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Mat.bjerner
Participating Frequently
October 6, 2026
Answered

Graphic glitch when using GPU preview

When I launch illustrator and the program is in GPU preview on my monitor I get a very strange graphic glitch. 

CPU Preview - Normal
 



GPU Preview - Glitchy


The program is in version 30.8.2 but the same issue existed on the previous version as well as I just updated to this version to see if that was the issue. 

    Anubhav M
    Anubhav MCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    October 6, 2026

    Hello @Mat.bjerner


    That does seem strange. Are you running Illustrator on Windows? If yes, please try performing a clean reinstallation of the GPU(s) driver (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD), set the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/4yu1NkR), and check if it helps.


    If you're using a Mac, try running Illustrator under a different administrator account (macOS) and share your observations.


    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Anubhav

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    8 replies

    Mat.bjernerAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 9, 2026

    I have now tested this and setting the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator solved the issue. I have recently hade to move profiles on my computer so this setting was probably on before but was removed when I switched profiles and thus I had this issue emerge. Thanks for the help!

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    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    October 7, 2026

    Hi ​@Mat.bjerner,

     

    Sorry to hear you're experiencing this GPU Preview issue. Could you please confirm whether you've tried the suggestions shared by ​@Anubhav M for cleanly reinstalling/updating your GPU drivers and setting Illustrator to use the High-Performance GPU in Windows graphics settings?

    If you've already tried these steps and the issue still persists, please let us know along with your GPU model, external monitor model, and how the monitor is connected (HDMI, USB-C, dock, etc.). 

     

    Thanks,
    Abhishek

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    Community Expert
    Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 6, 2026

    In addition to what others have said, check online to see if there are any driver updates for your graphics board. If your computer has an NVidia graphics board there is a new driver released just today (10/6/26). Launch the NVidia app to download and install it. I think the Studio Driver is better for graphics purposes than the Game Ready Driver.

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    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 6, 2026

    If you have been continuously having a problem with GPU Performance in Illustrator then the issue could lie with the computer that you’re using. GPU Performance is a very finicky beast and will not run correctly with the wrong monitor and/or graphics card. Check https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/desktop/get-started/learn-the-basics/technical-requirements.html to see some of the basic requirements for the feature to work correctly.

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    Mat.bjernerAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 7, 2026

    Thanks for the suggestion. It works normal on my laptop and haven't been an issue there but as of a week or more back whenever I move illustrator Window over to my monitor this issue keeps happening.

    Does that seem like its likely a compatibility issue as it has worked fine before but just now stopped working?

    The monitor is 1920 x 1080 im pretty sure which is within the guidelines.

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    Community Expert
    Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 8, 2026

    If you're working with multiple monitors are both monitors plugged into the graphic card's ports? It's common for Windows desktop PC towers to have a HDMI and/or DisplayPort output coming from a graphics chip on the motherboard as well as a discrete card having its own monitor outputs. In a multiple monitor setup it's usually best to have the monitors using only the outputs from the discrete graphics card. If one monitor is plugged into the motherboard graphics chip output it may lead to weird problems or it might not even work.

    Type and quality of HDMI cables is another factor. Overpriced cables with 24K gold connectors aren't necessary, but cables can be made to meet different HDMI specs. That means anywhere from a basic spec like 1.1 to HDMI 2.2, which can push a lot more data.

    Adapters are another issue. Some graphics boards will give you one HDMI output and then 2 or 3 DisplayPort outputs. Quite a few monitors just have HDMI and SVGA inputs, which forces someone to buy a HDMI to DisplayPort adapter. Some of those work better than others.

    Anyway, I'm just mentioning these things as ideas for trouble-shooting.

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    Anubhav M
    Community Manager
    Anubhav MCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    October 6, 2026

    Hello @Mat.bjerner


    That does seem strange. Are you running Illustrator on Windows? If yes, please try performing a clean reinstallation of the GPU(s) driver (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD), set the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/4yu1NkR), and check if it helps.


    If you're using a Mac, try running Illustrator under a different administrator account (macOS) and share your observations.


    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Anubhav

    Translate
    Mat.bjernerAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 8, 2026

    Im currently not able to test it as Im away from the office a few days but will try this as soon as I get back to office. Thanks for the advice.

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