3 Second Lag after using any Menu Item, with Smart Guides on + GPU Acceleration on.

[Bixxy]

I am having an issue with the Mac Studio M4Max which feels quite niche as I haven't seen it mentioned, I would love to know if other M4 users or others are running into it.

When I have GPU acceleration on, and Smart Guides on, when I select any menu Item, after I get a strange 3 second lag.  The really odd thing is if i manage to keep my cursor inside the menu window before it closes It doesn't happen, but this is hard to achieve when trying to work effeciently. If i move out of the menu window as it closes which you usually do when working it lags for 3+ seconds.

It happens with complex and non complex files, I could have a single box on the screen and it happens.

Info:

Mac Studio M4MAx with 64MB ram, 4TB HD with 2.5TB Free space.  

Sequoia 15.6.1  - I don't want to upgrade to glass just yet as It's quite new as I am concerned about compatability.

This issue was happening since I first got the Mac straight out of the box. I didnt have any other apps on the fresh machine apart from Acobe CC + Illustrator.

I have been through support with no joy, saying it's a bug and we will let the developers know, but this felt like a bit of a hand wave away of the issue at the time and it's been months with no fix.

I have uninstalled fully (using the correct tools with Adobe Support directing) many times, and reinstalled fully Illustrator in multiple different versions. Deleted preferences etc. the hard core removal and reinstalls.

I have contacted Apple Support to see if it was a Hardware issue but they say they have not run into this behavour (it was a last resort).

I have turned on and off multiple settings in the smart guide prefs with no results.  Chaning the snap amount etc.  I have also fiddled with multiple preference buttons to try and get rid of the issue.

I have been using Illustrator for many years, since around V2/3 so I am familiar with Illustrator. Just trying to rule out simple suggestions I would likley have already attempted.

Yes, I could work without Hardware GPU but even on this machine it's very slow and Illustrator is my main app, I didnt buy a Mac Studio to work in CPU mode. I work on relatively complex files sometimes with many artboards and complex objects.

Yes, I could work without smart guides but I find them so helpful and I am so used to working this way it's just a shame to have to turn them off. 

So Ideally I am looking for a solution to the issue not a workaround, I want to use GPU Acceleration + Smart Guides without lagging after using the menus. Even someone to replicate it would be nice so i dont feel like the only one with this happening 🙂

Thanks in advance.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Bixxy,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind trying to run Illustrator after rebooting your computer in Safe Mode (macOS) and under a different administrator account (macOS), and checking if it helps? If the problem persists, kindly check if this happens with specific files or when using a particular tool/feature or input device, along with a small screen recording of the problem, so we can better assist you.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

[Bixxy]

Hey Anubhav,

Thanks for your help and suggestion on how to investigate the issue.  

I did restart in safe mode this morning and the issue still persists.  Over the weekend I will try a different admin account. 

I did try multiple different tools and had the same delay each time, changing tool (or menu item) did not seem to make a difference.

I attached a screen recording.  You should see my mouse clicks trying to move the boxes but due to the delay I am unable until a second or two later.  This happens for all menu items not just 'select all', thats the menu item I chose for the demo. It also happens in the panels too, for instance after loading a swatch from the swatch panel the same delay happens.  Any menu.  Like I mentioned originally sometimes If my mouse stays in the menu's dropdown area before unclicking my mouse button it doesn't happen.

[Bixxy]

I did test again in a new admin mode and the same issue occurs.  Thats everything you suggested doing.  Any other ideas or have an idea what's going on?  I would be really interested to see if any other Mac M4 Studio users have the same issue or is it just something with my setup.