Photoshop CC Graphics Processor Troubleshooting Guide and

FAQ

Introduction

This document provides a quick reference guide to video card usage in Photoshop. Some
features require a compatible video card. If the video card or its driver is defective or
unsupported, those features don't work. Other features use the video card for acceleration;
if the card or driver is defective, those features run slowly.

Initial Troubleshooting Steps

The most common troubleshooting steps for display or video-related issues are listed
here. Use these steps first, then try the more extensive troubleshooting steps below.
-- Make sure your video driver is updated. Contact your video manufacturer to determine
if there's an updated driver.
-- Turn off the graphics processor (GPU) in Photoshop's Performance Preference pane.
Retest your issue to determine if this solves the issue.
--

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Graphics hardware not officially supported message

See Photoshop has detected graphics hardware that is not officially supported for 3D, and
has temporarily disabled 3D functionality.
Error: Reference source not found

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Tested video cards

Recommended amounts of resolution and memory for video cards are listed in the
System Requirements.
Adobe has tested the following video cards. This document lists the video card by series.
The minimum amount of VRAM supported on video cards for Photoshop CC is 512 MB.
Photoshop CC and CC 2014
Important: This document is updated as newly released cards are tested. However,
Adobe cannot test all cards in a timely manner. If a video card is not listed here, but was
released after May 2013, you can assume that the card will work with Photoshop CC.
Adobe tested laptop and desktop versions of the following cards. Be sure to download the
latest driver for your specific model (Laptop and desktop versions have slightly different
names.)
nVidia GeForce: 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 series
nVidia Quadro: 2000, 4000 (Windows and Mac OS), CX, 5000, 6000, K600, K2000,
K4000, K5000 (Windows and Mac OS)
AMD/ATI Radeon: 5000, 6000, 7000, R7, R9 series, 7950 Mac OS
AMD/ATI FirePro: 3800, 4800, 5800, 7800, 8800, 9800, 3900, 4900, 5900, 7900,
W7100, W8100, W9100, D300, D500, D700
AMD/ATI FireGL: W5000, W7000, W8000
Intel HD Graphics P3000, Intel HD Graphics P4000, Intel(R) HD Graphics
P4600/P4700, Intel HD Graphics 5000
Note: AMD/ATI 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 series, nVidia GeForce 7000, 8000, 9000, 100,
200, 300, 400 series and Intel HD Graphics (First generation) cards/GPUs are no longer
being tested and are not officially supported in Photoshop CC. Some GL functionality is
available for these cards, but it's possible that newer features don't work.
Photoshop CC 2015
nVidia GeForce: 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 series
nVidia Quadro: 2000, 4000 (Windows and Mac OS), CX, 5000, 6000, K600, K2000,
K4000, K5000 (Windows and Mac OS)
AMD/ATI Radeon: 5000, 6000, 7000, R7, R9 series, 7950 Mac OS
AMD/ATI FirePro: 3800, 4800, 5800, 7800, 8800, 9800, 3900, 4900, 5900, 7900,
W7100, W8100, W9100, D300, D500, D700
AMD/ATI FireGL: W5000, W7000, W8000
Intel HD Graphics P4000, Intel(R) HD Graphics P4600/P4700, Intel HD Graphics
5000
Note: AMD/ATI 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 series, nVidia GeForce 400, 7000, 8000, 9000,
100, 200, 300, 400 series and Intel HD Graphics (First generation) and Intel HD Graphics
P3000 cards/GPUs are no longer being tested and are not officially supported in
Photoshop CC. Some GL functionality is available for these cards, but it's possible that
newer features don't work.

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GPU support under virtual machines

GPUs running under virtual machines (VMs) are not tested or officially supported
currently. There are known issues with cursors in many VM environments and some
GPU functionality in PS may not be available.

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Have you recently installed Windows 8?

If you are having any video issues after installing or using Windows 8, update your video
drivers.
For instructions on updating your video card, see this TechNote: Windows 7 or 8
Get updates directly from the video card manufacturer:
Windows
For nVidia video adapters, go to the nVidia website.
For AMD/ATI video adapters, go to the AMD website.
For Intel video adapters, go to the Intel website.
Note: Be sure to choose the correct driver. Notebook drivers sometimes have a different
name than similar desktop drivers.
Mac OS X
For nVidia video cards, go to the nVidia website.
Note: Some video adapter manufacturers have other software that requires updating in
addition to the video driver. Read the update instructions carefully, and contact the video
adapter manufacturer directly if you find something you're unclear on.

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Are you using more than one video card?

Multiple video adapters can cause problems with GPU-accelerated or enabled features in
Photoshop. It's best to connect two (or more) monitors into one video adapter. If you have
to use more than one video adapter, make sure that they are the same make and model.
Otherwise, crashes and other problems can occur in Photoshop.
Note: Using more than one video adapter does not enhance Photoshop's performance.

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Minimum display requirements

1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit color and 512 MB of VRAM
To use OpenGL acceleration, your system must support OpenGL v2.0 and Shader
Model 3.0 or later
To use OpenCL acceleration, your system must support OpenCL v1.1 or later
Note: For a list of video cards that support OpenCL on Mac OS, see the following:
10.6.8
10.7.x
10.8.x
10.9.x
10.10.x
Note: Consult Photoshop system requirements to check which versions of Mac OS X are
supported by Photoshop CC, Photoshop CC 2014, and Photoshop CC 2015. For instance,
Photoshop CC 2015 supports Mac OS X 10.9 and above.

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GPU-enhanced features added in Photoshop CC 2014

Upscale.
Blur Gallery 2.
Focus Mask.

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GPU-enhanced features added in Photoshop CC

The Blur Gallery (Iris Blur, Field Blur, and Tilt-Shift) is enhanced by OpenCL.
Smart Sharpen.
Smart Sharpen also uses OpenCL for Noise Reduction only.
Scripted Patterns (Tree and Picture Frame).
Perspective Warp.

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GPU/OpenGL preferences in Photoshop CC and CC

2014

The advantages of using a compatible video card (GPU) with Photoshop are that you can
experience better performance and more features. Problems can occur if you have an
older video card with limited VRAM. They can also occur if you use other programs that
use the GPU at the same time as Photoshop.
1.
Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences (Mac OS).
2.
In the Performance panel, make sure that Use Graphics Processor is selected in
GPU Settings.
3.
Click Advanced Settings and specify the following options:
Basic"
Mode > Basic
Uses the least amount of GPU memory and enables basic OpenGL features.
Normal"
Mode > Normal
Uses more GPU memory and enables GPU-based color matching, tone mapping,
and checkerboard blending.
Advanced"
Mode > Advanced
Provides the benefits of Normal mode and newer OpenGL advances that can
result in improved performance.

Use Graphics Processor

to Accelerate Computation

Use OpenCL
Uses the GPU to accelerate the new blur filters. OpenCL is only available on
newer GPUs that support OpenCL v1.1 or later.
 Anti-alias Guides And Paths
Allows the GPU hardware to smooth the edges of drawn guides and paths.

30-bit Display (Windows only) Allows Photoshop to display 30-bit data directly
to screen on video cards that support it
Note: 30-bit display is not functioning correctly with current drivers. We are
working to address this issue as soon as possible

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Quick GPU troubleshooting steps

You can experience problems such as artifacts, errors, and crashes if there are
incompatibilities between Photoshop and the display components that access the GPU.

If you experience crashes, incorrectly rendered windows or objects, redraw issues, or

performance issues, determine whether OpenGL is causing the problem.

1. Turn off OpenGL.

1. Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences (Mac OS).
2. In the Performance panel, deselect Use Graphics Processor. Click OK.
3. Restart Photoshop, and perform the same function.
If the problem recurs while OpenGL Drawing is disabled, OpenGL is not the cause. For
additional troubleshooting, see Troubleshoot system errors and freezes | Adobe software
on Windows or Troubleshoot system errors and freezes | Adobe software on Mac OS
10.x.
If the problem resolves, proceed with the rest of the troubleshooting steps to fix OpenGL.

2. Make sure that you're using the latest update of Photoshop.

Updates fix bugs and issues.

3. Update the display driver.

Updated display drivers can fix many issues, such as crashing, incorrectly rendered
objects, and performance problems. See Update the video display driver. Then, turn on
Use Graphics Processor in Photoshop preferences.
To update the display driver on Windows 7 and 8, use this TechNote.

4. Reset preferences.

Resetting preferences returns OpenGL settings to their default status. Reset Photoshop
preferences by pressing and holding Shift+Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or
Shift+Option+Command (Mac OS) immediately after you start Photoshop. Click Yes
when asked if you want to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings File. Retry the function
that caused the problem.

5. Change the OpenGL mode to Basic.

Setting the OpenGL mode to Basic uses the least amount of GPU memory and the most
basic GPU feature set.

1. Close all documents.

2. Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences (Mac OS).
3. In the Performance panel, click GPU Settings Advanced Settings.
4. Choose Mode > Basic.
5. Restart Photoshop.
If this solution resolves the problem, switch to Normal mode. See if the issue recurs. If
the issue recurs, return to Basic mode.
Note> If you’re changing GPU preferences to troubleshoot a problem, relaunch
Photoshop after each change.

6. If you are using more than one video adapter, remove the additional cards.

Multiple video adapters can cause problems with GPU-accelerated or enabled features in
Photoshop. It's best to connect two (or more) monitors into one video adapter. If you have
to use more than one video adapter, make sure that they are the same make and model.
Otherwise, crashes and other problems can occur in Photoshop.
Note:
Using two video adapters does not enhance Photoshop's performance.

7. Check your Cache Levels setting.

If you've set your Cache Levels to 1 in Photoshop preferences, you can experience
performance issues with GPU features. Reset Cache Levels to the default setting, which
is 4.

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Performance (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences
(Mac OS)
2. In the Performance panel, choose Cache Levels > 4.

The GPU Sniffer

To help guard against Photoshop crashes related to bad GPU hardware or drivers,
Photoshop employs a small program called the GPU Sniffer. Every time Photoshop
launches, Photoshop launches the sniffer. The sniffer runs rudimentary tests of the GPU
and reports the results to Photoshop. If the sniffer crashes or reports a failure status to
Photoshop, Photoshop doesn't use the GPU. The Use Graphics Hardware checkbox in the
Performance panel of the Preferences is deselected and disabled.
The first time the sniffer fails, Photoshop displays a dialog indicating that it has detected
a problem with the GPU. On subsequent launches, the dialog doesn't appear.
If you correct the problem, either by replacing the video card or by updating the driver,
then the sniffer passes on the next launch. The Use Graphics Hardware checkbox is
enabled and returned to its previous state (enabled or disabled).

Additional Resources

Optimizing Hardware Systems fo Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS6, After Effects® CS6,
SpeedGrade™ CS6, and Photoshop® Extended CS6