Lightroom Classic GPU FAQ (2024)

FAQs

Does GPU matter for Lightroom? ›

What GPU (video card) is best for Lightroom Classic? Lightroom Classic does not really utilize a modern video card for the majority of tasks, so we generally recommend a mid-range GPU to handle the needs of other related applications like Photoshop that do use the GPU more heavily.

Tip #1: Enable Custom GPU Based Acceleration (ALWAYS)

Head to your Preferences (CTRL+,/CMD+,) and from the General tab switch over to the Performance tab. Select the drop-down menu next to 'Use Graphics Processor' and switch it to Custom from Auto. For some reason, Lightroom turns this off by default.

What GPU (video card) is best for Photoshop? For Photoshop, it is extremely important to have a supported GPU, but the actual performance of that card will not make a major impact on performance.

So the answer to your question is, what does benefit InDesign speed the most is higher CPU single-core performance. That happens generationally, so an M3 and M2 should generally run InDesign faster than an M1 (and all will be much faster than any Intel Mac, if that's what you currently have).

As a result, processors with greater clock rates and a maximum of 8 cores or a minimum of 4 are a solid bet for Adobe Lightroom users. Note: If you perform more complex video editing or photo editing, 6-10 cores are recommended.

Photoshop with multi core processors

We were quickly able to conclude that both Photoshop and Lightroom are not able to take advantage of a great number of processor cores. Other applications such as On1 Photo Raw and Topaz Photo AI make better use of multi core processors.

If your system has enough graphics memory to support GPU acceleration for export, the Use GPU for Export option becomes available in the Performance pane of the Preferences window. You can let Lightroom Classic enable GPU acceleration automatically, or control it manually.

What is the difference between Lightroom and Lightroom Classic? ›

Lightroom is the new cloud-based photo service that works across desktop, mobile, and web. Lightroom Classic is the desktop-focused digital photography product.

This likely won't be a problem at all since you already have an existing GPU installed in a PCIe slot. If you're adding a second card to your existing setup you need to make sure you have a second bigger PCIe slot available.

Enhance Details feature in Lightroom is also accelerated by GPU. Using a compatible graphics processor can also provide a significant speed improvement on high-resolution displays, such as 4K and 5K monitors.

What does GPU stand for? Graphics processing unit, a specialized processor originally designed to accelerate graphics rendering. GPUs can process many pieces of data simultaneously, making them useful for machine learning, video editing, and gaming applications.

Editing such high-resolution footage requires a graphics card capable of handling the immense data throughput. A powerful GPU ensures that editors can work on these projects without experiencing lag or performance bottlenecks.

Having more RAM can help improve Lightroom's performance, reduce lag time when editing, and enable you to work more efficiently. Do I need 16GB of RAM for Lightroom, or is 8GB enough? The actual minimum/recommended RAM requirements are 4GB and 12GB respectively.

For photographers, the M3 Max-equipped MacBook Pro can absolutely chew through Lightroom and Photoshop edits, the latter being the best performance we've ever seen in a computer. Apple's integrated GPU can also power through Premiere Pro edits better than any computer we've tested outside of the M2 Ultra Mac Studio.