New laptop - high res or no?

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Oct 5th, 2016 11:31 am

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Oct 4th, 2016 6:35 pm

Kaitlyn [OP]: Deal Guru; May 6, 2005; 11316 posts; 1363 upvotes; GVR

Oct 4th, 2016 6:35 pm

New laptop - high res or no?

Looking to get a new laptop - probably the XPS 13. One of the big differences in model is the screen. Apart from touch, it is 1920x1080 or 3200x1800. My first reaction was to surely get the 3200x1800 as it would be better for photo+video viewing/editing. But is that in fact the case? If I load photos in and zoom, the 1:1 size (for example) would have the features displayed MUCH smaller on the high res version. What is the general view on screen resolution on laptops?

Also, based on the configurations, 16GB of ram is a PRICEY upgrade and apparently it's otherwise VERY difficult to upgrade ram. Is 8gb enough for photoshop+lightroom with the latest 7th gen CPUs?

6 replies

Oct 4th, 2016 9:19 pm

audit13: Deal Expert; Feb 24, 2003; 18692 posts; 5710 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 4th, 2016 9:19 pm

I can't speak for others but I know people that cannot handle 1080p on a 13" screen because their near-vision is not very good so they wind up bumping up the font size which can make the screen look weird.

Maybe go to a retailer and look at the different screen resolutions to help you decide.

Oct 4th, 2016 9:27 pm

coriolis: Deal Expert; May 22, 2005; 20621 posts; 6066 upvotes; GTA

Oct 4th, 2016 9:27 pm

If you're doing photo work, shouldn't you choose the one thats most Adobe RGB compatible out of the box?

Oct 4th, 2016 9:36 pm

Mulder and Scully: Deal Addict; Aug 3, 2006; 4909 posts; 1560 upvotes

Oct 4th, 2016 9:36 pm

Alternatively, get the 1080p screen model (which also has better battery life) and connect it to an external monitor if you're working on photos.

Oct 4th, 2016 11:00 pm

Kaitlyn [OP]: Deal Guru; May 6, 2005; 11316 posts; 1363 upvotes; GVR

Oct 4th, 2016 11:00 pm

Mulder and Scully wrote: ↑ Alternatively, get the 1080p screen model (which also has better battery life) and connect it to an external monitor if you're working on photos.

This will be for casual couch usage and while traveling

Oct 5th, 2016 2:38 am

SLee: Deal Fanatic; Jul 23, 2002; 5223 posts; 1623 upvotes

Oct 5th, 2016 2:38 am

Below are screenshots of Lightroom at 1:1; the top is a laptop with a 3200 x 1800 resolution (scaled down to 1920 x 1080) while the bottom is a laptop with a 1920 x 1200 resolution.

The higher res screen allows you to see more a photo while still having 1:1 pixel sharpness. You can still zoom so that the photo features are physically the same size as the lower res screen while retaining virtually the same level of sharpness and detail.

Oct 5th, 2016 11:31 am

gontori: Deal Addict; Jun 17, 2012; 2338 posts; 341 upvotes; In another world

Oct 5th, 2016 11:31 am

I'd say 13" is too small for a hi-res display.
I have a 15" 4K laptop and my version of Photoshop can't scale the fonts, so I can't read the menus.

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