Is photo editing more CPU or GPU?
My answer is, neither, wait until you can afford at least 2x. For photo editing, CPU is more important than GPU, with one exception, which is AI-based filters (like Topaz Blah AI). Those use the biggest GPU you can afford, and then some.
Use a fast processor
The speed of the computer's central processing unit, or CPU, limits the processing speed of Photoshop. Photoshop generally runs faster with more processor cores, although some features take greater advantage of the additional cores than others.
A powerful video editing PC is build around a powerful CPU. Having a graphics card is also very helpful, but it is not necessary to get a powerhouse of a GPU. Make sure not to skimp on RAM, either, but 8 to 16 GB should be plenty for most projects.
Among all the major Lightroom system requirements, a powerful GPU is essential for 4k+ production workflow, and most image processing programs use GPU acceleration for display rendering, zooming, and navigation. Still, the CPU handles the majority of the actual processing.
In general, CPU clock speed matters tremendously for Photoshop, with many operations still using a single core. Multiple cores are much more important for importing and exporting in Lightroom, where you'll likely see CPU usage vastly higher than 100%.
Your CPU is basically the brain of your computer and determines how fast it can think through any task. To be honest, almost any new computer these days has a CPU built in that has plenty of power to run Lightroom, Photoshop, or Premiere, but some do handle Adobe products better than others.
Both Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom have very low minimum system requirements, only demanding an AMD or Intel 64-bit CPU that has a clock speed of at least 2GHz. If you bought any processor in the past near-20 years you'd be able to match that specification.
Which processor is best for photo editing on a desktop? When it comes to processors, you should aim for a fast and capable one. Look for desktops with processors from Intel® Core™ i5 or AMD Ryzen™ 5 series and above. These processors offer good performance for photo editing tasks.
A powerful GPU can accelerate various tasks such as applying filters, rendering effects, and processing high-resolution images, leading to a smoother and more efficient workflow. Many modern photo editing software applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, utilize GPU acceleration to enhance performance.
Adobe Premiere Pro uses a single GPU during playback and multiple GPUs for other tasks such as Render In to Out and for export.
What happens if CPU is better than GPU?
When your CPU is much more powerful than your GPU, it means that your system is better suited for tasks that are CPU-intensive rather than GPU-intensive.
Enhance Details feature in Lightroom is also accelerated by GPU. Using a compatible graphics processor can also provide a significant speed improvement on high-resolution displays, such as 4K and 5K monitors.
Memory (RAM)
“We recommend 16GB RAM if you are running the latest Creative Cloud applications i.e. Photoshop and Lightroom Classic.” RAM is the second most important hardware, as it increases the number of tasks the CPU can handle at the same time. Simply opening Lightroom or Photoshop uses around 1 GB RAM each.
Photoshop can efficiently utilise multiple processor cores, but efficiency drops off after two cores, with the four-core processor only being around 25% faster than the two-core at the same clock speed. The six-core processor is approximately 8% faster than a four-core.
- Intel I7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor.
- 16Gb of Ram.
- 1080 (Full HD) Monitor.
- 500Gb SSD minimum.
- At least 2 USB ports.
Currently, the best all-around CPU for most Lightroom Classic tasks is Intel's Core i9 14900K. For purely exporting, a higher core count processor like AMD's Threadripper PRO can be a little faster – but for a much higher price and reduced performance in other parts of the workflow.
A Core i7 will typically be better for multitasking, media-editing and media-creation tasks, high-end gaming, and similar demanding workloads.
Both RAM and graphics card are important for Photoshop, but if you have to prioritize, RAM is more important as it allows you to work with larger files and multiple applications. A dedicated graphics card can enhance performance for tasks like 3D rendering and video editing.
To meet the Adobe Photoshop system requirements, you'll need an Intel Core i7-920 paired with 8GB of RAM. While you don't need a dedicated graphics card, a GeForce GTX 950 will give you just enough horsepower to slightly enhance performance.
Aim for a quad-core, 3 GHz CPU, 8 GB of RAM, a small SSD, and maybe a GPU for a good computer that can handle most Photoshop needs. If you're a heavy user, with large image files and extensive editing, consider a 3.5-4 GHz CPU, 16-32 GB RAM, and maybe even ditch the hard drives for a full SSD kit.
How many cores do I need for Lightroom?
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Quad Core CPU and ARMv8 or x86_64 architecture | Octa Core CPU and ARMv8 or x86_64 architecture |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB and above is recommended |
| Internal storage | 32 GB | 128 GB and above is recommended |
| Android OS version | 8.x (Oreo) and later are supported | |
A more powerful processor will help with tasks such as streaming or running multiple programs. At the same time, large amounts of RAM will help with multitasking but will primarily improve performance in complex programs and operations.
When buying a new computer, whether a desktop PC or laptop, it's important to know the number of cores in the processor. Most users are well served with 2 or 4 cores, but video editors, engineers, data analysts, and others in similar fields will want at least 6 cores.
If you want to meet the recommended system requirements for Adobe Photoshop, your computer will need to be at least as powerful as an Intel Core i5 8400. An Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or higher should assist, along with 16GB of RAM.
The CPU is the most important component for Premiere Pro, as it handles all video decoding, effects, and transitions, as well as overall playback performance. The software benefits significantly from higher clock speeds, and Intel's Core i7 and Core i9 processors offer the best performance.
