People are often curious as to what kind of computer one needs to get into digital art.
\nMy answer is a powerful one. I learned this lesson the expensive way. I hate learning
\nlessons the hard way, and I hate forking over money to learn these types of lessons.
\nA few years ago, I bought a computer, which I thought was pretty powerful. I did research.
\nI read. I talked to people. I asked questions. I thought I was knowledgeable. Then I discovered
\nthat the “minimum,” which to some companies is the “recommended amount,” to run a
\nprogram isn’t always accurate information.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First off, let’s start with this fact. You will rarely find a computer at your local store, and most
\nof the machines you see online are not what you want either.<\/p>\n
Why is that you ask?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Most computers on the shelf, or online, are for the “average” user. Entering the world of graphic design,
\nand digital art, is not the “average” user anymore.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So how do you pick a computer?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You first take inventory of what you want to do. Do you plan only on working with Corel Painter?
\nDo you expect you will only work with Adobe Photoshop? If you don’t know, then look at the
\ncomputer requirements for both and pick the one that requires more computer memory and start there.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One thing you have to be aware of is the fact that as you grow, you are going to want to try different
\nplugins. Plugins are full-fledged programs. They can run in a standalone mode (meaning by themselves)
\nor more commonly they can be accessed through Photoshop or Corel, which act as a host (it is like a
\ngateway to the program, so you can access the plugins within the host\u2019s menu). These plugins can
\nhave significantly more requirements to run than your host (Corel or Photoshop) because you are in
\nessence now running two programs at the same time. Working with plugins places a heavy load
\non your computer, which means you need more power.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My laptop has 16 GB of RAM, and my old computer started out with 16 GB of RAM. Do you
\nthink these are equal?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nope.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Know this…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Everything boils down to what graphics card you have in your computer.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My new computer has the latest NVIDIA card, and my laptop has an Intel card built in, which isn’t
\nanywhere near as powerful. This means my laptop can run Photoshop and Corel, but it has trouble
\nprocessing things. My brushes have delays, my rendering takes longer, and I can’t do some tasks
\nbecause it just takes too long. For example, to render a 30-second video on my laptop took upwards
\nof 8 hours, whereas my new computer can do it within a couple of minutes, yet on the surface, it would
\nappear that both computers would be able to do the same tasks equally well.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The graphics card area is overwhelming. I am stating this right off the bat. I felt overwhelmed learning
\nall the new lingo and trying to figure out what all the numbers really meant. Some graphics cards cost
\nthousands of dollars, and this is where the price of your machine increases. I took a risk buying my
\ngraphics card for the new computer. I had spoken to NVIDIA and Adobe about the machine I was going
\nto purchase. Dell said I would be able to run everything I wanted with no issues, but I didn\u2019t trust their voice.
\nNVIDIA said I shouldn’t have an issue, but they recommended a different card, which was a couple thousand
\nbucks, and it was out of my budget. Adobe said they couldn’t guarantee anything as they are
\ncurrently “testing” the card to see if it can hold up.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You might wonder why I took a risk? Haven’t I learned enough hard lessons in this computer
\ndepartment area of my life?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I had to think about it. I hate risks. I decided to go ahead with this machine for a couple of reasons.
\nFirst, Adobe always tests NVIDIA cards. All the other NVIDIA cards have been approved, and this
\ngraphics card is being placed in all the new computers, so it would be (in my mind) prudent for
\nAdobe to make sure it works with their programs. Second, it’s a powerful card, and all the representatives
\nfrom all fields agreed to this fact. Finally, if I have a problem, for some reason, I still had the computer I
\nwas giving to the kids to use as a backup machine. That computer has an “approved” graphics card to
\nrun After Effects, which was the most significant hurdle, and it would be the program to cause issues
\nthe Adobe representative said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Remember, you want to buy a machine that can “sort of” grow with you. I have to add “sort of” because
\ntechnology changes rapidly, and sometimes it is cheaper to buy a new machine than to upgrade the
\nmachine you have.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My current computer can have the RAM upgraded to 64 (it is currently at 32). It can have different internal
\nparts, like that three thousand dollars graphics card, and it can have more hard drives added to it. It can
\ngrow. My laptop is capped at 16 for RAM, and nothing on it can change.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you’re not sure if you want a laptop or a desktop, I will tell you that you can get more power with a desktop.
\nPlus, there are fewer problems with it overheating, and it is easier to work on a desktop because you
\nhave a spot to put your Wacom (another topic for another day). On top of that, cleaning a desktop is easier
\ntoo. You just have to remove the sides to blow out the dust, whereas a laptop requires so much more skill
\nto get inside. These little cleans make your system run faster than a machine filled with dust, so don’t
\nskip this area of maintenance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Starting to walk in the direction of digital art can feel overwhelming. There is very little information to help
\none understand what to get, and few people spell it out for someone that is computer illiterate or entirely
\nnew to the field, so I wanted to help in this area.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In summary,<\/strong> this is what I would tell my children if they came to me asking what they should buy to <\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Pick what brand of computer you want. I have a Dell. Remember, everyone has preferences. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Don’t get less than 16 GB of RAM, and try to get 32 with the option of going higher.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> Pick the best graphics card you can buy. Do not buy the lowest end. Check to see if you can <\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> Get a SSD drive as well as a hard drive. You want your programs to run off the SSD drive (it is faster). <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> Shop around. When you have these specifications, you are going to find you don’t have as many <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6.<\/strong> Be prepared to spend some serious money. You are going to be looking at anywhere from $1600 to <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7.<\/strong> Before you swipe your credit card, talk to Adobe and Corel and ask them if the machine you are looking <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finding a machine is work. I won’t lie. However, it is worth it. Digital art is exciting, and it is expanding rapidly. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nget into the digital realm of art.<\/p>\n
\nYou will find people stating they only work with one brand, while others tell you how that brand stinks.
\nIt all boils down to their experiences.<\/p>\n
\nupgrade your graphics card down the road. Look only for a NVIDIA card. NVIDIA has great support
\nfor their cards. I have a NVIDIA GTX 1080 card. However, NVIDIA will recommend a different card
\nfor Adobe products.<\/p>\n
\nI currently have a 1TB SSD drive and a 2 TB hard drive build into the computer. However, I keep all my
\ndocuments and assets on an external 4 TB hard drive, which is sadly getting too small. Don’t
\nshortchange yourself by getting a little hard drive. Keep your SSD drive for your programs and
\nsave your data to the hard drive, but keep in mind, you will eventually need to move your stuff to an external drive.<\/p>\n
\noptions as you might think. If you need a monitor, look at buying this separately from your computer
\nas you can usually save a couple of hundred dollars this way. I have bought computer monitors from
\nB & H Photo for a couple hundred dollars cheaper than a Dell packaged deal.<\/p>\n
\n$4000 to just get the tower (the base of the computer). This price is going to be very dependent on
\nwhat kind of graphics card you get and whether you pick a PC or a MAC. This, of course, doesn’t include
\nyour programs, Wacom, or art Pen (which will cost you close to another thousand). My newest tower cost $2500.<\/p>\n
\nat will encounter any problems with their programs. Do a quick Google search to see if people were
\nexperiencing issues with the graphics card. It can save you some mental frustration down the road. Just remember
\nthe minimum requirements listed are just that the minimum. Never go with the minimum, or you will have some hiccups
\nalong the way. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to work in a program and having a lag time because
\nyour system can’t keep up.<\/p>\n
\nThe skills you learn will transfer to many aspects of the creative realm. You will never be bored working with this medium.<\/p>\n