Performance Issues AE on macOS

[milesd97405129]

I run AE on a mid 2011 imac:
2.7gHz i5, Radeon HD 6770M 512mb, 16gb ram

bought a new imac:
2020, 5k 3,6gHz i9 10core, Radeon pro 5700 16gb, 64gb ram

All settings (preview, export, etc) are exactly the same. So, running the exact same project on both computers simultaneously, gives me following output:

2011 imac:
preview realtime =1,5fps

2020 imac:
preview realtime =0,9fps

+ render time via Media Encoder is 20% faster on the old iMac.

How can that be? What am I missing here?

Title edited by Mod.

[@mj]

Hi milesd97405129,

It could be a one or more of a number of variables.

Here are recommendations from Adobe that should prove helpful.

https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/improve-performance.html

Good luck

[nishu_kush]

Hi milesd97405129,

Sorry for your issue.

I agree with what master_mo suggested.

If that doesn't work, please check if it's happening with all the projects or this particular one. Also, please try the basic troubleshooting steps:

Reset the preferences - https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/faq-how-to-reset-trash-preferences-in-after-effects/td-...

Clean media cache - https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/faq-how-to-clean-delete-or-trash-media-cache-files-in-a...

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

Nishu

[milesd97405129]

turns out Adobe don't support a wide range of graphics cards offered by Apple. That literally affects 99% of all currently and past graphics cards and computer configurations available in Apple computers. I should be happy to having had a 2011 iMac with the ONE GPU that actually works. The only currently available GPU supported by Adobe is a Vega 64 (without the X - because the one with the X is not supported) available in the iMac Pro confiq (starting at 8.000€ in any useful configuration). 

I've returned the 2020 iMac (Apple took it back because they falsley promoted that very machine capable of running Adobe CC) and now bought an old Mac Pro 6.1 with a dual Fire Pro D700, which is - hopefully - capable of running AE at a considerable higher speed than my 2011 iMac.

Fingers crossed - it's shipping right now...what a nightmare XD

[@mj]

The guidance on system requirements is thin.

https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/system-requirements.html

Perhaps you can shed more light on this @ nishu_kush

@ milesd97405129 please keep us postedon your progress

[milesd97405129]

...sooo, the MacPRO 6.1 arrived.

The D700 GPUs work like a charm, 'Preview' on above mentioned test project has increased from (2011iMac) 1.5fps (quarter resolution, skipping 1 frame) to 30fps (half resolution, all frames).

I'm still to test actual render times and will post here asa I have run a solid batch which would usually take 3-4 days to render on the old 2011 iMac...stay tuned 😉

[milesd97405129]

Sooo, more testing done on:

MacPro 6.1
12-core 2.7ghz

128gb Ram

2 x AMD Fire Pro 700 6GB (on the Premiere specs list as recommended by Adobe)

vs my old:

iMac Mid 2011
4-core 2.7ghz I5
16gb Ram
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512mb

1)

Render time via Render Queue and Media Encode significantly increased (about 10 times faster) - hooooray!

2)

RAM Preview is barely any better. 

Literally: an HD project in 2D with 1 JPG (2400x2400px, 96 dpi, downscaled to 10%), 30 caracters of text, black backgroud and a wave audio file (44.1Khz, 16bit) playing in the background: 15fps max realtime preview, stuttering, slowing down audio to half it's speed.

3)

AND: AE eats up 90gb of Ram for this (as per activity montior)

No matter the settings, performance optimization, outsourcing cache to other harddrives etc, After Effects <preview> won't run smoothly on any Apple system I've tested so far and Adobe support keeps saying: check the 'Premiere' specs on GPUs, it "should" be working with these, but won't give any quote on whether Adobe theirselves tested any Apple computers and if so, which ones.