New MacPro and CS5

[realitystops]

Hello all,

New MP on the way, base unit + 16gb ram.

Still using CS5 and am very happy to do so.

I have never been clear on the Open CL/CUDA stuff and would like a basic explanation; not too many abbreviations please, so I can set up with confidence on receipt.

Thank you in anticipation.

 

[jasonvp]

Still using CS5 and am very happy to do so.

I have never been clear on the Open CL/CUDA stuff and would like a basic explanation; not too many abbreviations please, so I can set up with confidence on receipt.

CUDA and OpenCL are both ways in which an application can send certain types of calculations to the graphics card in a parallel manner. This means they're able to complete those calculations a lot faster without overwhelming the computer's CPU. CUDA is an nVidia proprietary technology, where OpenCL is supported by both nVidia and AMD. The catch is: AMD has better OpenCL performance than nVidia does. So in real simplistic terms, when you hear "OpenCL", think AMD. "CUDA", think nVidia.

The new Mac Pros can't run CUDA applications because they only have AMD graphics cards in them.

You didn't say which of the CS5 applications you're using, but: The two main applications that can take advantage of a graphics card are Premiere Pro and After Effects. In CS5, neither of these applications were programmed to make use of OpenCL. They only speak CUDA. So basically: anything you do with either of those applications on your new Mac will be entirely bound to the CPU.

 

[realitystops]

thank you Jason-and so?

I am sorry for the omit ion! CS5 to me is Photoshop ;-)

So, your explanation was exemplary.

So thicket here just needs to know how that affects my performance setup when I come to it?

I did say simpleton didn't I?

Thanks again.

ps. talented with images does not mean I know one end of a computer from the other ;-)

 

[wonderspark]

You won't have to do anything special. Photoshop CS5 (or from CS5.5, or CS6, or CC) will work just fine no matter what.

I think most usage of graphics card acceleration in regard to Adobe CS(X) is with the video products, such as Premiere and After Effects. CS5 Premiere made great use of CUDA acceleration (via nVidia cards) but left OpenCL (AMD/ATI cards) without any acceleration. That is changing now. My Mac with a 5870 GPU uses OpenCL to accelerate video in Premiere CS6, but did not in CS5.

 

[realitystops]

Gratitude

Thanks to you both.

Clear as I need it and useful.

Ta Very Much!