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      06-13-2017, 10:41 AM   #1
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Laptop with 4k for photo editing - worth it or unnecessary resolution?

TL;DR = I use my laptop for photo editing and am ready for a new one. Is it worth the upgrade price for a 4k screen on a laptop, or is it a waste for small screen even if just the laptop alone is your primary editing option?

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I posted this on one of my photo forums, but this site has a pretty active photographers group too.

I'm in the market for a new laptop. I have an aging 1st generation Lenovo Yoga that has served me well over the past 5 years, but has started to struggle mightily with Lightroom the past 1-2 months. I want a new laptop for the next few years that is capable of strong Lightroom performance, but I am the type of person that sits on the couch while editing; photography is only a hobby for me (albeit a big hobby), so I do not have a dedicated desktop in my home for photography work. I travel quite a bit and have enjoyed the thin, lightweight form factor of the Yoga, so I'm likely looking for a similar type of Ultrabook again. I do very small amounts of video editing with GoPro clips, but far and away the bulk of my work is in photography. I am sticking with a Windows machine (personal preference), so please no suggestions for anything Apple.

One question from any similar photographers - is a 4K screen on a laptop worth the upgrade price, or is it wasted resolution for a small laptop screen? I do not think I'll notice the difference between 1080 and 4k on a 15-inch screen for regular tasks, but do you gain much in lightroom with the added resolution if I'm not using a large monitor to take advantage of it?

I'm looking at the Lenovo Flex 5 as the likely replacement candidate - similar form factor, decent specs with an i7 processor, price point is about right for what I'd like to spend (around $1k or so) - and Costco actually has two solid models (I have bought direct from Lenovo for my last 3-4 laptops for the family, and I typically prefer Lenovo products if all other things are equal)
  • Option 1 @ $1150: i7-7500U, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia 940MX 2GB graphics, 15" 4k screen, 512 GB SSD + 1TB hard drive
  • Option 2 @ $ 900: i7-7500U, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia 940MX 2GB graphics, 15" FHD/1080P screen, 512 GB SSD
  • Option 3 - buy option 2 to save the cash, then use the extra money for a 4k monitor down the road, and force myself to start using the office when I need that resolution.
The biggest difference for me is the additional $250 for the 4k screen resolution, as I can use my external drives & NAS for that extra hard-drive space. Has anyone recently made the upgrade to a 4K laptop, and do you feel it's worth the price jump?

Thanks for the input!
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2010 X5///M - Catless DP's, TTFS Stg2 tune
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