M1 Performance worse than Intel running files with images and effects

[crispe123]

Hello. Is anyone else running M1 machines (I am on M1 Max) finding Illustrator's performance with images and effects to be a lot worse than it was on Intel machines? Depending on how many images are linked and how many effects used:

• It takes longer to open a file 

• The frame rate of the workspace lags when dragging the viewport around

• There is a delay on selecting, moving objects etc

Illustrator has never been good at dealing with images and effects, the more you load onto it the worse it gets, but on M1 that effect has been much more noticable with degradation occuring with much less of an image or effect complexity.

I've had files that were fine on my old Intel iMac being borderline unusable on my M1 machine. As an example of what I may use - texture files, AI generated noise effects, roughen on shapes.

[Anubhav Majumder]

Hello @crispe123,

Sorry to hear about this experience. Would you mind trying the suggestions shared in this help article (https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/optimize-illustrator-performance.html) and checking if it helps?

If the issue persists, kindly share some more information, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator installed on your computer, system configuration (CPU/RAM/Monitors/Tablets/Pen), and a screen recording of the problem so we can investigate this further.

Also, kindly check if Illustrator also behaves this way with all files and if not, please share the file location of the file you are having trouble with (internal/external/network drive or a cloud-synced folder).

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[crispe123]

Hi Anubhav. I have narrowed down one of the issues with slowdown - linked images.

Linked images in an Illustrator file causing varying levels of lag when dragging around the viewport, zooming and panning etc (as bad as a chunky 1fps zoom and pan). However, if I embed those images, it all performs normally. Running Intel version of Illustrator on my Intel iMac had no discrepancy between linked or embedded images. Current workaround is to embed everything I am able to.

I am running the most up to date version of macOS Ventura (but this was also the same in the most current version of Monterey) and the most up to date version of Illustrator. I even did a complete clean install of my macOS with only Illustrator installed and the issues remained the same. I also tested linked files off my internal drive as well as a T7 Samsung SSD and the same performance issues remained. Seems like a bug? 

Using alpha masks in the transparency channel, roughen edges also has a slowdown effect but turning off 'Real Time Drawing and Editing' is a workaround.

Mac Studio M1 Max 24c 32GB with a Samsung T7 SSD

Ventura 13.0.1 running Illustrator 27.1

Wacom Intuos Pro Small with latest drivers

BenQ PD2700U