Datasheet

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended White Paper
Microsoft® Windows 7 and Windows Vista® ship in 32-bit or 64-bit
versions, and Photoshop CS5 will only work in 64-bit mode when the
64-bit version of Windows 7 is running. You can check which version
you are running by viewing the system type information in the System
section of Windows Control Panel.
On the Apple platform, however, the Mac OS, Mac OS X, is a 64-bit
system and will run both 64- and 32-bit applications on all current
hardware. Most computers running Mac OS X start in the 32-bit mode
of the operating system by default, even if they have hardware that
supports 64 bit. In this situation, Photoshop CS5 will still detect the ability of the hardware to support 64 bit
and will run the program in 64-bit mode. This means that users working with Mac OS X in 32-bit mode, but
running Photoshop CS5 64 bit, will still be able to take advantage of performance gains resulting from the
64-bit structure and in particular the ability of Photoshop to address larger amounts of RAM.
The easiest way to check which version of Photoshop is running is to view the details on the splash screen that
is displayed when the program starts. Next to the version number you will see x64 for 64-bit mode or x32 for
32-bit mode.
Recommendations
If you regularly work with large files, process multilayered Photoshop documents, and/or enhance multiple high-
resolution raw files, then running the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS5 will increase your productivity. Your computer
hardware and operating system must support the 64-bit structure before you can run the program in this mode.
Note that Mac users with 64-bit capable hardware but running Mac OS X in 32-bit mode can still run Photoshop CS5 in
64-bit mode.
Memory (RAM)
RAM is the short-term memory where Photoshop (and other
programs), image data, and various Undo steps and History States are
kept during the image-editing and enhancement process. RAM is
different from hard-drive or DVD disk memory, as the information
stored in RAM is lost when your computer is switched off. For efficient
photo editing, the amount of RAM your computer contains is just as
important as the overall processing power of your system. In general,
more RAM means better Photoshop performance. This is especially
true of 64-bit systems, where larger amounts of memory can be
addressed and used more efficiently. Keep in mind that Photoshop will
be sharing available RAM with the computer’s operating system as
well as other programs and utilities running at the same time. So not all the RAM installed in the system can be
used by or should be allocated to Photoshop. How Photoshop shares the memory is controlled by the settings
in the Performance panel of the Preferences dialog box. Refer to the “Key steps to optimize Photoshop CS5
performance” section for details about optimizing the settings in the Preferences dialog box.
The total amount of RAM that can be installed on your system, and used by Photoshop CS5, is determined by
the hardware specifications of your computer and your operating system. When Photoshop is running in 32-bit
mode, it can only directly access up to approximately 3GB of RAM. On a 64-bit operating system running on a
compatible 64-bit architecture with Photoshop CS5 running in 64-bit mode, the program can directly access as
much RAM as the computer supports, but for best performance, you should leave room for the operating
system and other programs to run.
Note that the performance gains obtained by increasing RAM are more noticeable when adding RAM to a
system with a low amount, such as 1GB, and are less dramatic on systems with higher amounts of installed
RAM, like 32GB. Also, users who regularly process large files (over 500MB) and/or complex documents with
many layers will see greater performance improvements with the addition of extra RAM than those working
with smaller, less complex images. For more details about how to determine if your system could benefit from
more RAM, read the “Key steps to optimize Photoshop CS5 performance” section.
Pfeier report
key ndings*
•PhotoshopCS5in64-bit
mode can address
substantiallymore
memory than when
workingin32-bitmode.
is leads to signicant
productivity gains when
working with a system
thatprovides64-bit
support and contains
highamountsofRAM.
•PhotoshopCS5on
64-bitWindows7opens
a 2GB le 15 times
faster than Photoshop
CS4ona32-bit
Windows7machine.
•Openingandsavingles
with Photoshop CS5 is
up to six times faster on
a64-bitsystemthanon
a32-bitsystem.
•Processinglargeles
(over 500MB) is
signicantly faster with
Photoshop CS5 on a
64-bitsystemwith
memory congurations
of8GBormore.
*Pfeier Consulting,
“AdobePhotoshopCS5:
64-BitPerformanceand
Eciency Measures,”
2010.Formoredetails,
read the full report at
www.pfeierconsulting.
com.
ChecktheamountofRAMyouhaveinstalledby
viewing the installed memory values in the
SystemsectionoftheControlPanel(Windows)or
theApple>AboutisMacdialogboxforMac
computers.
Check the version information on the Photoshop
CS5 startup splash screen to see which version of
theprogramisrunning.