Runs OK, but resolution isn't the best and performance is sort of low

[KevinW12]

Hello, just like in the title, I'm wondering if there are settings or downloads needed after initial installation.

I have a late 2013 Mac Pro (trash can). I installed windows 10 through Parallels and was hoping for maybe a bit better performance. I am trying to use Autodesk software REVIT for architectural work. The software runs but the resolution seems off (in full screen mode) and the performance seems low.

Anything I'm missing? Back in my PC days I would always check the most recent drivers and get the settings perfect. But with this installation on a Mac I am in an alien world.

Thanks!

 

[Hemnath@Parallels]

Hello @KevinW12. Please check for the system requirements of the Windows program in question and try to tune the virtual machine's performance accordingly (for video performance, please open the virtual machine configuration window, navigate to Hardware -> Graphics and assign 1 GB of graphic memory for Windows. Then, select 'DirectX 10' for '3D Acceleration' and enable 'Vertical Synchronization' under 'Advanced Options'. Also, select 'Best for Retina Display' for 'Resolution'. This is all the graphics resources that the virtual machine will need. As for RAM performance, navigate to Hardware --> CPU & Memory and ensure that the number of processors is 2 (or 1 if total number of processors is < 4) and RAM is at least 2 GB (or 3 GB if total Mac RAM is 8 GB, or 4 GB if total Mac RAM is > 8 GB). (NOTE: If total Mac RAM is only 4 GB, then allocate 1.5 GB RAM for Windows.) ). These settings give your program the best chance for a stable performance in Windows.

 

[KevinW12]

Thanks so much for that! "Scale to Screen" was on, turning that off made the changes I was hoping for. The pixels/resolution was weird but now it's better. Your suggestion for "best for retina display" couldn't be found by me. Everything looks good now though and we'll see how fast things can go.

I have 4 cores/processors so I have it set to 2. 8GB total so it's set to 6GB. The video card has 2GB so it's set to use 1GB.

Thanks Again!

 

[Hemnath@Parallels]

Thanks so much for that! "Scale to Screen" was on, turning that off made the changes I was hoping for.

You're welcome! Glad to know it's sorted out.

8GB total so it's set to 6GB.

I'm a bit skeptical about this setting. Resources allocated to a virtual machine are locked with it whenever it's in running/suspended state. So the said setting means your Mac is forced to manage with just 2 GB of RAM when the virtual machine is active. This, in itself, won't be an issue as long as your Mac isn't burdened with multiple running applications/background processes in the presence of a running/suspended virtual machine. Otherwise, it'd be better if you set the RAM ratio between Mac and Windows as 1:1, i.e., 4 GB for Mac and 4 GB for Windows.