10 tips to speed up a slow Mac computer (2024)

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Find out how to speed up your Mac system with these ten tips!

While we love Apple^®computers, even Mac systems are prone to slowdown over time. As the demands on apps and programs continue to increase, they consume a greater amount of system resources (especially memory) and you gradually lose the fast, responsive performance that Mac systems are known for.

It is possible to add software and programs to your Mac system that slow down the system and cause problems. It's important to identify corrupt files or programs where necessary, but slow performance usually has a much less sinister origin. There are easier ways to solve this problem than spend a lot of money to buy a new computer: try these 10 tips to make your Mac system faster than ever.

How to find out which apps are currently using your memory:

• I thinkWinnerapp, clickApplication>Utilities>Activity monitor> then clickMemorythe tab
• You will see the processes in order of how much memory they use
• Depending on how you use your computer, it's likely that your favorite web browser app is taking up a lot of your memory and slowing down your system

If you have any web browsers or tabs open that you no longer use, close them as they will slow down your system.

It's unlikely that the solution to a slow Mac system is to add more software, because the speed is already reduced by what you have installed. There are some software programs available for download that can improve system speed somewhat, but they do not solve the core problem and offer drastic changes in performance. If there was a download that could fix all system problems that would be remarkable, but unfortunately there isn't a single program that does that.

If you're still using a hard drive (instead of an SSD) and it's almost full, the best way to free up space is to delete apps you no longer use. Because hard drives store and access data on spinning platters, you wait while it searches for what you're trying to load. SSDs are not dependent on small mechanical moving parts such as a hard drive and therefore do not suffer from this problem.

Here's how to see how much memory is on your Mac if you're using OS^®Sierra:

• Click the Apple logo in the Apple menu at the top of the screen.
• ClickAbout this Mac

Depending on the operating system version and Mac model in use, this step varies. For example, in OSOverviewcheeky.

There is often enough room to add gigabytes (GBs) of memory to your Mac system, as upgradeable systems often do not come with the maximum amount of RAM pre-installed. If your Mac system is a 2011 or later model, check how much memory it can use or be configured with according to Apple's specifications:iMac^®,Mac pro^®,MacBookPro^®,Macbook^®, InMac mini^®.

A memory (RAM) upgrade is ideal for improving responsiveness, running apps faster, and multitasking more easily. Since almost every computer operation relies on memory, it's important to have as much of it as possible. That's why a memory upgrade is one of the best ways to improve Mac performance. This is a key factor because most Mac systems do not have maximum memory, but this can be solved by filling every memory slot in your system with the highest density DRAM modules (in GB) they can hold.Learn more about memory modules.

By upgrading to an SSD, you can perform daily tasks six times faster on average than on a hard drive.¹This makes booting, loading programs, saving data, and transferring files much faster. Most older Mac systems have the now outdated storage technology of hard drives, but SSDs access data almost instantly and use advanced flash memory instead of relying on small moving parts that are prone to failure and slow performance. Not only are SSDs significantly faster than HDDs, but they are also inherently more durable, reliable, and energy efficient.

If the problem with your computer is that apps are running out of resources to run at optimal speed, the recipe is more resources. Software is powered by hardware, which is the source of your system's performance resources, and this is what you need to be aware of when making changes. The problem probably isn't with your Mac, but with your system's components, and it's easy to fix.

Upgrading your hardware will address the root cause of a slowdown, which is different from the solutions offered by third-party downloads that promise to fix your system with ease. It's wishful thinking that a simple download will fix everything on your computer - don't fall for a software program whose benefits aren't lasting and will only leave you more frustrated. There's a better, more reliable way to revitalize your Mac system: add more RAM and an SSD.

Disk Utility includes a First Aid feature that can repair certain disk problems and will even tell you if your drive is about to fail. To access First Aid in Mac OS

• Open in FinderApplicationmap
• OpenUtilities
• Open 'Disk Utility
• click onE.H.B.O.knob

Follow these tips and your Mac system will be lightning fast!