Sample PshopTest Results

[kaye]

Been awhile. Several changes:
1. Pshop Test 2.2
2. OSX 10.4.10
3. SoftRAID 3.6.3
4. AGP ATI X800XT ME updates
5. Backup boot Maxtor drive larger size and same as boot drive

CS3 plugs:
Default, plus:
1. DisableScratchCompress.plugin
2. Bigger Tiles.plugin
3. ForceVMBuffering.plugin.

Pshop Test 2.2, History States 20, Cache Levels 6, G5-2.7GHz DP, 8GB RAM, OSX 10.4.10, 8xRaptor150 file and scratch, volume size 1.090 Terabytes, SoftRAID 3.6.3, 32KB SU. Photoshop CS3 v10.0 on boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive. Backup Boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive.
Scratch Disks order:
1. 8xRap150, 1.090 TB Free Space
2. Backup boot, 304.15GB Free Space
3. Boot, 303.48GB Free Space

------------
CS3, 512MB file, Memory 70% 2150MB, 30sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 61sec
------------
CS3, 1.5GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 45sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 186sec
------------
CS3, 3.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 463sec
------------
CS3, 6.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 1546sec
------------
k

[kaye]

More changes:
1. SoftRAID 3.6.4
2. Previous tests post, forgot to remove Photoshop prefs to get default prefs, a big DUH!

Otherwise, everything the same as previous post.
CS3 plugs:
Default, plus:
1. DisableScratchCompress.plugin
2. Bigger Tiles.plugin
3. ForceVMBuffering.plugin.

Pshop Test 2.2, History States 20, Cache Levels 6, G5-2.7GHz DP, 8GB RAM, OSX 10.4.10, 8xRaptor150 file and scratch, volume size 1.090 Terabytes, SoftRAID 3.6.4, 32KB SU. Photoshop CS3 v10.0 on boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive. Backup Boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive.
Scratch Disks order:
1. 8xRap150, 1.090 TB Free Space
2. Backup boot, 304.15GB Free Space
3. Boot, 303.48GB Free Space

------------
CS3, 512MB file, Memory 70% 2150MB, 30sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 59sec
2sec faster
------------
CS3, 1.5GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 45sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 186sec
same as previous
------------
CS3, 3.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 461sec
2sec faster
------------
CS3, 6.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 1541sec
5sec faster
------------
k

[Boots]

Nice to see SR 3.6.4 speeding up the scratch disk a bit.

I've been working a lot recently with RAW files using Bridge CS3 and the latest Adobe Camara Raw plugin.

That plugin requires a lot of processing power and dedicated RAM to run not slowly.

Bridge cache size and performance has developed as a not-inconsequential performance issue. You can direct the Bridge cache to be stored where you want and also control (somewhat) it's size- if you have a lot of images, a seriouly large cache can result. I have a "measly" 27GB or so of images; the cache is about 1.2GB.

Both of these are solid arguments for lotsof installed RAM and big fast drives + fast multiple processors.
Been doing a bunch of this work on my girl's iMacG5 single 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB 16MB SATA Maxtor. It's everything we can do to tweak performance to get it to run faster dealing with 8 megapixel 30D RAW images.

[kaye]

So how big are those 8 megapixel 30D RAW images that she works with Boots? Must bring her iMac G5 to a stand still. k

[Boots]

They're not too bad- <10MB in raw form, some lighting adjustments made, then brought to Photoshop for a crop, then a small save for web (whose dialog also needs a lot of computing power).

I'll have to check to see what size if they are saved out as psd files without cropping...

I forgot to mention the Camera Raw plugin also has a cache feature which can be adjusted. Haven't fooled around with that yet- but I'm sure it'll make a difference one way or the other.

Also- getting Bridge to open faster is a question of turning off all or most of the various default startup scripts that activate when Bridge is launched: Bridge preferences>Startup scripts.

[kaye]

Changes comparison:
Photoshop CS3 v10.0 on Backup Boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive. Photoshop CS3 v10.0.1 on Boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive. Apple Disk Utility v10.5.6 (Tiger 10.4.10), all drives

CS3 plugs both versions:
Default, plus:
1. DisableScratchCompress.plugin v10.0
2. Bigger Tiles.plugin v10.0
3. ForceVMBuffering.plugin v10.0

Pshop Test 2.2, History States 20, Cache Levels 6, G5-2.7GHz DP, 8GB RAM, OSX 10.4.10, 1xCuda-32MBcache file and scratch (MGBurly1HS LCD external case), volume size 931.39GB, Apple Disk Utility. Photoshop CS3 v10.0 on Backup Boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive. CS3 v10.0.1 on Boot Maxtor Pro 500GB-16MB cache drive. Most Menu Items disabled, DSL connected/running.

Scratch Disks order v10.0.1 on Boot Drive:
1. 1xCuda-32MBcache(7200.11, 1TB), 930.74GB Free Space
2. Backup Boot, 299.90GB Free Space
3. Boot, 299.64GB Free Space

Scratch Disks order v10.0 on Backup Boot Drive:
1. 1xCuda-32MBcache(7200.11, 1TB), 930.74GB Free Space
2. Boot, 299.88GB Free Space
3. Backup Boot, 299.65GB Free Space

------------
CS3-10.0, 512MB file, Memory 70% 2150MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 69sec
CS3-10.0, 512MB file, Memory 100% 2150MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 72sec
CS3-10.0.1,512MB file, Memory 70% 2150MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 67sec
CS3-10.0.1,512MB file, Memory 100% 2150MB,60sec, 1xCuda, 70sec
Previous best:
CS3-10.0, 512MB file, Memory 70% 2150MB, 30sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 59sec
8sec faster
------------
CS3-10.0, 1.5GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 257sec
CS3-10.0.1,1.5GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 253sec
Previous best:
CS3-10.0, 1.5GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 45sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 186sec
67sec faster
------------
CS3-10.0, 3.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 913sec
CS3-10.0.1,3.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 1xCuda, 908sec
Previous best:
CS3-10.0, 3.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 8xRaptor150, 32KB SU, 461sec
447sec or almost 2x faster
-------------------------
Conclusions:
1. Since I am limited to 8GB RAM with this G5, the size of the Cuda or 8xRaptor150 both at about 1TB is very helpful when RAM is full.
2. For file size at 1.5GB or less, the single Cuda does a fine job. 3.0GB or more it lags way behind the 8xRaptor150. 2xCudas in RAID0 would be killer. I have an extra LCD case but not the extra Cuda to go with it.

In the future will be Leopard tests, once more stable, will not test 10.4.11.
The Cuda inside the MGBurly1HS LCD external case never reached a temperature higher than 29.1C during these tests, superb. With drive idling, case power supply draws 18W AC. k

[kaye]

My G5, I ran one Pshop 2.2 test in Leopard 10.5.1, the 6GB test. I left everything running, DSL, background apps such as menu items, etc. Booted to my Cuda1TB-32MB which is now 181.42GB used, 931.39GB capacity. 8xRap150 running via SoftRAID 3.6.4. Photoshop CS3 10.0.1 at default settings.

Scratch Disks order:
1. 8xRap150-16MB SoftRAID RAID0, 32KBsu, 1041.32GB Free Space
2. 1xCuda1TB, Apple DU, 749.96GB Free Space, 10.5.1, external boot drive
3. 7HMLIII-16MB 500GB, Apple DU, 296.77GB Free Space, 10.4.11, internal backup boot drive
4. 7HMLIII-16MB 500GB, Apple DU, 291.59GB Free Space, 10.4.11, internal boot drive

CS3-10.0.1, 6.0GB file, Memory 100% 3072MB, 60sec, 8xRap150, 1737sec
Previous best with Pshop 2.2 test in Tiger 1541sec
BareFeats' analysis is that Adobe has yet to optimize Pshop CS3 for Leopard and that it runs faster in Tiger. He ran 6 multi-processor actions. The Pshop test runs 13, tho several are Save which as I recall are single-proccessor. Can't remember for sure tho. Anyway, it does run slower in Leopard but it does run with no problems whatsoever, Pshop CS3, The test, and the SoftRAID stripe. k

[Boots]

Thanks Kaye.
And yet, CS3 (and Leopard) supposedly optimized for Intel..hopefully it's just an adjustment for Adobe/Apple to gain back this apparent lost ground- at least on the PPC side of things.

[kaye]

Macworld Review: Adobe Photoshop CS4 and CS4 Extended which is very interesting. Also a link on the page for someone still using v3.0. k

[Mil6]

Thanks for posting the test results. AND for putting to bed the myth that you need Tiger along with CS2 to utilize the extra RAM.

[ricks]

Thanks for posting the test results. AND for putting to bed the myth that you need Tiger along with CS2 to utilize the extra RAM.

I'm tempted to just delete this post. This is a 10 year old thread! It does not need to be resurrected with posts from Panama.