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Adobe Lightroom Classic

A Lightroom Classic workstation that keeps up with your whole RAW library.

Hand-built in Stevenage and tuned for fast catalogue work, snappy culling and quick exports, with the CPU speed, memory and Gen5 NVMe that big RAW libraries actually need. From £1599.

  • High-clock CPU
  • 64GB+ DDR5
  • Gen5 NVMe
  • 5-year warranty
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Recommended configurations

Studio Starter

Serious RAW editing for everyday shoots

£1,599

CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (8 high-clock cores)
GPU
NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
RAM
32GB DDR5
Storage
1TB Gen5 NVMe (OS, catalogue and previews)
Best for
Photographers with libraries up to roughly 50,000 images who want fast culling and responsive Develop edits without overspending.
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Most popular

Pro Library

Our recommended Lightroom Classic build

£2,799

CPU
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (strong single-thread, plenty of cores for export)
GPU
NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti 16GB
RAM
64GB DDR5
Storage
2TB Gen5 NVMe + 4TB NVMe for working files
Best for
Working pros with large catalogues, high-resolution sensors and AI tools like Denoise and masking who switch between Lightroom and Photoshop daily.
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Master Catalogue

Huge libraries and zero waiting

£4,499

CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (16 cores, top AI and export speed)
GPU
NVIDIA RTX 5080 16GB
RAM
128GB DDR5
Storage
4TB Gen5 NVMe + 8TB NVMe library drive
Best for
High-volume studios running catalogues in the hundreds of thousands, heavy AI batch work and Lightroom alongside Photoshop and other apps at once.
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What each Lightroom Classic workload really leans on

Lightroom Classic is led by the CPU, so we prioritise clock speed and cores first, then plenty of RAM and fast NVMe.

What each Lightroom Classic workload really leans on
 TaskRecommended CPUGPU / VRAMRAM
Culling, library browsing and catalogue work
High single-thread CPU (Core Ultra or X3D)Mid-range RTX 50, 12-16GB32GB DDR5
Develop edits, masking and import or export
8 to 16 fast cores (Core Ultra 7/9 or 9950X3D)RTX 5070 Ti, 16GB64GB DDR5
AI Denoise and batch processing huge libraries
Ryzen X3D leads AI, plus high core countRTX 5080 or 5090, 16GB+128GB DDR5

The honest priority for Lightroom Classic is the CPU. Many catalogue operations and individual adjustments are still lightly threaded, so single-thread speed matters as much as core count, while import, export and AI features make good use of extra cores. The GPU helps but is not the bottleneck, so there is no need for a workstation GPU here. Put your budget into a fast CPU, 64GB or more of RAM and Gen5 NVMe for the catalogue and previews.

Why CREATE PCs

We spend your budget where Lightroom feels it

We lead with a fast CPU, generous DDR5 and Gen5 NVMe rather than an oversized graphics card, because that is what actually makes culling, edits and exports feel instant in Lightroom Classic.

Catalogue and previews on the right drive

We set up your OS, Lightroom catalogue and preview cache on fast NVMe and keep your image library on roomy storage, so big catalogues open quickly and stay responsive as they grow.

Hand-built in Stevenage, backed for 5 years

Every Lightroom workstation is assembled and stress-tested by hand in our Stevenage workshop and covered by a 5-year warranty, with honest advice from people who know the software, not a sales script.

Adobe Lightroom PCs FAQs

How much RAM do I need for Lightroom Classic?

32GB is a sensible minimum, but 64GB is the safer professional standard and keeps you off the page file during big imports, masking and AI work. If you shoot high-resolution sensors, run very large catalogues or keep Photoshop open alongside Lightroom, 128GB gives you real breathing room.

Is the CPU or the GPU more important for Lightroom Classic?

The CPU matters most by a clear margin. Many catalogue operations and individual Develop adjustments are lightly threaded, so single-thread speed counts as much as core count, while import, export and AI features benefit from extra cores. The GPU helps in places but is not the main bottleneck.

Do I need a professional or workstation graphics card?

No. Lightroom Classic does not need a Quadro or pro-class card, so a mainstream NVIDIA RTX 50 series card is the sensible choice. A faster GPU mainly helps AI scores and a little future-proofing, so we fit one in proportion to the build rather than overspending.

Does Lightroom Classic use more than one graphics card?

No, Lightroom Classic only uses a single GPU, so a second card brings no benefit. We put that money into a faster CPU, more RAM and quicker NVMe storage, which is where you will actually feel the difference.

Do you preinstall Adobe Lightroom Classic?

Adobe Lightroom Classic needs your own Creative Cloud subscription, so we do not bundle the licence. We can install it and the Creative Cloud app for you before delivery if you wish, and we set up your catalogue, preview cache and Camera Raw cache on fast storage so it runs well from day one.