Photoshop performance 27 Inch iMac, VRAM Question

[otisblack]

Hi all,

I have a new 27inch base model iMac that comes with 4GB ram and a 4670 256mb Radeon graphics card. I noticed that when I copy/paste images in photoshop cs4 and drag the images, the pasted image usually gets blocky and moves in slow motion when i drag it.

My friend has a Mac with a 512mb video card and 4gb of ram and has no such issue. I'm wondering if the difference in VRAm is what is causing my sluggishness in Cs4

My question is: should I have opted for the 512 model graphics card? I have another week or so to return my iMac. Or is this a RAm issue, and should I upgrade to 8gb of ram? I guess I'm wondering how much of a difference video memory makes on system performance. Thanks!!

 

[Badger^2]

reinstall photoshop

Unless you are copying and pasting 2 gig photoshop files, your new iMac can handle copying and pasting in its sleep.

CS4 isnt really any more demanding than CS3, and that will work on just about any G4 with 16 megs of VRAM and 512 megs of vram -- and it will copy and paste all day.

its not your mac.

 

[otisblack]

Thanks...maybe it's the graphics issue the new iMacs are experiencing. Strange though, i still have the issue after an Airport restart...

 

[googdot]

I use PS with integrated graphics and have no issues at all. Have you optimized Photoshop to use as much RAM as possible, scratch disk, cache, etc.?

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404440.html

 

[larzy]

I also had this problem with the 27" I returned due to the screen flickering issue... I think it might be a software issue...?

 

[grahamnp]

CS4 has GPU acceleration which should speed up the actions you described (meaning the 4670 will be of help) but its not a problem you should be having in the first place.

 

[hundert]

Sorry, it's an old thread, but the issue remains unsolved.

Here is the answer:


Every non professional graphics card will behave like yours. If you drag very large images -
I don't know, maybe 15 megapixels or so - then it will be jerky.

I have it with my Ati 4890 1GB in windows, my brothers has it with his iMac 27 i5 with 4850.


If you want to get rid of it, you will need to buy professional graphics cards like Nvidia Quadro or ATI FirePro.
For Mac Pro there are some, not for iMac. Mostly for Windows.
They are specifically designed for artists who don't want jerkiness in 2D or 3D.

While 2D, pictures, are not moved too much, you don't really need a Quadro, but in 3D, where you constantly
turn objects and camera around it, a lack of a professional graphics card is pain in the a55!

They cost more than a thousand dollars and go all the way up to $4000


Don't worry, your iMac is fine.

 

[rhett7660]

Also..

Are you dragging these files over the network?

IE network storage to photoshop?

Could it also be, since you are only using one hard drive photoshop may see some latency?

Are you using any other drives whether firewire or so to house your files and not using the internal hard drive?