What Is RAM & How You Can Claim More Memory on a Mac?

Is your Mac running slowly, or is it taking longer than usual to run a command or search a file? In a severe case, you will get a message that your Mac has run out of memory. If the computer is experiencing such symptoms, it’s a clear indication that your memory is full, and you have significant hardware issues.

But, don’t worry, as a few tips will help you claim the RAM and run even the high-end apps without performance lags.

What Is RAM?

RAM stands for Random Access Memory; it refers to the small amount of memory that is needed by your computer to do a specific task. Whenever your computer is running an application or performing a task, it is consuming a bit of space from the RAM.

It allows your computer to transfer one file to another and carry out multiple tasks commanded by the user. RAM is usually measured in GB, similar to the internal storage of your computer; however, the RAM and the internal storage are very different in functionality.

Internal storage is a space that a computer uses to store files, folders, games, doc, and other data. In comparison, RAM transfers the task given to the computer to store in its workspace (RAM) and further executes it.

So, the more the RAM would be in your computer, the better function it can perform. Generally, 8 to 16 GB of RAM works fine for users, but some apps like 3D design software or video editing require a lot more RAM for seamless performance.

How to Check RAM in a Computer?

If you need to check how much RAM your system is consuming, press Command + Space to open Spotlight. Next, type Activity Monitor, and tap on the Memory tab to identify apps that are consuming huge memory and find the available RAM space. If your computer takes more time to get to the Activity Monitor, restart it and repeat the steps.

In the Memory tab, you will see a Memory Pressure Chart where the breakdown of the memory will be shown. The cached files are the unassigned memory that is available to you. You will see a green, yellow, or red indication there. The Green color means your RAM space is fine; the Yellow color might be the sign of advice to the user that more RAM is required, while Red indicates that your computer is running out of RAM.

How to Free Up RAM From Your Mac?

If your memory chart is showing yellow or red signs continuously, then you might need to free up your RAM. For more information, check out this guide on RAM storage.

A few tips can help you to increase RAM on your computer.

Restart Your RAM: Restart your computer as a first step towards optimizing RAM. Go to the Apple menu, click on Shut Down, then restart it again. Once your Mac shuts down, it will clear all the processing files and will free up RAM.

Check for Updates: The second thing you can do is to check for any updates that are pending. Go to System Preferences and then click on Software Updates. Sometimes, the bugs existing in the older version consume more RAM space. So, updating the macOS might solve this problem.

Install Antivirus App: You can also download a trusted antivirus on your Mac. Sometimes viruses or malware can attack your computer and affect the RAM, making your system slower. Downloading an antivirus application and scanning your computer can help you get rid of this issue.

Clear Disk Storage: You can also try clearing up the disk space on your computer by deleting junk, temporary files, redundant settings, and old media files. These unnecessary files slow down your computer. So, you should clean your computer storage regularly as it not only makes space on the hard drive but also releases the system resources.

If you wish to clean up storage space on a MacBook, then click on the Apple menu, go to About this Mac, click Storage, and go to Manage. A new window will open that will give you multiple options to manage your Mac. Using any of these options, you can store your data to iCloud, optimize the storage, empty trash activity, or reduce the clutter.

To reduce the clutter, you can delete all the useless files from your computer, or you can also choose to share up to 5 GB of your data in iCloud with the free version. And in case 5GB is not enough, there is the option of paying a monthly fee for additional storage.

The Conclusion

Having more RAM means optimizing your computer for better performance. You can either follow the above-mentioned steps to free up RAM or add more memory to your computer.