Configuring a Mac Studio for Photoshop

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Level 1

12 points

Configuring a Mac Studio for Photoshop

My iMac has become painfully slow running Photoshop: selections, for example, often take 4-5 seconds to process. I assume it’s because my iMac is 5 years old and I work with very large files often exceeding 4 GB in size (high resolution images from a Sony a7R V which are then heavily edited).  

I’m thinking of buying a Mac Studio with this configuration: M2 Max with 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 64 or 96GB memory, 2TB internal drive. I do not believe I need to buy the M2 Ultra - do I? My sense is that Photoshop makes little use of multiple cores, so there’s no point in buying more CPU (12) or GPU (38) cores - is that true? Clearly I need memory, but 64 or 96GB? I'd be grateful for any advice, thanks.

iMac 27″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jul 18, 2024 12:41 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 18, 2024 1:58 PM in response to steverap

The big feature of the MAX over the PRO processor is the addition of several additional Video decoders, and additional bandwidth to RAM memory. If your work is photographic, those features are not needed.

The huge additional expense of an ULTRA, a video processing Beast, is not justifiable.

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Answer 2

steverap Author

Level 1

12 points

Jul 18, 2024 12:51 PM in response to sil6s

So you would suggest I opt for 96GB, correct? Thank you so much for your input, it is very reassuring.

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Answer 3

sil6s

Level 1

8 points

Jul 18, 2024 12:47 PM in response to steverap

I think you have made a good selection!

The M2 Max is a suitable choice for your Photoshop workflow due to its 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU. As you noted, Photoshop doesn't heavily utilize multiple cores for most tasks, so the base M2 Max configuration should serve you well. Opting for 64GB of RAM is recommended for large files and complex edits, while 96GB is more suitable for most workflows. The 2TB internal drive is recommended for better performance, especially if working files are stored on the internal SSD.

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Answer 4

sil6s

Level 1

8 points

Jul 18, 2024 1:41 PM in response to steverap

I believe either would work however, opting for 96GB of memory is a good idea if your budget allows. It will provide you with additional headroom for large projects and ensure smoother performance when multitasking or handling memory-intensive tasks. This way, you can future-proof your setup and avoid potential bottlenecks as your work evolves.

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