So you want to build a PC for Adobe Creative Suite? I’m going to take you step by step on what you need to know such as the specific hardware you must get, and how to put them together. We are also going to look at the different apps included in the Adobe Creative Suite, and their specific hardware requirements.
By the way, Adobe Creative Suite is now known as Adobe Creative Cloud and is now a subscription-based service. There are different tiers of subscription for both professionals and students, and you can also download trials for select apps for a period of time.
Adobe Creative Suite encompasses a wide range of applications for the media, entertainment, and advertising industries. The suite of applications targets different industries such as printing and publishing, new media, photography, video production, and others.
But before we get to it, please understand that this page may contain affiliate links. We may earn commissions for qualifying purchases made through this page, at no extra cost to you. This is to support our work.
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How to get Adobe Creative Cloud (formerly Creative Suite)
Adobe Creative Cloud is available for individuals and teams in the creative, media and entertainment, publishing, design, film & video, web services, and other related industries. Most of the apps have trials that allow you to test-run before you commit.
PC Builds for Adobe Creative Suite (formerly Creative Suite)
All the builds featured on this page have been vetted for compatibility. There may be minor issues such as updating your motherboard BIOS which is expected. However, in any case, feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
You’ll find 3 categories of builds for budget, mid-range and high-end, on both AMD and Intel platforms. This is quite necessary to accommodate every budget.
AMD BUILDS
TAKE YOUR PICK FROM 3 OPTIONS – BUDGET, MID-RANGE, AND HIGH-END BUILDS
BUDGET AMD BUILD FOR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
This build is geared towards DESIGN/PUBLISHING Creative Cloud Apps. It will run most of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps easily. These include apps such as Dreamweaver, Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, most of the cloud-based apps, and most of the design apps. However, don’t expect it to run demanding apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects satisfactorily. If you want to run Premiere Pro, After Effects, or Adobe Dimension, please choose a higher build below.
Last update on 2021-03-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
NB: The CPU Cooler is bundled with the processor.
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MID-RANGE AMD BUILD FOR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
This build is geared towards DESIGN/PUBLISHING/MULTIMEDIA Creative Cloud Apps. It will run most of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps easily. These include apps such as Dreamweaver, Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and all of the cloud-based apps. It will also run demanding apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects. Please refer to the app hardware specifications for more information.
Last update on 2021-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
HIGH-END AMD BUILD FOR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
This build is geared towards DESIGN/PUBLISHING/MULTIMEDIA Creative Cloud Apps. It will run all of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps easily. Please refer to the app hardware specifications for more information.
Last update on 2021-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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INTEL BUILDS
TAKE YOUR PICK FROM 3 OPTIONS – BUDGET, MID-RANGE, AND HIGH-END BUILDS
BUDGET INTEL BUILD FOR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
This build is geared towards DESIGN/PUBLISHING Creative Cloud Apps. It will run most of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps easily. These include apps such as Dreamweaver, Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, most of the cloud-based apps, and most of the design apps. However, don’t expect it to run demanding apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects satisfactorily. If you want to run Premiere Pro, After Effects, or Adobe Dimension, please choose a higher build below.
Last update on 2021-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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MID-RANGE INTEL BUILD FOR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
This build is geared towards DESIGN/PUBLISHING/MULTIMEDIA Creative Cloud Apps. It will run most of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps easily. These include apps such as Dreamweaver, Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and all of the cloud-based apps. It will also run demanding apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects. Please refer to the app hardware specifications for more information.
Last update on 2021-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
HIGH-END INTEL BUILD FOR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
This build is geared towards DESIGN/PUBLISHING/MULTIMEDIA Creative Cloud Apps. It will run all of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps easily. Please refer to the app hardware specifications for more information.
Last update on 2021-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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Hardware Requirements for Adobe Creative Suite PC Build
Adobe Creative Suite is available as a SaaS (Software as a Service), hosted on the cloud. There are different tiers of subscription for the different applications. If you are looking to build a PC for Adobe Creative Suite, you must take into account the hardware requirements of these apps. We will look at the unique hardware requirements for each application below.
Table of Adobe Creative Cloud Applications and unique hardware requirements
Here is a selection of Creative Cloud apps and further details which might interest you.
| Platform | RAM (Minimum) | CPU | Capabilities | Industry | |
| Acrobat Pro | Desktop/Mobile | 2GB | Intel/AMD, 1.5GHz + | The complete PDF solution for today’s multi-device world. | Diverse |
| Acrobat Pro 2020 | Desktop/Mobile | 2GB | Intel/AMD, 1.5GHz + | Create, edit, sign, and protect all of your PDFs with the industry-leading PDF desktop solution. For Windows and Mac | Diverse |
| Acrobat Pro DC | Desktop/Mobile/Web | 2GB | Intel/AMD, 1.5GHz + | The complete PDF solution to get your work done faster on desktop, web, or mobile. For Mac and Windows | Diverse |
| Acrobat Reader DC | Desktop | 2GB | Intel/AMD, 1.5GHz + | View, fill, sign, and comment on PDFs for free | Diverse |
| Adobe Connect | Desktop/Mobile | 512MB | Intel/AMD, 1.5GHz + | Go beyond web conferencing | Diverse |
| Adobe Fresco | Desktop/Tablet/Mobile | 8GB | Any modern CPU | Rediscover the joy of drawing and painting anywhere | Design/Publishing |
| Adobe Presenter Video Express | Desktop | 4GB | Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD Phenom® II processor | Personal video studio right on your desktop | Media/Entertainment |
| Adobe Scan | Mobile (Android & iOS) | 2GB | 1.5GHz + mobile processor | Go from paper to digital fast. Scan notes, documents, receipts, and more to PDF | Diverse |
| Adobe Sign | Web/Mobile | 2GB | 1.5GHz + mobile processor | Send documents for signature, track e-signing progress, and get real-time updates all on your mobile device | Diverse |
| Aero | Mobile | 3GB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Design and share immersive augmented reality experiences, no coding required | Media/Entertainment |
| After Effects 2020 | Desktop | 8GB | Intel Core2 Duo or AMD Phenom II processor with 64-bit support | Cinematic visual effects and motion graphics | Media/Entertainment |
| Animate | Desktop | 2GB | Intel Pentium 4 or Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor (2GHz+) | A new age for animation. Any platform, device and style | Media/Entertainment |
| Audition | Desktop | 4GB | 64-bit CPU | Bring stories to life with audio | Media/Entertainment |
| Behance | Web | NA | NA | Showcase and discover creative work | Design/Publishing |
| Bridge | Desktop | 2GB | Intel®, AMD, or ARM processor with 64-bit support | Centralize and manage your creative assets | Diverse |
| Captivate Prime | Desktop | 2GB | Intel®, AMD, or ARM processor with 64-bit support | Deliver personalized learning experiences across multiple devices | Learning/Education |
| Capture | Mobile | 2GB | Intel®, AMD, or ARM processor with 64-bit support | Turn any image on your phone into a color theme, graphic, brush, pattern, or texture | Diverse |
| Character Animator | Desktop | 8GB | Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support. | Animate your 2D characters in real time | Media/Entertainment |
| ColdFusion Enterprise (2021) | Desktop | 2GB | 64-bit CPU | Rapidly develop robust, scalable, secure enterprise applications | Web Services/Programming |
| Comp | Mobile | 2GB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Create design comps using your real assets and fonts | Design/Publishing |
| Design to Print | Desktop | 2GB | Intel®, AMD processor with 64-bit support | Make art, make money with Adobe Design to Print | Design/Publishing |
| Dimension | Desktop | 2GB | Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support | Create photorealistic images for branding, product shots, and package design | Design/Publishing/Multimedia |
| Dreamweaver | Desktop | 2gb | Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 processor | Design and develop modern, responsive web sites | Web Services/Design |
| Fill & Sign | Mobile (Android, iOS) | 512MB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Fill and sign any form. Even snap a picture of a paper form to fill out | Diverse |
| FrameMaker | Desktop | 4GB | Core i5 or faster processor | Automated publishing. Exceptionally fast | Design/Publishing |
| Illustrator | Desktop | 1GB | Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor | Create beautiful vector art and illustrations on desktop and iPad | Design/Publishing |
| Illustrator Draw | Mobile (Android, iOS) | 2GB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Create vector art and designs on your mobile device. | Diverse |
| InCopy | Desktop | 4GB | Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor | Collaborate with copywriters and editors. | Design/Publishing |
| InDesign | Desktop | 4GB | Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor (dual core and faster) | Design and publish elegant layouts for print and digital. | Design/Publishing |
| Lightroom (1TB) | Desktop, Mobile, Web | 8GB | Intel®, AMD, or ARM processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster processor | Edit, organize, store, and share photos from anywhere. | Design/Publishing/Photography |
| Lightroom Classic | Desktop | 8GB | Intel®, AMD, or ARM processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster processor | Photo editing optimized for desktop. | Design/Publishing/Photography |
| Media Encoder | Desktop | 8GB | Multicore processor with 64-bit support required. | Quickly output video files for virtually any screen. | Multimedia/Media & Entertainment |
| Mixamo | Web | 4GB | Intel Dual Core processor or later | Rapidly create, rig and animate unique characters for design projects. | Media & Entertainment |
| Photoshop | Desktop | 2GB | Intel or AMD processor with 64-bit support; 2GHz or faster | Edit, composite, and create beautiful images, graphics, and art on desktop and iPad | Design/Publising/Photography/Web Services |
| Photoshop Camera | Mobile (Android, iOS) | 1GB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Easily capture and share brilliant photos | Diverse |
| Photoshop Elements 2021 | Desktop | 8GB | Intel 6th Generation or newer processor or AMD equivalent with SSE4 support | Organize, edit, create, and share your photos | Photography/Design/Multimedia |
| Photoshop Express | Tablet, Mobile (Android/iOS) | 8GB | Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster processor with SSE 4.2 or later | Edit and transform your photos on the go | Photography/Design/Multimedia |
| Photoshop Fix | Mobile (Android, iOS) | 2GB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Retouch, restore, and share your photos on the go | Diverse |
| Photoshop Mix | Mobile (Android, iOS) | 2GB | A11 ARM chip or higher | Combine and enhance images on your mobile device | Diverse |
| Portfolio | Web | 2GB | Any compatible 64-bit CPU | Create your own personalized website | Web Services |
| Prelude | Desktop | 4GB | Intel® Core™2 Duo or AMD Phenom® II processor; 64-bit support required | Metadata ingest, logging, and rough cuts | Media & Entertainment/Multimedia |
| Premiere Elements 2021 | Desktop | 16GB of RAM for HD media. 32GB or more of RAM for 4K media | Intel 7th Generation or newer processor or AMD equivalent with SSE4 and AVX support | Organize, edit, create, and share your videos | Media & Entertainment/Multimedia |
| Premiere Pro | Desktop | 16GB of RAM for HD media. 32GB or more of RAM for 4K media | Intel 7th Generation or newer processor or AMD equivalent with SSE4 and AVX support | Industry-standard pro video and film editing | Media & Entertainment/Multimedia |
| Premiere Rush | Desktop, Mobile (Android/iOS) | 8GB | Multicore processor with 64-bit support (Recommended: Intel Core i5 or i7, or equivalent) | Create and share online videos anywhere | Media & Entertainment/Multimedia |
| RoboHelp | Desktop | 4GB | 64-bit 4 vCpu Core i5 or faster processor | Next-generation software for authoring and publishing Help, policy, and knowledgebase content. For Windows and Mac | Diverse |
| Spark | Mobile | 2GB | Any recent mobile CPU | Create graphics, web pages, and video stories in no time. | Diverse |
| Substance by Adobe | Desktop | 8GB | Any 64-bit processor | The industry standard for 3D painting and texturing | Media & Entertainment/Multimedia |
| Technical Communication Suite | Desktop | 4GB | 64-bit processor, i3 or higher | Five market-leading tools for your technical, eLearning and business content. One value-for-money suite | Diverse |
| XD | Desktop, Mobile | 4GB | 64-bit processor, i3 or higher | Design, prototype, and share user experiences for web, mobile, voice, and more | Diverse |
| XML Documentation for Adobe Experience Manager | Desktop | 4GB | 64-bit processor, i3 or higher | An enterprise-class CCMS to manage documentation from creation to delivery | Diverse |
Putting it together
Building a PC for Creative Suite basically involves putting the components together and firing it up. We’ve put together a guide on how to do that, step by step. Do well to check it out.
Frequently asked questions on PC build for Adobe Creative Suite
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Concluding thoughts
We think it’s more advantageous to go for a high-end PC for Adobe Creative Suite. This is because the apps become more resource-intensive as newer updates emerge. So essentially you should build a future-proof PC that will be able to run the apps for like 5 years from now.
Let us hear from you how you did it. Was it fun building your PC? You can use the comments section below.
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- Just so you know!
My passion for PC hardware is my greatest motivation. I love technology and how it can make life easier and less complicated! When I’m not tinkering with hardware, I’m reading. I love to travel and I usually can’t wait to sit down on my PC to work.
I’m also a copywriter, designer, video editor, and writer. I also do some 3D with 3DS Max. Do you want to reach me? Use the Social Media buttons, or shoot me an email. I’ll be glad to hear from you!