Picking the right desktop computer is probably one of the most important things a graphic design pro or fan will ever do. It’s the base for all your creative work, the engine that runs your software, and the canvas on which your digital ideas will come to life. The article “Which Desktop Computer to Choose for Graphic Design” (which is made up for the sake of this blog post) probably covered a lot of important points. In this full guide, we’ll go into more detail, giving you useful tips and advice on how to make this important decision.
Knowing What You Need for Graphic Design
Before you even think about brands or specifications, the most important thing to do is to fully understand your own graphic design needs. What kinds of projects will you mostly be working on? Are you interested in vector graphics and illustration, which require a lot of accuracy and smooth rendering? Or will you be doing a lot of photo editing and manipulation, which needs a lot of processing power and space for big image files? Maybe you do a lot of motion graphics and video editing, which use even more of your system’s resources.
Think about the programs you’ll be using. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher are all examples of industry-standard tools that have their own system requirements. It is not possible to not understand these requirements.
The first thing you should do is go to the official Adobe website (https://www.adobe.com/) or Serif’s website (https://affinity.serif.com/) and read the recommended specs for the software you want to use. Don’t just meet the minimum requirements; aim for the recommended or even higher ones to make sure everything runs smoothly and you don’t run into annoying bottlenecks in your workflow.
Also, think about how hard your projects are. Do you usually work with single-page designs or big, multi-page documents? Do your drawings have a lot of layers and effects that are hard to see? Are you going to be working with high-resolution images that need a lot of changes and tweaks? Your desktop computer needs to be more powerful the more complicated your projects are.
Key Hardware Parts for Graphic Design
You can start looking at the most important hardware parts of a desktop computer for graphic design once you know exactly what you need. Here are the most important things to pay attention to:
Processor (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is like the brain of your computer. It runs programs and does math. A powerful multi-core processor is very important for graphic design, especially when you have to do difficult things like applying filters in Photoshop, rendering big vector illustrations in Illustrator, or encoding video. Look for an Intel Core i7 or i9 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 processor that is just as good. In general, more cores and faster clock speeds mean better performance.
Useful Tip: When looking into CPUs, make sure to look at both the clock speed and the number of cores. More cores are better for tasks that can use more than one thread, like rendering. A higher clock speed can help with tasks that are more single-threaded, like some parts of application performance.
RAM
RAM is the computer’s short-term memory. It stores data that the CPU is currently working on. For graphic design, not having enough RAM is a common problem that can slow down your computer, especially when you’re working with big files or a lot of apps at once. Most graphic design tasks only need 16GB of RAM, but 32GB or even 64GB will make things run much more smoothly, especially when you’re working on a lot of different things at once or on a complicated project.
Helpful Hint: If your computer is getting slower when you have a lot of graphic design programs open, it’s probably because of the RAM. If you want to make your computer run better, think about adding more RAM. Many desktop computers make it easy to add more RAM.
Graphics Card (GPU)
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is in charge of making images, videos, and animations look good. The CPU does help with some rendering tasks, but a dedicated GPU with a lot of video memory (VRAM) can speed up many graphic design programs, especially those that use GPU acceleration. You should look for NVIDIA GeForce RTX or Quadro series cards, or AMD Radeon RX or Radeon Pro series cards that have at least 4GB of VRAM. For more demanding tasks, 8GB or more is better.
Useful Tip: Look at the specs of your graphic design software to see if it supports GPU acceleration and what GPUs it suggests. Buying a powerful and compatible GPU can make a big difference in how quickly things render and how responsive the system is overall.
Storage
For graphic design, fast and enough storage is very important. It is highly recommended that you use a Solid State Drive (SSD) for your operating system, applications, and active project files because it is much faster at reading and writing than traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs).
This will make your computer start up faster, load programs faster, and handle files faster. A larger capacity HDD can be a more cost-effective way to store finished projects and backups for a long time. Think about getting an SSD with at least 500GB of space and an HDD with 1TB or more space.
Tip for the Real World: To make it easier to find and use your project assets, put your files in a logical order. To avoid losing data, make sure to back up your work to an external drive or cloud storage service (like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Backblaze) on a regular basis.
Display (Monitor)
Your monitor is the only way to see your creative work. For accurate color representation and visual comfort, it’s important to buy a high-quality display. When looking for a monitor, make sure it has good color accuracy (close to 100% of the sRGB color space or a large part of Adobe RGB), enough resolution (at least 1920 x 1080, but 2560 x 1440 or 3840 x 2160 is better for detailed work), and a size that is comfortable (27 inches or larger is generally recommended for graphic design). Compared to TN (Twisted Nematic) panels, IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels have better color accuracy and wider viewing angles.
Useful Tip: Use a hardware calibrator to regularly calibrate your monitor to make sure it shows colors correctly. This is very important if you work with other designers or make prints. X-Rite (https://www.xrite.com/) and other sites like it have tools and information for calibrating.
Picking Between Pre-Built and Custom-Built Desktops
When you want to buy a desktop computer for graphic design, you usually have two main choices: you can buy a pre-built system from a big company or build your own PC with the help of a professional. There are good and bad things about both choices.
Pre-made Desktops
Pre-built desktop computers are easy to use and usually come with a warranty and customer service. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo are some of the companies that make workstations that can be set up for graphic design. Apple’s desktops can be more expensive, though.
Pros: Easy to use, comes with a warranty, customer support, and is often cheaper at first.
Cons: Some models can’t be upgraded as much, some parts might be of lower quality, and customization is limited.
Desktops Made Just for You
You can fully control the parts of a custom desktop computer, making sure that each one meets your specific graphic design needs and budget. This can often make your system more powerful and better suited to your needs.
Good things: Full customization, often better performance for the price, and easier to upgrade.
Cons: You need to know more about technology, you have to find parts and fix problems yourself, and each component’s manufacturer is responsible for warranty and support.
Helpful Tip: If you don’t feel comfortable putting together a computer yourself, you might want to hire a local computer technician or a service that builds custom PCs. They can help you pick out the right parts and put the system together for you.
Things to think about when choosing an operating system
Another important choice for graphic designers is which operating system to use: Windows or macOS. There are people who use both platforms and they each have their own strengths.
macOS
People in the creative industry have long praised macOS for its easy-to-use interface, good compatibility with Apple hardware, and long-standing reputation. Many graphic designers like how stable it is and how good the built-in apps and ecosystem are.
Pros: Easy to use interface, good support for creative software, perceived stability, and great color management.
Cons: Hardware is usually more expensive, there are fewer options for customizing hardware, and some software may only work on Windows.
Windows
Windows has more hardware options at different price points and is easier to customize and upgrade. Most graphic design software works on Windows, and people who build their own PCs usually choose Windows as their operating system.
Pros: More options for hardware and prices, more ways to customize and upgrade, and more software compatibility.
Cons: It can be easier for malware to get in (so you need strong antivirus software), and hardware compatibility can be a problem if you don’t manage it carefully.
Helpful Hint: Think about the software you use most often and whether it works best or only on macOS or Windows. If you work with other designers a lot, think about which operating system is more common in your professional network so that you can easily share files and make sure they work with each other.
How to Set a Budget for Your Graphic Design Desktop
Depending on your needs and the quality of the parts, a desktop computer that is good for graphic design can cost a lot or a little. Before you start looking, it’s important to make a budget that makes sense. Think about not just the cost of the desktop itself, but also the cost of a good monitor, keyboard, mouse, and any software licenses you might need.
A good entry-level desktop computer for graphic design might cost between $1000 and $1500. A high-end workstation for professional use could easily cost $3000 or more. Spend your money wisely, putting the most important parts, like the CPU, RAM, and GPU, at the top of your list.
Tip: Look up prices at different stores and think about waiting for sales to save money on your desktop computer and accessories. Look into refurbished options from trusted sources to see if you can save money, but make sure they come with a warranty.
Peripherals and Accessories
The main hardware of a desktop computer is very important, but don’t forget how important accessories and peripherals are for a smooth and comfortable graphic design workflow.
Monitor (Again)
As was said before, a good monitor that shows colors correctly is very important. Think about getting two monitors to help you work more efficiently and do more than one thing at once.
Devices for Input
For graphic design, it’s important to have a mouse that is both comfortable and accurate. To avoid strain during long work sessions, think about ergonomic options. A graphics tablet, like those made by Wacom [https://www.wacom.com/], can help you draw and touch up pictures in a more natural way.
Keyboard
Pick a keyboard that is easy to type on for long periods of time. Some designers like mechanical keyboards better because they give you feedback when you touch them.
Calibration Tool
If you want to make sure that the colors in your work are accurate, you should buy a hardware monitor calibrator.
External Storage (Revisited)
For backups and archiving projects, an external hard drive or SSD is necessary.
Practical Tip: Buy ergonomic peripherals to avoid pain and injuries that can happen from using them for long periods of time. To stay healthy, take breaks and stretch often.
Keeping Up with the Times
The world of technology is always changing, and the needs for graphic design software will probably grow over time. When you buy a desktop computer, think about how easy it will be to upgrade in the future, especially the RAM and storage. Check the system requirements of your software on a regular basis and plan for upgrades as needed to keep it running at its best.
Helpful Tip: Following reliable tech blogs and websites will help you stay up to date on new hardware and software releases. This will help you choose the best upgrades for the future and keep your desktop computer a powerful tool for your graphic design work. For example, TechRadar (https://www.techradar.com/) and The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/) are two websites that often have helpful hardware reviews and news about the tech industry.
The Right Desktop Can Help You Be More Creative
It’s a big deal to choose the right desktop computer for graphic design because it will help you be more creative. You can make an informed choice that will boost your creativity and improve your workflow by carefully thinking about your needs, learning about the most important hardware parts, weighing the pros and cons of pre-built and custom systems, and paying attention to peripherals and future upgradeability.
Make sure to put the parts that affect the performance of your design software at the top of your list and buy a good monitor so you can see things clearly. If you have the right desktop computer, you’ll be able to make your graphic design ideas come to life.
