Does Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 work well on a laptop with single GPU or does it need a discrete?

I do not use Elements on a computer with an integrated GPU. 

What I can tell you is that I have used every version of Elements since version 3.  I have beta tested every version for the past 14 or so years.  I have read every post on this forum for the past 5 or 6 years.  I have never heard of, or seen, any evidence of a problem running the program by a user on a computer with an integrated GPU only.  I can also tell you that Elements sometimes runs into problems with users running two GPUs on their machine.  The advice is usually to disable the integrated GPU and only use the discrete GPU if you have both.

Having said that, the performance of the program will differ depending on the hardware, including the CPU, GPU and RAM.  

IMO, a computer with a discrete GPU will operate better with Elements than an integrated one.  But the difference may be negligible, depending on the task.

 As the use of AI increases, the needs of the computer become greater.  For example, I have a fairly robust desktop computer (built 5 or 6 years ago).  I have recently purchased a plug-in program that makes substantial use of AI.  It can take several minutes for the program to complete a complicated operation on an image.  I am therefore seriously considering building a new computer with higher specs. 

@default1ragvikcfk3y said:  Why are you saying to uninstall the program on my old laptop before activating it on my new one? I currently have it activated on my old laptop and my desktop, at the same time

That is my exact point.  You have confirmed that Elements is activated on two computers, the maximum number allowed.  I did not tell you to uninstall the program.  I recommended that you sign out of it to deactivate the license.  That will allow you to activate the program on your new computer.

There is no system requirement for a discrete GPU with Elements 2021.

I recommend that you sign out of Elements on your old computer before trying to activate it on your new one.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

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