New computer?

[bruce1951]

Simple question...
I'm looking at a new computer and my question is - is there a point at which Photoline doesn't work any faster? Or put another way. Is there a point at which more ram etc etc doesn't make Photoline go any faster?

What's an idea spec for ultimate Photoline performance? (I'm mainly working on multiple layered PL image files).

[shijan]

CPU:
PhotoLine UI works on CPU, so first of all you need fastest possible 10-20 core CPU.
Performance also depends of monitor resolution and refresh rate. Editing 24Mpx 6000x4000px photos on 1920x1080 60Hz display was OK on 6 core CPU, but when i switched to 3840x2160 120Hz display, everything became way slower. So i upgraded to second hand i9-10850K 10 core CPU (overclocked to 4.9 Ghz for all cores) and got more-less same zoom/preview/curves/sliders performance. But if you work with 50Mpx or larger sized images, you may need faster CPU. So just get fastest possible CPU for your budget. Some modern AMD or Intel Core Ultra.

MEMORY:
PhotoLine loads every document to memory so if you have more memory, you could work with multiple documents faster. 32 or 64 GB should be enough to load 20-50 large photos. First i got 128GB, but it feels like useless, so i downgraded to 64GB and put remained 64GB in another machine. Currently large capacity (especially DDR5) could be problematic because prices increased 2-3 times compare to old good times.

STORAGE:
Use fast SSD. Even oldest NVME Gen3 or Gen4 interface provide super fast speed (2500MB/s), but SSD with old SATA interface is OK as well (500MB/s). Just avoid HDD drives (100MB/s). Currently large capacity SSD could be problematic because prices increased 2-3 times compare to old good times.

GPU:
GPU seems like don't used by PhotoLine at all, or maybe used in some specific filters or tasks that i didn't noticed.

[bruce1951]

Thanks.

For reference many of my files are 4-500meg multi layered images.
I've got an aversion to spending more money than needed!

I also want to buy off the shelf without the need to do add ons.

[shijan]

14 core Intel Core Ultra 5 should be OK.
20 core Intel Core Ultra 7 should be perfect.
24 core Intel Core Ultra 9 feels like too overpriced for image editing platform.

Don't know about current AMD situation because i never used their CPUs.

If look from opposite end - i know person who work on very old 2 cores processor and somehow able to edit 6000x4000 px scans in PhotoLine.

As simple solution you may also try Mac Mini M4. Performance will be same as Core Ultra 5 and powerful enough modern GPU, very small size, consume way less power and slightly less total cost than PC build. But it is totally different system and you may not like how PhotoLine UI looks in newest macOS systems compare to WIndows UI.

[bruce1951]

Thanks. My main concern is, at what point does Photoline nolonger need more power?
I don't want to spend more money if Photoline isn't taking advantage of that money!

[Hoogo]

What is your current computer (RAM/CPU), how old, and when do you notice problems? A cheap Laptop with little RAM easily beats a 16 years old machine with plenty of RAM.

Set edit > options > work > undo to 1MB, practically disable it. Work a little and check the Taskmanager how much RAM is used by PL. 500MB file size can mean anything in RAM, but surely a few gigs.Once you have more RAM than needed (+undo), you can work peacefully in your 1 document. More might only help for many documents or other programs running.

CPU also depends on your layer stack. Imagine the program going through thousands of layers to calculate the final result... If you can move some into placeholders or groups that are "draw isolated", then you can trade CPU for RAM, as caching is involved. Maybe even normal groups have some caching, there were discussions in the past, but I forgot details.

And you notice how monitor resolution affects the needed CPU power? A monitor with a resolution of 1280*1024 can improve speed far more than the latest CPU upgrade and a new computer! Just happens that I have one for sale, send me PM if interested

[bruce1951]

FWIW I'm running a 6 year old HP laptop with an external monitor. It's an i5 with 8gig. Win 11. I keep the hard drive 'clean' by transferring files to an external SSD. So I only have a few work files on the internal HD.

My main concern is slow loading and saving of files. I'm not a speed demon so editing isn't a real concern.

I'm just looking to upgrade for the sake of upgrading. No other reason. I just don't want to over spend on something that won't make Photoline 'better'.

Thanks for the info on monitor. I never gave that a thought.

I should add that I use a number of plugins via Photoline.

[Hoogo]

Time needed for loading%saving might be harder to improve.
Imho 2 limits might apply for PLD files: Bandwith of HDD, CPU for compression/decompression and building the layer stack.

To get some impression:
- "Save as"..PLD offers compression strength and a button "file size".Try the 3 options and you will get an idea of the work the CPU must do. Decompression will be much faster.
- Copy your file from HD to same HD.

I guess that's already enough to tell if it's the HD or the CPU.