Performance better with GPU acceleration OFF???

The reason Ann asked that as it has been rather noted that Premiere gets twitchy with multiple 'heavy' GPUs on the machine, especially in bridged mode. I work a lot with colorists, who have heavy discussions on how with X app you can run three mid-cost GPUs and it works great, but on Y app you're better off with one massive GPU in solo mode. And which GPUs to use for both types of work.

Premiere is typically more "performant" with a single GPU, though sometimes people put a massive GPU in a rig with only middling CPU/RAM. And then wonder why that GPU sits idle most of the time. But, well ... duh ... for what Premiere uses the GPU for, the CPU/RAM system is only sending enough out to the powerful GPU to make it run a few cycles now and then.

The heart of overall performance with Premiere is the CPU/RAM/mobo combination. A fast (3.8Ghz or better) CPU of 8-12 cores, with say 6-10 GB of RAM per core, on a mobo that has enough lanes ... and the lanes it has ... laid out so there are no mobo-created data bottlenecks. That gets a computer that flies with Premiere.

Sadly, many mobos aren't really designed to handle the massive continual throughput a video post-processing app needs to thrive. Or require someone very knowledgeable in such things to go into the BIOS and set things up properly. And many CPUs ... even spendy ones ... don't handle the types of processes that NLEs, grading apps, and fx apps need.

So one can get a computer with "Specs!" that have a ton of fast expensive cores, lots of RAM, spendy GPU ... and it's a dog in video post. Wrong CPU and mobo at that point. And over the years we've had a ton of people who just went out and spent money on a high-"spec" computer and then complained because it was worse in Premiere than their old one.

And ... the folks with strong tech knowledge here (including staff from both Puget & Safeharbor) would point out that their EXPENSIVE CPU was not on any list of anybody's as usable for video-post work. In testing, it's way lower in video post apps than CPU's half the cost ... and then the mobo it's on is a mess for video post data needs.

Learning this post-purchase doth not make for happy editors ... but hey, learn before buying, you get a better result.

Added note ... your CPUs were launched in Q3 of 2013 ... getting to be ancient tech by now, sadly. Nearly six years old.

Neil