Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,117
866
I thought my 2017 15" MBP would be blazingly fast. However, when I use it with Apple Photos in full screen, whenever I move between photos I get spinning beachballs. I use it with an external USB-C 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440, so there is some work for the computer to do, but the GPU should handle that, right? In fact, it seem no faster than my 12" MB in the same configuration. I don't understand why it's so slow at that.
 
I thought my 2017 15" MBP would be blazingly fast. However, when I use it with Apple Photos in full screen, whenever I move between photos I get spinning beachballs. I use it with an external USB-C 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440, so there is some work for the computer to do, but the GPU should handle that, right? In fact, it seem no faster than my 12" MB in the same configuration. I don't understand why it's so slow at that.

What happens if you try this without the external display. And how many more photos are displayed on the external versus internal display. Also, is there any video being displayed.
 
I’m not a pro but can it be that it’s still downloading or caching the pictures from iCloud?
 
I’m not a pro but can it be that it’s still downloading or caching the pictures from iCloud?
No, they are all stored locally (with iCloud photos 'download originals').

But to it seems to me the delay is in loading the photos from disk. Because when I skip back and forth between pictures already viewed, it seems fast. But this doesn't make sense to me either: the MacBook pro should have a super fast SSD, right? These are mostly 24 mega pixel photos, but still...
 
No, they are all stored locally (with iCloud photos 'download originals').

But to it seems to me the delay is in loading the photos from disk. Because when I skip back and forth between pictures already viewed, it seems fast. But this doesn't make sense to me either: the MacBook pro should have a super fast SSD, right? These are mostly 24 mega pixel photos, but still...

Yes, the bigger the capacity, the faster. Have you tried running the black magic speed test?
 
I thought my 2017 15" MBP would be blazingly fast. However, when I use it with Apple Photos in full screen, whenever I move between photos I get spinning beachballs. I use it with an external USB-C 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440, so there is some work for the computer to do, but the GPU should handle that, right? In fact, it seem no faster than my 12" MB in the same configuration. I don't understand why it's so slow at that.

What cables are you using to connect that screen?? How does the computer work on the internal screen doing the same things? If you are using hdmi then change to a display port connection.
 
OP wrote:
"I use it with an external USB-C 4K screen scaled to 2560x1440"

I'm no expert on external displays, but I believe you're problem is the "scaling" that you've selected. The GPU is "working overtime" trying to juggle all the pixels to scale them down to that size.

I'd suggest you (at least temporarily) try setting the display to run in "HiDPI" mode, and NOT in 1440p (scaled).
In other words, if you have a 4k display, RUN IT "in 4k", not scaled.

Any changes when doing it that way?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jerryk
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.