I have the system (OS and app installs) on one SSD, and all caching, tempfiles, and such on two other SSD drives.
I7-4770K (8 logical cores) running at 3.89 GHz.
32 GB system RAM (for CPU) plus the 4GB GPU dedicated VRAM.
The system pulls another 17 large drives (spinner type), but they are not involved when Topaz Studio is up and running with image initially loaded.
Most things are also (virtually) instantaneous, even with images running around 140 MB or larger, but with large images, you can see the progress bar.
Mostly it might have to do with loading up (unused) presets. If I hit an Impression preset that has not been used before, the progress bar runs around 70-80% across, then stops for a second or so before completing. Or since it is at around 80%, it might be on reloading/repainting image at the end of processing?
On subsequent clicks on the same presets, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 second visible total on the progress bar.
Slow progression when testing presets is not really a speed issue. But when it “repaints” as you change parameters in the slider settings for a chosen preset, that is where you really need the speed so you can move the sliders without delay. Also in my case near-instantaneous, as in you can move the sliders and it repaints the 140 MB image in near real time.
But speed is relative to the perceiver. 
It can always get faster, if throwing the right hardware at it.
But as mentioned, my main speed issue is not with Topaz, but will heavy math based software creating images using the GPU… Before they might reach Topaz. Where currently finishing up a final image in 140MB + high-res can run for 15 minutes or more.
Knowing how a pro-type card would handle Topaz is merely knowing whether it would make the progress bar closer to invisible on setting changes.
Sorry… I just thought someone at Topaz Labs might have tested Studio on a real powerful card to see what the effect would be.
