Making my Windows 10 computer labor less

Thermal paste: Sometimes, it is a weak link in heat transport…

I think REbDovid is trying to say that DxO Photolab is a resource hog and I agree with him. It’s the same with my computer.
I was just doing a test with DxO and my other RAW converters watching CPU performance in Task Manager.
DxO makes utilizations of my CPU to jumps to 100% much more often then any other RAW converter I have on my comp.

That’s not necessarily bad, it can mean that processing with DPL is not wasting CPU resources.

i use a very similar system but with a NVIDIA GTX 1070. i belive the noise could come from the fans of the grafik card which are standing still here most of the time till they get needed.

To the extent the graphics card is the problem, and assuming that I’m not going to upgrade the 1050 Ti, how useful, if at all, do you think a better/larger power supply unit and case fan changes would be?

I bet DxO developers can answer the question if Photolab needs more computer resources then other RAW converters.
As you know from my posts on this forum I use a few different RAW converters like Lightroom, Capture One, Adobe Camera Raw and recently I also got On1.
As you also know I like to play and develop the same photo in all those RAW converters – I make similar adjustments with the same photo to see, how different results I get in each converter.
So I can assure you DxO gives me this spinning dot circle in bottom right corner when preparing preview and other converters give me preview with no lag.

Check this thread below. You will find other users asking for performance improvements.

So; are some DxO developers around here to comment how good is Photolab engine optimized.

i belive that a larger power supply just do nothing.
i also don`t see any need for upgrading yout 1050 Ti, it should be powerful enough.

i use some different raw converter and yes, photolab isn`t the fastest but for me it is the best solution for my needs.

I use DxO on a laptop similar to, but not the same as RebDovid.
I can’t deny that export is resource intensive but there are things you can do to share out the pain.

  • Firstly, one can tell Windows 10 to use the GTX1050 instead of the laptop’s integrated GPU. Go to Settings, Graphics Settings, choose PL, and select the high performance option. I can’t prove this makes the machine pant less, but it definitely reduces CPU fan speed when I run the Topaz AI utilities
  • Secondly, I export all the photos in low(ish) quality until I pick the shots I really want to work on.

I also use Topaz sharpen AI over the facilities in PL. Again, I haven’t got any proof this saves time; I do it because for the moment I get better results than from using NIK 2.5, and I have no proof that my current workflow takes more time than doing it all inside PL.

  • List item

@Mike_Murphy_1948
Thank you for your advice. I’ve changed the setting. I’ll listen for any difference.

If this doesn’t work I think you should buy something like this:

Hint: it’s a Supercomputer.
I would say there is 65% probability this baby will drive Photolab without a lag.

…and can scratch your back with those decorations :weary:

Ah! but can you afford the electricity bill :thinking: :smiley: Or are you a bitcoin miner with your own system :upside_down_face:

My issue is noise, not lag.

I guess I exaggerated a bit with Supercomputer idea and I also didn’t think about electricity bill. :sunglasses:

RebDovid;
Well; about the noise….
Photolab makes hard on your CPU so the CPU gets hot and the fan spins at max RPM to cool it down. If you were a gamer you would know how the fan spins when playing one of those CPU intensive games.
It’s the same with my comp (Intel i7-4770 3.40GHz ; 16GB RAM ; Win 10/64bit) when I run Photolab.
I don’t have this problem with other RAW converters.
Photolab is ‘’CPU intensive’’ RAW converter. Period.

If you like Photolab and the fan noise bothers you perhaps you should consider one of those fanless water cooling …. at least till they optimize Photolab core to be less resource hog.

Wouldn’t earmuffs be a cheaper solution?

Earbuds are cheaper. :wink:

My comp was also loud so I switch CPU cooler to something like this. Now it’s much more quiet but I can still hear a fan when I run Photolab :roll_eyes:

I use the same computer for photo editing and audio recording. That’s why I own high quality CLOSED headphones, which I can use to listen to music while I’m editing photos. No joke. Think out of the box.
Even noise cancellation headphones might be an option…

Another general suggestion to keep one’s computer cool (and therefore quiet): don’t put it in an enclosed cabinet or under a desk. Put it where plenty of cool air can flow into and out of the case. It will also be easier to keep the machine clean this way.

I applied small pads to the bottom of the case to raise it for air circulation beneath the computer.

Hello RebDovid

You could do worse than install Piriform Speccy to look at various aspects of your computer before changing anything else. Some of the most interesting values it reveals are the temperatures of the CPU, GPU, and disks. The hotter they get, the harder your fans may be working, if they’re smart fans responding to temperature fluctuations. What I’d do is start Speccy before a Photolab session and note the temperatures, then monitor them as your session continues. That’ll give you factual data to work on.

My PC started frequently overheating after I added a couple of internal disks, so I’ve attached a Drobo NAS and removed the disks, and now the temperatures are more stable.