Photoshop 23.5 - Graphics hardware acceleration, Scrubby Zoom, Flick Panning NOT working

[27shutterclicks]

I updated Photoshop to 23.5 on Windows 10 and scrubby zoom and all hardware acceleration features (like smooth flick panning) are not working, even though "Use graphics processor" is checked under Preferences > Performance and the graphics adapter is detected as AMD Radeon R9 200 Series.

I tried all recommended fixes, like:

• enabling/disabling graphics processor and restarting PS
• resetting preferences files
• loading PS without optional plugins.

Nothing worked.

In the end, I just reverted back to 23.4.2 and scrubby zoom is back! So the problem is for sure with the 23.5 update that breaks the feature, possibly by no longer recognizing my graphics card as "capable" for graphics acceleration, all while not actually disabling graphics acceleration in Preferences. 

My graphics card, although old, is still capable of playing recent games, even though AMD no longer provides driver updates for it. I don't want to spend $1k on a new card only to get scrubby zoom to work in PS. Adobe please fix it.

Here's a screenshot of the Help > GPU Compatibility check in 23.4.2., with scrubby zoom working:

I reinstalled 23.5 a second time and the Help > GPU Compatibility window shows same info exactly as 23.4.2 (screenshot below), but scrubby zoom doesn't work.

Reverting back to 23.4.2 a second time makes scrubby zoom and flick panning functional again.

UPDATE: I borrowed and installed a new video card (GeForce 2070S) from a friend and updated Photoshop to 23.5 again. The scrubby zoom works with the new video cards and drivers. So the problem lies definitely with the way the new update recognizes older video cards and/or drivers.

But, as I said before, we shouldn't have to upgrade the video card to keep using basic features like scrubby zoom and smooth panning, features that have been working fine for forever, and still would.

If this is intentional by the Photoshop team, to no longer support older video cards and drivers, then there should be a message to the user and Use graphics processor should be set to disabled in Preferences > Performance.

[TheDigitalDog]

Yes: the problem lies definitely with the way the new update recognizes older video cards and/or drivers.

It's a GPU bug and you need to contact the manufacturer or find out if there's an updated driver for it. This is why disabling GPU is an option as more and more functionality moves to the GPU in newer versions of many Adobe products.
Also see: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/acr-gpu-faq.html

[@mj · Accepted solution]

Hi @27shutterclicks,

These features are defintely the domain of the GPU now.

Here's a resource that you may find helpful.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

[27shutterclicks]

@TheDigitalDog It's not a GPU bug if it works with the previous version of PS and not the new one. It's a PS bug.

Also, disabling GPU is NOT an option for daily Photoshop users. Essential features like scrubby zoom and flick panning are mission-critical when using PS daily. While I understand that new features may require more from the video card, features as old as scrubby zoom don't need anything new. If anything, there should be a choice to the user as to which features to enable for GPU acceleration and which not. If what I need is scrubby zoom and flick panning and not newer features, then I should make that choice. It's like using a car without AC, because the resources are needed for lane-assist and radar cruise control and u have no choice in the matter.

@mj I am well aware these are features that are GPU-accelerated, and as I mentioned in my original post, AMD no longer provides driver updates for this card. But if this card can run resource-hungry games like latest Call of Duty releases at high resolution, I think it can handle a measly scrubby zoom. The problem is not the card or the drivers, the problem is the PS update which needs to be tested for backward compatibility.

[TheDigitalDog]

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@27shutterclicks wrote:

@TheDigitalDog It's not a GPU bug if it works with the previous version of PS and not the new one. It's a PS bug.

You are of course assuming that older versions use the GPU the same as newer versions which is, well just a major assumption. 

You are of course free to run the older version and never update; disable auto updates in ACC. 

Go back far enough in versions of Photoshop (my first being 1.0.7) no functionality was offloaded to a GPU. 

Fact: more and more functionality in every new version can and often does move to the GPU. 

Fact: Having a GPU bug that crashes anything isn't an option for daily Photohsop users. 

Fact: This is why disabling GPU is an option as more and more functionality moves to the GPU in newer versions of many Adobe products.

Fact: Call of Duty and Photoshop, of which you have no knowledge of their code base, differ and that one does or doesn't crash doesn't make all the other facts disappear. 

"Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes." -Jawaharlal Nehru

[27shutterclicks]

@TheDigitalDog Thank you for the fact checking. Always good to have some insight and confirmation on how everything does work. You are right, as a user we assume many things, mostly due to a lack of resources that can inform us otherwise, from those who hold the key to the facts.

Assumption: For example, as an assuming user who doesn't actually have knowledge of  COD and PS code base, Yes, I DO assume that essential tool functionality like zooming and panning will not break with newer (minor) updates of Photoshop, unless some major enhancements are brought to the zoom or the hand tool, which I do not believe to be the case with the 23.5 update.

Assumption: I inadvertedly assume that if such updates were to be made to essential tools (and not new tools or features), that such changes be part of the release notes, so that those who DO have auto-updates disabled, can make the necessary decisions about updating or plan the update window accordingly.

Assumption: Here's another thing that I do assume : I assume that if my computer specs do not in fact meet the minimum requirements, that the software in question does NOT actually tell me that my computer does meet the minimum requirements.

Assumption: Lastly, I assume that, as a paying customer, if I do encounter problems with new updates of Photoshop that cause essential tools to break, and if I do take the time to report on them in the proper channels, that Adobe Community "Professionals" provide helpful and less snarky answers. Pasting a link to the GPU FAQ and telling me it's due to the GPU when I report there is an issue with the GPU despite Photoshop telling me everything's ok, is not helpful. 

#adobecommunityfail #photoshopupdatefail

“The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.” ― Franciscan friar William of Ockham

[davescm · Accepted solution]

Your screenshots do not show that everything is OK with the GPU. They recomend updating the driver.

Photoshop is moving more and more functionality toward the GPU including teh compositing of the preview. So a function that worked previously may change behaviour in teh newer version not because that function has been updated, but because the code with which it interacts has been updated.

I would try two things:

1. Update the driver for your GPU. I don't know the full options with AMD as I use NVidia here, but if there is an option to clean install the driver (NVidia hide that under 'Advanced') then take it. It will overwrite remnants of the old driver.

2. If you have not already done so, reset Photoshop Preferences. The preference files contain more than just the user Preferences and are saved each time Photoshop closes. Any corruption can cause issues, which sometimes does not show itself until a version update.

Dave

[27shutterclicks]

@davescm Regarding the two recommendations:

1. I specified that AMD no longer provides driver updates for this older video card, so updating drivers is not an option. I understand the driver updates are "recommended" but the gpu health check still says compatible, even though nothing works as far as the gpu goes - so it's not actually compatible.
   
   
2. I also specified in my original message that I did already reset the PS preferences file.

[TheDigitalDog]

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@27shutterclicks wrote:

1. I specified that AMD no longer provides driver updates for this older video card, so updating drivers is not an option.

Doesn't change the facts which explain the issues that Dave correctly addressed.

Roll back to an older version or get a new card. Your choice. 

[davescm]

If you have clean installed the GPU driver, not just kept the last update, then you are left with no option but to roll back the Photoshop version to get your GPU to work with Photoshop.

Dave

[v12db7]

Are you suggesting we keep paying for an outdated version of PS until we can buy a new GPU and throw out a perfectly good and allegedly compitble Graphics card? 

[TheDigitalDog]

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@27shutterclicks wrote:

@TheDigitalDog Thank you for the fact checking. Always good to have some insight and confirmation on how everything does work. You are right, as a user we assume many things, mostly due to a lack of resources that can inform us otherwise, from those who hold the key to the facts.

---

Two of us posted the facts from Adobe resources (and answered the question): 
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/acr-gpu-faq.html

No need for further assumptions. 

"Ignorance is brought about by assumption."-T. D. Jakes

[@mj]

The one thing that's worth consideration for Adobe is to run a hardware check before installation, a bit like Painter does, and allow users to make an upgrade choice based on their hardware.

[FURNESS]

Hi, Totally agree with what you say.  It's alright discussing the technacalities of how PS is coded etc which quite francly doesn't interest me, all I'm concerned with is whether I can use PS or not.  The bottom line is the latest 23.5 isn't working correctly for me and many more people (and growing). If my Nvidia GeForce GT 710 2GB graphics card (complete with the latest drivers) isn't cutting it then I think there is an awful lot of people out there going to be very annoyed. Adobe should keep people informed of any graphics card updates, It's no good spending thousands on a brand new car to find the engines faulty and the manfactures are not interesed in solving the problem! 

[davescm]

'Adobe should keep people informed of any graphics card updates'

Adobe don't update graphics cards - the drivers are produced by the GPU manufacturers, in your case NVidia.

https://www.nvidia.com/Download/Find.aspx?lang=en-us

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

Adobe do publish, and update, the minimum and recommended system requirements for Photoshop here : https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/photoshop/system-requirements.html

Your GPU meets the minimum requirements but not the recommended requirements so you may have issues running all GPU functionality.

Dave

[27shutterclicks]

@davescm  According to the link you provided, the "recommended" requirements of 4GB GPU memory for the video card is for 4k displays or greater. So if you have a non-4k monitor, that doesn't apply and his 2GB GPU memory card exceeds the minimum requirements and should work with Photoshop without trouble.

[davescm · Accepted solution]

It also states :

'If you are using an older graphics card or driver, GPU functionality in Photoshop may be limited or not supported.

Generally, consider using GPUs with an Average Ops/Sec of 2000 or higher on PassMark's GPU Computer Benchmark Chart.'

Dave

[v12db7]

Whats your answer to this then @HDave ?

And any answer to my earlier question? Are you suggesting we keep paying for an outdated version of PS until we can buy a new GPU and throw out a perfectly good and allegedly compitble Graphics card? 

[v12db7]

Scrubby is greyed out...version 2.5

[TheDigitalDog]

The answer is simple! Roll back to an older version or get a new card. Your choice. 

[v12db7]

Nice answer, I've seen your replies this matches their subtlety! V helpful. 

"Those who can do, those who can't end up on help forums...FACT!" V12db7 14/09/2022

[TheDigitalDog]

Nice answer, I've seen your replies this matches their subtlety! V helpful. 

"Those who can do, those who can't end up on help forums...FACT!" V12db7 14/09/2022

By @v12db7

And here you are posting on a help forum ignoring the facts provided by multiple professionals. 

[jane-e]

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@v12db7 wrote:

Whats your answer to this then @HDave ?

I don't think you meant to tag someone with zero posts who has not been active for more that a year?

Jane

[davescm]

@v12db7  Assuming your comment was addressed to me and not 'HDave', then check you are running the latest driver for your K5000. If you are, then that 2012 GPU would seem to fall into the category - 'If you are using an older graphics card or driver, GPU functionality in Photoshop may be limited or not supported.'

As for pricing, I am not an Adobe employee so can't comment.

Dave

[NB, colourmanagement]

Here are some suggestions from Adobe for GPU issues.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/troubleshoot-gpu-graphics-card.html

neilB