❌ “External GPU fixes everything” ✅ Partially – eGPU helps, but thunderbolt overhead adds 2–3ms input lag. | Criterion | Score (out of 5) | Notes | |-----------|----------------|-------| | Clarity of official specs | ⭐⭐ | RAM/GPU guidance is misleading | | Minimum spec usefulness | ⭐⭐ | Only for opening, not creating | | Apple Silicon optimization | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Best value at low spec | | Windows baseline value | ⭐⭐⭐ | More upgradeable but worse out-of-box | | Storage requirement honesty | ⭐ | HDD should be banned | | Future-proofing (2025+) | ⭐⭐ | 8GB will be obsolete |
Use Illustrator exclusively in GPU Preview mode , disable real-time editing of effects, and set scratch disk to fastest drive. Expect to upgrade within 12 months. illustrator minimum requirements
Minimum specs are for emergency use only. Real-world work requires double the recommended RAM and a modern GPU. 2. Official Minimum Requirements (as of 2024) Adobe lists these as the absolute baseline for Illustrator v28+: ❌ “External GPU fixes everything” ✅ Partially –