System Requirements
Ensure your machine meets the requirements for Topaz Photo AI prior to downloading and installing.
You will need stable high-speed internet in order to download Photo AI to your computer. After Photo AI is downloaded, the app will only need internet access for activation every 6 months, and if you want to install updates.
- Snapdragon Processors are not supported.
[NEW] - Compatibility Check Tool
Step 1 -> Get your Windows System Profile
Find Your PC's System Profile
Step 2 -> Import your System Profile
Check your PC's Compatibility here
Step 1 -> Get your Mac System Profile
Find Your Mac's System Profile
Step 2 -> Import your System Profile
Check your Mac's Compatibility here
Minimum Requirements
| Operating System | Windows 10 or 11 |
| CPU | Intel OR AMD Processor (1), with AVX instructions, released after 2016 |
| System Memory (RAM) | 16GB (2) |
| Dedicated Graphics Card | NVIDIA graphic card - 6GB VRAM (3) |
| AMD graphic card - 6GB VRAM (3) | |
| Intel ARC graphic card - 6GB VRAM (3) | |
| Integrated Graphics Card | Intel UHD 600 Graphics (4) |
| Intel Iris Xe (4) | |
| Disk Space on C:/ | 37GB of space (5) |
(1) Snapdragon Processors are not currently supported. Only Intel and AMD CPUs are supported.
(2) For large upscales, 24GB of RAM (system memory) or more may be needed, especially if you do not have a dedicated graphics card.
(3) Super Focus and Dust & Scratch are memory-intensive generative models that require 8GB of VRAM to run. They may work with 6GB of VRAM, but will be slow and it is recommended that you have 8GB of VRAM for them to work correctly. To learn more, go to the Super Focus System Requirements and the Dust & Scratch requirements.
(4) If you only have an Integrated graphics card and no Dedicated graphics card, Photo AI will work if you meet the RAM requirement of 16Gb of RAM. However, the lack of VRAM will make processing slow (especially large upscales), and the computer will not work with memory-intensive Generative AI models like Super Focus or Dust and Scratch.
(5) Photo AI will take 30GB of space in Program Data folder, 2GB in Program Files, and will need an extra 5GB of free available space for temp files. We recommend keeping the default install location on the C: drive to avoid plugin conflicts and issues. If Photo AI is installed on another drive than C: - it still requires at least 5GB of free extra space on C: to function properly. If there is less than 5GB of space on C:, an in-app warning will appear prompting you to free up space.
The requirements below are if you have an Intel CPU Mac, if you have an M1, M2, M3, or M4 Mac, click on the M-Chip tab above to see its requirements.
- Intel CPU Mac devices are underpowered for AI processing and will have slow performance.
- Super Focus and Dust & Scratch AI models are not supported on Intel Macs with AMD Radeon graphics cards. You can use Cloud Rendering credits to process the files, more information on this here.
| Mac Operating System | macOS 12 Monterey or higher (1) |
| CPU | Intel with AVX instructions, after 2016 (2) |
| System Memory (RAM) | 16GB (2) |
| Graphic memory (VRAM) | 6GB (2) |
| Disk Space | 9GB of space (3) |
(1) We highly recommend to be on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or 15 (Sequoia) to be able to use all of the Photo AI enhancements. Super Focus requires macOS 14 or higher and will not work on macOS 11 (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey) or 13 (Ventura). If you are on macOS 10 (Catalina), and it is the last available OS for your machine, make sure to be on macOS 10.15. Then, install the latest compatible Photo AI version that can work on this older macOS 10 - Photo AI v1.3.12 - Download
(2) See above Important Warning section (in the purple box) for limitations and expected behavior of Intel Mac machines. For large upscales, 24GB of system memory or more may be needed.
(3) We recommend keeping the default install location in the Applications folder to avoid conflicts and issues. Do not place Photo AI in a sub-folder within Finder > Applications, or it will cause plugin conflicts.
| Mac Operating System | macOS 12 Monterey and higher (1) |
| CPU & Graphics Card | Apple Silicon processors (M-Chip) |
| System Memory (RAM) | 16GB (2) |
| Disk Space | 9GB of space (3) |
(1) We highly recommend to be on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or 15 (Sequoia) to be able to use all of the Photo AI enhancements. Super Focus requires macOS 14 or higher, same for Dust & Scratch - Neither model will not work on macOS 11 (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey) or 13 (Ventura).
(2) For large upscales, 24GB of RAM or more may be needed.
(3) We recommend keeping the default install location in the Applications folder to avoid conflicts and issues. Do not place Photo AI in a sub-folder within Finder > Applications, or it will cause plugin conflicts.
Recommended Specifications
| Operating System | Windows 11 - most updated version |
| CPU | Intel OR AMD Processor, with AVX instructions, released after 2020 |
| System Memory | 24GB RAM |
| Dedicated Graphics Card | NVIDIA RTX series - 8GB VRAM or more |
| AMD 5000 series - 8GB VRAM or more | |
| Intel ARC - 8GB VRAM or more | |
| Disk Space on C:/ | 37GB+ of space (1) |
(1) Photo AI will take 30GB of space in Program Data folder, 2GB in Program Files, and will need an extra 5GB of free available space for temp files. We recommend keeping the default install location on the C: drive to avoid plugin conflicts and issues. If Photo AI is installed on another drive than C: - it still requires at least 5GB of free extra space on C: to function properly. If there is less than 5GB of space on C:, an in-app warning will appear prompting you to free up space.
| Mac Operating System | macOS 15 |
| CPU & Graphics Card | M2 or above |
| System Memory | 24GB+ RAM |
| Disk Space | 9GB+ of space (1) |
(1) We recommend keeping the default install location in the Applications folder to avoid conflicts and issues. Do not place Photo AI in a sub-folder within Finder > Applications, or it will cause plugin conflicts.
[FAQ] - Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1 - Get your Windows System Profile
- See the steps below on how to find your System Profile.
- Your System Profile will be a file named: Dxdiag.txt
Click here for Steps to Find Your System Profile (Windows)
Step 2 - Check your System Profile
- Once you have your Dxdiag.txt, you can then check if you meet the Minimum Requirements or Recommended Specifications for Photo AI
- The RAM information will be in the "System Information" section of your System Profile (Memory)
- The VRAM and graphic card information is in the "Display Devices" section (Dedicated Memory)
Step 1 - Get your Mac System Profile
- See the steps below on how to find your System Profile.
- Your System Profile will be a .spx file.
Find Your System Profile (Mac)
Step 2 - Check your System Profile
- Once you have your .spx file, you can then check if you meet the Minimum Requirements or Recommended Specifications for Photo AI
- The RAM information will be in the "Hardware" section of your System Profile (Memory)
- If you own a Intel Mac computer, the graphic card information is in the "Graphic Displays" section, this will give you the amount of VRAM you have (can disregard this part if you own a Apple Sillicon M Chip Mac).
If your System does not meet the minimum requirements for Photo AI, slow behavior, limitations using all the enhancements and issues can occur.
- You can test reverting to a prior version from our Photo AI Releases Page. Click on the version you want to revert to, and you will find the Windows and Mac download link at the top.
- You can also Reach out to Support and send us your System Profile, and we can provide workarounds - if any are possible.
- Alternatively, instead of using Photo AI with an underpowered computer, you can look into our suite of https://www.topazlabs.com/tools - These will work, no matter what computer you have, as they are accessed through your web browser.