Recommended MacBook Pro spec for editing LR

roc1

roc1

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I need to get a 15" MBP for editing LR when away from the office, so wanted to ask what spec would work well? I'd run the LR cat on the main drive keeping raws on an external I think.

I guess 16gb memory is better to have than 8gb, can I install this myself using crucial memory or is it something apple have to do?

Also not sure what flash storage to opt for, 256gb or 512gb?

Does processor speed matter much?

Thanks for any advice!
 
RAM depends on the model. New ones are soldered in, older ones aren't. Im currently using a 2011 2.2ghz model which Ive upgraded the ram up to 16GB. It also has a 256GB SSD and the original 500gb HD in the optical bay.. It runs lightroom and photoshop fine.

I have however just ordered a brand new 2.3ghz retina model with 16GB soldered RAM and 512 SSD, so my current one will be available to a new owner shortly.

I think the 2011/2012 models are the best value, as you can buy low spec and upgrade, the new ones are completely unserviceable for the end user.
 
I have a rMBP 250Gb HD and 8 Gb RAM. Now this is used mainly for field editing so I don't store a lot on it. However I would tend to opt for the full 16Gb if I wanted reasonably future proof my machine.
The i7 processor can multithread . It's almost the same as having extra cores on the machine. In fact my 2.3Ghz rMBP is faster than my 2.6 Ghz i5 desktop at some processor intensive tasks.
Also you have not only USB3 connections but also Thunderbolt. So if you need additional storage this can be added in the form of external drives. USB 3 is probably going to more than fast enough for conventional spinning drives, but if you are going to think of external SSD's ( expensive !) then Thunderbolt is the answer.
 
Just remember SSD isn't fast when accessing large files but it is low powered and fairly shock resistant. I use SSD for a system drive and fast HDD 750gb for storage. I think graphic card speed will have a bigger effect on speed rather then adding loads of ram
 
Max out the RAM and try to get a bigger HDD if possible. 256GB is pretty small and will fill up quickly before you even touch photoshop. It is for people that only work with plain text document and read emails :) Don't forget the machine will still need to have reasonable spec a few years later.

CPU/GPU will only really matter if you work a lot with video.
 
Stay away from the older core 2 duo machines
(if buying used): my 2GHz machine with 8Gb RAM struggles.
 
Thanks for the replies, really helpful info!
 
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