I previously had a Mac M1 with 8GB of RAM, and with certain apps open and performing specific tasks, the RAM usage was always around 70-80%.
Now I have a brand-new M4 Pro with 24GB of RAM, but I’m still seeing 70-80% RAM usage under the same conditions, using the same apps and software.
What could be causing this?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.1
For modern Macs, Memory Used is an outdated metric.
Since the introduction OS 10.9 in October 2013, the new metrics are in Activity Monitor: Memory Pressure and SWAP used. If Pressure is green and SWAP is under about 100MB, all is normal. This screenshot from a 2010 iMac with an i7 processor shows what, under the old metrics, would has been bad:
Yes, "memory used" is frightening, but Pressure shows as low as possible and SWAP is zero. And the computer was happily running at normal speeds at the time the screenshot was taken.
Even with 8GB RAM, too many reports of high memory usage here can be traced not to a lack of installed RAM but to unneeded anti-virus and so-called "cleaning" apps. Installing those is the hi-tech version of shooting oneself in the foot. I hope you have not installed any of that fearware??
Apple's explanations of those metrics are here: View memory usage in Activity Monitor on Mac - Apple Support
For modern Macs, Memory Used is an outdated metric.
Since the introduction OS 10.9 in October 2013, the new metrics are in Activity Monitor: Memory Pressure and SWAP used. If Pressure is green and SWAP is under about 100MB, all is normal. This screenshot from a 2010 iMac with an i7 processor shows what, under the old metrics, would has been bad:
Yes, "memory used" is frightening, but Pressure shows as low as possible and SWAP is zero. And the computer was happily running at normal speeds at the time the screenshot was taken.
Even with 8GB RAM, too many reports of high memory usage here can be traced not to a lack of installed RAM but to unneeded anti-virus and so-called "cleaning" apps. Installing those is the hi-tech version of shooting oneself in the foot. I hope you have not installed any of that fearware??
Apple's explanations of those metrics are here: View memory usage in Activity Monitor on Mac - Apple Support
Your Mac will utilize RAM as required to provide the fastest running Mac possible. As the throughput of today’s RAM is so fast, it makes sense to use as much RAM as possible.
Ok thanks, now it’s clear to me. In fact, it hasn’t slowed down so far. The M1 occasionally went over 90% and slowed down, but the M4 Pro doesn’t.
High RAM usage on Mac M1 and Mac M4 Pro
