Computers for Graphic Design

In the battle of Mac vs. PC there is no decisive winner in the realm of graphics design.

Some say Macs are the top computers to be used in graphics design since they are built with ease of use in mind.

Others prefer the PC over anything, so it doesn't really matter which side you choose as long as you're aware of the system requirements for such a processing machine.

Your computer needs to be able to handle such demanding applications, so you should focus a bit on the internals before making a decision.
It needs to have a powerful processor, a large amount of system memory, a dedicated graphics card and also a big monitor to go with the whole package.

Going a bit further into details, make sure the computer you purchase is equipped with at least a dual core processor, if not a quad core (we would recommend one of intel's sandy bridge processors). If money is your main concern, try to at least get a dual core, or you'll end up regretting it later. This will also come in handy if you should go beyond one application and start multitasking, and switching back and forth between several graphics design applications.

RAM is like the information pipeline your computer has, so the greater the pipeline the more information can be processed at one time. A good starting amount is 4GB of installed RAM, but don't stop there. You should always seek to upgrade this spec since it determines how fast you can run programs. A good target would be somewhere in the range of 6-12GB of installed memory.

A dedicated video card is the last item on the list. Why do you need a dedicated graphics card on a graphics design computer?

Well, since you'll be wanting to use as much RAM as possible, it wouldn't be wise that an on board GPU should get a large amount of RAM just to run things. Integrated graphics do this, they take away a part of the available RAM and use it to run themselves.

Keep an eye out for systems configured with a separate graphics card.

The monitor you work with has to be large. It has to be large in order to get the finest work possible. Whether you choose an old CRT monitor (those are great in terms of color) or a new LCD wide screen is up to you.

The monitor needs to represent colors accurately so you don't run into big design mistakes into the future.