Photoshop and RAM

DL
Posted By
Dave_Lesko
Jul 31, 2008
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209
Replies
3
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Closed
I’ve got a dual 2.6 MHz quad core Mac Pro with 10 gigs of RAM installed. Photoshop’s preferences/performance dialogue box shows 3072 MB of memory available. Is this normal? I really expected this machine to perform better than it is, and I’m wondering if this is part of the problem.
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How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

NK
Neil_Keller
Jul 31, 2008
Dave,

The OS limitation is 2GB; Photoshop has worked out a way to access up to 3 GB. But the RAM beyond that is not wasted as it is usable for other system or other application operations. For some ideas how to improve your system performance, please see: < http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb 401089>

Neil
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Jul 31, 2008
Performance takes in a lot more than RAM, although RAM is an important key to performance. If you are not happy with the performance you are getting on your system you might brows through the archives on these forums where the issue of performance has been dissected into fine details that you most likely will find helpful.

Some of us have our systems tuned down to a gnat’s eyebrow with policing over all daily operations. Good maintenance is also a key to performance and that subject has been covered here often so you should have no trouble finding help for your system by doing some browsing.
AW
Allen_Wicks
Aug 2, 2008
PS can only directly address ~3 GB RAM but OS X allows benefit from upwards of 8 GB even though only 3072 MB shows as used.

Hard drive management is essential. Keep all drives less than 50% full for best speed and assign a hard drive separate from the OS/apps drive for Photoshop scratch (internal drive, eSATA or Firewire800, never USB).

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

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