Photoshop CC on surface pro 3

[pude]

I just got a Surface Pro 3, i7 256gb model about a week ago. I'm a photographer and retoucher. I got the Surface mainly to do retouch while traveling. I haven't yet got to try it out for real in Photoshop for any long periods, as I'm a mac user I constantly press the windows button and it gets pretty frustrating to getting used to the switch of the three buttons next to the space bar (by the way, is there any way to change the keyboard to mac-style?).

I was trying out Photoshop CC 2015 on a pretty high-res image (about 6600x4400 pixels), in the 8-bit mode. I did some simple clean-up with the clone tool and healing brush tool, and I also used the pen tool to make a path. I was only working on one layer on the image so the file itself wasn't really that big. I noticed the fan started working after only a couple of minutes. I thought it was a little weird as I only had one layer. The fan wasn't really going that loud, but still I could clearly hear it.

I don't expect the Surface to handle really large psd-files that good, I just want to know if this is normal? And do you have any tips on how to optimize my photoshop-settings to get the most out of Photoshop on my Surface?

 

[Moonsurface]

Fan is pretty normal on the SP3. It does spin up. You were working on a pretty high res image so I wouldn't worry about it too much just remember its a powerful processor squeezed into a small space it will get warm.

You can disable the screen side windows button in the Surface app. It still vibrates but doesn't actually do anything.

As to the keyboard layout I have no idea, it may be possible but not that I've come across. It may be a case of getting used to it I'm afraid.

 

[pude]

Allright, thank for your reply. I tought it might be that way, as the computer itself didn't slow down, it was just the fan started going.
I wasn't talking about the windows-button on the screen itself, that hasn't bothered me at all. I mean the button on the keyboard, it's located where alt is on a mac, so it's a key you use a lot if you're into shortcuts.

 

[Moonsurface]

Allright, thank for your reply. I tought it might be that way, as the computer itself didn't slow down, it was just the fan started going.
I wasn't talking about the windows-button on the screen itself, that hasn't bothered me at all. I mean the button on the keyboard, it's located where alt is on a mac, so it's a key you use a lot if you're into shortcuts.

Yeah I realised that when I was typing the reply. I don't know any way to disable it on the keyboard. I sometimes press it also even though I've never used a mac so never been used to that layout. I can't find anything specific for switching the keys about to apple style, except this:

The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator

Which may enable you to create your own custom keyboard lay out.

 

[Moonsurface]

Oh just found you can disable the windows key by modifying the registry... not sure I'd be brave enough myself and as I do actually find some of the windows key shortcuts useful (win + D and win + L mainly) I wouldn't do it but perhaps for you it might help.

EDIT: THese instructions are not for windows 8/10... so you might want to google a bit more before trying anything like this...!!

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/216893#bookmark-letmefixitmyselfalways

 

[pude]

I was working a while on the same psd-file I described earlier. this time without the charger plugged into my Surface pro (but using more layers in Photoshop). It seems that the fan didn't sound as loud as it did yesterday when I was working, this time I hardly noticed it. When charger nog plugged in I use lower screen brightness. Can this have anything to do with it?

Regarding the keyboard, I'm slowly getting used to it, so it's not that big of an issue anymore

 

[Moonsurface]

It definitey does get hotter when the charger is plugged in, in fact you can feel it's warm around the charger area. I generally don't have mine plugged in unless it really needs it. to be fair I don't often use PS CC, but I do use Lightroom quite a lot, in Lightroom it does use the fan heavily when rendering previews and when skipping quickly between photos it does come on a bit. For general editing on one image it doesn't do too badly though.

I've never had my i7 actually over heat. I had it on UK launch day on 28 August 2014 and I remember at the time it was first launched there were a lot of horror stories about i7's over heating, but mine never did. Even after an hour of rendering 1:1 and smart previews on 250 36 megapixel files. I've been very impressed with it. In fact the renderign of the same previews takes about the same amount of time on my desktop PC. I Have no qualms about using my Surface for editing in the field.

 

[ScottyS]

I was working a while on the same psd-file I described earlier. this time without the charger plugged into my Surface pro (but using more layers in Photoshop). It seems that the fan didn't sound as loud as it did yesterday when I was working, this time I hardly noticed it. When charger nog plugged in I use lower screen brightness. Can this have anything to do with it?

On battery the CPU operates at a slower frequency to conserve power, generate less heat and thus need less fan which also conserves power.

See Dynamic frequency scaling (also known as CPU throttling)

 

[Moonsurface]

On battery the CPU operates at a slower frequency to conserve power, generate less heat and thus need less fan which also conserves power.

See Dynamic frequency scaling (also known as CPU throttling)

That's true too, in power options I set mine to run "high performance" when plugged in and "balanced" when on battery. Actually ut just occurred to me that my Lightroom import and rendering I mentioned above was done on battery so not even with the Surface operating at full CPU capacity presumably which makes me even more impressed with its performance, mind you I guess that way may have avoided some throttling that may have occurred if it were plugged in.

 

[pude]

What are the standard settings for power options when not plugged in?

 

[wookiee2cu]

I have the exact same model (i7 256) and being connected to the charger will affect the fan. I also noticed that if there are updates it will download them in the background which will also trigger the fan, it's gotten to the point where when the fan kicks in I check and see if there are updates and there usually are. I also checked the task manager to see what was hogging resources, I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it but I googled and disabled it and now my fan hardly ever kicks in (although it does on my football site that is flash, it'll kick in after about 40 minutes). Next time yours kicks in check the task manager and back track from there, that's your best bet.

 

[pude]

I don't find the fan running as often anymore. It might have been a lot of updates at first when I got it, and the fan started kicking in. Now it only starts when using Photoshop for a while or playing games.