Slooooowwww LR

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jimmy83

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James
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Ok so my PC isnt the quickest around and its showing its age spec:

E6600 // Asus P5Q Pro // X1950 PRO // 4GB Corsair RAM // Corsair HX 520 // X2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 // Lain LI PC7 Black // Windows7 X64 //

But I believe it should be running LR quicker than it currently is! Can anyone advise on possible ways to speed up LR? My main gripes are applying presets/exporting and skipping between photos. Well basically everything :(

Can anyone help?
 
Cheapest upgrade would be a fresh install of windows, they tend to accumulate files and programs that slow.everything down. Depending on your computer knowledge, you may be able to find what programs are using system resources and nip it in the bud.

A quick hardware upgrade would be to swap the processor for a q6600. It wouldn't need any changes in windows, but its a quad core, your current is a dual core.
 
Windows 7 shouldn't need reinstalling.

First off have a look at task manager and see if any of the graphs are maxing out. I'd put money on processor or a slow hd.

If the cpu graph keeps maxing out bestbet would see what processors your motherboard will accept. If it will take it the q9550 is a good choice.
 
One of the reasons I upgraded from a q6600 to an i7 was that lightroom was slow even with a fresh win 7 install and a SSD main drive.

A solid state drive for the operating system will improve things and from what I've read here 2 SSD's where one has the lightroom source picture files on it and generated previews is even quicker. In the end though it may just come down to processing power.
 
On LR3, I found running smaller catalogs made LR a lot faster.

Eventually built an i7 and no real problems since even with over 130,000 images.
 
Well the only hog is Chrome but even when I close that LE doesn't seem to speed up :(
 
jimmy83 said:
Well the only hog is Chrome but even when I close that LE doesn't seem to speed up :(
Click to expand...
With LR open, go to the Performance tab in Windows Task Manager and what do all the figures in the Physical Memory (MB) box say?

I assume at this point the CPU meter ~= 0 usage.
 
Many useful tips here:
http://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/optimize-performance-lightroom.html
Though I disagree on always rendering 1:1 on import - I hate waiting that long during import.

Also check the CPU performance Andy mentions above while you're exporting a set of photos - if the CPU isn't maxed out you're out of other resources (memory most likely)...which is a cheaper fix than a new CPU!

Have a look initially at increasing your Camera Raw cache if it's still at 1GB - it'll probably speed up the develop module. Another quick fix is adding more RAM (make sure you're running LR in 64-bit mode here) - the less LR has to hit your disk drives the better it runs.
 
archstanton said:
Have a look initially at increasing your Camera Raw cache if it's still at 1GB - it'll probably speed up the develop module. Another quick fix is adding more RAM (make sure you're running LR in 64-bit mode here) - the less LR has to hit your disk drives the better it runs.
Click to expand...
I've never got LR to use more than ~2G of memory in actual use (yes, I have 64bit, yes, I have plenty of real memory - 16G in fact). PS will use whatever I let it....
 
arad85 said:
I've never got LR to use more than ~2G of memory in actual use (yes, I have 64bit, yes, I have plenty of real memory - 16G in fact). PS will use whatever I let it....
Click to expand...
Well colour me surprised...I just double checked and it settles at using ~1.5GB of ram on mine in the develop module, that's with 12MP raw pentax raw files. Always thought it was like PS and ate all the memory.
 
arad85 said:
With LR open, go to the Performance tab in Windows Task Manager and what do all the figures in the Physical Memory (MB) box say?

I assume at this point the CPU meter ~= 0 usage.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the late reply on this arad

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neil_g said:
blimey, how many chrome.exe ?? thats sucking up a lot of memory.
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thats only like 9 tabs!

neil_g said:
otherwise turn off desktop gadgets and spybots teatimer. uninstall setpoint unless you really need it.
Click to expand...

desktop gadgets and spybots teatimer will remove these, cheers for the advice :thumbs:
 
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adri86 said:
SSD drive would help quite a bit!
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Yeah I notice prices are dropping loads, and I would only really want a small one for the OS so 60GB should be fine. Just can't really be bothered with re-installing windows if iam honest. Might wait till win8 is out.
 
128g is cheap as chips. I have a Crucial 128g and it is really worth the little it cost and more! Chrome doesnt make a bit of difference.
 
neil_g said:
id say binning off chrome would help.. :lol:



something isnt right there then.. id uninstall chrome and try a fresh install.
Click to expand...

Agree with Neil, something not right with Chrome.

Best of luck getting rid of Chrome though, it gets everywhere!
 
jimmy83 said:
Sorry for the late reply on this arad
Click to expand...

Not a problem: I'm always here ;) :D

So two things of note:

  • You are not running short of memory there - you have 1.5G free (cached + free in the Physical Memory tab)
  • Need to find out why is explorer churning through 30+% of the CPU?

With processes view in task manager, can you add the command line column (View->Select Columns->Command Line), click show processes from all users and then sort by CPU. Post the picture of the CPU users and their command line.

As to Chrome, it's either more than 9 tabs open or you have lots of plugins enabled.
 
arad85 said:
Not a problem: I'm always here ;) :D
Click to expand...

Awesome! Never short for help on here :thumbs:

arad85 said:
So two things of note:

  • You are not running short of memory there - you have 1.5G free (cached + free in the Physical Memory tab)
  • Need to find out why is explorer churning through 30+% of the CPU?

This what you mean?

F4bTP.png


With processes view in task manager, can you add the command line column (View->Select Columns->Command Line), click show processes from all users and then sort by CPU. Post the picture of the CPU users and their command line.
Click to expand...

arad85 said:
As to Chrome, it's either more than 9 tabs open or you have lots of plugins enabled.
Click to expand...

Vgood point! I do have 16 extensions! Dont have them all enabled mind.
 
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jimmy83 said:
This what you mean?
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Not quite - you missed:

arad85 said:
With processes view in task manager, can you add the command line column (View->Select Columns->Command Line), click show processes from all users and then sort by CPU. Post the picture of the CPU users and their command line.
Click to expand...
 
In which case I'm intrigued why programs are using so much CPU... LR is using 16% and Explorer was using 30% (but now isn't). Are these captures after the system has been allowed to settle?

What does the Physical Memory (MB) box in Performance tab in Windows Task Manager say when you are doing something in lightroom?
 
arad85 said:
In which case I'm intrigued why programs are using so much CPU... LR is using 16% and Explorer was using 30% (but now isn't). Are these captures after the system has been allowed to settle?

What does the Physical Memory (MB) box in Performance tab in Windows Task Manager say when you are doing something in lightroom?
Click to expand...

Sorry how do you mean settle? Ive been switching between Chrome and LR all night and ive got a few folders open, foobar and notepad...

MB is showing 79ish the whole time it seems
 
jimmy83 said:
Sorry how do you mean settle? Ive been switching between Chrome and LR all night and ive got a few folders open, foobar and notepad...
Click to expand...
I'm wondering why Lightroom is using 16% CPU so by settle I mean switch to the task manager and leave it a few seconds or so to finish doing what it is doing.

jimmy83 said:
MB is showing 79ish the whole time it seems
Click to expand...
There are 4 figures: Total, cached, available and free... What are they?

Anotyher thought. On the Performance Tab there is a button: Resource Monitor... What does the Disk Activity say?
 
arad85 said:
I'm wondering why Lightroom is using 16% CPU so by settle I mean switch to the task manager and leave it a few seconds or so to finish doing what it is doing.
Click to expand...

After I have left the PC for a minute or so...

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arad85 said:
There are 4 figures: Total, cached, available and free... What are they?
Click to expand...

Phyical Memory
Total: 4095
Cached: 1031
Available: 986
Free:147

arad85 said:
Anotyher thought. On the Performance Tab there is a button: Resource Monitor... What does the Disk Activity say?
Click to expand...

t2JNm.png
 
OK. You are OK for memory, OK for disk accesses at idle, but LR is still using 20 % of your CPU doing "nothing". With LR running here and doing "nothing" it uses evry little CPU.

Have you just upgraded from LR 3 to 4? LR needs to upgrade the catalogue - including regenerating the thumbnails - which it does in the background. What happens to the disk, cpu and memory figures when you do something in Lightroom?
 
arad85 said:
Have you just upgraded from LR 3 to 4? LR needs to upgrade the catalogue - including regenerating the thumbnails - which it does in the background.
Click to expand...

Yup, well when it first came out.

arad85 said:
What happens to the disk, cpu and memory figures when you do something in Lightroom?
Click to expand...


Ok, will I find these fugures in Resource Monitor?
 
LR4.1 is slow for me too, but I put it down to running 18-22MP raw files on a 5.5 year old laptop with a 2.16GHz C2D processor. Memory does not appear to be a constraint (3.25GB usable and always spare in reserve) and I witness plenty of chugging even when the 7,200 rpm disk access light is off. When it chugs the CPU is off the charts. When idle - properly idle, not rendering images in Library Grid view - the Lightroom CPU is 0, just as expected, but ask it to do anything at all and it's all hands to the pumps. I've tried trimming the catalogue, which currently stands at around 11,000 files, and it made no difference. I either need to be patient or to get a new machine.
 
arad85 said:
OK. You are OK for memory, OK for disk accesses at idle, but LR is still using 20 % of your CPU doing "nothing". With LR running here and doing "nothing" it uses evry little CPU.

Have you just upgraded from LR 3 to 4? LR needs to upgrade the catalogue - including regenerating the thumbnails - which it does in the background. What happens to the disk, cpu and memory figures when you do something in Lightroom?
Click to expand...

jimmy83 said:
Yup, well when it first came out.




Ok, will I find these fugures in Resource Monitor?
Click to expand...

arad85, any chance you could help us out please :wave:
 
jimmy83 said:
arad85, any chance you could help us out please :wave:
Click to expand...
What does resource monitor say when you are doing something in lightroom?
 
arad85 said:
What does resource monitor say when you are doing something in lightroom?
Click to expand...

Which tab are you referring to? The overview one?

7cdFv.png
 
You don't half go in dribs and drabs on this problem!

What sort of drive is drive e:? Is it a partition of your main disk or a disk elsewhere? USB connected or internal to the PC? Something else?
 
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