FWIW I run Topaz beta and release software on my 2013 i7 MacBook Air at home ('cause that's what I have at home...) and it handles even Gigapixel fine. Here are the specs of its installed video card:
Intel HD Graphics 5000 1536 MB
When you say "crashing your Mac", do you mean the software crashes or the entire system? Do you get a crash report? If so, that would be useful to see.