MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Good PC for handling Lightroom 4 (UK)  (Read 17422 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« on: March 27, 2013, 11:40 »
0
I am in the UK and need to upgrade my PC fast as I want to get Lightroom 4. Currently I have a Medion 2004 model running Windows XP with 1 gig ram. It's slooooooooooow and blue screen shut downs here and there. I may also want to work with video editing in the future pending new camera.

I have been looking at this model as it just over my budget of 400. Would this be good ?

http://www.ebuyer.com/443461-zoostorm-pro-sff-desktop-pc-7873-0357

Thanks.


vlad_the_imp

« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2013, 11:49 »
0
I'm a Mac user so I'm not too up on PC's, but I do note it says 'on-board integrated graphics', I had a feeling that wasn't as good as a good graphics card, or am I completely misunderstanding the specs? Ebuyer are a good place to buy though, good service.

microstockphoto.co.uk

« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2013, 12:04 »
0
Lightroom 4 works perfectly well (and fast) on my Lenovo M82 which has similar specs:

2nd Generation Intel Core i3 -2120 (3.30GHz)
14 GB ram
Windows 7 Pro 64bit

Yours is an even newer generation: Intel Core 3rd Generation

So I'd say it's fine

Regarding Lightroom, I just bought v.4 and image quality - even after heavy processing - is stunning, better than (already good) previous versions. Said from a Corel user, but especially impressed by this particular Adobe product.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2013, 12:18 »
0
Oh good as I have been editing all my shots since 2006 on Raw Shooter Essentials. Hey, it might even make my D200 images look good after all without having to buy a new camera  ;)

« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2013, 14:46 »
0
I'm a Mac user so I'm not too up on PC's, but I do note it says 'on-board integrated graphics', I had a feeling that wasn't as good as a good graphics card, or am I completely misunderstanding the specs? Ebuyer are a good place to buy though, good service.
I agree, a dedicated graphics card is much better than integrated graphics.  Ebuyer are great.  I would either buy that PC and put in a graphics card or get one that has a dedicated graphics card.

« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2013, 15:07 »
+1
I'm running Lightroom 4 on a 24 inch iMac (3.06 GHz/4GB memory/1TB internal HD+1TB external USB HD) I bought new in May, 2009. I have no issues with it.

Maybe you could find something like that on the used market at a fair price. I use the external hard drive to backup raw photos and my LR catalog.

Make sure you save your LR catalog on the internal HD and put a backup copy of it on the external drive as well - you set that up when you Quit LR.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2013, 15:41 »
0
I nearly did buy that PC on Ebuyer but held back after reading terrible review after terrible review on service, postage and non refunds. Wide berth I will give. Back to drawing board  :-\

« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2013, 16:11 »
0
I nearly did buy that PC on Ebuyer but held back after reading terrible review after terrible review on service, postage and non refunds. Wide berth I will give. Back to drawing board  :-\

For a non computer person I always suggest a name brand computer. The problem with many clone companies is the come and go like weather.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.

Beppe Grillo

« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2013, 04:41 »
0
Whatever you will buy put a maximum of RAM on it!

shudderstok

« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2013, 04:47 »
+1
I've been a fan of Dell for years. The XPS series is great. I even do all my video editing on this PC.

microstockphoto.co.uk

« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2013, 05:00 »
0
I bought my last PCs from LambaTek in the UK (No affiliation with them - but great service and choice of brands, so I thought I'd let you know)

vlad_the_imp

« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2013, 05:11 »
0
Quote
I nearly did buy that PC on Ebuyer but held back after reading terrible review after terrible review on service, postage and non refunds.


I've used ebuyer a number of times, based on their customer service reputation and always had great service. You can find bad reviews of just about any company if you look online.

Here's a quote from PC Advisor magazine

Quote
Ebuyer has an excellent reputation for customer service, we see very few complaints about the company in our forum


If you want the best service and face to face contact, use John Lewis.

http://www.johnlewis.com/electricals/desktop-pcs/c60000874

« Reply #13 on: March 28, 2013, 05:27 »
0
I've used Ebuyer for years and they've always been great.  I built my own PC with components I bought from them a few years ago.  Saved a lot of money and was good fun.  Unfortunately I messed up the heat sink and my processor fried but that was my fault.  I'll probably build my own again next time I need one.

rubyroo

« Reply #14 on: March 28, 2013, 05:44 »
0
I've been a fan of Dell for years. The XPS series is great. I even do all my video editing on this PC.


I'd vote for Dell too.  My last four PCs have all been Dells and never had a problem with any of them. 

@ the OP, you might want to look at the prices here.  Cheaper prices lower down the page, but (if the site's still the same as last time I used it) you have to click through to make your choices and assemble the PC as you want it.. so keep an eye on the changing price as you go along:

http://www.dell.com/uk/p/desktops.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&ref=hpt4&s=dhs

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #15 on: March 28, 2013, 05:44 »
0
So between the ebuyer PC and Amazon which would be the best ?

« Reply #16 on: March 28, 2013, 06:22 »
0
I recommend you find a local PC repairer/builder, either operating from home or small shop. Upgrading the PC to modern standards by swapping a couple of components is likely to be far cheaper than a complete new PC. You'll also get good advice too.

When my PC fried it's motherboard a few years ago that's what I did. Having a new PC built by the local chap turned out to be significantly cheaper than slightly lower-specced models from on-line retailers like Evesham, Mesh and Dell.

Interestingly both Evesham and Mesh, at the time two of the biggest PC suppliers in the UK, went bust a year or two later.

I've since had the PC upgraded twice by the same chap, again for a fraction of the cost of a new PC. Last year my PC was invaded by a virus which somehow got through my protection. It was good to have an expert on hand to deal with it and be up and running again within 24 hours, with the PC slightly upgraded at the same time.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #17 on: March 28, 2013, 08:02 »
+1
I appreciate what you say but as my machine is so old it's not worth upgrading, pretty impossible to get it anywhere near the spec to run Lightroom, let alone run windows 7. A totally new machine is my only option.

This is why I am suspicious of buying from Ebuyer

http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.ebuyer.com
« Last Edit: March 28, 2013, 08:09 by Herg »

« Reply #18 on: March 28, 2013, 08:48 »
0
I've never had anything go wrong with the many items I've bought from ebuyer and I'm not sure I would trust trustpilot :)

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2013, 05:08 »
0
The terrible customer services reviews are still coming through strong every day for Ebuyer. Apparently they have a poor returns system. Seems to me like a huge risk when spending on a 400+ machine.

« Reply #20 on: March 29, 2013, 16:56 »
0
May I ask why you are giving yourself a budget of only L400. Considering that your computer is such an important tool of this profession?

« Reply #21 on: March 29, 2013, 17:12 »
0
The terrible customer services reviews are still coming through strong every day for Ebuyer. Apparently they have a poor returns system. Seems to me like a huge risk when spending on a 400+ machine.
Do you know they're real?  I know that often rival sites leave made up poor reviews, that's why I'm wary of the review sites.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #22 on: March 29, 2013, 20:54 »
0
The terrible customer services reviews are still coming through strong every day for Ebuyer. Apparently they have a poor returns system. Seems to me like a huge risk when spending on a 400+ machine.
Do you know they're real?  I know that often rival sites leave made up poor reviews, that's why I'm wary of the review sites.

Why, how much would you spend ? Surely the spec I have linked does the job for photo editing ?

RacePhoto

« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2013, 12:59 »
0
The terrible customer services reviews are still coming through strong every day for Ebuyer. Apparently they have a poor returns system. Seems to me like a huge risk when spending on a 400+ machine.
Do you know they're real?  I know that often rival sites leave made up poor reviews, that's why I'm wary of the review sites.

Also places that are scams will run up their positive reviews, one of them (a lowball camera store) even runs a review site and as they change names and continue to rip off people, they give themselves great reviews. That and usually the only people who take time to write a review are unhappy and want to get back at the company. The happy people are doing something else...

For those reasons, I don't trust the review sites for buyers, either way. Product reviews are slightly more credible.

Herg, find a local custom builder like Gostwyck says, you'll get a good value and exactly what you need, not some mass produced box.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #24 on: April 03, 2013, 13:44 »
0
I hope the camera site you are refering to doesn't begin with "1st" as I have ordered Lightroom 4 from them and still have not received the order a week later, despite paying for 48 hr delivery. they have excellent reviews on Trust pilot.

Thinking about the PC, as I record music and use Cubase I perhaps would be better off getting a very powerful machine that can handle both as photo/audio can use a lot of CPU. My music PC is dated too and crashes regular.

can't wait to get Lightroom 4 working and finally see some more acceptances with SS. I am tired of getting them turned away on the basis of lighting.


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
11 Replies
7056 Views
Last post October 18, 2007, 02:25
by fauxware
10 Replies
9700 Views
Last post February 04, 2008, 13:00
by strikerx98
4 Replies
4615 Views
Last post February 20, 2011, 18:11
by Stu49
14 Replies
4182 Views
Last post February 26, 2014, 11:36
by Uncle Pete
8 Replies
4164 Views
Last post November 18, 2017, 03:36
by Justanotherphotographer

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors