PhotoLover
Well-known member
I think TM is working as designed, but it would be nice if you could tell it to discard a set of files in the backup ... for situations like the one I had.
What is the ideal computer setup for photography
- Thread starter wotan1
- Start date
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Thats why I use GoodSync. Very flexible.
If I am to build a new PC,
I would want no less then:
10 cores @3.4GHz with turbo.
Water cooled.
128GB RAM
Fast M.2 drives
GPU 3080 with 12gig ram.
Beefy, Asus/etc motherboard with TB, USB-C
A big and spacious tower
BenQ Adobe 1998 Monitors
Install only editing related software.
Remember to clean the dust once a month.
I would want no less then:
10 cores @3.4GHz with turbo.
Water cooled.
128GB RAM
Fast M.2 drives
GPU 3080 with 12gig ram.
Beefy, Asus/etc motherboard with TB, USB-C
A big and spacious tower
BenQ Adobe 1998 Monitors
Install only editing related software.
Remember to clean the dust once a month.
I want to summarize what i learned so far here.
Everyone can choose between MAC and PC. Effective systems can be set up for both.
The goal for both sides is to get a really fast and fluid system with Lightroom Classic/Photoshop. It should be able to handle large volumes of photo storage and processing with little lag time. Either system also needs to have substantial backup with at least two copies on site plus a third stored off site (could be cloud storage).
Ideally the system should be able to handle higher resolution 5k and 6k monitors.
For PC you really need a substantial tower desktop with fast, redundant internal drives. For 5 or 6k video you will need special graphics cards capable of running that screen format. Laptops are not advised because they lack flexibility in storage and graphics cards can't be easily improved.
For Mac you can get the computer side handled with a Macbook Pro M1 Max or higher, or a Mac Studio with M1 or preferably M2 chip. These versions of MAC are already 5k and 6k capable. For multiple monitors you are better off with a Mac Studio. The basic entry level MAC studio M2 Max is fully adequate as a computer to accomplish what you need in Lightroom/PS.
The issue with MACS is that increasing internal hard drive space is expensive so you are best off using external hard drive storage. There are many options available including relatively inexpensive single SSD drives, DAS and NAS arrays and special enterprise level SSD devices. RIGHT NOW I AM IN THE PROCESS OF RUNNING COMPARISON TESTS BETWEEN A DAS RAID ARRAY AND AN ENTERPRISE LEVEL SSD DRIVE. I will report back.
The basic level MAC studio M2 runs about $2k so it is likely relatively inexpensive compared to a PC tower. It is already set up with high speed peripheral device connections and is also able to host multiple high end 5k and 6k monitors. These comments do not apply to video editing operations which may have additional requirements.
Whether you are working with PC or MAC, when securing external storage it is important you establish the device is compatible with that operating system. With either system trying to adapt a less compatible option can be difficult and may require technical help.
Finally, a personal comment. Given the situation I found myself in once I embarked on this journey I was facing the need to either beef up with a substantial PC tower or switch to MAC. It was actually less expensive for me to switch to MAC to get what I wanted. So far I am pleased with the decision. I am enjoying photo editing with my thumbnails on a 4k screen and the image I am editing filling the adjacent 5k screen.
Everyone can choose between MAC and PC. Effective systems can be set up for both.
The goal for both sides is to get a really fast and fluid system with Lightroom Classic/Photoshop. It should be able to handle large volumes of photo storage and processing with little lag time. Either system also needs to have substantial backup with at least two copies on site plus a third stored off site (could be cloud storage).
Ideally the system should be able to handle higher resolution 5k and 6k monitors.
For PC you really need a substantial tower desktop with fast, redundant internal drives. For 5 or 6k video you will need special graphics cards capable of running that screen format. Laptops are not advised because they lack flexibility in storage and graphics cards can't be easily improved.
For Mac you can get the computer side handled with a Macbook Pro M1 Max or higher, or a Mac Studio with M1 or preferably M2 chip. These versions of MAC are already 5k and 6k capable. For multiple monitors you are better off with a Mac Studio. The basic entry level MAC studio M2 Max is fully adequate as a computer to accomplish what you need in Lightroom/PS.
The issue with MACS is that increasing internal hard drive space is expensive so you are best off using external hard drive storage. There are many options available including relatively inexpensive single SSD drives, DAS and NAS arrays and special enterprise level SSD devices. RIGHT NOW I AM IN THE PROCESS OF RUNNING COMPARISON TESTS BETWEEN A DAS RAID ARRAY AND AN ENTERPRISE LEVEL SSD DRIVE. I will report back.
The basic level MAC studio M2 runs about $2k so it is likely relatively inexpensive compared to a PC tower. It is already set up with high speed peripheral device connections and is also able to host multiple high end 5k and 6k monitors. These comments do not apply to video editing operations which may have additional requirements.
Whether you are working with PC or MAC, when securing external storage it is important you establish the device is compatible with that operating system. With either system trying to adapt a less compatible option can be difficult and may require technical help.
Finally, a personal comment. Given the situation I found myself in once I embarked on this journey I was facing the need to either beef up with a substantial PC tower or switch to MAC. It was actually less expensive for me to switch to MAC to get what I wanted. So far I am pleased with the decision. I am enjoying photo editing with my thumbnails on a 4k screen and the image I am editing filling the adjacent 5k screen.
I want to thank everyone for sharing your experiences and insight. The information I have gathered from you has been very valuable in helping me understand and choose my best options.
I think this forum generally is a very special place and I have grown in knowledge and skill from what I have learned here. There are many smart and experienced people here willing to share their knowledge and experience.
I think this forum generally is a very special place and I have grown in knowledge and skill from what I have learned here. There are many smart and experienced people here willing to share their knowledge and experience.
Today I received a Samsung Professional G-Drive Pro Studio SSD, 7.6 something TB. This is reportedly an enterprise level ssd designed for heavier use and engineered for durability.
I installed and tested it in my Mac Studio M2 and compared the Lightroom speed against working directly from the internal SSD on the MAC versus using the OWC four drive RAID 4 to manage the photo processing.
I thought the G-Drive was significantly faster than the RAID and it was also pretty comparable to the performance i realized from working directly with the Mac's internal hard drive.
I think everyone who looked at Macs realizes internal storage on them is pretty expensive. An 8 TB internal hard drive would be particularly high, I did not look at the math closely but it looks like switching from a 512 gb hard drive to an 8 tb drive would add somewhere between 3 and 4 grand to the cost of the computer.
I would heartily recommend this G drive as a solution to keep photo editing performance at a high level on a Mac.
I installed and tested it in my Mac Studio M2 and compared the Lightroom speed against working directly from the internal SSD on the MAC versus using the OWC four drive RAID 4 to manage the photo processing.
I thought the G-Drive was significantly faster than the RAID and it was also pretty comparable to the performance i realized from working directly with the Mac's internal hard drive.
I think everyone who looked at Macs realizes internal storage on them is pretty expensive. An 8 TB internal hard drive would be particularly high, I did not look at the math closely but it looks like switching from a 512 gb hard drive to an 8 tb drive would add somewhere between 3 and 4 grand to the cost of the computer.
I would heartily recommend this G drive as a solution to keep photo editing performance at a high level on a Mac.
Comparing the speed of an SSD to that of *any* spinning rust drive is a worthless comparison…in the year 2024 putting your LR catalog on anything but an internal or Thunderbolt connected SSD is the only smart thing to do. Keeping originals on an SSD is also a good idea for performance…but because the price of SSD storage still vastly exceeds that of spinning drives…some compromises must be made. For me…that means catalog and current year originals live on an external TB SSD so that I can take it on the road…and the external is as fast as the internal SSd on both my Studio and MBP. Older year originals…well, they’re not going to see much editing…so they get moved to spinning drive storage…which for me is a TB external RAID because it’s got some redundancy, is quieter than most other external drives because it uses 2.5 inch mechanism. But even editing older 8mages from that drive isn’t very slow for the rare occasions when that is needed. Of course…there are other backup drives both in the house and at BackBlaze…because RAID is certainly not a backup. You’re right…G drives are nice but OWC and many others make TB external SSDs that are just as nice…depending on which chi0set is used in the SSD and which years modelone has there are minor differences in speed as reported by R/W tests…but I defy anybody to see a noticeable difference in performance between an SSD that clocks at say 3200 verses one that clocks at 3400…much like pixel peeping…there’s a mathematical difference but it matters zilch in actual work performance
I would love to have 20TB of SSD storage…but it is simply too expensive. My TB spinning RAID that is shared is the family data storage as well…and is easily fast enough to max out wifi bandwidth…so putting SSD there would provide zero benefit.
I appreciate Anjin San's comments.
This has all been a new experience for me. I feel comfortable with my current setup and I thank everyone for sharing their suggestions and comments.
I am by no means a tech expert,
This has all been a new experience for me. I feel comfortable with my current setup and I thank everyone for sharing their suggestions and comments.
I am by no means a tech expert,
OK my system is fully up and running.
All of the Lightroom catalogs and photo storage are run from the G Drive pro studio drive. This drive is backed up daily using Carbon Copy to the OWC RAID 5 drive. On top of that, Backblaze backs the G drive as well as the internal computer drive to the cloud.
The internal computer hard drive is backed up to a separate SSD drive using Time Machine. In turn Backblaze backs up the internal HD to the cloud.
I just checked all backup systems and it is all functioning.
Bottom line, I am feeling really good about the decision to move to the MAC studio. I absolutely love the 5k screen for photo editing and I have the adjacent 4k screen for thumbnails. Operations in Lightroom/Photoshop move much more smoothly and effortlessly than with my PC. As a lifetime PC user I am adjusting well to the Mac operating system although I still occasionally get lost.
I now feel I have the best computer setup for me,
THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR KIND AND THOUGHTFUL INSIGHT. It has made it possible for me to navigate successfully through for me-uncharted waters.
All of the Lightroom catalogs and photo storage are run from the G Drive pro studio drive. This drive is backed up daily using Carbon Copy to the OWC RAID 5 drive. On top of that, Backblaze backs the G drive as well as the internal computer drive to the cloud.
The internal computer hard drive is backed up to a separate SSD drive using Time Machine. In turn Backblaze backs up the internal HD to the cloud.
I just checked all backup systems and it is all functioning.
Bottom line, I am feeling really good about the decision to move to the MAC studio. I absolutely love the 5k screen for photo editing and I have the adjacent 4k screen for thumbnails. Operations in Lightroom/Photoshop move much more smoothly and effortlessly than with my PC. As a lifetime PC user I am adjusting well to the Mac operating system although I still occasionally get lost.
I now feel I have the best computer setup for me,
THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR KIND AND THOUGHTFUL INSIGHT. It has made it possible for me to navigate successfully through for me-uncharted waters.
Excellent…I don’t remember if you said your G drive size or know how aggressively you cull…but if/when you run out of space if larger ones aren’t available by then you can consider what I do…catalog and current year images on the SSD and older years out on the spinning drive. That will necessitate a backup large spinning drive for the array of course but speed isn’t a big issue there so a spinning drive will be fine. And you should investigate one of the cloud backup solutions as well assuming your monthly internet bandwidth allotment and upload speed support it. When we moved into the house from the RV and I set up BackBlaze during the pandemic…even with gigabit internet connectivity and no monthly bandwidth cap it took me over a month for the initial BackBlaze backup to complete. I also keep Smart Previews of everything on the SSD so even on the road I can edit and publish an old image if need be.
Thanks, Anjin San for the suggestions.
I have 7.6 something TB available on the G drive. My backup drive is 6TB but it can easily be expanded.
My LR catalog is a mess right now with all the moving around, I have a lot of reviewing and culling to do. I am going to have a lot of work culling and sorting.
I think overall 7TB will be enough space for me right now. I like the idea of moving older stuff off of there if space were to be a problem.
I have 7.6 something TB available on the G drive. My backup drive is 6TB but it can easily be expanded.
My LR catalog is a mess right now with all the moving around, I have a lot of reviewing and culling to do. I am going to have a lot of work culling and sorting.
I think overall 7TB will be enough space for me right now. I like the idea of moving older stuff off of there if space were to be a problem.
Should be…I’ve got over 100K images in my catalog and it’s only 3.something TB IIRC…but at some point I could easily archive say everything but the last 10 years except for the ones I actually edited and published…which would save space. I will worry about that when it happens though.
