Issue with Slow Image Switching

Software and system:

I’m using Adobe Lightroom CC v. 14.4 on a MacBook Pro M4 max with 64 GB ram. 

Problem description:

When navigating between images using the left and right arrow keys, Lightroom becomes noticeably slow. Normally, switching between photos is smooth and immediate, but now the images don’t load properly. It often gets stuck showing the same photo, even when I press the arrow key to move forward.

Important context:

• The issue occurs even with a small number of photos. In the past, I’ve worked with 700 images without problems – now I’m only working with around 50 unedited photos. I’m simply sorting through them, not editing.

• The problem typically starts after reopening the program to work on a new set of images. The first session after reinstalling Lightroom usually works fine.

Troubleshooting steps I’ve already tried:

1. Cache settings:

    

   • I’ve gone into Preferences → Camera Raw Cache Settings and clicked “Purge Cache.”

   • The cache size is set to 60 GB, which should be more than enough.

    

2. Reinstallation:

    

   • I have completely uninstalled and reinstalled the application several times.

   • Each time, the first session works well, but the problem returns the next time I open Lightroom with a new batch of photos.

    

Request:

I need help understanding why Lightroom struggles to switch between images smoothly — especially considering the low number of files and the high cache size — and why this issue reappears after restarting the program or loading a new photo set.