Give A Game More Ram On Mac

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Jun 26, 2017  So you need to check if your app can make use of additional RAM. Some databases can configured to use more RAM. If your app is a Java application, the Java VM places a total memory limit it uses which can be changed (but if you don't get a message saying you don't have enough memory, this won't help). These are just two examples that I'm aware of.

Is your Mac slowing down? Do you spend more and more time waiting for applications to do what you want? If so, there is a very good chance that you have high memory usage and need a Mac RAM upgrade.

What is RAM?

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. This memory is temporary and used by the CPU to hold information that processes are actively using on your system. Your Mac slows down when it experiences high memory usage, in other words, when the running applications demand more RAM than your Mac is able to provide. The more RAM available, the better your Mac is able to execute on the tasks that are being thrown at it.

The obvious solution would be to increase Mac RAM, but before we show you how to do that, let’s make sure that your lack of RAM is actually the cause of your Mac slowdown.

Note: Not all devices are able to upgrade RAM, like the Macbook Air and the 2014 edition of the Mac Mini.

How to manually check Mac RAM

Checking your RAM is dependent on the version of OS X that you have installed. You should check your Mac RAM after you have been using your Mac for a bit of time. When you are in the middle of normal daily tasks, follow these steps.

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  • Open Spotlight Search.
  • Type in ”Activity Monitor”.
  • Click on the “Memory” tab on the top of the window.

Memory Pressure is the graph you need to study.

If there is mostly green, your system RAM is currently fine. If there is a lot of yellow, the jury is still out. If there is a lot of red, your memory is under strain and your Mac has a high memory usage.

Older OS X versions like Leopard and Lion

For older versions of Mac OS X the steps are the same but the System Memory tab looks a bit different. You’ll want to look for Free and Page Outs.

Free – This is how much free RAM your Mac currently has. If you’ve got a bunch of applications open and there is still a good number of free RAM, then your Mac may have enough memory.

Page Outs – This number tells you how often your Mac has run out of RAM and needed to use the slower hard disk instead. A high number here is very bad and a sure sign that your Mac doesn’t have enough RAM.

Use a Mac memory analysis tool

Another alternative, which will work easily on all versions of Mac OS X, is to use a 3rd party tool to check your RAM usage. We highly recommend CleanMyMac X, which will not only clean and speed up your Mac, it also has a RAM monitoring tool called Menu App.

Simply click on the Memory Monitor tab for a clear overview of your Mac’s memory usage. The tool will also enable you to free up memory by closing down unnecessary applications, which will become really helpful when your system is slowing to a crawl.

CleanMyMac X is a free download so try it out and get to the bottom of your high memory usage problem.

Note: With all above solutions we recommend checking the results on a regular basis until you are certain that your Mac needs a RAM upgrade.

How to upgrade your Mac RAM

If you have reached the conclusion that you need more memory, we are going to show you exactly how to increase your Mac RAM. Don’t worry if you’ve never done it before, as this guide will help you every step of the way.

The first steps are to gain knowledge about your system. This will help ensure that the RAM that you get will be compatible with your system.

Step 1 – What kind of Mac do you have?

Whether you have an iMac, a Macbook Pro, or any other kind of Mac, there is a lot more information to be found out in order to identify your exact system. To get these details, follow these easy steps:

  • Click on the Apple icon.
  • Select “About this Mac”.
  • View your system information.

Step 2 – Do I have space for more RAM in my Mac?

This may not be what you want to hear but it’s possible that you can’t add more RAM to your Mac, even if you wanted to. Let’s look under the hood and see what your RAM situation is like.

  • Following on from Step 1, click on “More Info” on the “About this Mac” window.
  • The complicated looking System Profiler will launch. Click on “Memory” in the left column.

On the right you will see exact details of your RAM modules or sticks. The “banks” are the slots that the RAM is inserted into. If you have an empty bank or two, you’re in luck, upgrading your Mac RAM just got that much easier.

Step 3 – Check how much RAM your Mac can take

Now let’s really make sure you can upgrade your RAM. Head over to Technical Specifications on Apple Support, find your exact Mac model. Once you find your Mac, click it to reveal a ton of information. What you’re looking for is the information, which will tell you how much RAM your system can work with. Compare it to your Mac’s current RAM (from Step 2) and now you know if you can upgrade your RAM or if you are stuck with what you have.

If you can’t upgrade your Mac RAM, download CleanMyMac X and use all of the cleaning tools to boost your Mac performance. You should also take a look at the performance improving solutions found in How To Fix Mac Running Slow.

Step 4 – Purchasing RAM for your Mac

In Step 3 you navigated to your Mac model and discovered what memory your system could potentially add. Now it's only a matter of choosing your new RAM and we recommend to start with this source. If you're located outside of the US, Google will probably tell you which stores sell RAM nearby.

Step 5 – Installing RAM into your Mac

Adding your new RAM into your Mac is not as hard as it sounds. This is definitely an upgrade that you can perform yourself, as long as you have a screwdriver on hand. The only tricky thing is to know exactly where the RAM is, and that it varies between types of Macs.

Below are handy tutorials to install new memory on your specific type of Mac.

How to upgrade RAM on an iMac

  • Shut down your iMac and unplug everything.
  • Place iMac face down, ensuring the screen is protected from anything that could scratch it.
  • Unscrew, counterclockwise, the RAM panel in the centre until it pops out.
  • Expose ribbon tab over RAM and pull on it to release RAM module.
  • Use your fingers to remove the RAM entirely.
  • Line up the new RAM with the now empty slot and push it in until it clicks into place.
  • Screw the RAM panel cover back on.
  • Re-connect everything, turn your iMac back on and go to About This Mac to confirm new RAM installed.

How to upgrade RAM on a Macbook Pro

  • Turn your Macbook off.
  • Turn your Macbook upside down and pop the latch on the back to remove the plate.
  • Use tiny phillips head screwdriver to unscrew the larger back plate.
  • Note - one screw will be a lot smaller than the others. Remember where it goes.
  • Touch metal to ground yourself before touching the RAM.
  • The RAM is to the left or right of centre. Pull apart the latches on each side of it and the RAM will pop up.
  • Slide the RAM out.
  • Slide the new RAM into the slot and push it down till it clicks into place.
  • Put the large backplate back on and screw it into place.
  • Screw the smaller backplate back into place.
  • Turn your Macbook on and and go to About This Mac to confirm new RAM installed.

How to upgrade RAM on a Mac Mini

Due to the form factor of the Mac Mini, it is one of the more challenging devices to upgrade. We recommend getting help from professionals or someone that has experience upgrading Mac Mini RAM.

The final word on Mac RAM upgrades

In this guide we showed you how to identify high memory usage on your Mac using OS X and the ever-useful CleanMyMac X. We then outlined the steps to determine what RAM your Mac has installed, whether it can be upgraded, how to purchase new memory for your Mac and finally how to install your new RAM into your Mac.

Once your new RAM is installed, depending on how much you were able to add, you should see a considerable boost to your Mac performance.

You will also gain a boost to your social status, as now you can confidently boast, “I know how to upgrade my Mac memory”.

These might also interest you:

Free Ram On Mac

You can buy a ready-to-ship Mac at any Apple Store, reseller, or online vendor, but if you want something custom, you have to go to Apple's website and build it to order (BTO). That way, if any of the standard configurations aren't enough for you, you can bump up the CPU, add more memory, and even go with faster storage. Not every Mac has every option, of course, but for the ones that do, it's worth asking — which upgrades are worth the price?

Are CPU upgrades worth it?

The CPU — central processing unit — is the engine that makes your Mac go. Currently provided by Intel, they range from the ultra-low-power Core i3 to the ultra-powerful quad-core Core i9 in high-end MacBook Pro and iMac, to the Xeon workstation chips in the Mac Po.

Generally speaking, faster cores let you do single things faster. More cores let you do more things at once. So, getting a faster core is like upgrading from a regular car to a race car. Going from dual to quad-core is like getting a second car.

Since you can't change a CPU after you buy your Mac, you want to make sure you buy the right one — not just for your needs now, but for your needs next year and the year after that.

  • MacBook Air 13-inch: The baseline is a 1.1 GHz dual-core i3 processor, but that's a bit slow unless you're just looking for a couch browser or travel computer that's not an iPad. You can upgrade to the i5, which really is the sweet spot for most people. If you're doing a lot of intensive work, though, the quad-core 1.2GHz 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor is worth the upgrade.

  • MacBook Pro 13-inch: All 13-inch MacBook Pro models come with either 1.4 or 2.4GHz quad-core i5 processors. Most people are going to be happy with one of these. If you need a little extra bump, choose the 2.4GHz model. If you do a lot of graphics editing, VR or AR app developing, or otherwise use graphics-heavy programs, it may be worth it to you to spend the extra $300 on the 2.8GHz quad‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor upgrade.

  • MacBook Pro 16-inch: The baseline 16-inch with Touch Bar comes with a 2.6 GHz 6-Core i7 or 2.3GHz 8-core 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processor. Upgrading the processor will make your MacBook Pro absolutely scream, but all those cores and all that speed comes at the expense of battery life. Still, if you're going high-end, $200 isn't a lot more to add on.

  • iMac 4K 21.5-inch: The lower-end iMac starts with a 2.3GHz dual-core 7th-gen Intel Core i5 processor and goes up to a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor. You can ramp that up to a 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor for $200. If you're buying the 4K Mac for budgeting purposes, that extra money may not be worth it. The 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3 processor model is a good middle ground. It's $200 more than the baseline model, but a solid investment.

  • iMac 5K 27-inch: You can get a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-gen Intel Core i5 standard and up to 3.7GHz 6-core 9th-gen Intel Core processor. For $400 more, you can bump it up to a 3.6GHz 8-core 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processor. At this point, for the price, however, I recommend you start looking into the iMac Pro. The standard model is going to give you more of what you're looking for.

  • iMac Pro: You're really upping your game by starting with the iMac Pro. It comes standard with 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor. For $800 more, you're going to get a 3.0GHz 10-core Intel Xeon W processor, but you can max out the CPU to a 2.3GHz 18-core Intel Xeon W processor for $2,400. Your pro needs are going to determine what suits you best, but if you need an iMac Pro, you probably need a little more than the baseline. I recommend bumping up to 2.5GHz 14-core Intel Xeon W processor to max out your efficiency. It's the best value for your money. It's worth pointing out, however, that the silicon in the iMac Pro is a few years old at this point, so it may be smarter to either go with a Mac Pro or wait for the iMac Pro to receive a processor update.

  • Mac mini: The Mac mini comes standard with a 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor and jumps up to a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor. For $200 more, you can bump it up to a 3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor. Depending on your needs, I'd say the i7 may be unnecessary. Stick with the 6-core i5 model or go with the baseline if you don't plan on putting too much strain on your DIY Mac. Remember, you can stack these babies, so it may be smarter to spend the money on multiple Mac minis.

  • Mac Pro: I don't even know where to start with this one. It comes standard with a 3.5GHz 8‑core Intel Xeon W processor, but if you're buying a Mac Pro, you probably need something a little faster. For $7,000, you can upgrade to a 2.5GHz 28‑core Intel Xeon W processor, but that is overkill for a lot of your needs. Most pros recommend upgrading to either a 3.3GHz 12‑core Intel Xeon W processor for $1,000 more or a 3.2GHz 16‑core Intel Xeon W processor for $2,000. This level is suitable for CPU rendering, compiling large projects, running multiple virtual machines, and similar tasks.

Are RAM upgrades worth it?

The more memory your Mac has, the bigger the images and videos you can work with, the more apps you can keep live, and generally, the better performance you'll get. Modern Macs are more memory efficient than ever. But if you want to work with a lot of files, and a lot of big files, RAM can still make your experience smoother.

Increasingly, Mac memory is also soldered right to the board, just like the processors. The 27-inch iMac still lets you change memory after purchase but, with MacBooks, what you buy is what you're stuck with. So, again, don't buy for today. Buy for tomorrow.

Give a game more ram on mac free

  • MacBook Air: Apple's ultra-light laptops come with 8 GB of RAM, but you can upgrade to up to 16GB for $200 more. If you plan on running a lot of processor-heavy apps at the same time, you're going to want to spend that extra money. I recommend investing here. The more RAM you have, the faster your apps will run when your MacBook Air gets overworked.

  • 13-inch MacBook Pro: The smaller of the two Mac laptop powerhouses start with 8GB, and you can upgrade to 16GB for $200. It's a smart investment to spend the extra money to upgrade. Remember; the more programs you're running at the same time, the more RAM you want, keeping it going fast and strong.

  • 16-inch MacBook Pro: The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts with 16 GB of RAM. You can jump that up to 64GB of RAM for an additional $800. That may be overkill for most people, though. If you're planning on running multiple processor-heavy applications, like video editing software, you should at least upgrade to 32GB of RAM, but max it out if you're doing most or all of your work on the MacBook Pro.

  • iMac: 8 GB is the starting point for the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac, but you can upgrade the 2.3GHz dual-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor model to 16 GB for $200. All other iMac models, 21.5 and 27-inch, can be upgraded to up to 32GB of RAM, and the two higher-end 27-inch iMacs can go as high as 64GB. For the 21.5-inch iMac, I recommend upgrading to at least 16GB, 32 if you're going to be running a lot of processor-heavy apps. For the 27-inch iMac, however, I recommend not buying your RAM from Apple. You can install additional RAM yourself at a later date using aftermarket RAM. It's easy to do and costs less.

  • iMac Pro: The iMac Pro starts with 32GB of RAM and can be upgraded to 256GB of RAM (that's right, 256GB). You can't upgrade the RAM aftermarket in the iMac Pro, so you'll definitely want to add more. Do you need 256GB? If you're running multiple processor-heavy apps, like video editing programs, VR or AR development simulations, and the like, you should consider a decent bump of at least 128GB of RAM.

  • Mac mini: The Mac mini comes with 8GB of RAM standard and can be upgraded to 64GB. Most people aren't going to need to go this far, however, especially since it comes with a fast processor and at least 256GB of storage. You can upgrade the RAM in the Mac mini yourself, however, so if you're willing to do it yourself with less-expensive third-party RAM, you'll save a few bucks.

  • Mac Pro: The 2019 Mac Pro is capable of supporting up to 768GB of RAM, 1.5TB if you get the 24 or 28-core model. It comes with 12 physical DIMM slots, so you can add memory at any time aftermarket. Just keep in mind that, even though the Mac Pro supports both R-DIMM and LR-DIMM, you can't use both in the same system. I recommend purchasing RAM on your own from a third-party vendor so you can choose which type is right for your system.

Best for iMac

OWC 64GB DDR4 RAM

Give a game more ram on mac 2017

Install your RAM aftermarket if you can. It's cheaper.

The most reliable company for producing Mac-based RAM is OWC, and you can get a 64GB upgrade for a fraction of what you'd pay by having it preinstalled by Apple. For Macs where you can install RAM yourself, this is the memory you need.

Are storage upgrades worth it?

Though computing storage has been freed up with cloud-based services, storage capacity is the one place where an upgrade is recommended, no matter what. Whatever you can afford when you purchase your new Mac, you should buy. If you can't afford any storage upgrades, however, don't be downhearted. Cloud storage and external hard drives are cheaper than ever and can help with your capacity needs.

  • MacBook Air: The MacBook Air comes with either 256 or 512GB of built-in SSD storage and can be upgraded to up to 2TB of SSD storage. If you can afford it, I recommend going for 1TB. You'll probably never need that much, but having it will make you feel better. If 1TB is too expensive, you should, at least, go for 512GB.

  • 13-inch MacBook Pro: The smaller MacBook Pro starts at 128GB, 256, or 512GB of SSD storage and can be upgraded to 2TB. If you're investing in the pro-model Mac laptop, it's likely you need a decent amount of storage. I suggest going for the full 2TB if you can afford it, but 1TB is good enough, especially if you use cloud-based storage and external hard drives.

  • 16-inch MacBook Pro: The larger MacBook Pro starts at 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage and can be upgraded to up to 8TB, which is definitely a lot. Of course, you should always get as much storage as you can afford, but 1TB is good enough for most people, especially if you take advantage of cloud-based storage and external hard drives.

  • 21.5-inch iMac: The two least expensive 21.5-inch iMacs come with SATA drives, standard. I highly recommend upgrading your storage to at least a Fusion drive, but preferably an SSD. Money is obviously a factor here, but SATA drives are far less reliable because of their many moving parts. They're also slower. The very cheapest 21.5-inch iMac, at $1,099, will only cost you an additional $200 to upgrade to an SSD drive. If you spend any money on one upgrade, make it this. It's worth it.

  • 27-inch iMac: This is probably where your most difficult decision making will be. Fusion or SSD? More storage capacity or a speedier drive? A Fusion drive is a hybrid HDD and SSD. It's less expensive than an SSD, but it also does have that pesky spinning plate drive. The cool thing about a Fusion drive, however, is that macOS manages what gets stored where. Files that don't get accessed very often get relegated to the hard drive and oft-used files stay on the SSD. A Fusion drive is slower than an SSD, but most people won't really notice the difference. I recommend, for most people, to stick with the Fusion drive and get as much capacity as possible (up to 3TB). If you're a power-user; if you edit videos, run virtual machines, build VR apps, and the like, you may want to switch to SSD, but because it's so much more expensive for less storage, you should also build up a stock of external hard drives to store media that you don't need to access regularly.

  • iMac Pro: The iMac Pro starts with 1TB of SSD storage, which is plenty for a lot of people, but if you're buying an iMac Pro, you probably have higher storage capacity needs. You can bump that up to up to 4TB of storage for an additional $1,000. Since you can't upgrade aftermarket, I recommend maxing out your storage capacity if you can afford it.

  • Mac mini: Apple's DIY Mac comes standard with 256 or 512GB of SSD storage and can be upgraded to up to 2TB. The Mac mini has plenty of ports to add external hard drives, but it's still a good idea to upgrade to as much storage as you can afford here. I recommend at least 1TB.

  • Mac Pro: The Mac Pro starts with just 256GB of SSD storage, but is fully customizable after you purchase it. It might be smart to upgrade to 1TB right out of the gate, depending on how soon you'll be able to add third-party capacity upgrades, but don't spend too much money here, since you'll be able to find lower-priced SSDs on your own.

Who should upgrade their Mac's processor?

Of all the upgrades, CPU configurations offer the most questionable benefit. A bump in overall processor speed is nice, but is it worth paying a couple of hundred bucks more to get another 10 or 30 percent improvement?

For people working with apps that can benefit from more processor cores — computationally-intensive operations that are optimized for multiprocessor computers, like math and science apps, video, 3D, video compression and other similar things, going from a dual-core to a quad-core can quite literally double performance and should be considered.

Who should upgrade their Mac's memory?

8GB of RAM is standard on most Mac laptops and desktops, which is plenty for most people. If you run a lot of powerful programs at the same time, however, you should bump that up where possible. 32GB of RAM is the sweet spot for you.

Upgrading after the fact is only possible on a very few Macs, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to upgrade. You may be stuck with what you have for years to come.

Who should upgrade the SSD?

Undercutting yourself with storage space right off the bat will cause you problems, but take a long hard look at your current storage footprint and see what you can't live without. If you're like many people, you'll discover that you don't actually need everything you have and that you'll be able to offload some of it to a server, external device or archive system.

SSD is expensive, but the performance is spectacular - especially since has Apple incorporated PCI Express (PCIe)-based flash storage. Pay for as much as you can afford, but see what you can live without and try to save yourself some money.

Still undecided?

There's a lot to think over, so if this hasn't helped you sort it out, please turn to our Apple Hardware forums and post your question there. Our legion of helpful forum posters will give you their expert feedback. You're also welcome to post comments here.

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