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aaeriam
Participant
June 9, 2025
Question

Why is Designer more responsive on a desktop that has worse specs than my laptop?

  • June 9, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 177 views

Hey folks, I have two computers on which I actively run Designer (one work PC and one laptop for personal use). I've noticed that while working with larger graphs at 2k or higher, the 3D viewport updates, renders, and responds to changes in the graph noticeably faster than my laptop, despite the desktop having less VRAM and a comparable GPU to my laptop.

 

I'll post the specific hardware down below for reference, but I'm curious why this ends up being the case. It's a bit of an annoyance to jump from working on one machine that feels like a smooth experience to another machine that feels noticeably more sluggish on a daily basis. My only guess is that the laptop is forced to clock the CPU or GPU at a lower speed to keep the temperatures in check, but beyond that, I've no clue. 

Desktop Hardware

  • CPU - Ryzen 9 7950X 16C/32T
  • GPU - GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VRAM
  • RAM - 64GB 

Laptop Hardware (Razer Blade 16)

  • CPU - i9 13950HX
  • GPU - GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile 16GB VRAM
  • RAM - 64GB @ 5200 MT/s

3 replies

N
Community Manager
Nicolas WirrmannCommunity Manager
Community Manager
June 10, 2025

Have you checked the power management settings ?
On my laptop it makes a noticeable difference.

 

 

    Cyril Dellenbach
    Community Manager
    Cyril DellenbachCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    June 10, 2025

    Hello @aaeriam,

     

    In general, performances are smoother on a Desktop and this is probably not a Substance Designer issue, but more of a hardware issue.

     

    As you mentionned, the Desktop has a stable power delivery, where the Laptop will probably limit the GPU to prevent overheating or exceeding the total power budget. In addition, the RTX 4090 Mobile is not a true Desktop 4090. it's closer in raw performance to your Desktop RTX 4070.

     

    Are you facing similar issues on other applications?

     

    Cyril Dellenbach (Micro) | QA Support Artist | Adobe
    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 10, 2025

    You are right, laptops do not have the same cooling systems as desktops (including the sheer volume of air inside) and therefore often throttle performance in order to avoid overheating.  You might want to check that the laptop cooling vents are clear and not clogged with dust.

    Dave

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