Improve Speed and Performance in ComfyUI and Stable Diffusion with LOWVRAM and Workflow Management

Pixovert
26 Oct 202309:04

TLDRThe video discusses strategies to enhance the performance of Comfy UI with Stable Diffusion, emphasizing the importance of reducing steps in the generation process. It suggests using the advanced sampler for fewer steps and adjusting settings for low VRAM systems. The video also highlights the impact of closed software and browser tabs on system resources, recommending the use of extensions like One Tab for efficiency. Additionally, it mentions the option to upgrade to more powerful GPUs for optimal performance, especially for users working with high VRAM models like the RTX 4090.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 Use the least number of steps in Stable Diffusion (e.g., 15 steps) for faster image generation.
  • 🎨 The refiner typically requires fewer steps (a quarter or a third) compared to the initial model for image improvement.
  • 🛠️ Switch to the advanced sampler in Comfy UI to reduce the number of steps needed, which can be as low as a fourth or fifth of the default base model.
  • 🔧 Consider removing the refiner entirely in the workflow and focus on the base model for efficiency.
  • 📂 Minimize software and browser usage to free up system resources, especially GPU and CPU, which can significantly impact performance.
  • 📚 Explore courses on Udemy that range from basic to master level for Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion to enhance your skills.
  • 🔗 Use browser extensions like One Tab to manage and reduce the impact of multiple open tabs on system resources.
  • 💻 Comfy UI automatically adjusts settings based on system resources, but you can also manually tweak settings for optimal performance.
  • 📉 Use 'low vram' settings for systems with limited graphics memory, which may result in faster performance.
  • 🚫 Disable 'smart memory' to potentially reduce VRAM usage and accommodate more demanding tasks.
  • 💪 Upgrade to a more powerful GPU like the RTX 4090 for systems with high VRAM to maximize performance and future-proof your setup.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video?

    -The main focus of the video is to discuss various techniques to improve the performance of Comfy UI with Stable Diffusion.

  • What is the recommended number of steps for a decent image using the standard version of SdXL?

    -The recommended number of steps for a decent image using the standard version of SdXL is 15, although the video creator experimented with 20 steps.

  • How can the refiner model in Stable Diffusion be optimized?

    -The refiner model in Stable Diffusion can be optimized by using typically about a quarter or a third of the number of steps used in the initial model.

  • What is an inefficient workflow mentioned in the video?

    -An inefficient workflow mentioned is using the standard sampler twice, once with low D noise for the refiner model, which requires a large number of steps to account for the low D noise count.

  • What alternative workflow is suggested for better efficiency?

    -The alternative workflow suggested is using the advanced sampler, which allows reducing the number of steps to the absolute minimum necessary, and then running a small number of steps to complete the image.

  • What is the impact of having multiple tabs open in a web browser on system performance?

    -Having multiple tabs open in a web browser can use up a significant amount of system resources, including GPU memory, which can slow down the performance of Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion.

  • How can the OneTab extension help in managing system resources?

    -The OneTab extension helps by collapsing all open tabs in a browser window into a single window made up of different bookmarks, immediately releasing system resources which can be reopened all at once with a single tap.

  • What setting in Comfy UI adjusts to accommodate low VRAM systems?

    -The 'Low VRAM' setting in Comfy UI adjusts the behavior to work with low VRAM systems, such as those with 3GB or 4GB graphics cards, potentially running faster than other accommodations for low VRAM.

  • What does disabling 'Smart Memory' do in the context of Comfy UI?

    -Disabling 'Smart Memory' changes the default behavior of the system, potentially reducing the amount of VRAM used, and allowing for running jobs that would otherwise be too demanding.

  • What hardware solution is suggested for users with powerful GPUs?

    -For users with powerful GPUs, such as RTX 4090 or RTX 3090, the 'High VRAM' condition is suggested, which allows the GPU to use all of its VRAM to maximum advantage.

  • What is the recommendation for users running SdXL with a lower VRAM graphics card?

    -For users running SdXL with a lower VRAM graphics card, it is recommended to have at least 16GB of VRAM to ensure smooth performance and some headroom for future-proofing.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Optimizing Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion Performance

This paragraph discusses strategies to enhance the performance of Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion software. It suggests using the minimum number of steps for the Stable Diffusion process, highlighting that 15-20 steps can produce quality images. The speaker shares personal experience with different versions of SDXL and advises on workflows, recommending the use of the advanced sampler to reduce steps and improve efficiency. The paragraph also touches on the importance of managing system resources by shutting down unnecessary software and browsers to free up GPU and CPU for Stable Diffusion. Additionally, the speaker mentions online courses on Udemy for learning Stable Diffusion and offers YouTube members substantial discounts.

05:02

📦 Browser Management and Comfy UI Resource Optimization

The second paragraph focuses on managing browser tabs to optimize system resources for Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion. It emphasizes the significant resource consumption of browser tabs and introduces the One Tab extension as a solution to consolidate tabs into bookmarks, releasing system resources. The paragraph also explains that Comfy UI intelligently adjusts settings based on system resources, with options to manually adjust settings for low VRAM systems or to disable smart memory for better performance. It mentions the availability of high VRAM settings for powerful GPUs and suggests upgrading graphics cards for improved performance, with recommendations for specific graphics processors.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Comfy UI

Comfy UI is a user interface designed for the Stable Diffusion software, known for its speed and efficiency. It is the fastest version of Stable Diffusion, allowing users to generate images quickly. In the video, the focus is on improving Comfy UI's performance by adjusting settings and workflows.

💡Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is a software used for generating images through artificial intelligence. It is the basis for Comfy UI, which is a specialized interface for this software. The video discusses optimizing the performance of Stable Diffusion through Comfy UI.

💡SDXL

SDXL is a version of the Stable Diffusion software that is being tested and compared to the standard one in the video. It is used to generate images with a varying number of steps to determine the optimal settings for image quality.

💡Refiner

In the context of the video, the refiner is a component of the Stable Diffusion software that is used to enhance the quality of generated images. It typically requires fewer steps than the initial model to improve the image slightly.

💡Advanced Sampler

The advanced sampler is a feature within Comfy UI that allows users to reduce the number of steps needed for image generation to the absolute minimum. This helps in optimizing the performance and speed of the software.

💡System Resources

System resources refer to the computational resources of a computer, such as CPU, GPU, and memory, that are utilized by running software. The video emphasizes the importance of managing these resources to improve the performance of Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion.

💡Workflow

A workflow in the context of the video refers to the sequence of steps or processes used to generate and refine images with Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion. The video suggests optimizing these workflows for better performance.

💡Low VRAM

Low VRAM refers to systems with a limited amount of video memory. The video discusses settings in Comfy UI that can be adjusted to accommodate systems with low VRAM, ensuring optimal performance despite limited graphics capabilities.

💡Smart Memory

Smart Memory is a feature in Windows that manages system memory usage. In the context of the video, disabling Smart Memory can potentially reduce the amount of VRAM used by the system, allowing for more demanding tasks.

💡High VRAM

High VRAM refers to systems with a large amount of video memory, typically found in powerful GPUs. The video discusses a setting in Comfy UI that can be used to take full advantage of systems with high VRAM, such as the RTX 3090.

💡Graphics Card

A graphics card is a hardware component in a computer system that processes and outputs images to the display. The video mentions upgrading to a more powerful graphics card with at least 16 GB of VRAM for optimal performance with SDXL.

Highlights

The video discusses methods to improve the performance of Comfy UI, a fast version of Stable Diffusion.

Using the least number of steps in SDXL can result in decent images; 15-20 steps are suggested.

The refiner in Stable Diffusion typically requires fewer steps, about a quarter or a third of the initial model.

An early workflow involved using a standard sampler with low D noise for the refiner model, but this was found to be inefficient due to the high number of steps needed.

The advanced sampler in Comfy UI allows for reducing the number of steps to the minimum necessary, improving efficiency.

SDXL is more challenging as it creates two images, one for the refiner and one for the base model; using only the base model is suggested for efficiency.

A different workflow for the refiner model involves selecting a few good images from the base model and refining them separately.

Closing unnecessary software, like screen recording tools and browsers, can free up system resources and improve performance.

The presenter mentions having several courses on Udemy related to Stable Diffusion and Comfy UI, ranging from basic to master levels.

Discouraging the use of multiple open tabs in browsers, as they consume significant system resources and can slow down Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion.

Recommending the use of the One Tab extension to manage and minimize browser tabs, thus saving system resources.

Comfy UI intelligently measures system resources upon startup and adjusts settings for optimal performance.

For systems with low VRAM, Comfy UI offers a 'low vram' setting that may result in faster performance.

Disabling 'smart memory' can reduce VRAM usage and allow for running more demanding jobs.

High VRAM setting is recommended for users with powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or RTX 3090.

Upgrading to a more powerful graphics card with at least 16 GB of VRAM can enhance system performance for using SDXL.

The presenter provides links to recommended graphics processors for those interested in hardware solutions.

The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their problems in the comments for community support.