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.

[Bixxy]

Hey Anubhav,

I followed the steps you mentioned. Did a screen recording etc. but haven't recieved a response. Do you have any advice or next steps to solve this issue/bug?

Thanks!

Bixxy

[Abhishek Rao]

Hello @Bixxy,

I greatly appreciate your thorough testing and for providing the screen recording. I apologize for my delayed response. I attempted to replicate the issue on both macOS and Windows with GPU acceleration and Smart Guides turned on, but I wasn't able to reproduce the same behavior on my end. To assist us in further investigation, could you please provide the exact version of Illustrator you are currently using and confirm whether the problem persists after updating macOS to the latest version available for your device? It would also be beneficial to know if you are utilizing any external displays or input devices. If so, please try disconnecting them temporarily and test again using only the primary setup. When you have a chance, please also share one of the affected files, so I can test it with the same content. Lastly, please check Activity Monitor to see if Illustrator exhibits any unusual spikes in resource usage during the lag.

I look forward to your response, so we can continue working towards a solution together.

Abhishek

[Bixxy]

Hey Abishek,

Thanks for getting back on this.

Coming back on your thoughts:

Thanks for testing on 2 machines, however I am not suprised you could not replicate this as it would be a major flaw and posted/complained about everywhere if this occured on every Mac or PC with GPU and Smart guides and it would have been fixed.  I think this is more of a niche issue and although I am not a technician my guess would be that it's a flaw/bug in the way that Illustrator interacts with this particular M4 MAx GPU on the mac as opposed to 'all' GPUs.  This is why it would be super helpful to find someone with a similar M4Max to test this as my hunch is that it's a very specific issue to this GPU.  

I did a test on the GPU and CPU processes and oddly they seemed fairly stable no spikiing when the lag occured.  It's tricky though as it does fluctuate naturaly a bit but I tested multiple times and didn't see any wild changes in the percentages compared to normal use.

I do have any external 2K Monitor connected to HDMI, although I am sure I tested this disconnected I will test again.  I have a solid state HD for Time machine and I have a 4TB SSD, also a Logitech mouse.  I am fairly sure I have tested all of these off and just booted the mac with nothing but a mouse but I can test again and come back.

I am not sure about updating the OS to the very latest, I would need to investigate if most of the Bugs with Adobe Software have been fixed as most times on release you have many issues still not fixed.

As for the files, all files are effected, it's not file based it happens on everything, new documents, old documents. To put it another way there are no files this doesn't happen to.

Quickly reminding that if I turn off GPU acceleration this doen't happen and or if i turn off smart Guides this doesn't happen.  If i managed to keep my cursor within the menu box before it fully closes this doesn't happen.

Will come back with the asks you mentioned when I have some time.

Thanks for sticking with me and helping, I get I am likley the only person having this issue 🙂