Aloha Sacramento
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Rainbow whirlygig

imac rainbow disc slows performance

Posted on Jun 12, 2013 4:42 PM

by rkaufmann87,Solvedanswer
rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87
Level 9 (58,956 points)
Photos for Mac
A:

RAM is user upgradeable and is incredibly simple. Please  purchase the RAM from a reputable source such as OWC (www.macsales.com) or Crucial and OWC has install videos. The process takes less than 5-10 minutes.

Posted on Jun 14, 2013 12:19 PM

Close
Aloha Sacramento

Q: Rainbow whirlygig

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by den.thed,

    den.thed den.thed Jun 12, 2013 6:10 PM in response to Aloha Sacramento
    Level 7 (27,755 points)
    Jun 12, 2013 6:10 PM in response to Aloha Sacramento

    What iMac do you have...? see > How to identify iMac models

     

    What OS X is it running...? see > Finding your OS X version

     

    How much RAM does it have...?  see > Using Activity Monitor to read System Memory

     

    How much free HD space do you have...? see > Check the Available Hard Drive Space

     

     

    The Spinning Beach Ball can be caused by any number of different of things.

     

    Lack of RAM

    A Failed Process

    Low Hard Drive space

     

    For more, see > The Spinning Beach Ball of Death

  • by Aloha Sacramento,Helpful

    Aloha Sacramento Aloha Sacramento Jun 13, 2013 6:03 AM in response to den.thed
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 13, 2013 6:03 AM in response to den.thed

    Thank you.

    My model # is MB417XX/A

    Running OS 10.8.4

    RAM showed Free 125M, Wired 593 M, Active 739M, Inactive 590M, Used 2G

    VM 224G

    Free space 246 out of 319G

     

    My assumption was that I didnʻt have a RAM or CPU issue

     

    I went to The Spinning Beach Ball of Death:

    - My problem starts right at start up, especially when I open Safari, or multiple apps, so I went to System preferences...Login and deleted most of the apps that launch at login

    - I checked HD/Library/Start up items but this folder was empty

    - I openend in Safe Mode and did not have a beach ball, however my PPPOE wouldnʻt connect so I couldnʻt check perfromance when opening Safari. Even so I openend multiple apps and did not get the rainbow beach ball

    - I restarted and still had no PPPOE connection, so couldnʻt check performance with Safari open. I reset my modem etc. but still no PPPOE connection (losing my ATT internet connection happens whenever I change anything on my iMac)

    - I shut down and decided to deal with it in the AM

    - I powered on this AM and my PPPOE connected, and Safari opened. I am seeing the beach ball intermittently and it goes away quickly, so there is improvement

     

    Iʻm going  back to The Spinning Beach Ball of Death for further advice.

     

    Thank you for this advice

  • by MichelPM,Helpful

    MichelPM MichelPM Jun 13, 2013 7:38 AM in response to Aloha Sacramento
    Level 6 (14,260 points)
    iPad
    Jun 13, 2013 7:38 AM in response to Aloha Sacramento

    All this looks to me as if your iMac doesn't have enough RAM.

    It looks to me that you only have 2 GBs of RAM installed in that iMac.

    OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion is not going to run well at all on only 2 GBs of RAM.

    OS X 10.6-10.8 can use, for itself ( no other applications running) between 2-4 GBs of RAM.

    If you only have 2 GBs of RAM installed you may already reach the ceiling in terms of available physical RAM. If your iMac is slow it is because things that need real RAM are being siphoned off onto your iMac's hard drive where the RAM data/commands are being processed on your iMac's hard drive. A spinning hard drive is much slower to transfer data back and forth than physical RAM that can execute commands almost instantaneously.

     

    Plus, you are not helping your issues by running many other applications simultaneously. With extra apps that you are not immediately using running in the background slowing your iMac even more!

     

    You need to install more RAM into your iMac.

    Your model iMac can take a total of 8 GBs of RAM.

    My suggestion is to install the Max. 8 GBs.

    Installing (2) 4 GBs RAM modules into your iMac.

    The new model iMacs ship with 8 GBs, now because both OS X 10.7 and OS X 10.8 are serious CPU, GPU and RAM resource hogs.

    Here is the specs for the RAM your model iMac needs.

     

    8.0 GB
    Memory Slots2 - 204-pin PC3-8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM

     

    Correct and reliable Mac RAM can be purchased from online Mac RAM sources Crucial memory or OWC (macsales.com).

    Good Luck!

  • by Aloha Sacramento,

    Aloha Sacramento Aloha Sacramento Jun 14, 2013 12:12 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 14, 2013 12:12 PM in response to MichelPM

    Thanks, Iʻm going to upgrade the RAM as suggested. Just need to find a qualified tech here in Sacramento CA to do the install for me.

  • by rkaufmann87,Solvedanswer

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Jun 14, 2013 12:19 PM in response to Aloha Sacramento
    Level 9 (58,956 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 14, 2013 12:19 PM in response to Aloha Sacramento

    RAM is user upgradeable and is incredibly simple. Please  purchase the RAM from a reputable source such as OWC (www.macsales.com) or Crucial and OWC has install videos. The process takes less than 5-10 minutes.

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Jun 14, 2013 12:26 PM in response to Aloha Sacramento
    Level 6 (14,260 points)
    iPad
    Jun 14, 2013 12:26 PM in response to Aloha Sacramento

    RAM is user installable and relatively easy to remove and install, yourself.

    Here's some links to some written instructions from Apple and a How To video.

    The video is for a 2008 iMac, but still applies for the early and mid 2009 iMac models, as well accept your iMac uses faster speed memory modules.

    Note that the user in the video bought his RAM from OWC, also.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1423?viewlocale=en_US

     

    http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=HCFSZnTRggU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHCFSZnTRgg U

     

    Good Luck!


  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Jun 14, 2013 12:26 PM in response to rkaufmann87
    Level 6 (14,260 points)
    iPad
    Jun 14, 2013 12:26 PM in response to rkaufmann87

    ah... ya beat me to punch.

  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Jun 14, 2013 12:29 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 9 (58,956 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 14, 2013 12:29 PM in response to MichelPM