Adobe Camera Raw graphics processor (GPU) FAQ and troubleshooting

Camera Raw can use a compatible graphics processor (also called a video adapter, video card, or GPU) to speed up several operations.

To begin with, ensure that your system meets the general Camera Raw system requirements and the minimum system requirements for Graphics Processor (GPU)–accelerated features.

What features in Camera Raw use a GPU?

• Enhance Details. GPU acceleration happens automatically on compatible systems for Enhanced Details and is not controlled by Camera Raw Preferences. 
• Interactive photo editing. Camera Raw will automatically select an appropriate level of GPU acceleration: off, basic, or full.  
  • Basic acceleration optimizes how Camera Raw sends information to your GPU for display. It makes Camera Raw more responsive and enables features like animated zoom (scrubby zoom).
  • Full acceleration uses a GPU for image processing, rendering pixels using a GPU in addition to the CPU as you edit. Using Process Version 5, most adjustments are now GPU accelerated. For example, full acceleration can improve how fast you see results as you move the Texture slider. Using the GPU also helps Camera Raw keep up with the demands of 4K, 5K and larger displays. Full acceleration was added in the August 2019 (version 11.4) release. Enabling full acceleration requires basic acceleration.

To see and customize how Camera Raw uses GPU acceleration for interactive editing, select the Performance tab in Camera Raw Preferences. See Determine if Camera Raw is accessing the GPU, for more details.

How do Camera Raw's GPU settings interact with those in Photoshop, Bridge, and other applications?

The GPU settings in Photoshop or the Use Software Rendering setting in Bridge preferences do not affect the GPU performance settings in Camera Raw. This means that the GPU related settings in Camera Raw do not change when you switch on or off the GPU related settings in Photoshop, Bridge, or other applications. Conversely, GPU related settings in Camera Raw do not affect other associated applications.

What factors can limit the performance of Camera Raw GPU acceleration?

• Not using a GPU, GPU driver, and operating system that meets the recommended system requirements.

• Other programs that use significant GPU, CPU, and memory resources when you are using Camera Raw. The Activity Monitor (Mac) and Task Manager (Windows) can help you identify other programs that compete with Camera Raw for resources.

• On laptops, performance can vary based on your computer’s power management settings like battery saving mode.

• Although GPU acceleration primarily relies on the GPU, CPU speed also plays a role in acceleration and performance gains of this feature.
  

Determine if Camera Raw is accessing the GPU

When Camera Raw is able to use the graphics processor (GPU), Use Graphics Processor is enabled in Camera Raw preferences. To access Preferences in Camera Raw:

The Performance panel displays the name of the available GPU and its available video memory. Below the name of the GPU, the status of GPU acceleration in Camera Raw is displayed. If you cannot view this information, you need to either install a new driver for your GPU or your system does not meet the minimum requirements.

Customizing GPU acceleration

Your system may automatically support basic or full acceleration. If your system automatically supports basic acceleration, you may be able to enable full acceleration when you select Use GPU for image processing in the Custom option.

Acceleration can also be automatically turned off because your system does not support it or due to an error. If acceleration is turned off and an error message appears, then your GPU hardware, driver version, or operating system version may not meet the minimum requirements.

You can turn off GPU acceleration with the Custom option if you observe problems that Camera Raw did not automatically detect.

In Performance, the Use Graphics Processor field has the following options:

• Auto Camera Raw automatically determines the level of GPU support to use. This is based on your system’s hardware and operating system configuration and is the default option.
• Custom You can customize how Camera Raw uses your GPU by selecting a supported option:
  • Use GPU for display
  • Use GPU for image processing (Processing Version 5 or higher) 

See What features in Camera Raw use a GPU to know more about these levels of GPU acceleration.

• Off Camera Raw will not use the GPU.

Determine your GPU make and model

The make and model of your GPU or video adapter is displayed in the Camera Raw Preferences dialog box. To access this:

macOS

• In Photoshop, choose Photoshop > Preferences > Camera Raw 
• In Bridge, choose Adobe Bridge > Camera Raw Preferences

Windows

• In Photoshop, choose Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw 
• In Bridge, choose Edit > Camera Raw Preferences

If you do not see the make and model in the Camera Raw Preferences dialog box, navigate to the following in your operating system:

(macOS) Click the Apple logo in the upper-left corner and select About This Mac.

(Windows) In Control Panel, select Device Manager > Display adapters.

Update your graphics driver

If Camera Raw isn't accessing your GPU, when it meets the minimum system requirements, then update the graphics driver.

macOS

Graphics drivers are updated via operating system updates. Make sure that you have the latest OS updates by checking System Preferences or App Store Updates.

Windows

Download the most recent driver directly from your GPU manufacturer's site:

• Nvidia drivers
• AMD/ATI drivers
• Intel drivers

Does Camera Raw take advantage of more than one graphics processor (GPU) or video adapter?

• Camera Raw currently doesn't take advantage of more than one graphics processor (GPU) at a given time. Using two GPUs does not enhance Camera Raw's performance.
• Multiple GPUs with conflicting drivers can cause problems with graphics processor (GPU) accelerated features in Camera Raw.
• Connect two (or more) monitors into one GPU for best results.
• If your computer has both an integrated and discrete GPU (found commonly in laptops), graphics settings and power management features of your operating system can determine which GPU is available to Camera Raw. For details, consult the documentation of your operating system's manufacturer. If you use macOS, see this Apple documentation.
• For instructions on how to set a specific card to be the primary GPU on Windows, consult the card manufacturer's driver documentation.
• If one of your GPUs is an external GPU, it can or cannot be the device that is available to Camera Raw. If you use Windows 10, consult your computer manufacturer's documentation and documentation from the manufacturer of your external GPU enclosure. If you use macOS, see this Apple documentation: Use an external graphics processor with your Mac.
• If you have more than one discrete GPU, make sure that they are the same make and model. Otherwise, crash and other issues can occur.
• To disable a GPU, use the Device Manager on Windows. Right-click the card's name in the Device Manager and choose Disable.

Troubleshooting

Potential problems you can encounter

• The image area in the Camera Raw dialog is all blue or all white.
• Moving basic develop sliders causes image brightness to flicker or shift colors unexpectedly.
• Crash on calling Camera Raw, crashing and freezing in general, or unexplained slowdowns.
• Graphics processor acceleration has been disabled due to an error is displayed under Use Graphics Processor in Camera Raw Preference's Performance panel.
  
• Image previews and thumbnails look tiled or broken on Windows.
• Camera Raw is not using the level of GPU acceleration you expect it to, automatically or you expect either Use GPU for display or Use GPU for image processing to be enabled but it is disabled.

Solutions

• Update Photoshop & Camera Raw
• Update your graphics driver
• Use the Custom setting in Performance preferences to disable Use GPU for image processing, if it is available.
• If problems persist, use the custom settings in Performance preferences to disable Use GPU for display, if it is available.
• Disable third-party graphics accelerators. Third-party GPU overclocking utilities and haxies are not supported (examples include Riva Tuner and MSI Afterburner).
• Disable Automatic graphics switching under the Energy Saver tab in the System Preferences (macOS).
• Replace your GPU with a newer and compatible GPU.
• If you're using Camera Raw 11.3 or earlier, disable Use Graphics Processor in Camera Raw Preferences:
  • (macOS) In Photoshop, choose Photoshop > Preferences > Camera Raw. In Bridge, choose Adobe Bridge > Camera Raw Preferences 
  • (Windows) Choose Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw in Photoshop. In Bridge, choose Edit > Camera Raw Preferences
• (If you're using Camera Raw version 11.3 or earlier) Force Camera Raw to use Windows DirectX or macOS Metal. To do this, go to Preferences > Camera Raw and verify that the GPU is currently set to OpenGL. Close Photoshop and locate the Camera Raw GPU Config.txt file:
  • (macOS) /Users/[user name]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/GPU/Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw/Camera Raw GPU Config.txt
  • (Windows) \Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CameraRaw\GPU\Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw\Camera Raw GPU Config.txt

The user Library folder is hidden by default in macOS X 10.7 and later releases. Use the following directions here. Manually delete the Camera Raw GPU Config.txt file and relaunch Photoshop.

GPU troubleshooting steps for Camera Raw and Lightroom

If GPU acceleration is not enabled or not working as expected, use the following troubleshooting guide to resolve the issue. This guide applies to the following versions of Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Lightroom Classic on macOS and Windows:

• Camera Raw 11.4 and later
• Lightroom 3.0 and later 
• Lightroom Classic 8.4 and later 

1. Verify that you have installed the latest version of Camera Raw or Lightroom

See the following resources to learn more about the latest versions of Camera Raw and Lightroom:

• Keep Photoshop up to date
• Keep Lightroom up to date

2. Verify that your system meets the requirements for GPU acceleration

For Lightroom Classic 8.4 and later and Lightroom 3.0 and later, the technical GPU hardware and software requirements for GPU acceleration are exactly the same as that for Camera Raw:

• Camera Raw GPU system requirements
• Lightroom GPU FAQ
• Lightroom Classic GPU system requirements

3. Examine the Preferences dialog box

Open the Camera Raw or Lightroom Preferences dialog box and examine the information it displays. Gather the following information if you want to report a GPU acceleration issue on user forums or to technical support directly:

• Camera Raw or Lightroom version number
• Name of the GPU
• GPU driver version number, if it is displayed after the GPU name
  
• Amount of GPU RAM
• State of the options and selections
• Status message, which may indicate an error

4. Collect detailed logs

Collect and send logs to Adobe while reporting problems.

Logging related to GPU acceleration are written to the same folder for Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Lightroom Classic.

The best way to collect a log about a bug is to:

1. Quit the app.
2. Relaunch the app.
3. Perform the minimum number of steps required to reproduce the problem.
4. Quit the app again.
5. Now collect the log files.

• On Windows, the log location is: %APPDATA%\Adobe\CameraRaw\Logs. A shortcut to get to this folder on Windows is:
  1. Press the Windows key.
  2. Enter 'Run'.
  3. Enter '%APPDATA%\Adobe\CameraRaw\Logs'.

For example: C:\Users\tester\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CameraRaw\Logs

• On Mac, the log location is: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Logs. A shortcut to get to this folder on Mac is: 
  1. In the Finder open the Go menu.
  2. Select Go to Folder.
  3. Enter the path ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw.
  4. Click Go.

For example: /Users/tester/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw

(Windows only) Save the DxDiag report

The tool dxdiag produces a report that can be helpful to the engineering team while investigating problems.

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click the Windows button in the taskbar.
2. Type 'dxdiag' (this does a search for the program).
3. Press the Enter key.
4. Wait for the DxDiag window to appear.
5. When it's enabled click the Save All Information button.
6. Save the DxDiag.txt file and submit it when reporting problems.

5. Update your drivers and OS

If you see issues, the first thing to do is note the OS version and GPU driver version you have now, try to update to the latest versions, and then see if the problem still persists.

If updating the OS or GPU driver is a fix, report your findings. (For example: "version n doesn't work but n+1 does.")

See Update your graphics driver for instructions.

6. Check and delete the TempDisableGPU3 or TempDisableGPU2 files

Using the same methods that you used to find the Logs folder, find the CameraRaw or GPU folder.

• On Windows, the location is: %APPDATA%\Adobe\CameraRaw\GPU
• On Mac, the location is: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/GPU

If an unhandled, fatal error occurs during GPU initialization, Camera Raw or Lightroom leaves behind a TempDisableGPU3 file (or TempDisableGPU2 in some cases). In the GPU folder, find the subfolder for the application you are using and check for these files.

If a TempDisableGPU2 or TempDisableGPU3 file exists at initialization time, Camera Raw will disable GPU acceleration. This prevents the app from crashing, each time you launch the application.

You can delete the file to run initialization again. If the original failure condition is transient, GPU acceleration may work correctly after deleting the file. 

If you find a TempDisableGPU2 or TempDisableGPU3 file, do the following steps:

1. Quit the app.
2. Delete the TempDisableGPU2 or TempDisableGPU3 file.
3. Relaunch the app.
4. Open the Preferences dialog in the app.
5. Confirm that GPU acceleration is now available.
6. If GPU acceleration is not enabled, quit the application and check to see if a TempDisableGPU2 or TempDisableGPU3 file still exists. Collect detailed logs files using the instructions above.
7. Collect log from the CameraRaw/Logs folder.