Today, no professional graphic designer can do without the appropriate electronic equipment, regardless of what field of graphic art he works in. Finding the best computer or tablet requires taking many factors into account. The starting point for a successful search is the answer to the question – what exactly will you use this equipment for?
Computer graphics can be divided into three-dimensional and two-dimensional. A 3D model consists of a skeletal model and a texture, and sometimes certain physical properties. Two-dimensional graphics are ordinary drawings, but in digital form. You need a powerful computer to process 3D scenes, but 2D graphics do not require a powerful tool. It is much more important to have a suitable monitor, or even two. Besides, a comfortable mouse or a graphics tablet with a pen is useful.
It is worth knowing that creating different types of images requires the use of different computer resources. The most demanding process is the processing of photos – the higher the resolution, the more time is needed to make changes. Powerful hardware is also required to work with 3D designs. Here you will need a powerful computer with plenty of RAM.
If you don’t plan to work with 3D graphics, an entry-level gem like the Intel Core i3-8100 or Intel Core i5-8400 will work well. These are quad- and six-core processors with good frequencies of 3.6 GHz and 2.8 GHz. However, if you will be working with 3D objects, then the processor needs to be more powerful – at least 4 cores at the same frequency.
For two-dimensional graphics, virtually any card is suitable, as most easily support more than one monitor. The best option for drawing would be the all-new NVIDIA GeForce 1060. A more advanced option is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or 2070. The new RTX series has additional CUDA cores that increase processing power. They enable faster and more efficient rendering of images, videos and 3D models.
The main indicator here is the amount of memory. If you need to work with large projects that use high-resolution textures, you need a graphics card with more memory. In this respect, the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 breaks all records.
8 GB of RAM is the minimum for graphics work, but 3D projects need even more memory. Here, as with graphics cards, the tasks you want to perform are important. For simpler 3D objects, 8 GB is enough, but if you plan to create realistic models and animate them, you need at least 32 GB and even 64 GB.
For 2D graphics work, an SSD is not necessary, but it’s hard to imagine a modern computer without one. Ideally, you should use a tandem of three hard drives – 2 × SSD and HDD. SSDs tend to have a smaller capacity and are used for installing the system, programs and games and saving files to the HDD for long-term storage.
Graphics stations for 3D work cannot reach their full potential without a good monitor. The most important indicator is the level of color reproduction. The monitor should be large and have maximum resolution. The minimum is Full HD, but preferably 4K or 2K.
A cheaper alternative for graphic designers creating two-dimensional projects is, of course, a graphics tablet designed for this type of work.
main photo: unsplash.com/Theme Photos
