Hardware processing

[John Geerts]

Perhaps it's interesting to see which hardware for post-processing is in use.

Just upgraded from an old desktop still running on Windows XP  to a Windows 7 OS  on a  HP Optiplex with Intel i5 2400 3.1 GHz processor. Including a 250gb SSD drive were the installed programs are running from.  At the moment with 8GB RAM memory, but upgrading is possible (if needed) and using the internal graphical interface although an 'Asus NVIDIA GeForce GT729 2GD silent' is on the wish-list.

The main Monitor is 24 inch EIZO (EV2450).   The RAW-files are loaded into the computer (External Harddrive 2 TB Western Digital) and another drive as backup, via USB-transfer.

[Bjørn J]

I built my desktop PC myself, with an ASUS mainboard, Intel i7 3GHz, 32 GB RAM and nVidia GTX560 graphics card. I have an Intel SSD where I have Windows 7 and all the programs. I also have several internal harddrives for storage. I have allocated some of the memory (RAM) to an 8GB RAMdisk where cache and temporary files from Photoshop and other graphics-intensive program are located.
The windows pagefile (virtual memory) is a fixed size (5GB) on a reserved space on a harddrive.
Eizo Colour-Graphics monitor 21" with 4:3 aspect ratio screen.

My laptop is a Lenovo Thinkpad w530 with SSD and a mSATA SSD-card. It is an incredibly robust and speedy machine, and easily upgradable because of the modular design. During a period of two years I purchased three laptops and they were all almost unusable, but with the 530 I finally was satisfied.

[pluton]

2012 Retina Macbook Pro i7/2.7GHz/Quad core, 748 SSD, 16GB RAM.  NEC PA271BK-SV monitor.
This computer never leaves the desk, and is a big speed improvement over my previous 2009 Macbook Pro dual core/8GB RAM/2.8GHz unit.
Seven external drives in a rack, running on a Firewire 800 daisy chain.

[elsa hoffmann]

2014 Macbookpro something or another.
I work, close it, slap it under my arm, and off I go. Then repeat the process.
I live on my Mac. I cant imagine being a photographer without it.
It just wont work.

[HCS]

... At the moment with 8GB RAM memory, but upgrading is possible (if needed) ...

I've built many a PC where i prepared to be able to upgrade the RAM. I just never did. By the time i needed more, the tech had advanced so much, i "had to" assemble a new PC.

So now, Mac PRo, intel 6-core, 48GB RAM, OWC SSD with system and applications on it, Eizo 24-inch monitor. Mucho HD for picture storing. NAS for local backup, Crashplan and LiveDrive (actually the Dutch variant LiveSchijf)) for cloud backup (because files physically on 2 continents).

I also have a macbook pro for travelling and general tethered shooting. Not much for processing, although enough power. Screen not good enough (for me). intel duo-core, 16GB RAM, SSD.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I need to have maximum versatility and flexibility in my hardware setups for image processing, due to my pretty complex life and working situation. So no way I can use a single stationary machine, at least not exclusively.

Currently I do most of the processing stages on a powerful laptop, either on one of my Thinkpad W520 machines (both set up with Quad i7, 32 GB RAM, 2*512 SSD, 1 TB HDD), or lately, on a smaller Thinkpad X220 (i5, 16GB, 256 + 256 GB SSD) for lighter travels. On the road, they are used without any auxiliary monitors, whilst at the office they are docked to support 1-3 additional monitors to provide screen estate.  In the office, there is a networked structure into which all laptops plug in to share the gathered data. All images are eventually stored on one or several networked nodes (Linux based, RAID-1, RAID-5, RAID-6, or RAID-10 systems) and backups done through a backup server cluster with duplicated LTO tape stations. In addition, there are networked boxes for accounting, image indexing and searching, data base servers  etc.   I'm working on making the utility servers virtualised and agglomerated on a massive Linux-based server. Plans call for 256 GB or more and at least quad CPUs.

Typically about 20-25 network nodes are active at any moment. Total storage capacity on the network now exceeds 200 TB.

[Frank Fremerey]

Currently I am on a holiday. I download pictures from my cameras via a 3-Euro-Cable-Connection to my Smartphone,
do some basic editing in "Photo Editor Pro" and use them. "Screen Estate" is 5.5 OLED with 1200x800 something res.

[Jørgen Ramskov]

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
2,6 GHz Intel Core i7
16GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2048 MB

For storage (after sorting and editing) I use a Synology NAS. The data on the NAS is backed up to both a locally attached USB drive and remotely to another Synology NAS. My rMBP is backed up using Apple Time Machine to the NAS. 

[The_Traveler]

PC from a screwdriver shop I've used for 14 years.
Windows 7, I7 running on a 256 gb ssd , Hitachi 2TB internal and 2 3tb HDs  USB3 in a cradle

[chris dees]

At home I'm on an iMac 27" late 2012, I7 QuadCore 3,2Ghz, 32Gb memory, 1Tb fusion drive (probably soon replaced by 1TB SSD) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2Gb.
On the road I'm using a MBA 13" mid 2012, I7 DuoCore 2.0Ghz, 8Gb memory, 512Gb SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4000
For storage I use an 2x3Tb LaCie 2Big in Raid0 configuration. As Raid0 is vulnerable I have a two 4Tb HDD backups as well.
On the road I use a LaCie rugged 512Mb as a backup.

[Jørgen Ramskov]

I'm surprised anyone uses RAID0 for anything these days.

[chris dees]

I'm surprised anyone uses RAID0 for anything these days.

Can you elaborate?
I'm using it for almost 3 years without problems and it's very fast.

[Jørgen Ramskov]

Because you're very likely to lose all data if one disk goes bad. Just doesn't seem worth the risk.

[chris dees]

Because you're very likely to lose all data if one disk goes bad. Just doesn't seem worth the risk.

Correct, that's why I have back-ups and a good back-up strategy.
As I said; no problems so far (knock on wood).

[Michael Erlewine]

My main system looks like this:

CPU: Intel Core i7 5960X 3.0 GHz Eight Core 20MB 140w overclocked
128 GB RAM
GPUS: 2x PNY Quandro K5200 PCI-E 8GB
Samsung 512 SSD, Samsung 1TB SSD
Many 4 TB  SATA drives
Corsair Hydro Series H60 CPU Cooler (Rev. 2)
Seasonic X-650W Power Supply
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit OEM SP1
ASUS 16x Blu-ray Burner SATA (reads/writes M-Disc (said to last 1,000 years)