iMac running slow - even though it appears to have enough memory and CPU usage is not critical

Try these steps for starters:

-Make sure your Mac is on the latest software

-check for any app updates

-check your device storage. Your device can become sluggish if it's running low on disk space.

-check your login items by going to the Apple Logo in the upper left corner, click on system settings, then click on general/ log in items. Having too many login items or items running in the background can cause your Mac to take to long to boot up, and things running in the background can slow things down considerably.

-Browsers can be a source of poor performance. Too many extensions and plugins negatively affect your browser's responsiveness. Check each of your browsers extension and test without them installed to see if that's the source of the problem.

-Older version apps might perform worse on newer macOS systems because they lack optimization. Avoid using Java-based apps that require the Java Runtime Environment, as it can tax the performance of your machine.

-Avoid overstressing the CPU or GPU unnecessarily. If you're rendering a video, go make a cup of coffee until it's done.

-Too many tabs open in your browser can significantly reduce performance.

-If you are working online, it could be your wifi causing the slow performance.

Have you noticed using a specific app or program causes the Mac to slow down?

Do you have any third party accessories plugged into your Mac? If so, unplug everything and test each one on its own to see if it may be the culprit.

Try testing in safe mode. Safe mode is a wonderful tool that helps isolate an issue. Going into safe mode alone can sometimes fix issues. Please use this article: Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

I would also create a test user and see if the Mac is slow in the test user account. If so, then it could be your macOS software causing the issue. See this article: Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

If you can isolate it to the software, make sure you have a recent Time Machine backup using an external hard drive, and reinstall your macOS: How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

See this article: If your Mac runs slowly - Apple Support

The Hard Drive is Failing.

You have no backup.

If replacing the Internal Hard Drive is not an option, you can run that iMac from an External SSD.

see > Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community

I just noticed the report. I agree, this: "Failing hard drive - This computer has a hard drive that appears to be failing." is definitely cause for concern. Your hard drive may very well be failing. I would try all the steps we've listed, then you may want to schedule an appointment at your local Apple Store and get it checked: Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

I have the same problem and in addition, it freezes randomly for a few seconds losing thus disconecting the mouse pad and keyboard aany anything that is connected to it. I am not sure if I need to upgrade the ram to 64x4 =256 up from the current 8x4 = 32. Below is the report and I would love recommendations and if upgrading the ram will solve the problems.

If your iMac is running slow despite having sufficient memory and low CPU usage, there could be other factors contributing to the performance issues. Here are some common reasons and troubleshooting steps to address the slowness:

Storage Space: Check the available storage space on your iMac. If the disk is nearly full, it can affect system performance. Try to keep at least 10-15% of your disk space free for optimal performance.

Startup Items: Too many applications launching at startup can slow down your iMac's boot process and overall performance. Review and disable unnecessary startup items. Go to "System Preferences" > "Users & Groups" > "Login Items" to manage startup applications.

Background Processes: Some apps or processes might be running in the background and consuming system resources. Use the Activity Monitor (found in /Applications/Utilities) to identify resource-intensive processes and quit or uninstall unnecessary applications.

macOS Updates: Ensure that your iMac is running the latest version of macOS. Apple frequently releases updates that improve performance and fix bugs.

PRAM and SMC Reset: Resetting the PRAM (Parameter RAM) and SMC (System Management Controller) can sometimes resolve performance issues. Instructions for resetting these can be found on Apple's support website.

Clear Cache and Temporary Files: Clearing system caches and temporary files can help free up disk space and improve performance. You can use third-party tools like CleanMyMac or do it manually following online guides.

Check for Malware: Run a malware scan to ensure your iMac is not infected, as malware can cause performance issues. You can use reputable antivirus software for this purpose.

Hardware Issues: Although you mentioned that CPU usage is not critical, there could still be hardware problems causing the slowness. It's worth running hardware diagnostics to check for any issues. To do this, restart your iMac and hold the "D" key until the Apple Diagnostics utility loads.

If the above steps don't resolve the slow performance, it might be worth considering an upgrade of certain hardware components, such as adding more RAM or replacing the storage drive with an SSD (Solid State Drive). If the iMac is significantly old, it might not be able to keep up with modern software demands, and upgrading to a newer model could be a more viable long-term solution.

"Failing hard drive - This computer has a hard drive that appears to be failing."

That alone can be the cause of many problems.

Write speed: 37 MB/s

Read speed: 17 MB/s

This is utterly dismal performance.

With no backup, you're courting data loss. Or do you maybe use a different app for backups? I strongly urge you to make backupS ASAP if you have none.

If Cleaner Pro is a disk cleaning app, you need to uninstall it. These type of fixers, cleaners and such are not necessary and often disrupt system operation. Of course with the super slow drive and it failing, uninstalling it is unlikely to speed up your Mac.

Gaz6sic6 wrote:

Hi, thanks for your reply. Would replacing the hard drive with a SSD resolve the read/write issue too? I use iCloud to back up my files, should I also be using time machine?

I strongly recommend against that.

Apple did not design that model to be opened without great difficulty, and some Apple Authorized Service Providers won't work on then because the labor charges are so high.

And adding RAM will not do squat for your issue.

The cost-effective fix is den.thed's recommendation to use a USB3 external SSD as the boot volume. You can have a 1TB drive for under US$125 with no outside labor costs.

The main advantage is speed. The external SSD solution will transfer data at 5X the speed of your current drive were it 100% healthy, which it is not.

👉🏻 NOTE: Rerun EtreCheck after evicting the useless"cleaing" app. Some such dreckware will REDUCE drive performance enough to cause Etrecheck to flag a "failing hard drive."

You also need to get rid of AntivirusOne. Let your Mac be a Mac.

Another bottleneck is here:

Diagnostics Information (past 7-30 days):

2023-07-17 21:47:23 photoanalysisd - High CPU Use (2 times)

This magazine article describes what this is and how to deal with it being greedy:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/310594/what-is-photoanalysisd-and-why-is-it-using-77-of-my-cpu

Your startup drive is a 3 TB Fusion Drive (3 TB HDD + 128 GB SSD, managed as one drive).

Although a pure SSD might be faster, you're not in the same boat as many Mac users who bought one of the later versions of the 1 TB Fusion Drive. Some of those had only 24 – 32 GB of SSD space, which wasn't really a decent amount, especially in 21.5" iMacs where the HDD was a 2.5" drive that ran at only 5400 rpm.

You should be seeing acceptable (though perhaps not blinding) speed from your Fusion Drive.

Problem doesn't appear to be lack of RAM.

Tks, what do you think it may be and what is the fix? I am non technical at all so any help is highly appreciated.