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Gabor Lenart
Known Participant
July 12, 2025
Question

Lag in Library module at native 5K resolution on Studio Display (Apple Silicon)

  • July 12, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 298 views

Hi!

 

I use a 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro with maxed out specs and 64gb ram.

 

I’m experiencing severe lag in the Library module when navigating between photos on a Studio Display (5K resolution) connected to an M1 Max MacBook Pro (64GB RAM). Even with 1:1 previews built, GPU acceleration enabled, and low preview quality, the lag persists — unless I reduce the macOS display scaling to a lower, non-native setting (e.g., 2560×1440).

This clearly points to a UI rendering issue in Lightroom Classic at high-resolution scaling settings.

Please address proper support for 5K/6K displays and Apple Silicon native UI performance.

 

It is fast with the MacBook Pro screen and it is fast with lower resolution on the Studio Display. But it is very very slow when I use the native 5K resolution. Not the upscaled resolution, just the native. So the resolution is Default and it is slow!

 

Please fix this issue because the slow library is making my life really difficult when culling images.

 

 

System info:

Lightroom Classic version: 14.4 [ 202506051112-5918896a ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-HU
Operating system: Mac OS 15
Version: 15.5.0 [24F74]
Application architecture: arm64
Logical processor count: 10
Processor speed: NA
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Power Source: Plugged In, 89%
Built-in memory: 65 536,0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 2 478,9MB / 49 152,0MB (5%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 65 536,0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 2 936,4 MB (4,4%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 414 903,2 MB
Memory cache size: 1 177,5MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 17.4 [ 2272 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 191MB / 32767MB (0%)
Camera Raw real memory: 193MB / 65536MB (0%)

Cache1:
NT- RAM:0,0MB, VRAM:0,0MB, Combined:0,0MB

Cache2:
m:1 177,5MB, n:0,0MB

U-main: 97,0MB

Standard Preview Size: 5120 pixels
Displays: 1) 5120x2880

Graphics Processor Info:
Metal: Apple M1 Max
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: GPU for Export enabled
Enable HDR in Library: ON

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Users/gaborlenart/Pictures/Editing Catalog/Editing Catalog.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/gaborlenart/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) AdobeStock
2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
3) Calibrite Camera Calibration
4) ColorChecker Camera Calibration
5) Flickr
6) jf Bag-o-Goodies
7) Negative Lab Pro v3
😎 Power Keys - Gabor Lenart
9) Power Keys - Plugin

Config.lua flags:

 

 

1 reply

Gabor Lenart
Known Participant
July 14, 2025

Hi!

 

I use a 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro with maxed out specs and 64gb ram. And I use it with the Apple Studio Display 27" 5K. I only use the StudioDisplay as a display, so my macbook is closed down, I only use the large 5K display as primary.

 

I’m experiencing severe lag in the Library module when navigating between photos on a Studio Display (5K resolution) connected to an M1 Max MacBook Pro (64GB RAM). Even with 1:1 previews built, GPU acceleration enabled, and low preview quality, the lag persists — unless I reduce the macOS display scaling to a lower, non-native setting (e.g., 2560×1440).

This clearly points to a UI rendering issue in Lightroom Classic at high-resolution scaling settings.

Please address proper support for 5K/6K displays and Apple Silicon native UI performance.

 

It is fast with the MacBook Pro screen and it is fast with lower resolution on the Studio Display. But it is very very slow when I use the native 5K resolution. Not the upscaled resolution, just the native. So the resolution is Default and it is slow!

 

Please fix this issue because the slow library is making my life really difficult when culling images.

 

 

System info:

Lightroom Classic version: 14.4 [ 202506051112-5918896a ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-HU
Operating system: Mac OS 15
Version: 15.5.0 [24F74]
Application architecture: arm64
Logical processor count: 10
Processor speed: NA
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Power Source: Plugged In, 89%
Built-in memory: 65 536,0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 2 478,9MB / 49 152,0MB (5%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 65 536,0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 2 936,4 MB (4,4%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 414 903,2 MB
Memory cache size: 1 177,5MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 17.4 [ 2272 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 191MB / 32767MB (0%)
Camera Raw real memory: 193MB / 65536MB (0%)

Cache1:
NT- RAM:0,0MB, VRAM:0,0MB, Combined:0,0MB

Cache2:
m:1 177,5MB, n:0,0MB

U-main: 97,0MB

Standard Preview Size: 5120 pixels
Displays: 1) 5120x2880

Graphics Processor Info:
Metal: Apple M1 Max
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: GPU for Export enabled
Enable HDR in Library: ON

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Users/gaborlenart/Pictures/Editing Catalog/Editing Catalog.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/gaborlenart/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) AdobeStock
2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
3) Calibrite Camera Calibration
4) ColorChecker Camera Calibration
5) Flickr
6) jf Bag-o-Goodies
7) Negative Lab Pro v3
😎 Power Keys - Gabor Lenart
9) Power Keys - Plugin

Config.lua flags:

Gabor Lenart
Known Participant
November 16, 2025

So I found the solution! As I mentioned, my computer is fast enough, I knew there was something else in the background. Probably an optimisation issue. So I had to uncheck this box to not Enable HDR in Library. Preferences/Performance/Uncheck "Enable HDR in Library". Now my Library module is super fast.

It was slowing the whole Library module down, even though I work with SDR images. I don't understand why. And the sad part that even the Adobe Employee or the Community Expert didn't know the answer, so I had to figure it out myself 😞