Laptop for digital imaging.

[Ryujin2003]

So, I have a friend who is looking to purchase a laptop for digital imaging. The main program will be Adobe inDesign, as well as other software for visual and graphics design. She uses very large files, so requires quite a bit of storage. She isn't too concerned with budget at all (so be realistic, but have fun). She is doing a lot of freelance design, and wants to expand her capabilities to include more on the go performance.

 

At least 32GB RAM is a MUST. She is hoping for expandable storage, possibly x2 HDD bays, and additional M.2 is a plus. Any higher end GPU would be required. Looking for possible 970/980 or M1000/2000 GPU. Open to various laptop/workstation options.

 

I do feel like the dual HDD thing died out with most of the XP and Vista laptops. I cannot find much that support this configuration.

 

I haven't found much online in regards to very expandable storage, large RAM capacity, capable GPU, and latest gen CPU, except for the Lenovo Thinkpad P50 (http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/p-series/p50/)

 

I have looked at other gaming laptops and workstations, and found mainly Alienware and MSI to have the better storage solutions (high capacity HDD/SSD + 240-512GB NVMe M.2 SSD). A lot of the other ASUS, HP, and Dell laptops don't seem to support the initial storage requirements, which means taking the machine apart and putting a hole in the void warranty sticker.

 

Again, any advice, guidance, and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Laptops/mobile workstations welcome.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Pendragon]

8 minutes ago, Ryujin2003 said:

I do feel like the dual HDD thing died out with most of the XP and Vista laptops. I cannot find much that support this configuration.

Clevo P6x0Rx series have dual HDD, dual M2, expandable ram up to 32gb, 1060/1070 GPU, 6820HK CPU. Warranty is not voided for self upgrading. Grab the 4k for better color accuracy and gamut and no backlight bleed. Since she's doing digital imaging, there's reasons to go for a 4k screen.

 

P50 is an equally good choice. FAR higher build quality. Much lower specs. 

Zbook15 (what I'm currently using), is extremely similar to the P50. Each has it's benefits and cons to each other. I took much better 4k display to the slightly lowered battery life. 

 

Does she need battery life? Concerned about the size. 

[exercutor5]

Budget? Location?

[Ryujin2003]

1 minute ago, Pendragon said:

Clevo P6x0Rx series have dual HDD, dual M2, expandable ram up to 32gb, 1060/1070 GPU, 6820HK CPU. Warranty is not voided for self upgrading. Grab the 4k for better color accuracy and gamut and no backlight bleed. Since she's doing digital imaging, there's reasons to go for a 4k screen.

 

P50 is an equally good choice. FAR higher build quality. Much lower specs. 

Zbook15 (what I'm currently using), is extremely similar to the P50. Each has it's benefits and cons to each other. I took much better 4k display to the slightly lowered battery life. 

 

Does she need battery life? Concerned about the size. 

Thanks for the response. She isn't too concerned with the size, and is realistic when it comes to battery performance when utilizing demanding software. I have heard about Clevo before, but forgot about them when I was doing my research.

 

I was looking at ZBook 15, but couldn't find anything about additional storage. Is it only the single HDD, or does it have more to offer?

[Ryujin2003]

2 minutes ago, exercutor5 said:

Budget? Location?

She isn't concerned with budget, so no limit. Location, Northeast USA (not quite Canada).

[Pendragon]

9 minutes ago, Ryujin2003 said:

I was looking at ZBook 15, but couldn't find anything about additional storage. Is it only the single HDD, or does it have more to offer?

1 HDD, 2 M2. If you don't care about size, why not just get a desktop? Also what screen size does she want? There are some full desktop replacement with a i7 6700k in them for max performance if need be. 

[exercutor5]

25 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

Clevo P6x0Rx series have dual HDD, dual M2, expandable ram up to 64gb, 1060/1070 GPU, 6820HK CPU. Warranty is not voided for self upgrading.

Now that is correct.

[Ryujin2003]

6 hours ago, Pendragon said:

1 HDD, 2 M2. If you don't care about size, why not just get a desktop? Also what screen size does she want? There are some full desktop replacement with a i7 6700k in them for max performance if need be. 

She is looking for portability. She had a desktop, but wants something she can take with her on the go. She does some freelance work.

[Pendragon]

10 hours ago, exercutor5 said:

Now that is correct.

TRUE. Ma bad. I forget that people needed more than 32gb LOL. In either case, I'd recommend a P650RP6. It's lighter and thinner than the P650RS. She doesn't need a 1070 for Digital Imaging. (Does she? I'm not too familiar with that industry). Note that the dual HDD on the P6x0Rx series are one 2.5” 7mm HDD/SSD and one 7mm/9.5mm HDD/SSD. They can't both be 9.5mm ones. 

[Ryujin2003]

22 hours ago, Pendragon said:

Clevo P6x0Rx series have dual HDD, dual M2, expandable ram up to 32gb, 1060/1070 GPU, 6820HK CPU. Warranty is not voided for self upgrading. Grab the 4k for better color accuracy and gamut and no backlight bleed. Since she's doing digital imaging, there's reasons to go for a 4k screen.

 

P50 is an equally good choice. FAR higher build quality. Much lower specs. 

Zbook15 (what I'm currently using), is extremely similar to the P50. Each has it's benefits and cons to each other. I took much better 4k display to the slightly lowered battery life. 

 

Does she need battery life? Concerned about the size. 

Thanks everyone for their suggestions. I will recommend yhe Lenovo, Clevo, and the ZBook. I've heard a lot of great things about Clevo on this site, and I do trust this community.

 

Thanks again everyone. Have again great weekend.