If your Mac is running slow or facing multiple app crashes, then it might be due to inadequate RAM storage. Several background apps might be running in the background, which can take a toll on your RAM.
But, before you think of upgrading your RAM, you might want to check out your current RAM storage. With MacOS systems, you can easily locate your installed RAM within a few clicks.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into learning how to find your RAM storage, its usage, and the methods to reduce RAM usage on your device.
How Much RAM Does Macbook Have?
Looking at the most recent Macbook models, the base RAM storage starts from 8 GB. The maximum RAM storage Macbook offers is 64 GB, but it is only available for the latest Macs running in M1 Pro Max chips.
Here is an overview of the RAM storage and its options, depending upon the Mac version.
- Macbook 2021 Pro M1 Pro Max Model: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB
- Macbook 2021 Pro M1 Pro Model: 16 GB and 32 GB
- Macbook 2020 Pro M1 Model: 8 GB and 16 GB
- Macbook Air 2020 M1 Model: 8 GB and 16 GB
- iMac 2021 M1 Model: 8 GB and 16 GB
How Much RAM Does My Macbook Have?
Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can check RAM storage on your Macbook.
- Navigate to the top-left corner of your screen and click on the Apple Logo.
- Select the About This Mac option.
- In the Memory section, you can view the RAM storage on your Mac.
- If you want a more detailed report, click on the System Report button in the same window.
- Here you can find an overview and specifications of your Mac.
- From the left side panel, under the Hardware section, locate Memory.
- Here you can find the memory size and the type.
How to Check RAM Usage on Mac?
In some instances, you might have run out of your memory or RAM usage on your Mac without noticing it. As a result, your Mac might experience slow functioning, and several app crashes. To check your RAM storage,
- Use the Shortcut Command +Space to open up the Spotlight Search.
- Type in Activity Monitor and hit Enter.
- Now, switch to the Memory tab.
- Here, you will see a list of every application using RAM on your Mac.
- At the bottom of the window, you can see the total physical RAM available on your computer as well as the amount currently in use.
- If the number being used is close to the Physical Memory, you might want to clear or upgrade your RAM.
How to Reduce RAM Usage on a Mac?
If you’re running low on RAM, then here are some ways you can take to clear out or free up storage on your RAM. Let’s start with some standard methods. Firstly, we suggest you Restart your computer. Rebooting helps clear all temporary files that might be hogging your memory. Also, please make sure that your Mac is updated to the latest version.
If these troubleshooting methods do not help, let’s look into the below methods.
Clear through Activity Monitor
With checking the memory usage on your Mac, the Activity Monitor application also allows you to clear out any unnecessary or memory-heavy items from your device. To do so,
- Open the launchpad and type in Activity Monitor in the search bar.
- On the window, switch to the Memory tab.
- Double-click on the applications with high RAM usage and select the Quit button.
Clear Cache Files
If you have not cleaned out your cache files in a while, please ensure that you do. Over time, cache files tend to hog your disk and memory space. Here is how you can clear these files.
- Open up Finder and head over to the Go menu bar.
- Select the Go to Folder option.
- Type in ~/Library/Caches/ and hit enter.
- It will direct to your Caches Folder.
- Now, clear up all the unnecessary caches.
Force Quit Applications
There might be hundreds of minor operations running in the background that might be taking massive memory space on your device. Some popular browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox tend to use up the most memory on your Mac. To clear out these operations, here is what you need to do.
- Use the shortcut command Ctrl + Option + Esc.
- Select on the Applications from the list.
- Click on the Force Qution button to confirm your action.
Clear Up Disk Storage
Another method you can try is clearing out your disk space. Disk space is largely connected with your device’s memory. So, when your Mac lacks free memory, it begins to borrow space from your Disk space. Here is an article to help you clear out your Disk Storage on Mac.
More Tips
- Keep minimum opened tabs
- Exit out of all background applications
- Disable or Delete Browser Extensions
- Close all Finder Windows
- Switch to lighter browsers like Pale Moon or K-Melon
Related Questions
How to Improve Your Mac Speed?
An effective method to improve your speed on your Mac is to reset the RAM. To do so, head over to the Terminal application and enter: Sudo purge, and hit the enter key.
Is the 8 GB RAM enough for your Mac laptops?
Well, this completely depends upon your computer usage. If you’re only using your mac for basic functions like web surfing, replying to messages, or doing some light gaming, then the base 8 GB RAM should be enough for you.
How Much RAM Does iPhone 13 Have?
The standard iPhone 13 model has 4GB RAM, while the Pro models have 6GB of RAM.