P: CS6 Slow compared to CS5.1 with large files

@Chris Cox: Yes, I can confirm. Turning off layer thumbnails solves the problem!! From 1 fps so to speak on complex folders to 20 fps. Wow, I'm very happy, thanks!!

It's really frustrating and I agree that being made to feel like it's our fault for working with large files that have multiple layers is ludicrous.

In fact, as I write this comment, I'm waiting for what appears to be between 2-3 full minutes to open a file that's 5.2 MB. Only 2 other applications open, no other PSD's open. Brand new Mac with tons of Ram. The common thread is that the more layers (and nested layer groups) you have, the slower CS6 is.

I asked a co-worker to open the same file in CS5 and it opened almost instantly. Considering this is what I work with all day every day, I'm essentially now about 30-40% as productive as I used to be.

I'm going to try it again with layer thumbnails turned off! Thanks!

Sorry, I was not trying to be rude in my previous post, but we are just all frustrated. I know for sure you are trying to help us, but please at least take our problems seriously and don't assume things too early, especially if you are not the one who need to use the software to produce professional work everyday. Try to stand in our shoes and understand our problems. And I know we need to provide you with as much details as possible so we will try to do that.

@Chris Cox:
" "because of performance issues".. and yet each version of Photoshop gets faster. Gotta love those myths flying around..."

Sorry, but I'm getting sick of the tone you put at us. No offense. Perhaps you think we made these problems up or there are problems with our systems.
Well, I can confirm the sluggishness of PS CS6 on a pretty new late 2010 iMac, which I consider to be a solid computer, 2.8 quad core with 8 gb ram. See my test results below. There are NO problems with our systems!
I'm going to install PS CS6 now on my second Mac, and if I encounter the same slowness, than it is not coincidence anymore. Fyi, this is a very new early 2012 MacBook Pro 17" quad core i7. It should be able to run Photoshop flawlessly.

Please consider there are many different kind of Photoshop users:
- Photographers: Who are editing perhaps 1 single huge image, perhaps adding a few layers here and there.
- UI designers: Who has PSD's with many folders, layers, vector elements, effects, images and type. For this group perhaps the sluggishness will be more noticeable.
- Etc...

I love the work you guys at Adobe did for CS6, absolutely props for the great work, but please take the problems all users state here seriously and don't immediately think there are problems with our systems. Thank you.

Please read the previous posts. If you are seeing a slowdown with moving layers - turn off layer thumbnails. Then we'll need more information and you to do some testing to figure out why your system is running slow.

You assume that other people are seeing a slowdown -- and the vast majority of users are seeing no slowdown. Yes, different people probably are seeing different slowdowns (thumbnails, video drivers, antivirus, etc.).

And we are trying to track down whatever might be causing slowdowns for those people, but we need to be able to reproduce the problem in order to figure out the cause.

The thumbnail problem is cross platform. The rest so far seems to be more platform or system specific -- but people are confusing multiple issues with some global issue that has no evidence behind it.

No, we run our tests with lots of different documents, plus runtime generated documents (for when we need thousands of layers, etc.).

The only fundamental issue seen so far is the layer thumbnail slowdown - which is why we keep asking people to turn off layer thumbnails then test again.

Again: you have an issue, but other people do not see the same issue. So we're trying to work with you to figure out what is different about your system, preferences, or usage to show a slowdown that other people are not seeing.

Moving a group sounds like the known layer thumbnail problem. Can you confirm that you have layer thumbnails turned off?

Where did anyone assume that everyone has the same problem? Of course we all want a fix but I don't think I somehow have right to one - it's up to you how you assign your development time, we can vote with our wallets if that doesn't suit us.

I have tried everything that's been suggested with no improvement - the fact that this is cross platform issue (OS X & Windows) suggests that it's a fundamental issue with Photoshop on certain PS file (large dimensions, lots of layers, lots of layer effects) - do you have a set of example PSDs that you run your performance tests on?

I have a 8 core MacPro with 16Gb of ram, it doesn't help!