There are various aspect of your Mac that can either raise or detract from its performance . One matter you may have find out of is RAM , but what it is and how can you distinguish whether you have enough in your machine ?

What does RAM do?

RAM ( or Random Access Memory ) has been an important element in computers pretty much since their inception . basically , when you use a twist , be it a Mac , iPhone , iPad or non - Apple computer , all the dynamic process tend in the RAM . It ’s like a gadget ’s thinking space , where it can open new web browser app windows , ensure the app you ’re using actually subroutine and generally grant you to interact with anything .

RAM only acts as a impermanent home for these element though , and if it fulfill up then performance right away starts to take a bang as the machine ca n’t ‘ think ’ as fluidly due to the over-crowding of data and task . Normally an operate organization optimises Aries usage by freezing apps in the background to stop them bear on hurrying , but as a gimmick come older and apps get more complicated , a lack of RAM can make a antecedently speedy twist experience like a tortoise with motivational issues .

Will adding more RAM make a Mac faster?

As a cosmopolitan rule of thumb , more RAM is always a in effect idea . If you want to utilize data point intensive applications like Final Cut Pro X , Logic Pro X or games , then you ’ll want to set up the maximal amount of RAM possible to not only give you solid performance now but to also future - proof your Mac .

Saying that , it ’s not only RAM that affects system performance , as an onetime - flair spinning hard effort will deliver much low data retrieval f number than an SSD or flash storage . woefully , many desktop iMacs still go far with slow parkway instal and Apple ’s upgrade costs for SSDs is candidly insulting when compare to how much you’re able to buy the drives online . We ’ve already covered the reasonswhy Apple should stop sell the iMac with a hard drive , but if you want to boost an pain Mac you may try reading ourhow to upgrade a Macor even using anexternal SSDfor your games , music and other media subject matter .

How to find out how much RAM is in a Mac?

Before working out whether you involve more Aries the Ram or not , it would obviously be respectable to cognize how much is presently installed in your Mac . This is easy to do :

This is a standard amount for a advanced Mac and is what you ’ll find in many models .

However the 2.0GHz 13 in MacBook Pro , 16 in MacBook Pro , iMac Pro and Mac Pro all offer up more random access memory , starting at 16 GB in the MacBook Pro and go all the agency up to 1.5 TB in the Mac Pro ( if you pass $ 25,000 on top of the asking price ) .

Article image

Of course , you may prefer for more when you buy your Mac directly from Apple , but be prepared to be hit with high - upgrade price .

How can I check if I need more RAM?

One way to see if the problem with your system performance is due to a shortage of capacity in the RAM is by using Activity Monitor .

You do n’t of necessity demand to add together more chipping to your motorcar though , as there are a variety of apps and proficiency that can help your system manage its usance . Take a look athow to free up memory ( RAM ) on a Macfor some speedy ways to bring some speed to your machine .

Can I add more RAM to my Mac?

For a number of age now , Apple has been soldering the RAM chips onto the motherboards of Macs , take them much out of the question to advance . This means if you have a MacBook Air , MacBook , MacBook Pro or iMac that are passably newfangled then the opportunity are you wo n’t be able to add any extra RAM .

On the current range , you ca n’t ( officially ) raise any of the MacBook models , but you could manually add RAM to the 27 in iMacs , Mac Mini ( 2018 ) , and Mac Pro . It look that the iMac Pro requires Apple or a certified Apple Reseller to make any upgrades , so that ’s a hefty eyeshade once more .

For a more detailed look at how you’re able to better update the memory in your Mac read our pathfinder onhow to upgrade RAM in a Macand for universal tips on improving performance you may findhow to speed up a dense Macuseful .

How much RAM is in my Mac: About this Mac

How much RAM is in my Mac: System Information

How much RAM is in my Mac: Activity Monitor

How much RAM is in my Mac: Activity Monitor Processes