Gaming PCs are powerful and high-end ones can play the latest demanding game titles, do some serious multitasking, and breeze through office work and everyday computing tasks.
However, Photoshop is another matter, and depending on how you use this software, it has the potential to be incredibly taxing on your system.
So can a gaming PC take on Photoshop as well as play the latest AAA titles?
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Are Gaming PCs Good For Photoshop?
A Gaming PC is good for Photoshop as long as it has a recent generation Intel or AMD Ryzen CPU, preferably 16GB of RAM, a decent graphics card that’s supported by Adobe, like the GTX 1660 Ti, and fast SSD storage for quick loading and saving of files and software.
The power your PC needs will largely come down to what you are doing on Photoshop.
If you’re going to be using it to handle massive files with smart objects and loads of layers, you are going to need a lot of RAM – 16GB at a minimum and possibly 32GB or even more.
Adequate RAM and an SSD are going to be the features that will speed things up for you the most.
An SSD and plenty of RAM will seriously cut your waiting time when saving and loading large files and the Photoshop application itself.
Each time you edit a file it increases in size and that increase gets added to RAM.
RAM can get used up fast and if it starts running out, tasks are going to take a lot longer to process and may even cause your PC to freeze.
When considering a processor, Photoshop can make good use of up to eight CPU cores, and going over that core count will not bring you any major gains in performance or cost to performance benefit.
You will probably be okay doing some basic editing and retouching with Photoshop on a low-end PC, but if you plan to work on large image files with many layers, using complex filters, your PC will grind to a halt.
What To Look For In A Gaming PC That Is Good For Photoshop?
Any gaming PC that can play the latest AAA titles at a resolution of 1080p and at a frame rate of at least 60 FPS should be very capable at Photoshop.
In choosing a gaming PC to use for Photoshop and photo editing, there are a few things you should consider.
The first thing to understand is how a photo editing software like Photoshop can take a pretty big toll on your PC’s processing power and memory.
If you don’t have high enough specs your PC might run at a sluggish pace making loading and saving take much longer than it should.
Next, due to the PC memory needed to run a program like Photoshop successfully, you will need to find a gaming PC with an adequate amount of RAM that is up to the task for speed as well.
Having a high-quality processor is also ideal to get the optimal performance out of your gaming PC when you’re using it for editing software.
This article is going to go into more detail but Intel and Ryzen are your best bets in this area.
One other thing that is recommended is getting a drawing tablet such as one from Wacom like their Intuos Pro tablet.
A drawing tablet makes it easier for photo editing for more precise editing without needing to use a mouse.
Choose At Least A Mid Tier Intel Or Ryzen Processor
The Intel Core i9 is the fastest processor for Photoshop at the time of writing this but you don’t need the most powerful, latest generation CPU to make Photoshop run really well for you.
Some mid-range Intel and Ryzen processors offer an excellent price to performance value.
Mid-tier Intel processors like the Core i5-10600K or Core i7-10700K should be enough to make Photoshop editing smooth, alternatively, Ryzen processors from AMD such as the Ryzen 3 3300X or Ryzen 5 3600X should do about the same if not even a little better in performance.
Opt For A Gaming PC With At Least 16 GB of RAM
At least 16GB of RAM in a gaming PC shouldn’t be hard to find and is pretty good for Photoshop.
16GB of RAM is also a good minimum number for playing the latest games.
This amount of RAM is usually good enough for most regular Photoshop work and some multitasking.
However, if you start opening additional tabs, using 3D features, and large numbers of shape layers with various blending options, Photoshop will eat your 16GB of RAM without salt and you’ll likely need 32GB or more for a smooth editing experience.
Only go for 8GB of RAM if you’re getting a fantastic deal on a gaming PC and you are going to upgrade it to 16GB or 32GB yourself in the near future.
Related Article: Are Gaming Monitors Good For Photo Editing? (Explained)
At Least 1 TB Of SSD Storage
Editing photos, especially in Photoshop, you need to have a place to store them without worrying about running out of space.
But it’s not just lots of space for storing files that are important, your PC’s storage drive is what loads up and saves the projects you are working on.
SSDs are a lot faster than HDDs because they use electrical circuitry to operate and have no physical moving parts.
SSDs save and load programs much faster than older HDDs and that can save you a lot of time when you are booting up your PC, opening up Photoshop itself, or saving and loading large files.
Having at least a 1TB of SSD storage is great for gamers, but even better if you’re working on editing projects since those files tend to be larger in size.
A Good Graphics Card That Is Supported By Adobe
For a smooth Photoshop experience, you’ll be much more reliant on RAM and CPU than you will on GPU performance.
You don’t need the latest and greatest video card to handle large, 4K images or to add some high-quality effects to your work in Photoshop or Lightroom.
A decent GPU from a couple of years back, like the GTX 1660 Super, will be more than capable of handling the vast majority of what you’ll need.
A Large, High-Resolution, Color Accurate Monitor
If you’re going to invest in a high-end PC for Photoshop, you’ll also want a great monitor so that your work can show off your attention to the finer details.
Having a large monitor will allow you to view large images on the screen and see minor details.
More screen real estate will also allow you to open additional windows to multitask, view files and work with toolbars.
But don’t forget, the bigger the screen you opt for, the more pixels you’ll need to see that finer detail.
You’ll also want the monitor you choose to be color accurate so that the edits you produce will look how you intend both in print and on the web.
A monitor like the Dell UltraSharp 4K wouldn’t be a bad pick.
A Fast And Precise Mouse With A Wheel And Programmable Buttons
A responsive and comfortable mouse is essential, especially one with programmable buttons for you to add shortcuts to make your work go even faster.
It can be difficult to tell If a mouse will be right for you just by looking at pictures of it on the internet.
If you can, head to a computer store and try out some regular mice and gaming mice from popular brands.
Having big hands and ending up with a tiny mouse is only going to lead to hours of frustration.
Picking up a mouse with programmable buttons can also help to boost your productivity.
You can program single buttons to switch between tabs, act as forward and back browser buttons, or carry out tasks like cut, copy, paste, and other commands that you use regularly.
With a Logitech mouse, for example, you can make use of the Logitech Options software to create the application-specific settings you want, and assign various mouse buttons for the tasks you use most regularly in Photoshop.
This is a better alternative to stopping and trying to find the setting you need to change rather than having it hot keyed to your mouse buttons.
A High-Quality And Ergonomic Backlit Keyboard
The keyboard is another peripheral I’d rather try out myself before buying.
There can be many things that will make it unsuitable for you.
It could be the spacing between the keys, the height of the keys, how they feel when pressed, or just the noise they make as you type.
If you can try some out in a store first; at least you know you’re not going to hate it when you get it home.
A good ergonomic keyboard will make Photoshop all the more enjoyable.
It’s also good to try and pick up a backlit keyboard so you can still work away if the lighting is a little dim.
An ergonomic keyboard usually has a bit of a gap between keys you would use with each hand.
The goal is to keep your wrists as comfortable as possible to avoid cramping and carpal tunnel so you can prevent your work from bringing you pain.
Choose A Gaming PC That Can Keep Cool Under Pressure
All the RAM and the best processor in the world are not going to translate into the performance if your PC cannot deal with heat build-up.
When your CPU gets too hot it basically throttles its clock speed and voltage and this results in a drop-off in performance.
Look for a gaming PC that incorporates lots of mesh and fans into its casing.
Steer clear if all you see are solid plastic and glass panels with few holes for ventilation.
What To Avoid In A Gaming PC For Photoshop
Things you need to avoid in buying a gaming PC for Photoshop are low-powered processors, not enough RAM, PCs that don’t allow for upgrading, and a bad cooling system.
A Processor That Is Not Powerful Enough
Aim for at least an Intel or AMD mid-range CPU with 64-bit support and 3 GHz or faster.
If the processor isn’t powerful enough, your work will be slowed due to crashes and failure to process the information needed to run Photoshop adequately.
Too Little RAM
Just like with the processor, if you don’t have at least 16GB of RAM, your PC will struggle as soon as you try to work with larger or more complex images on Photoshop.
A Gaming PC That Is Difficult To Upgrade
Be sure when buying a pre-built gaming PC that you will be able to take it apart and upgrade it once your parts are out of date and begin working slower than normal.
Check independent reviews and forums to see if people have had an easy time trying to upgrade the gaming PC you’re planning to buy.
Upgrading components here and there is much cheaper than buying a whole new machine in a couple of years.
Poor Ventilation And Cooling
PCs run a lot slower when they’re too hot and can even be dangerous with poor ventilation of the heat and lack of cooling.
Always be sure cooling and ventilation are good in your PC.
Again, check the reviews and look for any that highlight overheating issues.
It’s also a good idea to have good ventilation in your workspace as well.
What Are Some Gaming PCs That Would Be Good For Photoshop?
One of the best gaming PCs for Photoshop would be the Corsair Vengeance i7200. It has up to an Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9, up to 64 GB of RAM, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, and up to two 2 TB SSD storage.
And for more of a budget option that can still get it done with Photoshop, the HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop is a great option. You can choose up to an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, up to an RTX 3060 Super graphics card, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB HDD plus 512GB SSD storage.
