Lightroom Classic GPU FAQ (2024)

How does Lightroom Classic use the graphics processor?

When configured (Preferences > Performance), Lightroom Classic can use a compatible graphics processor (also called agraphicscard, video card, or GPU) to speed up tasks of displaying and adjusting images in the Develop module, theLibrary module's Grid view, Loupe view, and Filmstrip. Features like Select Subject, Select Sky, and Enhance Details are also accelerated by the GPU. Using a compatible GPU can provide significant speed improvements on high-resolution displays, such as 4K and 5K monitors.

What are the minimum system requirements for GPU features in Lightroom Classic?

Your graphics processor must meet the minimum system requirements (see below) to be used by Lightroom Classic. We also recommend choosing a graphics card with a GPU Compute benchmark score of 2000 or greater.

Minimum system requirements to use GPU for display

Minimum system requirements to use GPU for image processing

Minimum system requirements to use GPU for Export

System requirements to use GPU for display

Windows

Windows 10 (64-bit) 1909 or later
GPU with support for DirectX 12. To find out the version of DirectX on your system, see this Microsoft documentation.
Intel GPUs: Skylake GPU or later is required.

macOS

macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later
GPU with Metal support. To find out if your computer supports Metal, see thisApple documentation.

System requirements to use GPU for image processing

Ensure all theGPU for display system requirementsare met.

	Minimum	Recommended
VRAM	2 GB GPU RAM	4 GB GPU RAM or more for 4k displays and greater

System requirements to use GPU for Export

Ensure all the system requirements for image processingare met.

	Minimum	Recommended
VRAM	2 GB GPU RAM	8 GB of dedicated GPU RAM or 16 GB of shared memory

Caution:

Lightroom Classic currently doesn't take advantage of more than one graphics processor. Using two video adapters does not enhance performance. To resolve issues arising because of conflicting graphics drivers, follow Step 5 and Step 6 in Solution 4: GPU and graphics driver troubleshooting steps.
Only the 'Main' Lightroom Classic window is accelerated. The 'Secondary' window isn't accelerated by the graphics processor.
Graphics processors running under virtual machines are not tested or supported.
When you launch Lightroom Classic, it runs a test on the graphics card. If the test fails, the graphics card is disabled even if it meets the minimum requirements. Walk through the troubleshooting steps to try to resolve the error. Some graphics cards, despite meeting the minimum requirements, may never be compatible with Lightroom Classic for graphics acceleration.

For additional details, seeSystem requirements | Lightroom Classic.

Suggestions for choosing a graphics card

For best performance, use a discrete graphics card that has theGPU Compute benchmarkscore of 2000 or greater.

How do I determine if Lightroom Classic is accessing the graphics card?

When Lightroom Classic is able to use the GPU, you'll find that the Use Graphics Processor check box is selected in Preferences.

(macOS)Lightroom Classic > Preferences > Performance
(Windows)Edit > Preferences > Performance

In preferences, the name of the GPU available to Lightroom Classic and its available video memory is displayed. If no information is displayed, then you may need to install a new driver for your GPU, or your hardware or operating system does not meet the minimum system requirements.

Note:

If Lightroom Classic detects that the system GPU is disabled, a pop-up will appear asking you to Enable it with a single click. The GPU preference in such a case will switch from Off to Auto.

GPU acceleration in Lightroom Classic

Introduced in Lightrooom Classic 8.4 (August 2019 release)

In Lightroom Classic, the current status of GPU acceleration is displayed just below the GPU name. Your system may automatically support limited or full acceleration. If your system automatically supports limited acceleration, you can enable full acceleration using the Custom option.

Acceleration may also be turned off automatically if your system does not support it or due to an error. If acceleration is turned off and an error message appears, it could be due to GPU hardware, driver version, or operating system not meeting the system requirements.

You can select one of the following options from the Use Graphics Processor drop-down to turn the GPU acceleration on/off.

Auto

Select this option to automatically determine the correct level of GPU support based on your system's hardware and operating system configuration. This is the default option.

Custom

Select this option to choose the level of GPU support manually.

Use GPU for Display
Use GPU for Image Processing
Use GPU for Export

Off

Select this option to turn off the GPU acceleration.

How do I determine the make and model of my graphics card?

To determine your graphics card make and model, launch Lightroom Classic and chooseHelp > System Info to view the information for your graphics processor.

Does Lightroom Classic take advantage of more than one graphics processor or graphics card?

Lightroom Classic currently doesn't take advantage of more than one graphics processor. Using two graphics cards does not enhance Lightroom Classic's performance.

Multiple graphics cards with conflicting drivers can cause problems with graphics processor accelerated features in Lightroom Classic.

For best results, connect two (or more) monitors into one graphics card.