Related: Clean your Mac in A Few Clicks. Formerly known as Memory Diag this tool aids the user to monitor as well as optimize the usage of memory. With the memory pressure meter, you can easily acknowledge the load on the memory and get the list of apps with the memory used by them. The Mac maintenance and security app called Combo Cleaner is a one-stop tool to detect and remove “Your computer is low on memory” virus. This technique has substantial benefits over manual cleanup, because the utility gets hourly virus definition updates and can accurately spot even the newest Mac infections. See real-time CPU, network, or disk status in the Dock. It’s easy to keep an eye on your system status without even looking at the Activity Monitor window—you can monitor your CPU, network, or disk usage as a live graph right in the Dock. Memory Usage Getter is a utility that allows you to monitor the memory and CPU usage of all open applications and background processes under Mac OS X. It presents all apps and processes in a single table, or it can automatically separate out your user's processes from other user processes and separate them into three tabs for easier viewing. It's an Electron app, but it is built to use as little RAM as possible, when I run it on my old Macbook Air, it consumes only around 300mb of RAM maximum, which is less than what Finder consumes, and I consider everything over this limit to be a bug. If you wish to learn more about the amount of memory your Mac’s applications consume, click Activity Monitor’s System Memory button at the bottom of the window.

When you use up all of the available RAM on your computer, you may notice that your device struggles to complete tasks. If you find that your computer’s applications are frequently crashing and it takes longer to do simple tasks, then you might be wondering how to free up RAM on your computer.

What is RAM?

Your computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) is stored on a memory chip that is typically found on the motherboard. This where your computer stores short term data. RAM is the hub of storage for all active and running programs and processes. Your computer uses the information it has stored in RAM to complete tasks while simultaneously receiving and performing other functions.

When you use up all of the available RAM memory, your computer’s performance can slow down because it doesn’t have the storage required to complete its tasks. When you clear RAM space, it gives your computer the capability to carry out tasks. Depending on your computer, there are a few different ways you can free up RAM space.

How to Make the Most of Your RAM

It can be easy to use up your RAM because it supports so many functions. Before you start removing programs from your computer, try these quick fixes to free up RAM space.

Restart Your Computer

The first thing you can try to free up RAM is restarting your computer. When you restart or turn off your computer, all of your RAM (stored data) will be wiped clean and programs will be rebooted. This can potentially clear out some processes and programs that are running behind the scenes, taking up your RAM storage.

Update Your Software

It’s important to be running the most updated versions of your computer software and applications. Older renditions of software and apps can take more memory to process, causing your computer to slow down.

Try a Different Browser

Something else you can try is changing browsers, as some have been known to use more data than others. If you’re not already, try using a browser like Chrome or Firefox, which are typically good browsers for memory management.

Clear Your Cache

If you still find yourself short on RAM, the next option is to try deleting your cache. Sometimes your cache can take up a lot of space because it uses RAM for memory functions. The cache holds on to information that your computer uses to reload pages it has seen before rather than downloading them again. This can save you time when browsing, but if you are short on RAM, it’s something you can sacrifice with minimal effect.

Remove Browser Extensions

Many of your daily work and home computer operations have been made easy by the use of browser extensions. However, they also require memory, so you might want to think about disabling or removing your extensions.

5 Ways to Free up RAM on Windows 10

If you are still having trouble freeing up your RAM storage, you might have too many programs and applications without even knowing. Try these five ways to free up RAM storage for Windows 10 computers.

1. Track Memory and Clean Up Processes

You should monitor your computer RAM usage so that you don’t deplete your supply before you really need it. To monitor your computer’s memory, you can navigate to the task manager to check the processes. This is where you’ll be able to see which programs are running and what kind of space they are taking up.

To locate your computer memory:

1. Hold the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys to open the Task Manager.
2. Select the “Processes” tab.
3. Click the “Memory” column to view how much space they are taking up.

You can now see which of your programs are taking up the most time and space on your computer. If you find anything suspicious eating up your memory, you should delete programs you don’t need or use.

2. Disable Startup Programs You Don’t Need

If you have used your computer for at least a few years, then you have probably downloaded a fair amount of software that you either forgot about or no longer use. After the processes tab tells you which programs use the most space, you will want to maneuver to the startup tab to stop those you no longer need.

To disable startup programs:

1. Select the “Startup” tab from the Task Manager.
2. Click “Startup impact” to organize the programs from high to low usage.
3. Right-click to disable any programs that you don’t need.

Startup programs are those that activate when your computer is booted up. When these programs start, each one takes up a little bit of RAM in the background without your consent. After a while, all of the software and programs can add up. Be sure that the ones that aren’t needed are disabled or removed.

3. Stop Running Background Apps

The next items that could be taking up RAM are your applications that are set to automatically run in the background. You may have used your computer for years before noticing some of these apps taking up your RAM storage. This can quickly exhaust your memory, battery, and data bandwidth.

To stop background apps:

1. Go to computer settings.
2. Click the “Privacy” category.
3. Scroll down the panel on the left side to “Background Apps.”
4. Turn off any apps you do not use.

Applications are often automatically set to run in the background of your device. This enables them to display notifications and update their software automatically. By turning this off on apps you don’t use, you can save RAM storage.

4. Clear Page File When Shutting Down

When you restart your computer, your page files don’t get cleared or reset because unlike RAM, they get stored on the hard drive. So, when RAM gets stored on-page files it does not get cleared with the rest at shutdown.

Clearing page files on your hard drive will clear any RAM it has stored and help keep your computer running efficiently. You can set this to automatically clear when your computer shuts down, just like the RAM. Do this by opening the Registry Editor:

1. Type “Registry Editor” into the start menu search bar.
2. Click “Yes” to allow Registry Editor to make changes to your device.
3. On the left, scroll to and select “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.”
4. Scroll to select “SYSTEM.”
5. Select “CurrentControlSet.”
6. Find and select “Control.”
7. Scroll to select “Session Manager.”
8. Look for and choose “Memory Management.”
9. Select “ClearPageFileAtShutdown.”
10. Enter the number “1” under the value data and hit OK.

5. Reduce Visual Effects

With improving technologies, there are many more possibilities for computer effects and visuals. For example, you can turn off the animations for apps and icons that use storage for unnecessary effects. If you seem to be running low on RAM storage, there are some effects you can shelve until you free up more memory.

To access your computer’s visual effects:

1. Open your File Explorer.
2. Right-click on “This PC” on the left-side panel to select properties.
3. Click “Advanced system settings” on the left.
4. Select the “Advanced” tab.
5. Choose settings under the “Performance” category.
6. Change to “Adjust for best performance.”

This setting will disable all animated features on your computer. This will create more storage for you, but limit your computer’s aesthetics significantly. However, you can also customize which visual effects your computer will perform to your preferences in the same tab.

5 Ways to Free up RAM on Mac

For Mac users, there are many convenient tools to monitor and free up RAM storage on your computer.

1. Fix the Finder (Close Finder Windows Too)

When you open a new window in the finder, the data each window displays gets stored as RAM. Adjusting the finder preferences can make your folders open in tabs rather than new finder windows.

To open your Finder Preferences:

1. Click “Finder” in the top left of your screen.
2. Right-click on “Preferences” from the dropdown options.
3. Check to Open folders in tabs instead of new windows.

There is another way to clear RAM storage by merging your Finder windows. To do this you will select the “Window” dropdown rather than Finder. From there you will select “Merge All Windows” to put all your Finder windows into one place. This will save you on storage as well as declutter your desktop.

2. Check Activity Monitor

To keep track of your RAM usage on Mac you can check the Activity Monitor, which shows you how much memory is being used and what is using it. Utilize the Activity Monitor to determine which apps take up most of your storage. Remove the ones you no longer use.

To Check the Activity Monitor:

1. Search “Activity Monitor” in the spotlight search bar (command + space).
2. Click on the “Memory” tab.
3. Remove unwanted applications.

3. Check CPU Usage

You can also use the Activity Monitor app to check your CPU health and usage. CPU is your Central Processing Unit, and it carries out instructions from the computer software information stored as RAM.

To monitor your CPU, just select the “CPU” tab in front of the memory tab. This is where you can see if any apps take more processing power than others.

4. Clean-Up Programs and Applications

If you are looking to keep a consistently healthy amount of RAM storage, then you will want to keep your computer clean and organized. A cluttered desktop is going to use storage much faster because macOS views each desktop icon as an active window. Even if you don’t think you can organize your files, putting everything into one general folder can free up a lot of RAM.

5. Free up Disk Space

If you find that your RAM is completely full, but you’re still in need of storage, you can use free space on your Mac’s drive called virtual memory. This extra storage is found on Mac computer’s hard drives so that you can continue running apps. The function is always on, however to use virtual memory you will need to be sure you have driver space available to swap.

Additional Ways to Free up RAM on Windows or Mac

The best thing to do is to be proactive with your computer’s RAM so that you don’t have to worry about freeing up space. Use these additional ways to keep your RAM storage free.

Install a Memory/RAM Cleaner

If you find that you do not have the time, or you just cannot manage to organize your computer, there are memory cleaner apps to help you disinfect your computer. Many of these cleaners have special features for removing apps or extensions and allow users to manage their startup programs.

Increase RAM

You can always add more RAM to your computer if you have a lot of information you don’t want to delete. Buying and installing RAM is easy to do for a desktop computer, but can be troublesome for laptops. Be sure that you invest in the correct type of RAM for your computer as well as the correct amount for your specific storage needs.

Scan for Virus and Malware

When you download any software programs or extensions to your computer there is the chance they could have a virus or malware attached. Once you have malware on your computer, it can steal both your information and your RAM space. To prevent picking up any malware or viruses try using Panda Security antivirus to protect your computer and memory.

Now is the time to stop file hoarding. Many of the files on your computer are taking up RAM space without you realizing it. Now you know how to safely declutter your computer of these unused files and how to free up RAM so your computer runs more efficiently.

Sources: ComputerHope WindowsCentral HelloTech DigitalTrends

By Adela D. Louie, Last updated: August 27, 2019

Once that your Mac starts to slow down, then there is a huge possibility that your RAM is almost out. This usually happens as you use your Mac for the longest time that you are using your Mac. But how do you really check it for you to be aware of your RAM usage on your Mac? This article will teach you on how to check RAM usage on Mac.

Part 1. What is RAM?

RAM actually stands for “Random Access Memory” and thus it is the one responsible for giving you storage on your Mac for your tasks and processes. Though there is a difference between the RAM and the rest of your storage on your Mac is that your RAM makes it faster. That is why your Mac should be keeping some things on your RAM so that it will run faster.

Most Mac nowadays actually comes with an 8GB of RAM. However, for those old versions of Mac, it only comes with 4GB of RAM. These amount of RAM that you have on your Mac is already more than enough except if you are one of those Mac users that are aiming for more applications and games. And once that you are experiencing that your Mac is running slow, then that means that you are running out of RAM.

There are some things that you might experience some problems such as the following.

• Spinning beach ball
• You will be able to see a message on your screen that says “Your system has run out of application memory”.
• Taking too much time to load up on your Mac.
• Your applications keep on crashing.

One fact that you need to consider is that it is difficult to upgrade your RAM. But there are still some cases that were successful in doing so. That is why getting to know about your RAM usage on your Mac will really help you a lot. And there are some certain ways that you can do for you to be able to reduce your memory usage.

Part 2: How to Check RAM Usage on Mac?

As a great start, you can go ahead and check on the status of your RAM. And this is how to check RAM usage on your Mac.

Step 1: Goa head and launch the Finder window on your Mac.

Step 2: And then, go ahead and click on the “Applications” button. This is located on the left side of your window screen.

Step 3: And then, go ahead and click on the “Utilities Folder”.

Step 4: Then after that, go ahead and double-click on the “Activity Monitor”.

Step 5: After that, go ahead and click on the Memory tab. This is located beside the CPU tab at the upper portion of your screen.

Step 6: Then after that, go ahead and check the “Memory Pressure” graph. File renamer mac app. This is located at the bottom of your Activity Monitor screen. It actually has an indication such as:

• Once that the memory pressure graph is in color green, then that means you still have more memory.
• Is the memory graph is in color yellow, that means your Mac is beginning to use more of your memory.
• If your memory graph is in color red, that means your memory on your Mac is being depleted. This is the time that you should be closing one or two apps. And also, you might as well consider on getting to upgrade your RAM.

Part 3: How to Lower Mac Memory Usage?

Now, since that you already know how you can check up your RAM usage on your Mac, then it is time for to know how you can lower your memory usage. This way, you will be able to know the things that you can actually do for you to be able to lower your memory usage on your Mac.

Tip #1: Tune Up Your Google Chrome’s Task Manager

For the longest time that most of us is using Google Chrome as our web browser on Mac, only a few knows that it actually has its own task manager. You can actually use it if you would want to force quit any memory-heavy processes that you are running on your browser. This is one handy tool because using this will let you see the pages that are eating up your CPU on your Mac. And here is how you can use it.

Step 1: Go ahead and launch Google Chrome on your Mac.

Step 2: Then after that, go ahead and click on the Chrome Settings.

Step 3: Then go ahead and click on More tools.

Step 4: And then, go ahead and click on Task Manager.

Step 5: Then for you to be able to free up some space on your RAM, go ahead and close the GPU process. The GPU process is actually a helpful thing that you have on your Mac. However, this is also one of the things that are taking up a big portion on your memory usage.

Tip #2: Tidy Up Your Desktop

This tip is usually the very last thing that other Mac users do. But this is actually one of the most effective things that you can do. The things that you should keep in mind is that your Mac was actually made to treat its desktop icon as a little active window. And because of it, the more icon that you put in your desktop, then the heavier memory on your Mac is. That is why for you to be able to free up some of your RAM space, it is best that you make sure your desktop is clean.

Tip #3: Disable Your Dashboard Widget

Starting in the year 2017, Dashboard functionality on your Mac is actually becoming obsolete. This is because there are several standalone apps made for your tasks that your Dashboard had to offer. And once that you turn them off, you don’t have to worry about losing anything – because you won’t. This way you will be able to lower your memory usage on your Mac. Here is how you can do this.

Step 1: Go ahead and launch System Preferences on your Mac.

Step 2: And then go ahead and choose Mission Control.

Step 3: From the drop-down menu on your screen next to the Dashboard, go ahead and select “OFF”. This way, you will be able to turn off your Dashboard and lower the memory usage on your Mac.

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Tip #4: Reduce Memory Usage in Finder

Another great trick for you to be able to lower your memory usage for about 1GB is reducing Finder. This is because the Finder is actually set for it to search from all of the files that you have on your Mac once that you start browsing your folders. So in short, Finder will have to remember every path to all of your files and keep them in your RAM. This is clearly another burden that your Mac needs to take. So for you to reduce memory usage in Finder, here is what you need to do.

Step 1: Go ahead and launch Finder on your Mac.

Check Ram Usage Mac

Step 2: And then, go ahead and click on “Go to Finder”.

Step 3: Under that option, go ahead and click on Preferences.

Step 4: From there, go ahead and launch General tab.

Step 5: You will then be able to see a drop-down menu on your screen, so from there, go ahead and click any location you want except for “All My Files”.

Check Ram Usage

Step 6: Then the final step will be re-launching Finder by double-clicking it while pressing the “option” key on your Mac.

Tip #5: Free Up Your Disk Space If Mac is Low on Memory

Once that you have run out of RAM on your Mac, your PC will then rely on your hard disk space so that it can keep on running the applications that you have. That is why another great way is for you to clean up your disk space on your Mac. There are certain files that you should be removing from your hard disk such as your large and old files, old downloads, rarely used application, system junks.

And for you to be able to do this the fastest and the easiest way, using the PowerMyMac cleaner will do all the trick for you. This is because this software is one powerful all-in-one Mac application that will be able to free up more space on your Mac and it can make your Mac’s performance much better. Here is how to do so.

Step 1: Download and Install

Download the FoneDog PowerMyMac from our official website and then launch it on your Mac.

Step 2: Launch and Check System Status

Once that you have completely installed the FoneDog PowerMyMac on your PC, then go ahead and launch it. And on the main interface of the program, you will be able to see three options which are the Status, Cleaner, and Toolkit.

For you to check up on the system status of your Mac, go ahead and click on “Status”. This will then show you the three parts that it contains to monitor which is your CPU, Memory, and your Disk. That means using this program will allow you to check up on what is happening on your Mac.

Step 3: Choose the “Cleaner” option

After seeing the status of your Mac, you can go ahead and simply choose the “Cleaner” option from the options above beside Status.

Step 4: Choose System Junk

Since that one of the things that you should be removed from your Mac is your system junks, then go ahead and choose “System Junks” under Cleaner to start cleaning it up.

Step 5: Scan Your System Junks

Then after that, the PowerMyMac Cleaner will then ask you to scan all of the system junks that you have on your Mac. You can do this by clicking on the “Scan” button on your screen. Then the scanning process will begin. Wait patiently until the process is complete.

Step 6: View The Scan Result

Once that the scanning process is done on your Mac, you can now view all the system junks that you have. To do this, all you need to do is to click on the “View” button and all the result will appear on your screen.

Step 7: Choose the Files to Delete

From there, all you have to do is to select all the files that you would want to clean up from your Mac.

Step 8: Clean and Confirm

Ram Usage App Mac Os

Once that you are done choosing all the files that you would want to remove from your Mac, go ahead and click on the “Clean” button. Then a pop-up box will appear on your screen asking for your confirmation. All you have to do from here is to click on the “Confirm” button and the cleaning process will push through.

All you have to do now is to wait until the PowerMyMac Cleaner is done cleaning up all the system junk files that you have selected earlier.

Tip #6: Close All Finder Windows

Each window that you have on your Finder is actually eating up space on your RAM. However, you would not know how many windows are open. That is why you should be doing something about this. So what you need to do is the following.

Ram Usage App Mac Pro

Step 1: Go ahead and launch Finder on your Mac.

Step 2: Then after that, go ahead and click on “Window”.

Step 3: And then, click on “Merge All Windows”.

From there, you will be able to manage your Finder window and reduce the use of your RAM.

Part 4: Do You Often Check RAM Usage on Mac and Free it Up?

Actually, it is must that you check on your RAM usage every now and then so that you will be able to prevent your Mac from running slow or for you to prevent your apps to crash. That is why we have shown you ways on how to check the usage of your RAM on your Mac and as well as on how you can lower the memory usage of it.

So, if you actually know some tricks on how to reduce memory usage and how to check up on your RAM, do let us know because it can be very helpful to many Mac users.

Ram Usage App Mac Ios