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How Much Space Does Photoshop Take?

Published: 14/06/2023

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Before using Adobe Photoshop, it's vital that you know its system requirements. This way, you can launch the program properly and edit real estate photos without system problems. This article explains how much space does Photoshop take so you can prepare enough storage space.

How Much Space Does Photoshop Take?

Photoshop takes up a minimum of 4GB of hard disk space and 8GB of RAM to run efficiently. However, it's recommendable to have about 16GB of RAM and hard disk space for a fast internal drive. This applies to both Mac and Windows users.

You can go as high as you can because memory and processor are the most important components that make a difference in the performance of Photoshop. In this guide, you will find a comprehensive overview of Photoshop's minimum and recommended system requirements, so you'll know how much space it takes.

Minimum System Requirements to Run Photoshop on Windows

Photoshop consumes a minimum storage space of 4GB and 8GB worth of RAM space. If you want to install and use Photoshop on your Windows operating system, you must have the following system specifications.

ComponentsRecommended
CPUIntel or AMD processors that have 64-bit support and 2 GHz or advanced processor
RAMMinimum of 8 GB
HDD Minimum storage space of 4 GB
Operating SystemWindows 10 version or later
GPU DirectX 12 support with at least 2 GB of memory
Screen Resolution1280 X 800
ConnectionInternet connection to activate the software

Minimum System Requirements to Run Photoshop on MacOS

Like Windows, running Photoshop on Mac needs 4GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. If you want to install and use Photoshop on your Mac operating system, then you must have the following system requirements specifications at the least:

ComponentsRecommended
CPUIntel or AMD processor with 64-bit support and 2 GHz or faster processor
RAM 8 GB minimum
HDDStorage space of 4 GB
Operating SystemMacOS Mojave or later
GPUDirectX 12 support and 2 GB of memory
Screen Resolution1280 X 800
ConnectionInternet connection to activate the software

Component Breakdown of Photoshop System Requirements

Now you know the minimum level of system requirements you would need before being able to install and run Photoshop on your computer. Now, let’s learn, in detail, about the specifications of your system components required to run Photoshop smoothly.

Operating System

When running Photoshop accurately, your operating system is not a significant factor. As long as you have a relatively recent version, it does not make a difference if you use Windows or Mac. Photoshop runs equally well on both operating systems.

Required Operating System for Photoshop

If you want to use Photoshop on Windows, then you will need Windows 10 to be able to install the latest Photoshop edition. Photoshop CC 2020 and later do not support Windows 7 anymore. When using Mac, you can use macOS Mojave. However, it's best if you use the latest version, Big Sur.

  • If you want to use Photoshop on Windows, you need Windows 10 to install the latest Photoshop edition. 
  • Photoshop CC 2020 and later do not support Windows 7 anymore. 
  • When using Mac, you can use macOS Mojave. However, it's best to use the latest version, Big Sur.

Memory (RAM)

When it comes to memory storage, it is best to choose quantity over quality. The size of your RAM components is what affects Photoshop's performance. 

Prepare as high RAM as possible for Photoshop to run smoothly. Make sure to go for at least 8 GB of RAM storage. The Photoshop performance will boost even more if you go up to 16 GB.

You should also be alert that if you do not have sufficient RAM space in your computer, then Photoshop will start consuming your disk space. As a result, there would be a significant drop in the performance of Photoshop.

Processor (CPU)

Your processor is one of the biggest and most influential components that affect the performance of Photoshop. 

  • For most of its tasks, Photoshop makes use of the CPU. It is recommended to use a minimum of 2GHz of the processor.
  • As far as the brand of the processor is concerned, it is not much of an issue anymore for Photoshop to perform well. Previously, it was better to use Intel CPUs to run Photoshop smoothly. You can get AMD and Intel and see similar performance levels of Photoshop.

Graphics Card (GPU)

The graphics card, GPU, is different from the component to focus on when looking for Photoshop system requirements. Instead of prioritizing GPU, invest in a high-performing CPU and more quantity of memory (RAM). A decent GPU is enough for Photoshop to run without any issues.

You can even run Photoshop with the GPU integrated with the processor. For the performance of Photoshop, there is no noticeable difference between a regular and a high-end graphics card. You need a standard GPU with a minimum of 2GB to run Photoshop adequately on your system.

Storage (SSD or HDD)

Computer storage is one of the most overlooked components when it comes to the performance of Photoshop. There are two types of storage: hard drives and Solid State Drives. Hard drives may be enough to get the job done, although SSDs are supremely faster.

If you want the performance of your Photoshop to improve due to the SSD, then you must use it as a scratch disk. To set your SSD as your scratch disk:

  • Go to Edit, expand Preferences, and click on General.
Setting the Preferences option to General
  • In the resulting dialog box, navigate to Scratch Disks, and select SSDs.
Using SSD as a Scratch Disk

How to Determine How Much Space My Current Photoshop Is Consuming?

Here's how you can determine how much space your Photoshop version occupies.

  • Go to Help and click on System Info.
Photoshop Help Section
  • You can look at the memory requirements your particular version of Photoshop requires.
Photoshop System Info

Conclusion

Photoshop consumes at least 8GB RAM and 4GB of computer storage space. You can go beyond these minimum system requirements to improve Photoshop's performance while editing real estate images. If needed, you can also transfer Photoshop from an older computer onto your new one.

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