CS4 unbelievable slow!

2008-10-29

I just installed the CS4 package, but to my great dissapointment Photoshop runs so slow that any kind of editing is completely impossible. I have tried a bunch of stuff by now:
- Enabled GPU acceleration
- Updated graphics driver to the absolutely newest version
- Downgraded graphics driver to see if this would help
- Disabled GPU acceleration again to see if any changes would happen
- disabled secondary monitor
- Increased Cache size in CS4 to 8

Right now I cant even draw a circle in a blank document as the program cannot keep up with the mouse movement no matter how slow I drag it. Don't even get me started on the performance of the new features like smooth zoom...

Switching to CS3 solves every problem and the program runs perfectly.

My system is:
Pentium D930
Nvidia GeForce 8800GT 512 MB
3 GB RAM

By now I am seriusly considering returning the package for a refund. Photoshop CS4 is 100% useless to me right now.

Micropixel · 2008-10-29 #2

You should be able to get refunded without a reason but I don't know exact laws in your country. But to my knowledge, 30 days after purchasing is the deadline. 14 days preffered.

This is exactly an example why to use trail version before buying and why are trial versions important.

Nutrox · 2008-10-29 #3

Adobe always release trial versions weeks after their products are launched unfortunately, it is a serious pain in the ass. I won't be purchasing any of the new CS4 apps until I have tried them first.

yakken · 2008-10-30 #4

As far as I can see, I am not the only person in the world with this problem. The problem only seems to be present on Windows systems, but the brand of GFX does not seem to have an impact - except that older cards have a greater succes ratio. Adobe does not acknowledge this as being their fault, but blame the GFX vendors such as Nvidia or ATI. Of course it isn't the software team at Adobe who has implemented GPU utilization poorly - it has to be bad driver programming...

I contacted Adobe and they do have a 30 day return policy. I just have to ship the package back to the UK.

yakken · 2008-10-30 #5

Here are some examples of other people having troubles:
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b6d9d3
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b6d78b

nrg · 2008-10-30 #6

Something on your system is definitely messing up Photoshop, since your hardware specs are fine.

yakken · 2008-10-30 #7

As it turns out, the shipping costs for shipments from DK to the UK is almost 10% of the package cost (I have the student version), so I'm just gonna keep the damn thing.

nrg · 2008-10-30 #8

Why not try to reinstall your entire OS (make a ghost image of your current installation), and see if it makes any difference? I wouldn't give up that easily. I'm pretty sure it's a software conflict.

yakken · 2008-10-31 #9

I'm pretty sure it is too, but when I purchased the PC from Dell, I did not get an OS DVD with it. So right now I don't have anything to install on it if I do a clean start...

I do have a XP Pro OS lying around somewhere, but I would hate to use that license just for trying out a clean install. I'm kinda saving it for my planned purchase of the new Macbook, as I plan to run BootCamp on it.

Micropixel · 2008-11-03 #10

Yakken: On HP notebooks, it should be the way that there's a separate harddrive for clean instalation to boot if you have formatted your C drive. The same should be for every OEM Windows for notebook/PC.

sxsasi · 2008-11-03 #11

Thanks for your info about the software my friend.

cwindham · 2008-11-11 #12

I just got my upgrade (CS4) and it is a bit slow but I only notice it really when I have multiple things opened up at once. Then again, I just reformatted to.

flashkicks · 2008-11-18 #13

haha, I am sticking with CS3, not becuse of this, but becuase it has everything I need.

*edit
why would you order from the UK? Things are pretty expensive here despite our pound tumbling in the currency markets considerably in the last few weeks.

Nutrox · 2008-11-18 #14

I have upgraded to CS4 pretty much across the range now ( Flash, Photoshop, After Effects, etc ) and I'm not having any speed issues with them, they run the same as the CS3 versions on my machine ( Windows XP SP2 - 3 GHz CPU - 1 GB RAM ).

The boot-up times are incredibly lengthy though and I'm really not keen on the GUI Adobe have adopted, it still seems as unstable as the CS3 GUI. Why don't they just stick with the native operating system GUI, surely that would be much quicker and more stable? I don't care if it means losing the fancy panel docking, that causes half the problems anyway.

sentinels · 2008-11-18 #15

i actually like the fancy docking panels...

i opted for CS4 for OSX as opposed to using it on Windows. hopefully i won't run into as many lag issues as others have noted.

FIRESCAPE · 2008-11-24 #16

it works far better on OSX than windows.

tiran · 2008-11-25 #17

That would be a first.

tiran · 2008-12-02 #18

Just installed this morning. Love it. Successfully ran PhotoShop, Dreamweaver, and Flash all day today (without restarting / closing). Nothing seemed slow. My cpu is a Dell Precision T5400 with E5405 2 GHZ processor and 2gb of ram. Everything worked great, and I for one really like the new interface. Also, takes about 20 seconds for Flash to boot...didn't think that was terrible really.

nrg · 2008-12-02 #19

The thing I really hate about CS4 is the lack of an Application frame for Dreamweaver on OSX.
Organizing/resizing all the floating windows on a 30 incher is just a big pain.
Other than that: PS & Fireworks are my new pixel tweaking darlings

flashkicks · 2008-12-03 #20

What monitor do you have, nrg? Apple Cinema Display?

nrg · 2008-12-03 #21

Quote: Originally Posted by flashkicks

What monitor do you have, nrg? Apple Cinema Display?

Yup, best second hand monitor ever.

sentinels · 2008-12-03 #22

i love AI's multiple artboards.. perfect for storyboarding! TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH!

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	Ultrashock Forums > Creative Software > Photoshop • CS4 unbelievable slow!


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	Micropixel	2008-10-29 #2
	You should be able to get refunded without a reason but I don't know exact laws in your country. But to my knowledge, 30 days after purchasing is the deadline. 14 days preffered. This is exactly an example why to use trail version before buying and why are trial versions important.

	Nutrox 17 Creative Assets	2008-10-29 #3
	Adobe always release trial versions weeks after their products are launched unfortunately, it is a serious pain in the ass. I won't be purchasing any of the new CS4 apps until I have tried them first.

	yakken	2008-10-30 #4
	As far as I can see, I am not the only person in the world with this problem. The problem only seems to be present on Windows systems, but the brand of GFX does not seem to have an impact - except that older cards have a greater succes ratio. Adobe does not acknowledge this as being their fault, but blame the GFX vendors such as Nvidia or ATI. Of course it isn't the software team at Adobe who has implemented GPU utilization poorly - it has to be bad driver programming... I contacted Adobe and they do have a 30 day return policy. I just have to ship the package back to the UK.

	yakken	2008-10-30 #5
	Here are some examples of other people having troubles: http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b6d9d3 http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b6d78b

	nrg 11 Creative Assets	2008-10-30 #6
	Something on your system is definitely messing up Photoshop, since your hardware specs are fine.

	yakken	2008-10-30 #7
	As it turns out, the shipping costs for shipments from DK to the UK is almost 10% of the package cost (I have the student version), so I'm just gonna keep the damn thing.

	nrg 11 Creative Assets	2008-10-30 #8
	Why not try to reinstall your entire OS (make a ghost image of your current installation), and see if it makes any difference? I wouldn't give up that easily. I'm pretty sure it's a software conflict.

	yakken	2008-10-31 #9
	I'm pretty sure it is too, but when I purchased the PC from Dell, I did not get an OS DVD with it. So right now I don't have anything to install on it if I do a clean start... I do have a XP Pro OS lying around somewhere, but I would hate to use that license just for trying out a clean install. I'm kinda saving it for my planned purchase of the new Macbook, as I plan to run BootCamp on it.

	tiran	2008-11-25 #17
	That would be a first.

	Micropixel	2008-11-03 #10
	Yakken: On HP notebooks, it should be the way that there's a separate harddrive for clean instalation to boot if you have formatted your C drive. The same should be for every OEM Windows for notebook/PC.

	sxsasi	2008-11-03 #11
	Thanks for your info about the software my friend.

	cwindham	2008-11-11 #12
	I just got my upgrade (CS4) and it is a bit slow but I only notice it really when I have multiple things opened up at once. Then again, I just reformatted to.

	flashkicks	2008-11-18 #13
	haha, I am sticking with CS3, not becuse of this, but becuase it has everything I need. *edit why would you order from the UK? Things are pretty expensive here despite our pound tumbling in the currency markets considerably in the last few weeks.

	Nutrox 17 Creative Assets	2008-11-18 #14
	I have upgraded to CS4 pretty much across the range now ( Flash, Photoshop, After Effects, etc ) and I'm not having any speed issues with them, they run the same as the CS3 versions on my machine ( Windows XP SP2 - 3 GHz CPU - 1 GB RAM ). The boot-up times are incredibly lengthy though and I'm really not keen on the GUI Adobe have adopted, it still seems as unstable as the CS3 GUI. Why don't they just stick with the native operating system GUI, surely that would be much quicker and more stable? I don't care if it means losing the fancy panel docking, that causes half the problems anyway.

	sentinels	2008-11-18 #15
	i actually like the fancy docking panels... i opted for CS4 for OSX as opposed to using it on Windows. hopefully i won't run into as many lag issues as others have noted.

	FIRESCAPE	2008-11-24 #16
	it works far better on OSX than windows.

	tiran	2008-12-02 #18
	Last edited by tiran : 2008-12-02 at 13:55. Just installed this morning. Love it. Successfully ran PhotoShop, Dreamweaver, and Flash all day today (without restarting / closing). Nothing seemed slow. My cpu is a Dell Precision T5400 with E5405 2 GHZ processor and 2gb of ram. Everything worked great, and I for one really like the new interface. Also, takes about 20 seconds for Flash to boot...didn't think that was terrible really.

	nrg 11 Creative Assets	2008-12-02 #19
	The thing I really hate about CS4 is the lack of an Application frame for Dreamweaver on OSX. Organizing/resizing all the floating windows on a 30 incher is just a big pain. Other than that: PS & Fireworks are my new pixel tweaking darlings

	flashkicks	2008-12-03 #20
	What monitor do you have, nrg? Apple Cinema Display?

	nrg 11 Creative Assets	2008-12-03 #21
	Quote: Originally Posted by flashkicks What monitor do you have, nrg? Apple Cinema Display? Yup, best second hand monitor ever.

	sentinels	2008-12-03 #22
	i love AI's multiple artboards.. perfect for storyboarding! TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH!