How Adobe Lightroom Destroys your Macintosh

[Roland_Rick]

Hi Community

It is simply embarassing and ridiculous, how bad Adobe supports GPU on Mac and abuses its hardware. Using Adobe software just burns up the CPU and does ZERO use the GPU.

The example screenshots show an import and preview generation by Lightroom Classic.

This ruthlessly bakes the CPU in a nonsense way and for that your Mac dies faster as expected and intended.

Also, the Adobe processes run all in the very high priority level ZERO, this freezes the computer already almost completely. Better would be to run each Adobe product in the lowest priority level of +20 (FYC: -20 is real time usage and highest priority).

Running e.g. Lightroom at low priority level of +20 has almost no effect on its efficiency and performance, it just releases more resources for other software like Apple Mail for an hour or so whilst Lr loads images and computes preview for 500 images.

I have documented everything in the attached pdf. It also contains a workaroud (at your own risk), mildening the performance problem a little bit, Adobe software causes on Macs.

 

Sincerely your problem solver,
Roland

PS: this problems are faced on a beefy MBP16 and not on an old crappy computer:

[Just Shoot Me]

I have been running LR since 2007.

I have been using LR on my current system that I built myself in 2011. First with Windows 7 and now with Win 10. I also have a 2011 iMac that I use LR on sometimes (not much).

No Adobe program has Burned Up my CPU. The problem is your Mac and Mac's in general. Apple Solders the CPU and the GPU to the motherboard (known in the Apple world as the Logic Board) and now even the RAM on some models (mianly notebooks).

They also use the case as part of the cooling system. That is why your Mac gets so hot on the outside.

[Roland_Rick]

You did not look at my PDF. This documents clearly, that the GPU is not utilised, BUT IT SHOULD FOR GRAPHICS TASKS. That's no Apple nor form over function problem, this is simply not or incorrect implemented in ALL Adobe software. If they would utilise the GPU and Metal correct, no problem. Also no heat problem. The GPU and Metal does not get hot on Graphics tasks. But the CPU does. Look at my PDF I attached to the initial post and understand what's going on.

[GoldingD]

Would be better to post this at the official feedback dite:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/categories/photoshop_family_photoshop_lightroom?topi...

Where actual Adobe Tech Types might notice it.

[Roland_Rick]

Did you even take a millisecong a look to my attached PDF? I don't think so. No one in the that user groups "feedback.photoshop.com/whatever" can help. In terms of utilising Apple's hardware correctly, Adobe is simply a catastrophe. Maybe it runs well in Windows PCs - but definitely not on Macs/OSX/macOS. I write it again for you, the problem is: Adobe software does not use the GPU/Metal/etc. Apple hardware for graphics accelleration. Read the PDF I attached contains some images. Maybe you understand them. Wish you a nice day. If Capture One can utilise the GPU correctly, why a way larger company like Adobe not? - Besides: I can no longer login to the photoshop.com since Catalina and Safari delivered with it. The Login process stucks and does not continue as long "Prevent cross-site tracking" is checked:

And NO, I will for sure not uncheck it. Adobe must learn to deliver software complying to standards - but "standards" is kinda unknown word at Adobe. The company has grown so big, the f the customers into the knees. I call it IBM behaviour. Arrogant company stuck in customer unfriendly behaviour. IBM, what is that? The millennials generation alread has no clue of there was once a company with that name.

 

  

[Bob Somrak]

I totally disagree Adobe is destroying my Imac because it uses the CPU a lot.  It should be able to use the CPU at 100% when needed.   The CPU is getting hot because of Apples "form over function" design with substandard cooling.  I have yet to kill a CPU because I am using Lr or PS.  

I do agrree Adobe shouldn"t require "Cross Site Tracking" to be off to enter their forum.  They also shouldn't be placing their system files in the user "Documents" folder.  

[Bob Somrak]

Apple prefers form over function in their hardware and their cooling suffers from it.  My Imac fans get cranked up once in awhile using Lightroom but its not bad.  

[Roland_Rick]

No Bob, look at my PDF attached. This is not an Apple caused problem.

[JohanElzenga]

I am not sure if the GPU is supposed to be used for building previews on a Mac. The FAQ specificly mentions this on a Windows computer. The "Use GPU for image processing" setting does not mean that all image processing is sent to the GPU, only that some Develop module processes are. 

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/lightroom-gpu-faq.html

[Lumigraphics]

I have a 320,000+ image catalog and my main workstation is a 2011 21" iMac with an i5 processor. All the photos are on external spinning hard drives. I don't have problems with the machine overheating or really that many performance issues. The UI stinks to high heaven compared to Aperture but that is just poor UI design.

So...

[Roland_Rick]

Maybe all you guys here are working only on JPG or max 12 Mpixel raws. I can't believe how much Adone fanboy ignorance and lame excuses I face here without getting at least only ONE serious reply instead of only "I have no problems" neuro linguistically repetitions. - There is a SIGNIFICANT difference in speed and GPU usage if you compare Lr against CaptureOne. Conclusion: It not a hardware nor a OS problem but definitely a Adobe problem of worst ever adaption to another hardware and OS as Windows PCs. Did someone even open my attached PDF? Or did I do all the measurement and comparison work for nothing? - Well: that's exactly the problem when you have to post your issues into forums like here: you'll never get a qualified answer and Adobe is NOT and NEVER listening to customer problems. And this here is no help platform at all. Just a playground for fanboys and girls. Just let the fanboys getting rid of inconvenient customers problems. Can't wait for the day, ignorant Adobe will fall like once IBM fell. 

[Lumigraphics]

I'm a working professional photographer with 37 years of experience, I've been using Photoshop since version 2.5, and I'm also a developer and former Mac Genius. FWIW. I do have SOME experience with the Mac and photography.
And no I'm not just working with JPEG and 12MP RAW files.

I'm afraid, though, that I won't be offering any more help since it seems you just want someone to validate your rant.