CS5 performance question

[carregwen]

I have 6GB memory on my processor, and a 1GB graphics card. I was wondering if I increased my memory allocation to CS5 if it would run faster when editing, or would it just be able to load more? When I took this screen grab my clock said 25% usage on memory while I had Firefox, CS5, and Bridge loaded (but not doing anything). I run Windows 7.

[carregwen]

Also.... the GPU settings have an advanced button which allows three options. One of them is 'advanced'. Anyone used it? Not sure what they mean by 'visual defects'.

[Colin Southern]

I have 6GB memory on my processor, and a 1GB graphics card. I was wondering if I increased my memory allocation to CS5 if it would run faster when editing, or would it just be able to load more? When I took this screen grab my clock said 25% usage on memory while I had Firefox, CS5, and Bridge loaded (but not doing anything). I run Windows 7.

Hi Rob,

That looks like the 32 bit edition of Photoshop, in which case you should set to to use 100% as it can't see more than 3255MB ("3GB") or RAM - the othr programs will quite happily use the remaining 3GB (if needed).

Also, for what it's worth, I also set the x64 bit edition to use 100% - it doesn't mean that it WILL use 100%, only that it might TRY to use 100% if needed (which the OS won't allow) - so it's really just a cap to determine how nicely it plays with other apps.

[zack10]

I have 6GB memory on my processor, and a 1GB graphics card. I was wondering if I increased my memory allocation to CS5 if it would run faster when editing, or would it just be able to load more? When I took this screen grab my clock said 25% usage on memory while I had Firefox, CS5, and Bridge loaded (but not doing anything). I run Windows 7.

Hi Rob,
If you want to use all of your RAM go to the lower left part of the start screen and type in msgconfig. This will bring up a dialog box where you open this part of windos 7, scroll down and open the one the pertains to memory, I can't remember what the actual name is but you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. Open it and you will find a checkbox that says automatically allow windows to choose amount of memory, uncheck this box. Move down from here and you can manually set how much memory you want use. I had gone through this after spending hours on the phone with a tech rep from HP about start-up problems with windows 7, he had me reconfigure everything and I had told him what the computer was used for, mainly PS and other RAM eating programs, this is what he had me do. The problem is no matter what you choose in PS for your settings windows will only allow the program to use a small amount base on what is open. You spent good money to get speed and you can't use it. Hope this helps!

GT

[proseak]

"That looks like the 32 bit edition of Photoshop, in which case you should set to to use 100% as it can't see more than 3255MB ("3GB") or RAM - the othr programs will quite happily use the remaining 3GB (if needed)" - I don't think that'll work, Colin - a 32-bit OS can only "see" 4 Gb in total...and that includes the graphics card. I've tried setting RAM to 100% in the past (XP Pro, 4Gb, 0.5 Gb card)...and get "out of RAM" errors, along with a general slowdown.

One thing which will help is changing the scratch disc order - use "D" as SD 1, and "C" as SD2. The important thing is that the first scratch disc isn't on the same drive as the OS, and the pagefile. Ideally, physically separate drives.

There's a lot more about this - here's an URl;

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404439.html

and here's a table from it;

"This table lists the amount of RAM available to Photoshop with the different versions of Windows:

Photoshop Version Windows Version Maximum amount of RAM that Photoshop can use
32-bit 32-bit 1.7 GB
32-bit 64-bit 3.2 GB
64-bit 64-bit as much RAM as you can fit into your computer"

so my current allocation of 2Gb is a bit wasted (32-bit throughout)

One other thing, Rob - if you go "Start", "All programs", you might find Photoshop CS5(64-bit); I have seen this on a friends 64-bit laptop...made his day!

HTH

Peter

[proseak]

"Also.... the GPU settings have an advanced button which allows three options. One of them is 'advanced'. Anyone used it? Not sure what they mean by 'visual defects'."

Well, here's another URL from Adobe..not sure if it will help - I'm still chewing my way throughit myself!

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404898.html

and

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb40574...hotoshop%20CS5

" 3.

* Mode > Basic Uses the least amount of GPU memory and enables basic OpenGL features.
* Mode > Normal Uses more GPU memory and enables GPU-based color matching, tone mapping, and checkerboard blending.
* Mode > Advanced Provides the benefits of Normal mode as well as newer OpenGL advances that can result in improved performance.
Note: On Mac OS, Advanced mode requires Mac OS 10.6.x. Advanced mode does is not available in Mac OS X 10.5.x.
* Vertical Sync Reduces tearing by synching the frame rate to that of the display.
* Anti-Alias Guides And Paths Allows the GPU hardware to smooth the edges of drawn guides and paths.


Abacus, anyone?

[Colin Southern]

Hi Peter,

I said 32 bit Photoshop, not 32 bit OS

[carregwen]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Peter, I found those links yesterday, thanks. They explain it quite well, don't they. I should have explained, I use 32bit Photoshop as some of my third-party plugins only have 32bit versions, although if I'm not using them on a particular occasion I could run the 64bit Photoshop.

My graphics card http://www.nvidia.com/object/product...gt_320_us.html seems to work well. The graphical features in Photoshop such as the grad tool in RAW are really smooth and easy now, compared to my old machine which made them very slow and jerky. I have changed the GPU settings to 'advanced' mode, and I have set the memory allocation to 100% in both versions.

My overall concern here was that having spent over £700 on a new processor (not inc monitor) I am getting the best out of it. I wondered about upping the memory to 8GB, but everyone I've asked seems to think that 6GB can 'run the world' as one engineer said yesterday.

I looked at the Windows Experience Index, and I seem to have a good score. Has anyone else tried this?



Zack

I ran MSCONFIG, but wan't sure what options you refer to. Here is the dialogue box I get.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Rob,

Memory is pretty easy to assess - bring up task manager (ctrl + shift + escape) - click on the performance tab - and if the line on the memory graph is near or above 50% then you're being memory limited. You probably won't be able to go for 8GB easily as they probably have 6x 1GB ram in there at the moment - so to go to 8GB you'd have to remove 2x 1GB sticks and replace them with 2x 2GB sticks (but I could be wrong).

[carregwen]

Hi Rob,

Memory is pretty easy to assess - bring up task manager (ctrl + shift + escape) - click on the performance tab - and if the line on the memory graph is near or above 50% then you're being memory limited. You probably won't be able to go for 8GB easily as they probably have 6x 1GB ram in there at the moment - so to go to 8GB you'd have to remove 2x 1GB sticks and replace them with 2x 2GB sticks (but I could be wrong).

Thanks, Colin. It's well below the 50% line. I appear to have plenty. I just ran out of RAM when I did the content-aware fill for the thread I just posted, but I hadn't flattened the image. After I had done so, it was fine. I would need a single 2GB stick to make it up to 8GB. I asked at the store where I bought the machine, but they don't sell DDR3 memory yet!

[Colin Southern]

Thanks, Colin. It's well below the 50% line. I appear to have plenty. I just ran out of RAM when I did the content-aware fill for the thread I just posted, but I hadn't flattened the image. After I had done so, it was fine. I would need a single 2GB stick to make it up to 8GB. I asked at the store where I bought the machine, but they don't sell DDR3 memory yet!

Hi Rob,

Were you using the 32 bit version by any chance?

Also - you might like to have a read of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_architecture re: adding additional memory (I'm assuming you're running dual or tripple channel).

[carregwen]

Hi Rob,

Were you using the 32 bit version by any chance?

Also - you might like to have a read of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_architecture re: adding additional memory (I'm assuming you're running dual or tripple channel).

Yes, 32bit version. Thanks for the info link. I really must try to get to grips with all this.

[Colin Southern]

Yes, 32bit version. Thanks for the info link. I really must try to get to grips with all this.

Much less likely to run out of memory with the 64 bit version

[zack10]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Peter, I found those links yesterday, thanks. They explain it quite well, don't they. I should have explained, I use 32bit Photoshop as some of my third-party plugins only have 32bit versions, although if I'm not using them on a particular occasion I could run the 64bit Photoshop.

My graphics card http://www.nvidia.com/object/product...gt_320_us.html seems to work well. The graphical features in Photoshop such as the grad tool in RAW are really smooth and easy now, compared to my old machine which made them very slow and jerky. I have changed the GPU settings to 'advanced' mode, and I have set the memory allocation to 100% in both versions.

My overall concern here was that having spent over £700 on a new processor (not inc monitor) I am getting the best out of it. I wondered about upping the memory to 8GB, but everyone I've asked seems to think that 6GB can 'run the world' as one engineer said yesterday.

I looked at the Windows Experience Index, and I seem to have a good score. Has anyone else tried this?



Zack

I ran MSCONFIG, but wan't sure what options you refer to. Here is the dialogue box I get.

Rob, I'll check my computer today and give you the settings that I was given, the difference will be I have 8GB instead of 6GB.
GT

[zack10]

Rob, I'll check my computer today and give you the settings that I was given, the difference will be I have 8GB instead of 6GB.
GT

Rob,
Here is what to do. Go to control panel>system&security>system. Click the advanced system settings in the left side bar. A dialog box for system properties appears, click the advanced tab, this opens performance options. Click on advanced then click the programs button in the first box. Then in the virtual memory box click change. In the virtual memory box uncheck the box at the top for "automatically manage paging file size". Go down to custom size and in the Initial size box type in 12000 and in Maximum type in 18000. Click set then OK. These figures will be for your 6GB of ram. Now all that you have will be available.

GT

[carregwen]

Rob,
Here is what to do. Go to control panel>system&security>system. Click the advanced system settings in the left side bar. A dialog box for system properties appears, click the advanced tab, this opens performance options. Click on advanced then click the programs button in the first box. Then in the virtual memory box click change. In the virtual memory box uncheck the box at the top for "automatically manage paging file size". Go down to custom size and in the Initial size box type in 12000 and in Maximum type in 18000. Click set then OK. These figures will be for your 6GB of ram. Now all that you have will be available.

GT

Zack

I don't profess to understand much of this, but I've given it a go, and will see how it progresses. I much appreciate your help.

[zack10]

Rob,
You'll have to restart your computer when prompted. Now if you crank up the RAM for CS5 you will see the speed.

GT

[Colin Southern]

Zack

I don't profess to understand much of this, but I've given it a go, and will see how it progresses. I much appreciate your help.

Hi Rob,

Virtual Memory is Hard Disk Drive space that Windows uses as "RAM" if it doesn't have enough of the real stuff, through a process called "paging". Although it may help "get the job done", it's best avoided like the plague because hard drives are something like 100 times (or more) slower than RAM ... and the best way to avoid using it is to ... have plenty of RAM installed!

Basically, if you keep the performance graph below about 50% it won't make any difference what you set the pagefile options too as the system won't use it. The system normally sets the page file at a minimum of RAM + 300MB, and a maximum of RAM x 3, and can dynamically increase in size if needed ... so I'm afraid that all you'll do by setting it to 12000 / 18000 is lose 12GB or 18GB of HDD space, for no gain.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...virtual-memory

[carregwen]

Hi Rob,

Virtual Memory is Hard Disk Drive space that Windows uses as "RAM" if it doesn't have enough of the real stuff, through a process called "paging". Although it may help "get the job done", it's best avoided like the plague because hard drives are something like 100 times (or more) slower than RAM ... and the best way to avoid using it is to ... have plenty of RAM installed!

Basically, if you keep the performance graph below about 50% it won't make any difference what you set the pagefile options too as the system won't use it. The system normally sets the page file at a minimum of RAM + 300MB, and a maximum of RAM x 3, and can dynamically increase in size if needed ... so I'm afraid that all you'll do by setting it to 12000 / 18000 is lose 12GB or 18GB of HDD space, for no gain.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...virtual-memory

Yes, I vaguely remember from my IBM main-frame days that IBM machines had virtual memory paging to hard disks, and yes, it was pretty slow. What I don't understand is that PC memory (especially DDR2) is now pretty cheap, so why not put the max into machines? I guess most people don't need it unless they are gaming or Photoshopping?

[Colin Southern]

What I don't understand is that PC memory (especially DDR2) is now pretty cheap, so why not put the max into machines?

Because although a RAM is cheap, most people are even cheaper!

I remember getting an invoice from a supplier for 8MB (not GB) of RAM (many years ago) - total cost was $850 + Tax!