In the Lightroom Classic 11.4 update, one new performance enhancement got my attention: GPU acceleration for exporting. A quick test shows that GPU acceleration can result in faster multi-file exports that use computer resources more efficiently on less power, which in turn produces less heat and fan noise, potentially improving battery life.
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If you use Photoshop CC on a Mac and it crashes when using GPU-assisted features like Smart Sharpen, you may need to turn off OpenCL support in Photoshop until the problem is fixed. Reports point to a possible bug in the Apple graphics driver for AMD/ATI GPUs in OS X 10.9.2 Mavericks. (Which means this crash may only apply to you if your Mac has that type of GPU in that version of OS X.)
[Update: This did turn out to be an Apple bug. Apple fixed it in OS X 10.9.3. If you are running 10.9.3 or later you do not need to perform the steps listed below; you can leave OpenCL turned on in Photoshop. This also means that if Photoshop is crashing and you are using OS X 10.9.3 or later, the cause is probably not related to this problem.]
The official Adobe help page for this issue walks you through the steps to disable OpenCL support in Photoshop:
Photoshop Help / Crash | Smart Sharpen
Here’s a picture of the option, since the Adobe help page doesn’t include one (click to enlarge):
This bug has also been discussed in posts in the Adobe Community forum for Photoshop (such as Crashes with PS CC on Mac OS 10.9.2), and on the Mac Performance Guide blog (2013 Mac Pro: Photoshop CC Filter Crashes Appear to be Due to Apple Graphics Drivers). The MPG article also refers to OS X 10.9.2 issues with with some external monitors such as the NEC PA series; I’ve also seen these problems.
While many people pay attention to the speed of their computer’s CPU (central processing unit) and how much RAM (random-access memory) their applications need, the video card (also called the graphics card) is getting more attention as image-editing, video-editing, and game applications increasingly rely on it. In addition, today’s desktop displays are larger than ever, and a new wave of high resolution monitors such as the Apple Retina display have a dramatically increased pixel density (pixels per inch resolution) that has also increased the number of screen pixels that need to be managed for a given screen size. All of these changes add to the work that a video card has to do.
(Note: This article covers how graphics hardware works on Macs using Intel processors. Macs using Apple Silicon processors work differently, and that is not covered here. I may cover that after I gain a better understanding of the differences.)
conrad chavez | blog 