Memory consumption has increased a lot since security update 2014-002.

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Memory consumption has increased a lot since security update 2014-002.

I'm using a macbook air mid 2012. Since the last security update (2014-002) its memory consumption has increased a lot.

Before I had more than 2GB of RAM available to the newly initiated system, now I have less than 1GB right before I iniate the system. This moment, using safari (just one tab), System Monitor and Finder, I have about 0,25GB of RAM available (and decreasing).

I always used Battery Heath and Memory Clean, but I already removed both (and rebooted), cause they were updated at same time I did the 2014-002 and I was suspecting it could be the reason of the problem, but doesn't seems to be.

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), Mid 2012

Posted on Apr 27, 2014 9:18 PM

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Answer 1

benwiggy

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Apr 28, 2014 12:28 AM in response to RobertMelo

Mavericks is designed to use as much of your RAM as possible. Most people will see 95% of their RAM used.

I have 16GB of RAM. Most of it is used whatever I do.

You do not worry about not having free RAM. You do not need to monitor your memory usage and perform any purging or anything else. That is what the OS is for.

If you have an actual problem, like things slowing down, then that might need investigating.

"Using all my memory" is not, in itself, a problem.

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Answer 2

RobertMelo Author

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Apr 28, 2014 1:30 AM in response to benwiggy

Well, but annoys me (maybe, as you say, with no need) that I used to get about half of my RAM available to run programs (not the system), even using maverick for months, and now, suddenly, I "lost it".

But, please, since you said I don't need to worry, my questions are:

may the lack of RAM available eventually cause the decreasing of the system performance? And also;
wasn't the maverick feature said as having a better/smarter usage of RAM?

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Answer 3

benwiggy

Level 4

1,479 points

Apr 28, 2014 2:18 AM in response to RobertMelo

Yes, better and smarter usage of RAM. That means using more RAM, more of the time, and less disk.

It also includes memory compression: it's quicker to compress and uncompress the data in memory (a bit like zipping a file) with the CPU, than it is to use the disk. So your RAM can actually hold quite a bit more than its actual size.

Once again: you do not need to have lots of free RAM. Launching an app does not necessarily add to the amount of RAM in use.

There was nothing in the security update that changed how memory management works.

Stop watching your RAM and get on with using your computer for whatever you use it for! 😝 You do not need to worry about this.

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Answer 4

RobertMelo Author

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Apr 28, 2014 3:11 AM in response to benwiggy

You're really helping me. Thanks until here.

Ok so, but if there's nothing about memory usage in that update, how could we explain the change in the RAM behavior right after the update?

And, should I consider the argument about "RAM x disk" even using a SSD?

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Answer 5

benwiggy

Level 4

1,479 points

Apr 28, 2014 3:17 AM in response to RobertMelo

It's possible that it may have been coincidence, or that you just happened to check when your Mac wasn't using much RAM for some reason. If you've been using Memory Purgers, that may have distorted things. I don't recommend their use in Mavericks.

There's also "observation bias". No one remembers when the train is on time, only when it's late.

RAM is still much faster than SSDs. Much, much faster.

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