Illustrator suddenly switching to CPU preview, GPU preview greyed out

[Captivating_Radiance5C57]

I have a document with some large images that suddenly switches my view to CPU Preview shortly after opening, or sometimes when zooming. It'll freeze for a moment before switching to CPU, and GPU Preview will be greyed out. I was able to fix this temporarily by switching to Outline, saving, then closing and reopening the file, but it keeps happening regardless. Does anyone know what's causing this, or how to fix it?

[Anshul_Saini]

Hello @Daníel Ágúst23679296v0kk,

I understand how frustrating it can be to encounter performance issues while working in Adobe Illustrator. Let's try to address this together.

To get a clearer picture and provide you with more targeted assistance, could you please provide a bit more information?

• Please confirm which version of macOS you are currently using.

• Please share screenshot of your color profile assigned & color settings from the edit menu.

• Does this issue happen while working on a specific file, or does it occur across all your files in Illustrator? Understanding if it's file-specific can help narrow down the problem.

Also, please update your Adobe Illustrator to the latest version, v27.9, and see if that helps!

If the problem persists even after updating to v27.9, it would be immensely helpful if you could create a screen recording that captures the issue in action. You can share this recording with us, which will significantly assist in diagnosing and finding a solution.

Your input and these details will assist us in providing you with the most effective support. We're here to help you get back to a smooth workflow in Adobe Illustrator.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[adrianjx]

This issue still exists in Illustrator 28.1

Love how Adobe support is still asking for examples of how this works.

Literally open AI.
New document.
Turn on grid.
Switch to outline preview. 
Boom... see it switch from GPU to CPU preview, and you can't go back.

Every time this happens, I end up looking at other software for my vector drwaing needs.

It's 2024, could we have this fixed? Please?

[Monika Gause]

---

@adrianjx  schrieb:

This issue still exists in Illustrator 28.1

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Which system?

Which version of Illustrator?

Which graphic card?

Are you using a Studio driver? Illustrator does not like gaming drivers.

[adrianjx]

Apple M1 Max - 64GB RAM, 2TB HD (lots of room)

MacOS Sonoma 14.2.1

Illustrator 28.1

[Monika Gause]

Is that.a Macbook?

What kind of graphic card is built in? And what kind of monitor are you using? Are you perhaps using multiple monitors? 

[adrianjx]

Here's a screen recording I just made of the issue. 

Apple M1 Max - 64GB RAM, 2TB HD (lots of room)

MacOS Sonoma 14.2.1

Illustrator 28.1

Hope this helps!

[adrianjx]

MacBook yes.

Happens when I am plugged into a LG Ultrafine 4k via Thunderbolt... AND just using the native MacBook screen plugged into nothing. 

[adrianjx]

Graphics card is the native GPU with the M1 Max. 

[Monika Gause]

There might still be issues with Mac OS Sonoma.

But also: how are the graphics set up? Do monitors have separate spaces (this causes some issues for people). You could contact Customer Care and have them take a look into your system. https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html 

[Un_qui_et]

Also Having the same issue. It's being about 3-4 years going through the same problem. 

This issue happens on my m1 studio, home (running monterey) same machine work running (ventura)

Chipset Model: Apple M1 Max

  Type: GPU

  Bus: Built-In

  Total Number of Cores: 32

  Vendor: Apple (0x106b)

On my pc the same thing as well 3080ti. They keep saying this has being fixed on community forums, but whenever I copy something a image, or after awhile when I notice back at CPU having zoom issues, and software super slow.   I updated to latest version now and to my surprise here I am. Adding one more voice to this issue.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Un_qui_et,

Thank you for sharing your experience, and I'm sorry to hear that you're facing this long-standing issue. I can imagine how frustrating it must be to deal with this problem for several years.

To better assist you, could you provide some additional details?

• Does this GPU/CPU switching issue occur with a specific file or when pasting a particular image into Illustrator?
• Could you share a screen recording of your workflow, starting from when you launch Illustrator? This will help us understand the context in which the problem arises.
• If possible, share a sample file and image that trigger the issue. Additionally, please provide a screenshot of your color settings in Illustrator.

These details will aid us in investigating the problem more thoroughly and finding a solution. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to address this ongoing issue. If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to let us know.

Best regards,

Anshul Saini

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @adrianjx,

I appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention, and I understand the frustration it must be causing. I took the time to replicate the problem on an M1 Max MacBook Pro, and I can confirm that I encountered the same GPU/CPU switching issue in Illustrator 28.1.

However, I have a potential workaround that you can try:

• Open Illustrator.
• Navigate to Preferences > User Interface.
• Under "Canvas Color," select "Match Brightness."
• Restart Illustrator and check if the issue persists.

It appears that the problem might be related to the color canvas setting, and this workaround could help resolve the GPU/CPU switching issue. Please let me know if it works on your end, and I'll continue investigating with our product team.

Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve Illustrator, and we appreciate your patience as we work to address this issue. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reach out.

Best regards,

Anshul Saini

[S.Murr.D]

I have just changed my workstation to an LG monitor and a mac Mini, using ios Venura 13.5 

I DO have Match brightness selected and it doesn't appear to make a difference. I still have "View using GPU" greyed out. I also have the UNBELIEVABLY FRUSTRATING problem of my anchor points being white instead of the layer color.  This is all since I got the new set up and switched to Ventura from Monterey. I have not moved on to Sonoma yet. Sometimes I can open a file and have the anchor points be the correct color, then randomly (seemingly) it switches to white and will not switch back. 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hello S.Murr.D,

Thank you for reaching out with the details of the issue you're experiencing. It's unfortunate to hear about the challenges you're facing. To troubleshoot and resolve these problems, I recommend taking the following steps:

• Ensure that you are using the latest version of Adobe Illustrator. Update to Illustrator v28.2, which is the latest version as of now. Additionally, check for macOS updates and ensure that your system is running macOS 14.3.

• Sometimes, preference settings can lead to unexpected behavior. Try resetting Illustrator preferences. To do this:

  • Hold down Shift + Option + Command (Mac) while starting Illustrator.
  • Confirm the dialog asking if you want to delete the Adobe Illustrator Settings.
• Test under a new admin user account and see if GPU is working there or not.

After performing these steps, if the issues persist, please let us know, and I'll do my best to assist you further.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[adrianjx]

Thanks Anshul — this does help prevent the issue, but of course is not a solution as I do prefer an artboard that is not coloured with the user interface colour.

If you could escalate this with the product team it would be great. 

Thanks for the response. 

[Un_qui_et]

I just tried, this fix doesnt work for me. doing some intensive work on illustrator and this is driving me insane. I can't believe, i'm using clip studio for all illustation work now because of this. But i have to print work and as soon as I turn the artboard to portrait the zoom gets disabled. I tried disabling color profiles, updating, switching machines you name it! At this stage i'm honestly about to give on it! as it's just not a sustainable solution anymore. I even tried going back as far as possible but  not many early versions are compatible anymore.  Not sure how this is not major concern. If you can  recreate the issue, 3 of my machines have the same issue.  GPU is absolutely essential part of any visual work.  How come this software cannot make decent use of it. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Un_qui_et,

We understand that encountering technical issues can be frustrating. Would you mind sharing more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, whether Illustrator behaves with some specific file(s), a sample file (https://adobe.ly/49DVMFm), and a screen recording of the problem (https://adobe.ly/3UNa7ew), so we can investigate this further?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Un_qui_et]

Here's the video. Installed 28.2. It's way worse, artboard disappearing. The settings available don't work. And GPU just keeps getting disabled. As soon as you touch the Artboard tool.  Atm it's unusable piece of software. I'm urgently looking for any alternative. Even if I have to go back a few versions. But I'llustrator just doesn't perform as it should. 

[Un_qui_et]

Snall update, decide disabling secondary monitor or trying another monitor. If illustrator is launched from a secondary monitor. It works, if its launched from ultrawide Proart monitor it breaks.

[fedelanzarotta]

This is ridicoulous, 5950x, 128gb ram, 3090ti, 100+ euros a month in adobe, 4000+ in pc, but I cannot use gpu accelleration on 99% of my work because it involved a lot of CMYK for print.... ADOBE PLEASE STOP ABUSING YOUR CUSTOMERS. PUSH ACTUAL FIXES, THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN 2024

[slmarc]

This is what helped me at least to balance workload without raging at computer.  It's a fix that works temporarily for me, but I'm sharing cause you never know. This is working atm but I still fail to get a consistent performance out of illustrator. I disable all my external monitors and use a generic default color workspace usually thegeneric apple or windows color profile then I match system and illustrator. That allows me to do the groundwork without loosing zoom then i put back calibrated profile to review the work. Have issues on 3 different machine 3080TI on PC,  MacStudio M2 at work, Macbook M1 all suffer with gpu issues. If I dar add images to my board embbeded or not illustrator dies and gpu gets greyed out.  

[Anubhav M]

Hello @fedelanzarotta,

We understand that encountering technical issues can be frustrating. Would you mind trying to update the OS/Illustrator to the latest version to check if it helps? (https://adobe.ly/3K9Lnqg) (https://adobe.ly/4bDMN88)

Also, try performing a clean reinstallation of the GPU drivers (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD), setting the Graphics Preference to High-Performance for Illustrator (https://adobe.ly/3K7Ghec), and running Illustrator under a different administrator account (Windows / macOS) and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[prop281218]

9 October 2024 and this bug still persists. I would much rather we only had releases every two or three years if it meant the developer team just spent the time making Adobe's very expensive software solid and not like living in a constant beta!

[Anubhav M]

Hello @prop281218,

I am sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind confirming if Illustrator behaves this way with specific files? If so, please share a sample file and confirm the OS/Illustrator version and the system specs (CPU/GPU/Displays used) so I can check it with the team.

To share the file, kindly upload it to a file-sharing service like Google Drive / Dropbox and share a link here or via DM.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

[adrianjx]

Steps to reproduce on October 9, 2024 in Illustrator 28.7.1 (Mac OS 15.0.1, Macbook Pro M1 Max, 64Gb Ram):

1. In AI Preferences -> User Interface -> Canvas Color ->  Set this option to "White"

2. Create a new AI file of any type:  File -> New

3. Turn on grid:  View -> Show Grid — note that we are still in GPU mode.

4. Now Switch to view outlines:  View -> Outline  — Note that Ai switched to CPU mode and can't go back unless you close the file and open it new again.

- This is file independant.

- This has been happening for several versions of AI, across several versions of MacOS.

- I'm shocked not a sinlge Adobe person has been able to follow these simple steps to see this for themsleves.

At this point I don't think Adobe knows how to fix this issue.