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Lightroom CC is slow...

Explorer ,
Mar 26, 2017 Mar 26, 2017

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My PC specs are:

Motherboard: Asus Z170-AR

Processor: Intel i7-6700K (4.0/4.2 GHz Turbo

Graphics: EVGA GTX 970 4GB SC

RAM: 32GB, DDR4, 3000 MHz (2X16GB)

Operating System: Windows 7, installed on Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD

Catalogs stored on the SSD

Photos stored on WD Black HDD

I believe that this is quite powerful PC. However, I still experience slow down when working with Lightroom CC, especially after running it for a few hours. Restarting Lightroom helps for some time but then it slows down again. It is slowing down after merging to HDR for example (in Lightroom). It is also very slow when converting 20-30 files from DNG to JPEG at once. It makes everything slow, until the operation is completed.

I have configured Lightroom the way I have learned to be the best:

Use Graphics Processor - Enabled

I generate 1:1 previews  and keep them for 7 days (Used to be 30 days - No difference)

Preview quality: Low (It used to be High and the Medium - No difference)

Standard Preview Size: Auto (1920px) - Same as my monitor size

The files that I process are DNG, from a 36 MPX camera. Some are standard (50MB) and some are in-camera HDR (150MB)

Any suggestions to improve the performance? Where do you think my bottleneck is?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

LEGEND , Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

1. I import the DNG file to Lightroom (most files are around 50mb, some are 150mb

So it would help if you talked in megapixels and not megabytes. What is the size of your images in megapixels? Ok, I see you said 36 megapixel photos, these are relatively large photos, which will require lots of CPU speed (and GPU if enabled).

3. I do basic editing to each image (colors, light, adjustment brush etc.)

This could be the problem. Using large amounts of brushing is known to slow Lightroom down. You have

...

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Adobe Employee ,
Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

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Hi boaz_m,

Please refer: Optimize Lightroom performance also, are you using any NAS drive for storing images and Lightroom catalog?

Thanks,

Mohit

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Community Expert ,
Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

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... you using any NAS drive for storing images and Lightroom catalog?

Mohit,

The catalog can not be stored on a network drive ..

--- Got your issue resolved? Please label the response as 'Correct Answer' to help your fellow community members find a solution to similar problems. ---

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LEGEND ,
Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

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Exactly what functions in Lightroom are slow?

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Explorer ,
Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

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Thank you all for responding

Mohit - I have gone through the optimization last many times.... I don't use NAS for storage

dj_paige - Here is my work flow. I shoot mostly real-estate.

1. I import the DNG file to Lightroom (most files are around 50mb, some are 150mb

2. I select the photos that I want to edit, mark them with 3 stars

3. I do basic editing to each image (colors, light, adjustment brush etc.)

4. Sometime I also merge to HDR. This consumes a lot of resources and after the merging is done, Lightroom will slow down significantly, until I restart it. Even going through the photos becomes a hassle.

5. Most images don't require blanding so at this point I convert them to JPEG, and reduce the size to 4672 pixels. This, again, takes time (I didn't measure) and takes resources from the computer (CPU? GPU? RAM?)

6. Some images require blanding in photoshop. A few sets of 2-4 images. I open them as layers in photoshop and save them to TIFF. This creates some 1GB files. I then convert them to JPEG and delete the TIFF

7. After processing this way a couple of folders, with 20-30 images each, Lightroom slows down dramatically and I need to restart it, What slows down? Pretty much everything. Going through the images, editing some more. I often see a white screen for a few seconds, especially while Lightroom is converting about 10-20 files to Jpeg. But also after this task is completed, then re-editing some of the images can be really slow.

When I look at the task manager, I see that Lightroom uses up to 3GB of RAM. Photoshop may be using 1GB and the browsers maybe 1GB together. So if I have 32GB then RAM shouldn't be a problem, right?

So what is the bottleneck here? CPU? GPU? Me....??

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LEGEND ,
Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

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1. I import the DNG file to Lightroom (most files are around 50mb, some are 150mb

So it would help if you talked in megapixels and not megabytes. What is the size of your images in megapixels? Ok, I see you said 36 megapixel photos, these are relatively large photos, which will require lots of CPU speed (and GPU if enabled).

3. I do basic editing to each image (colors, light, adjustment brush etc.)

This could be the problem. Using large amounts of brushing is known to slow Lightroom down. You have all the symptoms of the problem caused by lots of brushing.

5. Most images don't require blanding so at this point I convert them to JPEG, and reduce the size to 4672 pixels. This, again, takes time (I didn't measure) and takes resources from the computer (CPU? GPU? RAM?)

I guess this step doesn't seem necessary to me (and I also don't recognize the word "blanding"), and in my mind, this entire step is an unnecessary waste of time. However, anticipating that you have a valid explanation for why this is needed, the speed of converting to a JPG is entirely based on the CPU, and as I said, if you did a lot of brushing, it will take a lot of time.

7. After processing this way a couple of folders, with 20-30 images each, Lightroom slows down dramatically and I need to restart it, What slows down? Pretty much everything. Going through the images, editing some more. I often see a white screen for a few seconds, especially while Lightroom is converting about 10-20 files to Jpeg. But also after this task is completed, then re-editing some of the images can be really slow.

Brushing! It slows Lightroom down. If you are doing a lot of brushing in Lightroom, this is most likely the problem.

Instead of doing lots of brushing in Lightroom, do it in Photoshop; or if you must do it in Lightroom, turn off the GPU acceleration (Preferences->Performance->uncheck "use graphics processor"), do the brushing before you turn on the lens corrections and transforms, and if possible, get a faster CPU.

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Explorer ,
Mar 27, 2017 Mar 27, 2017

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1. I didn't realize that brushing slows down Lightroom. I find it to be one of the most useful features in Lightroom editing..

2. Sorry, I meant "blending" and not "Blanding".. I used to open the DNG files in Photoshop, then edit and save them as TIFF (16 bit) and then convert them to JPEG so that I can deliver them to clients. But I found that opening 10-20 images at the same time works better if they are JPEG. But then I lose time by converting them all from DNG to JPEG. Converting from TIFF to JPEG seems to be working much faster and consumes less resources from my computer

3. Brushing in Lightroom is a lot easier than in Photoshop. I am assuming that you mean by applying the changes in layers and masking them out? How does turning off GPU help with brushing? Should I do ALL Lightroom editing BEFORE lens correction and transform?

4. Faster CPU? Is 4.2 not fast enough..?? What would you recommend? Is better GPU going to help at all? It is just easier for me to replace than a CPU

Thanks for all the help so far!

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LEGEND ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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3. Brushing is a lot easier in LR, but a lot faster in Photoshop! In Photoshop, the order of editing doesn't matter, as far as I know. In Lightroom, the speed of editing will be faster if you do the brushing without lens corrections and transforms, and then when you are done with the brushing, turn on lens corrections and transforms. Also turn off the GPU acceleration if it is on.

4. Sadly, this entire problem is due to the way LR is programmed, and a faster CPU will help. Whether or not you want to pay for a faster CPU, compared to changing your workflow, is up to you. A GPU will not help with the brushing issue.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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Honestly, is an i7 6700 slow? How much faster should it be?

If any pattern is discernible in this, it's that the higher the machine specs, the greater the likelihood of speed issues.

These suggestions to upgrade the CPU should stop. It's obviously not where the problem is. It will not get anyone anywhere, except maybe an unnecessary expense.

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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I agree. That CPU is quite powerful and should not be a problem. I run an iMac 5K with a 4 GHz i7 and find Lightroom plenty responsive.

But I don't use many, many brush adjustments. Maybe a couple or four. How many is "a lot?" How many is a problem?

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LEGEND ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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https://forums.adobe.com/people/D+Fosse  wrote

Honestly, is an i7 6700 slow? How much faster should it be?

If any pattern is discernible in this, it's that the higher the machine specs, the greater the likelihood of speed issues.

These suggestions to upgrade the CPU should stop. It's obviously not where the problem is. It will not get anyone anywhere, except maybe an unnecessary expense.

The problem could be Lightroom, but a faster CPU will chug through the tasks faster than a slower CPU.

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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Of course. But how much faster than an i7 at 4 GHz is common?

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Community Expert ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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dj_paige  wrote

a faster CPU will chug through the tasks faster than a slower CPU.

I don't think so, because the real problem is elsewhere. Not even the six-year old i5 that I use at home, ever peaks CPU usage, whatever I throw at it. And what I mostly throw at it is 36MP D800 files.

My work machine, an i7 that should be at least twice as fast, is - well, not. If anything, it's a bit slower. Everything else is identically set up (it has to be for a number of reasons), including a single 1920 x 1200 display.

It's not the CPU.

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LEGEND ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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https://forums.adobe.com/people/D+Fosse  wrote

dj_paige   wrote

a faster CPU will chug through the tasks faster than a slower CPU.

I don't think so, because the real problem is elsewhere. Not even the six-year old i5 that I use at home, ever peaks CPU usage, whatever I throw at it. And what I mostly throw at it is 36MP D800 files.

My work machine, an i7 that should be at least twice as fast, is - well, not. If anything, it's a bit slower. Everything else is identically set up (it has to be for a number of reasons), including a single 1920 x 1200 display.

It's not the CPU.

It may be that the real problem is elsewhere, that there is some problem with the coding in Lightroom, no one has been able to identify or prove that this is the case.

The user is doing a lot of brushing, which is computationally intensive. The user has 36 megapixel originals which adds to the amount of computations that have to be done. I don't remember what size monitor he is using, but if he is using a 4K or larger monitor, that increases the amount of computations that have to be done. To deny that a faster CPU could do these calculations faster is not something I can agree with.

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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Is there any evidence that the CPU is maxed out? Perhaps Lightroom is not CPU bound, in this case?

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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I am using two 24" monitors, 1920X1200

I will stars working as dj_paige suggested, brushing before lens correction and see how it helps

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LEGEND ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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I have never had to decide when to turn the GPU acceleration on or off, because I do not use GPU acceleration with my Lightroom. So, I leave it up to you to experiment with this, but I do know that GPU acceleration OFF will speed up brushing (as stated by Eric Chan, the LR developer in charge of programming, that's probably not his actual title but you get the idea)

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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See task manager below

Task Manager.jpg

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LEGEND ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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You could close all the programs running except Lightroom and see how it works.  I'm using that same processor on a 27 inch iMac retina with 16gb RAM with the catalog, photos and previews on and external thunderbolt Lacie SSD and it works fine.  I usually have Safari and Mail loaded and occasionally Photoshop but close Photoshop when not needed.

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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What size photos are you working with?

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LEGEND ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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Mine are 24mp cr2 files but a friend of mine edits his 36mp Nikon files on my computer and he has not complained about the speed.   Did you try the editing with everything closed except Lightroom to see how it works?

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Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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No. I assumed that Internet browsers consume mostly RAM and not CPU or GPU, and since I have 32GB I thought it was plenty to handle all  - Lightroom, Photoshop, Chrome and Firefox

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Community Expert ,
Mar 28, 2017 Mar 28, 2017

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A possible cause for Lightroom slowdowns is malware detectors and antivirus software including Microsoft's malware detection software. Some rescan your entire catalog file every time a single change gets written to it. Trick is to exclude the catalog file and preview database from those scanners. Don't know if this is your problem but it's worth a try.

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Explorer ,
Mar 29, 2017 Mar 29, 2017

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I have already tried. It is not the case..

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New Here ,
Nov 25, 2017 Nov 25, 2017

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In my case, turning off the GPU in LR preferences made a difference. LR now feels more responsive during editing (brushing, transforming, gradient filters, ..etc). I have also done that in PS preferences and it also responds better now.

I'm using a MacBook Retina 15" early 2013 (Core i7, 8 GB ram, and SSD).

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