Kruška
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Why does OS X use so much RAM

I have a late 2008 MBP with 8GB of RAM installed (No more upgrades are supported). Os X constantly leaves like a Gigabyte free when normally using a computer, but when under heavy load all of it is drained really fast!

 

For example while playing a game off Steam, editing pictures in Lightroom or having more tabs open on Safari.

I have to clean the memory all the time, and most of the used up ram is File cache.

Now I know most of you will tell me that free ram is wasted ram and I dont agree.

There is no reason whatsoever that an OS should use up 6-7GB of ram just for having Safari and a couple of tabs open, its insane.

 

When I bootcamp to Windows barely any Ram is used and more than 70% is free, thus everything is working perfectly.

 

Is there something to fix this? I dont care about the file cache all that much, it would be best if limited to like 500mb to avoid hogging up the computer.

Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 16.53.36.png

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), null

Posted on Jan 25, 2015 7:54 AM

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Kruška

Q: Why does OS X use so much RAM

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  • by Japib,

    Japib Japib Jan 25, 2015 8:03 AM in response to Kruška
    Level 4 (2,823 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2015 8:03 AM in response to Kruška

    Hi. UNIX systems (linux & Mac) try to use the maximum RAM possible to make the computer run faster. Each time you clear the memory, it simply deletes all the files added to speed up the system, which is useless, even counterproductive. I suggest you leave the OS manage RAM, because it does it better than the user (while Windows uses only 30% of the RAM because it doesn't know how to use RAM efficiently!)

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jan 25, 2015 8:05 AM in response to Kruška
    Level 9 (51,412 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2015 8:05 AM in response to Kruška

    Kruška wrote:

     

    Now I know most of you will tell me that free ram is wasted ram and I dont agree.

    It doesn't matter whether you agree or not, empty Ram is wasted Ram, it may as well be in your purse instead of your Mac.

  • by Kruška,

    Kruška Kruška Jan 25, 2015 9:22 AM in response to Japib
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2015 9:22 AM in response to Japib

    Then why is my MBP sluggish when the RAM is full?

    Browsing Safari and listening to music in iTunes can fill up all of the RAM and as soon as it does, it's slow.

    So then I have to clean the memory as it continues being laggy and slow

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jan 25, 2015 9:38 AM in response to Kruška
    Level 9 (51,412 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2015 9:38 AM in response to Kruška

    Kruška wrote:

     

    So then I have to clean the memory as it continues being laggy and slow

    And then it fills up again, so you clean and after that it gets laggy and slow again.

     

    Which is because RAM is not the problem, whatever runaway process (or processes) are filling up the RAM is your problem.

     

    Let me know when you want to start locating the issue.

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Jan 25, 2015 12:03 PM in response to Kruška
    Level 9 (50,389 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 25, 2015 12:03 PM in response to Kruška

    Kruška wrote:

     

    Now I know most of you will tell me that free ram is wasted ram and I dont agree.

     

    Free RAM is wasted RAM.

     

    You're allowing yourself to become distracted with garbage such as Memory Clean. Get rid of it and concentrate on the problem.

    Then, find out what's wrong with your Mac and fix it. Before going too far down that path please understand you may simply be encountering an insurmountable limitation inherent in a seven year old Mac with only an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU. Lightroom and gaming are very processor-intensive activities, so you have to be mindful of those limitations. Unburden your Mac from any unnecessary additional processes that may be present, and you will be getting the maximum performance from your hardware so that your Mac can run Lightroom and / or gaming apps as well as it can, for as long as it remains economically viable.

     

    More information is required. Consider reading about EtreCheck and posting its results if you need to solicit more suggestions:

     

    Apple Support Communities contributor etresoft wrote a very useful app to quickly gather certain system information that may help point to a cause of this problem. Read about it here. It contains a link to download EtreCheck. Don't download it from anywhere else (such as may be found by following the results of an Internet search).


  • by Allan Eckert,

    Allan Eckert Allan Eckert Jan 25, 2015 12:21 PM in response to Kruška
    Level 9 (54,085 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2015 12:21 PM in response to Kruška

    Memory Clean is worthless. Get rid of it.

  • by OGELTHORPE,

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE Jan 25, 2015 1:27 PM in response to Kruška
    Level 9 (52,776 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 25, 2015 1:27 PM in response to Kruška

    In regards to RAM it is a new world.  Please read this:

     

    http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201464

     

    With Mavericks and Yosemite, no longer is the amount of RAM in use the determinant of efficiency, 'pressure' is.  If it is green, the RAM is being properly used, yellow or red and you may have to explore for potential problems.

     

    Ciao.