Do you need a good video card for Photoshop?

tkline

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Jan 29, 2016
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So I currently have a PC with an i5-6500 , 32 GB of RAM and a GTX 1070 video card. I’d like to keep this PC just for general use plus graphic design work and light video editing. I was hoping to build a separate gaming PC, and use my video card for it rather than buying a new one.

My monitor is a 34” ultra wide with 3440x1440 resolution. Will the processor alone be able to handle that if I plug it right into the motherboard? Will there be any performance issues using apps like Photoshop, Indesign or After Effects, or just general computing? I won’t really be gaming at all with this system, it will just be a work system.
 
Solution
No, you do not need a "good" GPU for Photoshop and light video editing (for those video editing programs that aren't coded to run better off GPU vs. CPU anyway). A $100 GPU will be more than adequate (just make sure it has outputs that your monitor inputs support).

Regarding your on-board graphics being able to run that ultra-wide, you'd need to look at your motherboard's manual and see what the maximum resolution it supports from each of the motherboard video outputs.
No, you do not need a "good" GPU for Photoshop and light video editing (for those video editing programs that aren't coded to run better off GPU vs. CPU anyway). A $100 GPU will be more than adequate (just make sure it has outputs that your monitor inputs support).

Regarding your on-board graphics being able to run that ultra-wide, you'd need to look at your motherboard's manual and see what the maximum resolution it supports from each of the motherboard video outputs.
 
Solution