P: Performance problems iMac Retina 5k

Report · Jan 26, 2015

I've been using the new imac retina, and i have enormous problems with the performance of Photoshop. If i for example use the selective color correction, this does not run smoothly. Other functions also work delayed. I noticed if i do not use Photoshop in full screen mode, everything goes back to normal. A friend used the predecessor model imac without 5k resolution, but has no problems. I suspect Photoshop has problems with the resolution of 5k. I hope Adobe fix this problems because Photoshop works slow and delayed, the performance is terrible. I bought the retina iMac 5k, since my previous mac is getting old and slow. But now is it so, that my new retina iMac, run equal slowly as my old iMac. Adobe please fix this problems, so i cannot work.

Report · Feb 17, 2015

You may have CC and CC 2014 installed. Make sure you're launching the 2014 version. You can confirm you've launched the correct version by selecting Help>System Info...

Report · Feb 19, 2015

Adobe Photoshop Version: 2014.2.2 20141204.r.310 2014/12/04:23:59:59 CL 994532 x64

this is the only version on my system, from everything I gather it's the most recent one and the one that's being discussed here afterall ?

Report · Mar 11, 2015

Looking forward to an update. When can that be expected?

Report · Mar 11, 2015

Apple does not pre-announce the dates of their OS updates.

Report · Mar 23, 2015

Any Update on this??? I just bought a 5k imac, photshop CC is unusable. Had to revert to CS6 which is a little buggy but at least usable.

The main problem is delays with the stamp tool and with the hand tool.

I've tried different combinations of graphics processor setting in CC to no avail.

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
3.5 GHz Intel Core i5
16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
AMD Radeon R9 M290X 2048 MB

Report · Mar 23, 2015

No updates that we can share. Any updates are going to come in Apple OS updates to the current MacOS version.

Report · Mar 24, 2015

If your activate in the information of the program (Photoshop or Lightroom), the button "OPEN IN LOW RESOLUTION" the programs run much faster and without delays, or bugs. Everything works now perfectly but the resolution is now very bad and so is it only a temporary solution.

Report · Mar 24, 2015

Adobe and Apple know this error with the 5k iMac, and work for a solution or update? Any informations about that?

Report · Mar 25, 2015

I tried the "open in low resolution" thing. Still having the exact same problems with panning with the Hand tool and a delay with the Stamp tool.

Yesterday I tried CC a brand new Mac Pro, and experienced the same issues with CC. So it's not just the 5k imacs, maybe a Yosemite issue?

I also called Adobe and they said "they've been aware of the problem for 3-4 months" and couldn't give me an estimated time that it would be resolved.

Report · Mar 25, 2015

Yes, most of the video driver problems were introduced in Yosemite, and are just worse on the 5K iMac (more pixels, more time taken). Yes, we've been documenting the problems for Apple since Yosemite was introduced. Apple is aware of the problems and is working on solutions.

Report · Mar 25, 2015

Thanks Chris, that's great to know.

Hopefully we'll see a Yosemite updates soon!

Report · Mar 26, 2015

The problem is not confined to LR and CC. I have PSE 13 on a 5K iMac (OS X 10.2.2) and the editor slows to a crawl after only a few operations (though not immediately). This happens when the PSE organizer is open, and the editor becomes unusable. (Yes, I've tried smaller window sizes, etc., with no improvement) However, if I close the organizer then the editor running by itself is fine. That doesn't sound like solely an Apple issue.

I appreciated finding some response here from Adobe. It is impossible (literally, not possible) to get any support or response from Adobe regarding PSE. I do hope that any fix they implement will be carried through to PSE 13 (not PSE 14 in six months).

Report · Apr 04, 2015

I've been using CS6, and it's defnitely better but I still had some issues with shortcut keys getting stuck, stamp tool getting stuck etc.

BUT

I just installed the "White Window" plugin and it seems to have solved these issues!!

Here's the link for anyone who doesn't already know about it:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/...

Report · Apr 04, 2015

That does work around some of the known MacOS issues (and the changes are already in CC 2014). But some users are seeing problems with MacOS 10.10 which that plugin cannot solve. We have documented the issues for Apple, and Apple is working on solutions.

Report · Apr 10, 2015

Having the same issues on my 5k iMac. Pretty silly when you think about how powerful that machine is. Will be carefully watching this topic.

Report · Apr 12, 2015

I bought my imac retina because I heard it works so much better to paint in Photoshop, but so far I've only been disappointed. I lowered the resolution, I run all Adobe apps in low resolution mode but I still get lag when using hand tool, eyedropper, brush or anything else. I'm extremely disappointed but don't know if the problem is my computer or the applications.

Oh, and I have 32gb RAM, i7 processor, 2gb graphics card

Report · Apr 12, 2015

The lag we have seen so far on the Retina iMac 5K is due to issues in MacOS 10.10. We have documented this issues for Apple, and Apple is working on solutions. You can avoid some of the known issues by hiding rulers and the histogram palette.

Report · Apr 18, 2015

THANK YOU! Hiding the rulers actually made a huge difference, now I can work again! You made my day

Report · Apr 18, 2015

Glad it helped.

Report · May 26, 2015

hi Adam,
Do you have any updates for us regarding the issue? I believe that 4 months is long enough to find the solution and/or develop some kind of a patch for Photoshop etc...

Thanx

Report · May 26, 2015

No updates that we can share. Any updates are going to come in Apple OS updates to the current MacOS version.

Report · May 26, 2015

There have been updates to OS X 10 since that time frame and there has been no impact on the problem for me. Can you say more? This is getting very frustrating

Report · May 26, 2015

No, we can't say more. We are still waiting for Apple to fix the list of bugs we have documented in MacOS 10.10.

Report · Jun 10, 2015

I am assuming there is still no answer to this? I upgraded pretty much specifically to get better response in Photoshop and it's way worse.

Report · Jun 10, 2015

No, Apple has not yet released fixes for the MacOS 10.10 and Retina 5K performance issues. Apple is aware of the issues and working on solutions.