended them initially) so they know how to clock a pc safely. That will certainly last a long time.
 
Last edited:
neil_g said:
unfortunately its par for the course with him. youll never hear anything other than "get a mac" "windows is rubbish" without any real substance.
Click to expand...

Indeed...I also remember someone asking about a decent travel/holiday camera and them being told they needed a 1DX :wacky:

I don't mine people believing in a system but seriously be so fanatical is crazy, the same about the people who are the same about windows
 
Last edited:
Got to agree with the benefits of SSD, every one I speak to who upgrades to SSD is surprised at the speed increase.
 
Zephyr said:
That sounds awesome and very tempting - i'm guessing this would last me many years? i always get a bit wary when people overclock processors, does it reduce the life of it ? what disadvantages are there to it ?

I would also need to work out a good monitor then, which 24" are you referring to?


Good value for money would you say? I would only need a monitor then!
Click to expand...

Personally I'd say it was :thumbs: though I'd qualify that by saying there are people already in this thread far better positioned to say it is than me :thumbs:
 
MWHCVT said:
Indeed...I also remember someone asking about a decent travel/holiday camera and them being told they needed a 1DX :wacky:

I don't mine people believing in a system but seriously be so fantastical is crazy, the same about the people who are the same about windows
Click to expand...

1DX and a nice set of telephoto primes is perfect for hols. :D
 
Zephyr said:
That sounds awesome and very tempting - i'm guessing this would last me many years? i always get a bit wary when people overclock processors, does it reduce the life of it ? what disadvantages are there to it ?

I would also need to work out a good monitor then, which 24" are you referring to?


Good value for money would you say? I would only need a monitor then!
Click to expand...

I think it might be this one - Dell U2412M £197 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultrasharp-...mputers_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0QCKZZ1CKCN5MMCXMPC6 but check the exact model number with David/PH's posts on this.
 
Check out a barbones bundle from Novatech. All you have to buy after the bundle is graphics card, hard drive and optical drive. Also monitor, keyboard and mouse. I built my PC through Novatech a few months back but I went for an i7 motherboard bundle.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/barebonebundles/intel/
 
Last edited:
neil_g said:
unfortunately its par for the course with him. youll never hear anything other than "get a mac" "windows is rubbish" without any real substance.
Click to expand...

suggest something nice and well made and get a slap in return. Sweet. In return for your windows is rubbish, the hardware is usually a lot more so. It just doesn't create a nice unity, even if individual components are very powerful. Fat laptops, rubbish screens, cheap plastic, huge power hungry stationary boxes - at least something to ruin the experience. Surface 3 pro (i7) is the first actually nice windows device, sadly more expensive than most MBPs and still lacks reasonable number of ports... Twist and turn as you like.

P.S. I never suggested 1DX was PERFECT holiday cam. There is Hasselblad outfit for that. :)
 
twist said:
Overclocking isn't bad, if its got components it will be fine, chillblast have been around ages building quality systems (why I recommended them initially) so they know how to clock a pc safely. That will certainly last a long time.
Click to expand...
Brilliant, okay :)

nog said:
Got to agree with the benefits of SSD, every one I speak to who upgrades to SSD is surprised at the speed increase.
Click to expand...
SSD noted :)

HoppyUK said:
I think it might be this one - Dell U2412M £197 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultrasharp-...mputers_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0QCKZZ1CKCN5MMCXMPC6 but check the exact model number with David/PH's posts on this.
Click to expand...
Surprised by the incredibly good price on this - can someone vouch for this monitor here?

CaveDweller said:
Check out a barbones bundle from Novatech. All you have to buy after the bundle is graphics card, hard drive and optical drive. Also monitor, keyboard and mouse. I built my PC through Novatech a few months back but I went for an i7 motherboard bundle.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/barebonebundles/intel/
Click to expand...
I don't like having the options, and i mean, is that easy to install? my only experience of hardware has literally been well, dismantling my laptop and trying to do the dc jack replacement which i tried and it failed, though i did remove the harddrive by just lifting it out - would it be that simple with these components?

daugirdas said:
suggest something nice and well made and get a slap in return. Sweet. In return for your windows is rubbish, the hardware is usually a lot more so. It just doesn't create a nice unity, even if individual components are very powerful. Fat laptops, rubbish screens, cheap plastic, huge power hungry stationary boxes - at least something to ruin the experience. Surface 3 pro (i7) is the first actually nice windows device, sadly more expensive than most MBPs and still lacks reasonable number of ports... Twist and turn as you like.

P.S. I never suggested 1DX was PERFECT holiday cam. There is Hasselblad outfit for that. :)
Click to expand...
Hasselblad ;) haha, boy what a holiday camera that would be too :D

Did you check on that dell AIO above? It looked pretty good in comparison to an MPB side by side and for price. I am a bit iffy about the mix and match aspect also, but some of those companies above do have glowing reviews from punters.

I know macs are great, but i think for what you can get with a PC these days, there isn't a lot of difference in it (as someone pointed out to me above), and you're free to choose your monitor as you wish as well for non-AIO models.

Despite all of the above shown, would you still get an iMAC or MBP, daugirdas? Is that your setup, personally?

Thanks all for your insightful replies so far!
 
Zephyr said:
Did you check on that dell AIO above? It looked pretty good in comparison to an MPB side by side and for price. I am a bit iffy about the mix and match aspect also, but some of those companies above do have glowing reviews from punters.

I know macs are great, but i think for what you can get with a PC these days, there isn't a lot of difference in it (as someone pointed out to me above), and you're free to choose your monitor as you wish as well for non-AIO models.

Despite all of the above shown, would you still get an iMAC or MBP, daugirdas? Is that your setup, personally?
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with dell screens (I have 2x) but preferably avoid ones with M in the name maybe except the more expensive 27" version. They are NOT bad per se and great choice for offices and not-so-serious photographers, but they can display a lot less colours (6bit vs 8bit) than the more expensive versions. My mum bought one and the image is somewhat inferior to my badly aged u2711. Personally I'd buy 2713H today (new with full warranty as you might need it at some point).

Why do you think you can't choose the monitor with mac? As above I am using 2x dells with the mac mini. I happen to like apple keyboard and mice but could use any should I wish. Mini is a bit out of date so the advice would be to wait for a refresh if possible. MBP is 3x more expensive, but more recent and opens many new possibilities traveling and working with clients. There is really nothing as refined on the market as 15" mbp (ignoring the OS at this point).
iMac is a great idea, but I'd wait until they do 4K screen version. The crosshatching is rather obvious with those
 
daugirdas said:
Nothing wrong with dell screens (I have 2x) but preferably avoid ones with M in the name maybe except the more expensive 27" version. They are NOT bad per se and great choice for offices and not-so-serious photographers, but they can display a lot less colours (6bit vs 8bit) than the more expensive versions. My mum bought one and the image is somewhat inferior to my badly aged u2711. Personally I'd buy 2713H today (new with full warranty as you might need it at some point).

Why do you think you can't choose the monitor with mac? As above I am using 2x dells with the mac mini. I happen to like apple keyboard and mice but could use any should I wish. Mini is a bit out of date so the advice would be to wait for a refresh if possible. MBP is 3x more expensive, but more recent and opens many new possibilities traveling and working with clients. There is really nothing as refined on the market as 15" mbp (ignoring the OS at this point).
iMac is a great idea, but I'd wait until they do 4K screen version. The crosshatching is rather obvious with those
Click to expand...
Why avoid the ones with 'M' in the name? Are they 6 bit as opposed to 8 bit screens or something?
Less serious photographers? is there really that much difference in the panels?
Noted on the 2713H - Is that why buying directly from dell is £200 more expensive than elsewhere? for the warranty?
I had an old dell monitor i used to use for gaming and it broke just after over 3 years of use (not particularly heavy use either), are they built to last?

I simply hadn't realised you could use a different monitor with a mac, our graphics designers at the place i work use macs but the AIO option.

Ah, so many choices ...
 
Zephyr said:
Why avoid the ones with 'M' in the name? Are they 6 bit as opposed to 8 bit screens or something?
Less serious photographers? is there really that much difference in the panels?
Noted on the 2713H - Is that why buying directly from dell is £200 more expensive than elsewhere? for the warranty?
I had an old dell monitor i used to use for gaming and it broke just after over 3 years of use (not particularly heavy use either), are they built to last?

I simply hadn't realised you could use a different monitor with a mac, our graphics designers at the place i work use macs but the AIO option.

Ah, so many choices ...
Click to expand...

The M are all 6 bit, except 2713HM, so that is really NOT good in layman's terms. 2713H has wider colour gamut and is simply better - so you ideally want that or equivalent from another manufacturer. Is £200 less for refurbs? Personally I wouldn't buy repaired Dell monitor stock after experience I had with 2711 (had to DIY clean internal contacts to solve very nasty flickering issue). 3 years Dell warranty is what you want (same for macs - you want applecare - you really really do).
IMHO the imac screen is not as good as 2713H and can't touch the new 32" 4K panels (currently around £2k).

It is a lottery with monitors and other electronics. My 2007 dell is still going strong, the 2711 already required DIY repair. Maybe buy only latest revision dells, and never A00 or A01 versions to avoid problems (mine is A00).
 
daugirdas said:
The M are all 6 bit, except 2713HM, so that is really NOT good in layman's terms. 2713H has wider colour gamut and is simply better - so you ideally want that or equivalent from another manufacturer. Is £200 less for refurbs? Personally I wouldn't buy repaired Dell monitor stock after experience I had with 2711 (had to DIY clean internal contacts to solve very nasty flickering issue). 3 years Dell warranty is what you want (same for macs - you want applecare - you really really do).
IMHO the imac screen is not as good as 2713H and can't touch the new 32" 4K panels (currently around £2k).

It is a lottery with monitors and other electronics. My 2007 dell is still going strong, the 2711 already required DIY repair. Maybe buy only latest revision dells, and never A00 or A01 versions to avoid problems (mine is A00).
Click to expand...
Thanks!
OK so to narrow it down it looks as though my serious choices for monitors are:
The Dell U2413
http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sn...note_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=1&~ck=dellSearch

The Dell U2713H
http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sn...note_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=1&~ck=dellSearch

Both are 8 bit screens right? The price suggests a massive difference £470 vs £795 ...

I take it the Dell AIO option doesn't have a suitable screen in comparison to the two above...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top