Building the Perfect Lightroom PC: Upgrade, Replace, or Start from Scratch?

In Part 1 of this series, I shared the struggles I was having with my ageing Lightroom setup and why it was time for a serious rethink. Years of smooth editing had finally hit a wall: slow imports, laggy previews, and an overall editing experience that felt like wading through treacle.

Before jumping into the fun part—choosing shiny new components—I wanted to take a step back and explore the options I considered along the way. In the end, three paths were on the table: upgrade, replace, or build new. Here’s how I weighed them up.

Option 1: Upgrade My Existing PC

One of the best things about building a PC is knowing you can upgrade it later. So naturally, my first thought was: why not just swap out a few parts and keep editing?

The problem? My old faithful, and nicknamed "CHARD1", had simply run out of steam.

• Storage: Completely maxed out. Lightroom catalogues and RAW files chew through terabytes like popcorn, and adding yet another external drive wasn’t a long-term fix.

• Graphics card: A second-hand buy from five years ago. Fine for basic Lightroom work back then, but hopelessly out of its depth today.

• CPU: The real engine of Lightroom. Mine was, let’s just say… not a powerhouse.

  
  

After years of trouble-free editing, "CHARD1" had reached the end of the road. I might repurpose it later for backups or tinkering, but for serious editing? Time to move on.

Option 2: Buy a Pre‑Built or System Builder PC

Next, I considered buying a pre‑built PC or using a custom system builder. It had some appeal: someone else does the work, it arrives ready to go.

But for me, the downsides outweighed the convenience:

• More expensive than DIY for similar specs.

• Less flexibility—you’re often stuck with whatever components they choose.

• Zero fun factor—I actually enjoy the process of building and learning.

  
  

I even flirted with the idea of going full Apple Mac. I’m pretty agnostic about platforms—there’s an iPad on my desk, a Chromebook in my bag, and a PC under my monitor. I have no problem using a Mac if it makes sense.

But wow, those upgrades… £600 just to go from 1TB to 2TB SSD storage? That felt less like “Apple pricing” and more like daylight robbery. Tempting, but I moved on.

Option 3: Build a New Lightroom & Photoshop Editing PC

Which brings us to the winning choice: build a brand‑new PC from scratch.

This will be my second ever build, and I’m genuinely looking forward to it. There’s a special satisfaction in hand‑picking each component to perfectly match your workflow.

The parts are now ordered (well, most of them), and in Part 3 I’ll share:

• The exact components I chose and why.

• The specs I think are essential for smooth Lightroom and Photoshop performance in 2025.

• A few tips for anyone planning their own editing PC build.

Stay tuned—this is where the fun really begins.