TucsonDave Loc: Tucson, Arizona

I just had a new build finished this past February. I used a Nvidia Quadro P2200 graphics card, which is more geared toward photos than gaming. I installed a Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700F CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz processor. System is run using Windows 10. Works really well. Affinity is fast, no delay in switching modes, etc.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Oh, I agree that’s over the top. I was more into bringing up the fact that GPU selection is important given that more and more image processing programs are using the GPU to take some of the load off the main processor.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...you get as much internal (to the gpu) ram as you can afford...and will run in your system. <shrug>

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

There's a lot we still don't know about the OP's system. But the fact that it finished the task, even if it did take 45 minutes to me points out a general system overload...the fundamental capability to do the job is there. That's why I suggested (and now suggest even more strongly) that the OP investigate whether system memory can be increased. If possible, that is a relatively inexpensive expansion. On the other hand, replacing the graphics card is very likely to require a new power supply, if the chassis even has room for one with enough capacity. And if the system is sufficiently old, there may be a compatibility problem between the system board and a newer graphics board...whether a BIOS issue or simply a physical issue with card slots.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Without knowing your system memory CPU the speed operating system and all of that you're going to get guesses all over the place, including mine. This is not a graphics card problem, it is a memory problem. You are using up a whole lot of your memory to where it's slowing things way down so that's the first thing you need to do, is upgrade your memory maybe you may have to upgrade your complete system I don't know how old it is, graphics card, as long as you have a decent one is okay with Lightroom Adobe products I don't know about topaz other than topaz is a worse memory hog than Lightroom and Adobe products and you're running it all together you're just out of memory your clock speed may be too slow a whole lot of things could be wrong. So my suggestion is the list your system here so we can quit guessing we need to know your operating system we need to know your memory we need to know your CPU what it does it's clock speed we need to know your graphics card. We need to know your system.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Yep, still waiting on details. Insufficient memory is THE performance killer because it causes paging to disk. We also need to know the OS details because if it’s a 32 bit OS, the it’s 4GB max usable memory.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You can get a GTX970 with 4 gb ram for under $100 used. No need to break the bank, mortgage the ranch, or surrender your first born along with your arm and your leg . . .

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Unlike traditional Photoshop, Topaz uses AI, and it does rely more heavily on GPU processing speed, graphics card memory and system memory, multiple CPU cores and clock speed on both the CPU and GPU. AI is very resource-intensive. So it absolutely could be a graphics card problem as the OP was originally advised in the first post. There may be other issues as well.

https://help.topazlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026521591-DeNoise-AI-System-Requirements

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Have you looked lately? With the global chip shortage, many electronic item prices have skyrocketed and even used items are selling for more today than they did a year or two ago.

The lowest recent sale price I could find for a used GTX970 on eBay was $150 + $21 shipping. Most are going for around $225, including shipping. One that was in the original box was close to $300 w/shipping.

Or, Amazon has GTX970 brand new: $1000. Somewhat better deals buying a new GTX970 from Newegg, between $700 and $800.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

It really doesn't matter what platform he's on, as long as there is enough RAM, VRAM, CPU cores, fast enough GPU, and support for the most current version of Open GL.

https://help.topazlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026521591-DeNoise-AI-System-Requirements

al lehman Loc: San jose, ca.

In today's world of cameras, computers, monitors and applications, it's become a system engineering task. Each component of your system has minimum operation requirements that interact and rely on other components of your system. I'll give you a couple of examples. A friend of mine was trying to get an HDMI output from his camera to a monitor with negative results. His issue was the camera was delivering a bit depth rate of 10 into a monitor rated for a max bit depth rate of 8 and he overwhelmed his monitor. You can select the fastest, brightest, and most robust graphics card and it may not work because your computer is not compatible. You may have insufficient RAM memory which will slow down a processing system. There is a reason why many of us who deal in graphics manipulation often upgrade our hardware to stay with the advancements in technology. If you can't afford a new computer my advice is to contact you computer tech support and seek advice for upgrades that our compatible with your system. You can also think of it in another way. A 1/2 diameter hose will deliver less water than a 3/4 inch diameter hose and will
take longer. You may need a bigger hose. Specify your requirements then select hardware components that meet your demands and will be compatible. When I run Topaz applications, the longest processing time is about 45 seconds per image. Good luck.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If you have an appropriate PCIe slot, physical room (some cards are quite “thick” due to fans), power supply capacity (graphics cards can be VERY power hungry) and the appropriate OS for the available, you should be able to run any graphics card in almost any modern machine that meets the above requirements (and it wouldn’t hurt to make sure you have good fan airflow in your case as there will be a lot of heat to remove.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

[quote=Gene51]Unlike traditional Photoshop, Topaz uses AI, and it does rely more heavily on GPU processing speed, graphics card memory and system memory, multiple CPU cores and clock speed on both the CPU and GPU. AI is very resource-intensive. So it absolutely could be a graphics card problem as the OP was originally advised in the first post. There may be other issues as well.

https://help.topazlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026521591-DeNoise-AI-System-Requirements[/quote


This is true Gene, but his system worked ok before he installed topaz. It could be both. We need his system info to be sure.

Henlopen Loc: Lewes, Delaware

A video card that I'm using that doesn't require an extra 6-8 pin connector for extra current and is reasonably fast for the money is a ATI Radeon 560 for $280 new on ebay - or if your system is too old to justify upgrading, check out this gaming system from Dell - https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/desktop-computers/dell-g5-gaming-desktop/spd/g-series-5000-desktop/gd5090g510s?gacd=9614064-1052-5763017-266796622-0&dgc=st&ds_rl=1291002&msclkid=e2b047a017c81eeb62a7276135e9eca5&gclid=e2b047a017c81eeb62a7276135e9eca5&gclsrc=3p.ds&nclid=W6JaoviAGHED6qLmdQydUcTO-NFAoVQeJh1w0ZqZtDw-l30o3WLoDqZKec3Pd-gn&configurationid=b1c47b05-4d8e-48d2-8959-a3e26bbec483 for $1130. Amazon Prime day is coming up, and you may be able to snag a deal.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

One last thing, when I installed the last update of Topaz Sharpen AI the default selection for "Allowed Memory Consumption" for the program was set to "Medium". To change this to "Hight" do the following:
1. Open the program, go to the top left, and under "File", select Preferences.
2. Go to the bottom and under "Performance" select "AI Processor" and select either "CPU" or your "Installed Graphics Card".
2. Next, while still in "Performance" select "Allowed Memory Consumption", click on it and select "High". My program installed with the default set at "Medium".
Please let us know if this works for you. . .
Best Wishes,
JimmyT Sends