Yes, the Adobe suite uses a dedicated GPU for optimal performance.
Yes, the Adobe suite uses a dedicated GPU for optimal performance.
Hey there! I'm checking out this budget Acer 8481 with an i5 processor (turbo speeds around 1.6-2.3GHz) and 8GB RAM. It only has the Intel HD 3000 built-in graphics, no dedicated GPU. I plan to use it at university for light Photoshop, heavy InDesign work, and Illustrator. I'm struggling to find details about how Adobe software performs without a dedicated graphics card. At around $230 AUD, it's a really affordable option. Since I already have a powerful desktop setup for most tasks, I just need to stick with Microsoft Office and the Adobe Suite. Is a laptop without a built-in GPU going to be a big problem for my needs? Let me know!
In Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator the performance gap seems minimal even with GPU optimization. It would suit better for Premiere and After Effects, though I’m not entirely confident. From my experience using a weak i5 notebook and an upgraded i7/w/r9 290 setup, everything ran smoothly on both platforms.