A macOS computer has four resources that you must monitor regularly. Its CPU, GPU, disk space, and memory, also known as the RAM. It’s important to monitor the two computing power, CPU and GPU, simply because when they get closer to the maximum capacity, the computer becomes more likely to crash. You must also monitor the disk space since you won’t be able to store any more files if it runs out. And finally, it’s crucial that you check the memory as it directly influences the performance of your computer. When the available RAM is low, your computer will struggle to even open a TXT file.
Though each of these can be difficult to track, the memory is particularly tricky since you cannot simply look at a graph and figure it out right there and then. Read on as this guide teaches you how to see how much memory on Mac.
Part 1: How to See How Much Memory on Mac
There’s only one way to check the memory usage of your macOS computer, and it’s the same way you check the CPU and GPU consumption of the device—through Activity Monitor. If you didn’t know, Activity Monitor is a built-in utility program in all macOS computers that provides insights into the different activities on your device, allowing you to monitor them closely, hence the name. It just so happens that RAM usage is one piece of data it provides. Put simply, you need to first figure out how to open Activity Monitor if you want to learn how to see how much memory on Mac, and here’s how:
- On your computer, open a session of Finder.
Note: The Finder is a file management app for macOS computers similar to the File Explorer of Windows PCs.
- Click Applications from the left side of the interface.
- Find and open the Utilities folder.
- On the Utilities folder, you’ll find several utility apps, and that should include the Activity Monitor. Find its icon and double-click on it to open the app.
- Once the Activity Monitor is open, you’ll find five different tabs at the top, namely CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, and Network. Each tab shows different types of info, and info about the memory is under Memory, so click on that.
That’s pretty much what you need to do. All that’s left is to analyze the data on your screen to see how much memory is on your macOS computer. To do so, you must focus on the bottom area of the Memory tab, right under the list of apps and processes. There, you’ll find a graph, and to its left are four categories, namely Physical Memory, Memory Used, Cached Files, and Swap Used. And to the very left are three additional categories, including App Memory, Wired Memory, and Compressed. Here’s a look at what each of these pieces of info means and how it corresponds to your memory:
- Physical Memory corresponds to the maximum memory capacity of your macOS computer. In the sample image above, you’ll find that the computer has a maximum memory capacity of16.00 GB.
- App Memory, Wired Memory, and Compressed are what make up the memory. So, as you can see, if you add up all the values of these three together, they total roughly 16GB, which is the total memory capacity.
- Memory Used refers to how much memory you’re currently using. If you want optimal performance, you must keep this number at the lowest value possible. In our example, it’s at critical levels since there’s barely any memory left for other tasks. Ideally, it should be less than 75 percent of the maximum memory capacity.
- Cached Files indicate how much of the memory used corresponds to cache files.
The other metrics are not relevant. If you did all this just to find that your Memory Used is extremely close to the Physical Memory, then chances are you’re experiencing issues caused by the lack of remaining memory.
Part 2: What Happens If Memory Used Is Equal to Physical Memory?
First off, the Memory Used will never be equal to the Physical Memory. The operating system simply prevents that from happening. In the sample image above, for example, since there’s only around 100MB of RAM remaining, the system would prevent you from opening any other apps or processes. It does this by showing an error message. So, while it might be frustrating that you can’t perform additional tasks, that’s mainly because the computer is sustaining your computer.
However, there are instances where rather than sending a message, the computer simply crashes. The good news is there are typically signs before it happens, like extremely slow performance. To fix this issue, you need to clear your memory.
Part 3: BONUS: Clear Your Memory With Mac Cleaner
Being able to see how much memory your macOS is currently using is always an excellent skill. It allows you to gain insights about your device easily, such as whether the RAM usage is getting too high. But that also means you need some way to use those insights. In this case, you must know how to clear your memory, especially when memory usage is reaching critical levels. Though there are several methods to go about it, the most efficient method is using tools like Mac Cleaner.
Mac Cleaner is an app that specializes in deleting unnecessary files. Though it’s primarily a cleaning app, it also has an optimization feature that allows you to clear memory. With that said, here’s how to clear Mac memory with this app:
Step #1: Download, Install, and Start Mac Cleaner
On your computer, open a browser and go to this link. It’ll take you to the Mac Cleaner official website from where you must click a button that says Download Now. It’ll start the download of a DMG file, which you must open as soon as the download is finished. That should start the installer, and all you have to do is follow the instructions. The software should open automatically once the download is complete.
Step #2: Pick From Six Different Modules
The software currently has six modules, namely (1) Clean Up Junk, (2) Delete Large Files, (3) Delete Duplicate Files, (4) Erase Private Data, (5) Speed Up Your Mac, and (6) Manage Apps & Extensions. You can find them on the left side of the interface, from which you must select a module. For your purposes, you’ll only need the help of the Speed Up Your Mac module, which allows you to optimize your memory usage. To proceed, select that module from the left side of the interface.
Step #3: Click Start Now
Upon selecting a module, the software will show the relevant information about the selected module, such as its features and functionalities. You can read the info to learn more about the software, but to proceed, you must click the Start Now button.
Step #4: Choose an Action
On the next page, you’ll find a list that consists of four items. These items correspond to the four different actions you can take with the Speed Up Your Mac module. Here’s a look at each action and how it can help you to optimize your macOS computer:
- Disable Login Items temporarily disables the apps and processes that open automatically upon startup.
- Deactivate Heavy Consumers force quits the programs that consume too much CPU and GPU.
- Remove Launch Agents force closes unnecessary apps and processes that open alongside other programs.
- Free Up RAM optimize the memory usage of your computer by deactivating programs with high RAM usage.
Since you’ve been committed to learning about memory or RAM, you probably want to select the Free Up RAM option from the list. Upon doing so, a new list will appear on the right side of the interface from which you’ll find programs that you can disable to reduce the RAM usage. Select the ones you want to deactivate. If you want to disable all the files, click Select All.
Step #5: Deactivate the App/Process
As the last step, you simply need to deactivate the apps and processes you selected in the previous step. To do so, you must click Deactivate at the top-right corner of the window. That should do the trick, though you have to wait a while.
Though it’s incredibly convenient to be able to reduce the RAM of your macOS computer rather quickly, keep in mind that it’s usually not this easy. If you rely on only the traditional methods, it’ll most likely take a few minutes or even an hour to complete the entire process. Simply put, Mac Cleaner is an excellent software that makes optimization look easy.
Wrapping Up
It’s not uncommon for macOS computers to suddenly crash or slow down considerably. Though there are a number of reasons as to why that may happen, a very likely cause is that your macOS computer runs out of memory or RAM. Did you encounter the infamous blue screen? Maybe you run out of memory. Is the operating system struggling to open a single document? Perhaps the computer has been running countless apps, thereby depleting the memory. In rare cases, these issues can lead to permanent damage, and you most certainly don’t want that. Thankfully, with this guide, that shouldn’t happen.
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