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Optimum laptop specs for video production
Hi folks,
I’m planning to purchase a laptop for video production. Specially for AE, premiere pro, and some photoshop and gaming.
(I’m not very experienced, so please forgive some simple questions)Here is my configuration and some questions:
– Intel Core i7-4700MQ (2.4GHz, quad core, 6mb cache, turbo mode 3.4GHz, 47W)
– NVIDIA Geforce GTX 770m
– RAM 4×8 32GB DDR3-1600MHz (an IT guy told me that current systems can make use of up to 12gb of ram only. Is that true. Should I be going for 8+4gb ram?)
– 256gb ssd Samsung 840 PRO
– 1TB + 8GB SSD, 64mb cache (so this 1tb hdd is supposed to have ssd speed. I chose it for storing my 150+gb video projects and my movies. speaking of storage, is it advised to have a ssd for the OS and software, and a fast and larger hdd to store the videos/the project so that the software can access it quickly? It’s not advised to have both the software and the project vids on the same hdd. Is this correct?)
– What shall I do with the msata slots? Are they the same as the usual SSDs but just smaller?
– Which screen shall I choose: some say go for “17.3 inch Full HD Non-Glare – 72% Gamut (AUO B173HW01 V4)” and some say “17.3 inch Full HD Glare – 90% Gamut (AUO B173HW01 V5)”.
– Wireless / Bluetooth: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 dual band AGN (2.4/5GHz), 300mbps + bluetooth 4.0 (wireless display)
– Do you think by now win8 is developed enough? Or shall I go for win7?
The link is below in case I’ve left something out. It’s a Dutch website but the names of the parts are the same:
https://www.bto.eu/html/configureer.asp?PartnerID=1&DisplayPartnerID=1&ProductID=619&lang=nlGreetings
Umyd
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5 Replies
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> an IT guy told me that current systems can make use of up to 12gb of ram only. Is that true.
That is not true.
After Effects, Premiere Pro, and modern operating systems can all make use of far more RAM than that.
See this page for information about hardware for Premiere Pro and After Effects: https://adobe.ly/pRYOuk
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Todd Kopriva, Adobe Systems Incorporated
After Effects quality engineering
After Effects team blog
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[Umyd Annaniaz] ” (an IT guy told me that current systems can make use of up to 12gb of ram only. Is that true. Should I be going for 8+4gb ram?) “
That doesn’t make much sense. Is he referring to some limitation of the specific system you’re looking at?
Also worth noting: Windows 7 Home Basic x64 has a limit of 8GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium x64 has a limit of 16 GB of RAM. You’d need at least Windows 7 Professional (or any edition of Windows 8) to address 32 GB of RAM.
[Umyd Annaniaz] “1TB + 8GB SSD, 64mb cache (so this 1tb hdd is supposed to have ssd speed. I chose it for storing my 150+gb video projects and my movies. speaking of storage, is it advised to have a ssd for the OS and software, and a fast and larger hdd to store the videos/the project so that the software can access it quickly? It’s not advised to have both the software and the project vids on the same hdd. Is this correct?)”
It will not have SSD speed for video files. The trick on drives like these is that they cache frequently used files on the smaller and faster SSD portion, leaving infrequently used files on the larger and slower mechanical portion. You won’t have room in the fast portion for all your media.
Keeping the project file on the same drive as media was a good idea years ago, but it’s not a practical concern in 2013.
[Umyd Annaniaz] “Which screen shall I choose: some say go for “17.3 inch Full HD Non-Glare – 72% Gamut (AUO B173HW01 V4)” and some say “17.3 inch Full HD Glare – 90% Gamut (AUO B173HW01 V5)”.”
I’ve never seen a glossy screen actually called “Glare.” Is that referring to an anti-glare coating? In other words, does it actually mean the opposite of what it suggests?
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
I agree with the previous comments. Here are some additional thoughts:
– The Samsung 840 Pro is a good choice.
– mSATA SSDs function like SSDs but have a form factor similar to mini-PCIE cards. Use one slot for Adobe cache files. Whether or not to populate the second slot depends on several factors (budget, accessibility, typical usage scenarios, HDD or SSD file storage).
– If it is within budget, think about installing a 960GB SSD instead of a 1TB platter drive. (Crucial offers one for about US$600.) If you go HDD, populate the second mSATA slot with a 240GB SSD for current files.
– 32GB RAM might be overkill unless you are doing intensive AE compositions. It’s the easiest hardware upgrade to make, so you might think about starting with 16GB. Put the money to a GPU or SSD upgrade instead. But if you have the budget, 32GB is great.
– The 770M graphics card should be fine. Consider the 780M if you plan to keep the laptop for a few years because it’s difficult to upgrade the GPU later.
– I’d recommend the Intel Wireless-AC 7260. Consider upgrading your wireless router to dual-band AC, too.
– Matte versus glossy display is a personal choice. The tradeoff is pretty straight-forward: glossy provides clearer images but higher reflectivity. It might not make much difference if you plan to use an external monitor(s).
– Get some data backup hardware, whether NAS or just external USB3.0/eSATA drives.
Overall it looks like a great system. Good luck with the purchase.
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“I’ve never seen a glossy screen actually called “Glare.” Is that referring to an anti-glare coating? In other words, does it actually mean the opposite of what it suggests?”
Thanks for your reply.
I assume when they say “non-Glare” the coating is applied. So no, I’d say it just means what it suggests. -
Thanks so much Ivan and Walter.
you folks are very helpful.
much appreciated
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