How to choose the best build for a graphics pc?
Being a graphic designer in 2021 means juggling logos, photo editing, illustrations, images for social media, some animations and ... have a lot of patience!
A PC that is fast and agile allows you to turn every thought into a project no waiting times that break the rhythm of ideas… and also of save your precious time to devote to the creativity of your projects!
Software used
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe XD
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe animate
- Adobe Character Animator
- Adobe Cool
- Affinity Designer
- Affinity Photo
- Affinity Publisher
- Capture One
- Photo light
- Luminar AI
- Topaz Gigapixel
Build base
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| MoBo | Gigabyte B550M S2H AM4 |
| RAM | Crucial Ballistix DDR4-3600 16GB 2x8GB CL16 |
| SSN 1 | Kingston A2000 250 GB |
| HDD 1 | Toshiba P300 1 TB 3,5″ 7200RPM |
| But by the full GPU acceleration tech | AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB |
| Case | NZXT H510 |
| PSU | SeaSonic FOCUS 550 W 80+ Gold |
| Cost: | ~ € 875,00 |
To have a system that is always responsive, you need a good balance of components. For this we start with a tested and balanced CPU like the Ryzen 5 3600 which, thanks to its 6 cores and 12 threads, allows you to have multiple programs open at the same time without too much difficulty. For the same reason, 16GB of RAM is a great place to start, with the possibility of expansion in the future.
Another must-have a SSD NVME PCIe which allows the operating system and all software (both Adobe and Affinity, without discrimination!) to start up in a few moments and guarantee speed of execution. 250GB are the minimum wage for not having to sacrifice space and for all project files 1 TB of storage on mechanical HDD will suffice.
Basically optional choice a GPU, and for this reason the important thing is not to spend too much. AMD with his RX 5500XT It provides a discrete power and especially 8GB of VRAM which is always very difficult to saturate.To conclude a suitable power supply thanks to SeaSonic with its Focus Gold Line da 550W (safety first of all!) and a case with a modern look and not too “playful” like the excellent one H510 di NZXT which, among the conveniences, is equipped with a USB Type C port that can be used thanks to the connector on the motherboard.
Build media
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| MoBo | ASRock B550M Steel Legend AM4 |
| RAM | Crucial Ballistix DDR4-3600 16GB 2x8GB CL16 |
| SSN 1 | Crucial P2 CT500P2SSD8 SSD Interno, 500GB |
| HDD 1 | Toshiba P300 1 TB 3,5″ 7200RPM |
| But by the full GPU acceleration tech | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super |
| Case | Corsair 4000D Airflow |
| PSU | SeaSonic FOCUS 750 W 80+ Gold |
| Cost: | ~ € 1.300,00 |
Light but significant upgrades for the intermediate build: we go from 6 Core / 12 Thread to 8 Core/16 Thread, which allow even more immediate execution of all vector and raster transformations, such as i more complicated filters than Photoshop (o Affinity Photo, Luminar e Capture One).
La RAM remains the same, 2x8GB are enough for almost everything, but in the case you can always expand thanks to the 4 slots on the motherboard. Motherboard making a small leap and making money WiFi e Bluetooth, two features you don't miss until… you need them!
Slight leap forward also for the SSD capacity, which with 500GB of space can now also allow a mixed use of software + project files, to make the general work experience just enough to be even more satisfying.
But the real step forward is the GPU, with the RTX 2060 Super which once again turns out to be an excellent combination of quality, quantity and price: thanks to RT cores and color tensioner, now even small motion graphics animations won't be a problem!
Build top
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| sink | Schyte Smokes 2 |
| MoBo | Asus ROG STRIX B550-A GAMING AM4 |
| RAM | Kingston HyperX Fury RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL17 |
| SSN 1 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB |
| HDD 1 | Seagate Barracuda Compute 2TB 7200RPM |
| HDD 2 | Seagate Barracuda Compute 2TB 7200RPM |
| But by the full GPU acceleration tech | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 |
| Case | Be Quiet Pure Base 500DX Bianco |
| PSU | SeaSonic FOCUS 750 W 80+ Gold |
| Cost: | ~ € 2.000,00 |
Finally, the power supply goes from 500 to 750W to support the new hardware but, above all, to allow for future upgrades, and as a small bonus, the case Corsair 4000D Airflow (strictly White!) allows a look that has nothing to envy to marked colleagues Apple!
The last step for a graphic designer must follow 3 paradigms: more power, More speed it's more safety!
Let's start with the latter: in addition to an upgrade of the SSD that becomes a Samsung 970 Evo Plus by well 1 TB, can not miss 2 HDD mechanical in RAID for a redundancy constant. The minimum to secure important work files.
As for power and speed, three important updates certainly concern the CPU, which makes a generational leap always remaining a 8 core / 16 thread, and which must be adequately cooled thanks to a heatsink third party (as it does not include one in the box). Schyte Smokes 2 it is ideal for spending the right amount and also guaranteeing an incomparable price noise.
Another RAM upgrade, which comes in at 32 GB: thanks to this increase, as well as thanks to the RTX 3070, now we can seriously devote ourselves to video editing and the creation of VFX is 2D and 3D without fear. And finally, we can accommodate our motherboard and power supply, that they do not need further upgrades, inside a truly stylish case like the Be Quiet Pure Base 500DX. And yes: this time too white ... but with RGB! (better than a Mac cheese grater!)
The best builds:
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