Laptop choice for LRClassic and Photoshop use

[Flare0018]

Operating System

1. Windows 11

I have an old Dell XPS 13 and can no longer run LRC without it stuttering and crashing when using masks and brushes and denoise. When importing photographs it struggles to generate previews. So I need to choose a new one. I will stay with Windows. I always take jpeg and Raw . I use LRC with multiple masks, denoise and transform. Then move to Photoshop for ‘retouching’ and export as a tif. For some images I use LRC for intial processing then to Photoshop to use multiple tools, layers blendin etc. Also expect to start focus stacking and multiple exposure images soon. Anyone have experience of choosing and using a laptop in this way? I would really, really some guidance !!

 

[candid.dad.photography]

I would suggest a laptop with a higher end I7 series or an I9 processor where the laptop is capable of 64GB or memory. You will also need a decent GPU that has at least 12GB of dedicated memory, I would suggest 16GB as a minimum. Another good option is the ability to have 2 SSD’s, one for your OS (C: drive) and a second (D: drive) to contain your photo software and images.

Of course memory and SSD’s are more expensive these days so be aware of the cost increases there. I’d also be sure the laptop has a user replaceable battery as some you cannot replace them so the super thin laptops would likely be out.

My current laptop has an I7 processor, 64GB memory, 1TB and 4TB ssd’s and a 16GB GPU. Granted it is a gaming laptop, but it met all the needs and I found it as an open box for about 1/2 price a couple of years ago.


Note, integrated GPU’s won’t help much, it is the dedicated GPU that is going to matter especially for denoise.

Mine works great for stacking in photoshop as well.

 

[clee01l]

I am of the mindset that laptops are best used when mobility is a primary requirement. IOW most Lightroom users do not need a laptop.

You will be able to get higher end components (GPU and CPU) in a desktop. Also with a desktop you get the ability to swap in newer components when the specifications change and are called for.

When mobility is considered performance price is often sacrificed for size and form factor.
So ask your self this question. "Do I really need a laptop when using Lightroom? " If the answer is
No", then start your search for a well spec'd PC.

There are two areas that need addressing. First is your Lightroom experience is best served with a 27" or larger monitor. AFAIK, there are no 27" laptops. Once you experience using Lightroom on a large screen you have lost any mobility that you thought you had with a Laptop and that tiny laptop screen is then a wasted investment.

Second. it is my belief that CISC processors (A complex instruction set computer) are becoming obsolete. Apple has already moved their whole computer direction to RISC computers (Reduced instruction set computer). Microsoft is leaning in that direction with their Surface Architecture. In Silicon architecture, Apple has developed a single chip that has CPU, GPU and unified memory all on one chip. Intel has announced that they will be making their own GPUs (and I predict eventually their own RISC chip to compete with Apple's Silicon. In short, I would not buy a CISC computer that I think will be obsolete in a year or three.

 

[Replytoken]

What is the absolute upper end of your budget for this upgrade?

--Ken

 

[Flare0018]

What is the absolute upper end of your budget for this upgrade?

--Ken

Ideally around £2500 but I think I am realising I may need to spend more perhaps £3000. Thanks for replying.

 

[Flare0018]

I would suggest a laptop with a higher end I7 series or an I9 processor where the laptop is capable of 64GB or memory. You will also need a decent GPU that has at least 12GB of dedicated memory, I would suggest 16GB as a minimum. Another good option is the ability to have 2 SSD’s, one for your OS (C: drive) and a second (D: drive) to contain your photo software and images.

Of course memory and SSD’s are more expensive these days so be aware of the cost increases there. I’d also be sure the laptop has a user replaceable battery as some you cannot replace them so the super thin laptops would likely be out.

My current laptop has an I7 processor, 64GB memory, 1TB and 4TB ssd’s and a 16GB GPU. Granted it is a gaming laptop, but it met all the needs and I found it as an open box for about 1/2 price a couple of years ago.


Note, integrated GPU’s won’t help much, it is the dedicated GPU that is going to matter especially for denoise.

Mine works great for stacking in photoshop as well.

Thank you, this is very helpful. I have just started using a 4 TB external ssd for images and will get a laptop with ssd and I will take note of the rest of your spec.

 

[Maurizio]

Although I primarily use a desktop workstation for cataloguing and editing my photographs, at the beginning of 2025 I purchased a laptop so that I could take my archive with me when staying away from home.
My choice was constrained by the requirement for a US keyboard. Having a long-standing background in IT and programming, I have never become accustomed to Italian keyboard layouts. Since other brands did not offer the possibility to customize the keyboard, my choice was limited to DELL or Lenovo.
In the end, I opted for a Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 (AMD), equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor (up to 5.1 GHz), AMD Radeon 780M graphics, AMD Ryzen AI, and 32 GB of RAM. I store my Lightroom catalogue and entire photo archive on a 4TB T9 external hard drive, so that I can almost instanstly switch from desktop to laptop and viceversa. The performance has proved to be quite acceptable. It's a lightweight setup for travelling (1,26Kg) and I connect it to a 4K display at destination, so the user experience is virtually the same as working at home with my desktop.

 

[Gnits]

I have had two bad experiences trying to purchase a laptop as my main computer. I will spare you the details.

Post #7 looks like a good option to me.

Best to view in store and check the actual size, not the marketing image that might hide a larger actual base. Also check the power supply that it is not a big brick.

I also keep my catalog (and last 2 years images and office docs) on an external ssd… so it is painless to also use with my ideal sized travel MacAir.

My ssd is automatically backed up when connected to my desktop and I carry an extra Samsung SSDs a target for backup while travelling.

 

[Flare0018]

I am of the mindset that laptops are best used when mobility is a primary requirement. IOW most Lightroom users do not need a laptop.

You will be able to get higher end components (GPU and CPU) in a desktop. Also with a desktop you get the ability to swap in newer components when the specifications change and are called for.

When mobility is considered performance price is often sacrificed for size and form factor.
So ask your self this question. "Do I really need a laptop when using Lightroom? " If the answer is
No", then start your search for a well spec'd PC.

There are two areas that need addressing. First is your Lightroom experience is best served with a 27" or larger monitor. AFAIK, there are no 27" laptops. Once you experience using Lightroom on a large screen you have lost any mobility that you thought you had with a Laptop and that tiny laptop screen is then a wasted investment.

Second. it is my belief that CISC processors (A complex instruction set computer) are becoming obsolete. Apple has already moved their whole computer direction to RISC computers (Reduced instruction set computer). Microsoft is leaning in that direction with their Surface Architecture. In Silicon architecture, Apple has developed a single chip that has CPU, GPU and unified memory all on one chip. Intel has announced that they will be making their own GPUs (and I predict eventually their own RISC chip to compete with Apple's Silicon. In short, I would not buy a CISC computer that I think will be obsolete in a year or three.

 

[Replytoken]

I am a windows desktop user for LRC, and for the most part, I believe the best laptop for LRC performance would be a Macbook given their chip architecture. I know there was not an interest in switching, so I suspect that choices will need to be made, and expectations may need to be set with respect to performance, especially on a budget when the prices of machines are rising quite frequently.

I am not going to make specific recommendations, but I would recommend checking out the reviews here as they tend to be very comprehensive: https://www.notebookcheck.net/ . They tend to talk about screen quality and CPU throttling when under load, and many other sites tend to skip these kinds of tests. Also know that Nvidia laptop GPU's do not perform at the same level as their same-named desktop counterparts.

This is not to say that you cannot get a machine that will perform well within your budget, but by their nature, laptops are a series of compromises with respect to performance. And many LRC features tend to require a lot of horsepower to work smoothly.

Good luck,

--Ken