Choose your iMac model
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If you're not sure which iMac you have, you can identify your iMac and then select it from the list below.
27-inch
24-inch
21.5-inch
- iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)*
- iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)*
- iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)*
- iMac (21.5 inch, Mid 2014)*
- iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)*
- iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012)*
20-inch
17-inch
* Memory is not removable by users on iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013), iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014), iMac (21.5-inch, 2017), iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017), and iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019). If the memory in one of these computers needs repair service, contact an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. If you’d like to upgrade the memory in one of these models, an Apple Authorized Service Provider can help. Before you schedule an appointment, confirm that the specific Apple Authorized Service Provider offers memory upgrade services.
Memory in iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015), and iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015) is not upgradeable.
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
Get memory specifications for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020), then learn how to install memory in this model.
Memory specifications
This iMac model features Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) slots on the rear of the computer near the vents with these memory specifications:
Number of memory slots | 4 |
Base memory | 8GB (2 x 4GB DIMMs) |
Maximum memory | 128GB (4 x 32GB DIMMs) |
For optimal memory performance, DIMMs should be the same capacity, speed, and vendor. Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
- PC4-21333
- Unbuffered
- Nonparity
- 260-pin
- 2666MHz DDR4 SDRAM
If you have mixed capacity DIMMs, see the install memory section for installation recommendations.
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
Get memory specifications for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019), then learn how to install memory in this model.
Memory specifications
This iMac model features Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) slots on the rear of the computer near the vents with these memory specifications:
Number of memory slots | 4 |
Base memory | 8GB (2 x 4GB DIMMs) |
Maximum memory | 64GB (4 x 16GB DIMMs) |
Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
- PC4-21333
- Unbuffered
- Nonparity
- 260-pin
- 2666MHz DDR4 SDRAM
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)
Get memory specifications for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017), then learn how to install memory in this model.
Memory specifications
This iMac model features Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) slots on the rear of the computer near the vents with these memory specifications:
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Number of memory slots | 4 |
Base memory | 8GB (2 x 4GB DIMMs) |
Maximum memory | 64GB (4 x 16GB DIMMs) |
Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
- PC4-2400 (19200)
- Unbuffered
- Nonparity
- 260-pin
- 2400MHz DDR4 SDRAM
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
Get memory specifications for iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015), then learn how to install memory in this model.
Memory specifications
This iMac model features Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) slots on the rear of the computer near the vents with these memory specifications:
Number of memory slots | 4 |
Base memory | 8GB |
Maximum memory | 32GB |
Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
- PC3-14900
- Unbuffered
- Nonparity
- 204-pin
- 1867MHz DDR3 SDRAM
For these 27-inch models
Get memory specifications for the following iMac models, then learn how to install memory in them:
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015)
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)
Memory specifications
These iMac models feature Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) slots on the rear of the computer near the vents with these memory specifications:
Number of memory slots | 4 |
Base memory | 8GB |
Maximum memory | 32GB |
Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
- PC3-12800
- Unbuffered
- Nonparity
- 204-pin
- 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Installing memory
The internal components of your iMac can be warm. If you've been using your iMac, wait ten minutes after shutting it down to let the internal components cool.
After you shut down your iMac and give it time to cool, follow these steps:
- Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from your computer.
- Place a soft, clean towel or cloth on the desk or other flat surface to prevent scratching the display.
- Hold the sides of the computer and slowly lay the computer face-down on the towel or cloth.
- Open the memory compartment door by pressing the small grey button located just above the AC power port:
- The memory compartment door will open as the button is pushed in. Remove the compartment door and set it aside:
- A diagram on the underside of the compartment door shows the memory cage levers and the orientation of the DIMM. Locate the two levers on the right and left sides of the memory cage. Push the two levers outward to release the memory cage:
- After the memory cage is released, pull the memory cage levers toward you, allowing access to each DIMM slot.
- Remove a DIMM by pulling the module straight up and out. Note the location of the notch on the bottom of the DIMM. When reinstalling DIMMs, the notch must be oriented correctly or the DIMM won't fully insert:
- Replace or install a DIMM by setting it down into the slot and pressing firmly until you feel the DIMM click into the slot. When you insert a DIMM, make sure to align the notch on the DIMM to the DIMM slot. Find your model below for specific installation instructions and notch locations:
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) DIMMs have a notch on the bottom, slightly left of the middle. If your DIMMs are mixed in capacity, minimize the capacity difference between Channel A (slots 1 and 2) and Channel B (slots 3 and 4) when possible.
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019) DIMMs have a notch on the bottom, slightly left of the middle:
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) and iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) DIMMs have a notch on the bottom left:
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) and iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014, Mid 2015, and Late 2015) DIMMs have a notch on the bottom right:
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) DIMMs have a notch on the bottom, slightly left of the middle. If your DIMMs are mixed in capacity, minimize the capacity difference between Channel A (slots 1 and 2) and Channel B (slots 3 and 4) when possible.
- After you install all of your DIMMs, push both memory cage levers back into the housing until they lock into place:
- Replace the memory compartment door. You don't need to press the compartment door release button when replacing the compartment door.
- Place the computer in its upright position. Reconnect the power cord and all other cables to the computer, then start up the computer.
Your iMac performs a memory initialization procedure when you first turn it on after upgrading memory or rearranging DIMMs. This process can take 30 seconds or more, and the display of your iMac remains dark until it's finished. Make sure to let the memory initialization complete.
For these 27-inch and 21.5-inch models
Get memory specifications for the following iMac models, then learn how to install memory in them:
- iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
- iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
- iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)
- iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010)
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)
- iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009)
Memory specifications
Number of memory slots | 4 |
Base memory | 4GB (but is configured to order) |
Maximum memory | 16GB For iMac (Late 2009), you can use 2GB or 4GB RAM SO-DIMMs of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM in each slot. For iMac (Mid 2010) and iMac (Mid 2011), use 2GB or 4GB RAM SO-DIMMs of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM in each slot. |
Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
iMac (Mid 2011) | iMac (Mid 2010) | iMac (Late 2009) |
PC3-10600 | PC3-10600 | PC3-8500 |
Unbuffered | Unbuffered | Unbuffered |
Nonparity | Nonparity | Nonparity |
204-pin | 204-pin | 204-pin |
1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM |
i5 and i7 Quad Core iMac computers come with both top memory slots populated. These computers will not start up if only a single DIMM is installed in any bottom slot; these computers should operate normally with a single DIMM installed in any top slot.
Core Duo iMac computers should operate normally with a single DIMM installed in any slot, top or bottom. ('Top' and 'bottom' slots refer to the orientation of the slots in the pictures below. 'Top' refers to the slots closest to the display; 'bottom' refers to the slots closest to the stand.)
Installing memory
The internal components of your iMac can be warm. If you've been using your iMac, wait ten minutes after shutting it down to let the internal components cool.
After you shut down your iMac and give it time to cool, follow these steps:
- Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from your computer.
- Place a soft, clean towel or cloth on the desk or other flat surface to prevent scratching the display.
- Hold the sides of the computer and slowly lay the computer face-down on the towel or cloth.
- Using a Philips screwdriver, remove the RAM access door in the bottom of your computer:
- Remove the access door and set it aside.
- Untuck the tab in the memory compartment. If you're replacing a memory module, gently pull the tab to eject any installed memory module:
- Insert your new or replacement SO-DIMM into the empty slot, noting the orientation of the keyway of the SO-DIMM as shown below.
- After you insert it, press the DIMM up into the slot. There should be a slight click when you seat the memory correctly:
- Tuck the tabs above the memory DIMMs, and reinstall the memory access door:
- Place the computer in its upright position. Reconnect the power cord and all other cables to the computer, then start up the computer.
For these 24-inch and 20-inch models
Get memory specifications for the following iMac models, then learn how to install memory in them:
- iMac (24-inch, Early 2009)
- iMac (20-inch, Early 2009)
- iMac (24-inch, Early 2008)
- iMac (20-inch, Early 2008)
- iMac (24-inch Mid 2007)
- iMac (20-inch, Mid 2007)
Memory specifications
These iMac computers have two side-by-side Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) slots in the bottom of the computer.
The maximum amount of random-access memory (RAM) you can install in each computer is:
Computer | Memory Type | Maximum Memory |
iMac (Mid 2007) | DDR2 | 4GB (2x2GB) |
iMac (Early 2008) | DDR2 | 4GB (2x2GB) |
iMac (Early 2009) | DDR3 | 8GB (2x4GB) |
You can use a 1GB or 2GB RAM module in each slot for iMac (Mid 2007) and iMac (Early 2008). Use 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB modules in each slot for the iMac (Early 2009).
Use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SO-DIMM) that meet all of these criteria:
iMac (Mid 2007) | iMac (Early 2008) | iMac (Early 2009) |
PC2-5300 | PC2-6400 | PC3-8500 |
Unbuffered | Unbuffered | Unbuffered |
Nonparity | Nonparity | Nonparity |
200-pin | 200-pin | 204-pin |
667MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM |
DIMMs with any of the following features aren't supported:
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- Registers or buffers
- PLLs
- Error-correcting code (ECC)
- Parity
- Extended data out (EDO) RAM
Installing memory
The internal components of your iMac can be warm. If you've been using your iMac, wait ten minutes after shutting it down to let the internal components cool.
After your iMac cools down, follow these steps:
- Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from your computer.
- Place a soft, clean towel or cloth on the desk or other flat surface to prevent scratching the display.
- Hold the sides of the computer and slowly lay the computer face-down on the towel or cloth.
- Using a Philips screwdriver, remove the RAM access door in the bottom of the computer:
- Remove the access door and set it aside.
- Untuck the tab in the memory compartment. If you're replacing a memory module, untuck the tab and pull it to eject any installed memory module:
- Insert your new or replacement RAM SO-DIMM into the empty slot, noting the orientation of the keyway of the SO-DIMM as shown above.
- After you insert it, press the DIMM up into the slot. There should be a slight click when you seat the memory correctly.
- Tuck the tabs above the memory DIMMs, and reinstall the memory access door:
- Place the computer in its upright position. Reconnect the power cord and all other cables to the computer, then start up the computer.
For these 20-inch and 17-inch models
Get memory specifications for the following iMac models, then learn how to install memory in them:
- iMac (20-inch Late 2006)
- iMac (17-inch, Late 2006 CD)
- iMac (17-inch, Late 2006)
- iMac (17-inch, Mid 2006)
- iMac (20-inch, Early 2006)
- iMac (17-inch, Early 2006)
Memory specifications
Number of memory slots | 2 | ||
Base memory | 1GB | Two 512MB DIMMs; one in each of the memory slots | iMac (Late 2006) |
512MB | One DDR2 SDRAM installed into the top slot | iMac (17-inch Late 2006 CD) | |
512MB | Two 256MB DIMMs; one in each of the memory slots | iMac (Mid 2006) | |
512MB | One DDR2 SDRAM installed into the top slot | iMac (Early 2006) | |
Maximum memory | 4GB | 2 GB SO-DIMM in each of the two slots* | iMac (Late 2006) |
2GB | 1GB SO-DIMM in each of the two slots | iMac (17-inch Late 2006 CD) iMac (Early 2006) | |
Memory card specifications | Compatible: - Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR SO-DIMM) format - PC2-5300 - Nonparity - 200-pin - 667 MHz - DDR3 SDRAM | Not compatible: - Registers or buffers - PLLs - ECC - Parity - EDO RAM |
For best performance, fill both memory slots, installing an equal memory module in each slot.
*iMac (Late 2006) uses a maximum of 3 GB of RAM.
*iMac (Late 2006) uses a maximum of 3 GB of RAM.
Installing memory in the bottom slot
The internal components of your iMac can be warm. If you've been using your iMac, wait ten minutes after shutting it down to let the internal components cool.
After you shut down your iMac and give it time to cool, follow these steps:
- Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from your computer.
- Place a soft, clean towel or cloth on the desk or other flat surface to prevent scratching the display.
- Hold the sides of the computer and slowly lay the computer face-down on the towel or cloth.
- Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the RAM access door on the bottom of the iMac and set it aside:
- Move the DIMM ejector clips to their fully open position:
- Insert your RAM SO-DIMM into the bottom slot, keeping in mind the orientation of the keyed SO-DIMM:
- After you insert it, press the DIMM up into the slot with your thumbs. Don't use the DIMM ejector clips to push in the DIMM, as this might damage the SDRAM DIMM. There should be a slight click when you seat the memory fully.
- Close the ejector clips:
- Reinstall the memory access door:
- Place the computer in its upright position. Reconnect the power cord and all other cables to the computer, then start up the computer.
Replacing memory in the top slot
After you shut down your iMac and give it time to cool, follow these steps:
- Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from your computer.
- Place a soft, clean towel or cloth on the desk or other flat surface to prevent scratching the display.
- Hold the sides of the computer and slowly lay the computer face-down on the towel or cloth.
- Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the RAM access door on the bottom of the iMac and set it aside:
- Pull the two levers on each side of the memory compartment to eject the memory module that's already installed:
- Remove the memory module from your iMac as shown below:
- Insert your RAM SO-DIMM into the top slot, noting the orientation of the keyed SO-DIMM:
- After you insert it, press the DIMM up into the slot with your thumbs. Don't use the DIMM ejector clips to push in the DIMM, as this might damage the SDRAM DIMM. There should be a slight click when you seat the memory fully.
- Close the ejector clips:
- Reinstall the memory access door:
- Place the computer in its upright position. Reconnect the power cord and all other cables to the computer, then start up the computer.
If your iMac makes a tone after you install memory
iMac models introduced before 2017 might make a warning sound when you start up after installing or replacing memory:
- One tone, repeating every five seconds signals that no RAM is installed.
- Three successive tones, then a five-second pause (repeating) signals that RAM doesn't pass a data integrity check.
If you hear these tones, confirm that the memory you installed is compatible with your iMac and that it's installed correctly by reseating the memory. If your Mac continues to make the tone, contact Apple Support.
Confirm that your iMac recognizes its new memory
After you install memory, you should confirm that your iMac recognizes the new RAM by choosing Apple () menu > About This Mac.
The window that appears lists the total memory, including the amount of memory that originally came with the computer plus the newly added memory. If all the memory in the iMac has been replaced, it lists the new total of all installed RAM.
For detailed information about the memory installed in your iMac, click System Report. Then choose Memory under the Hardware section in the left side of System Information.
If your computer doesn't recognize the memory or doesn't start up correctly, confirm that the RAM you installed is compatible with your iMac and that it's installed correctly by reseating the memory. If you continue to have issues with the memory in your iMac, contact Apple Support.
You still remember the first thing on your mind when you were buying your new MacBook that this Machine will always keep up with your pace and will never slow down on you. That’s exactly what these awesome machines are built to do. But sooner than you think, it starts slowing down. The first thing you need to know is that the performance of your Mac depends a lot on the memory usage on the device. We will talk about some of the ways to learn how to reduce memory usage on Mac and get it to maximum performance again.
Check Your Available Memory Usage on Mac First!
All the applications developed for use on Apple Machines are built to optimally use the memory available. But memory management for MacBook becomes critical when you open too many applications that are running simultaneously. This results in major memory overload.
Once you experience your Mac slowing down, you should start analyzing the memory usage. If you don’t know how to check memory usage on Mac, the best application to start with is the Activity Monitor. You can easily find this application in the Utilities or you can simply type the name of the application in the Spotlight window.
Activity Monitor: Helpful Tool in Analyzing Memory Usage on Your Mac
Activity Monitor is a built-in application in MacOS which tells you everything that is running on your MacBook. It gives you a complete overview of your MacBook’s memory usage. Here you can find out what applications are currently running and how much memory is being utilized by each of the applications. It is an excellent tool in analyzing the memory usage as it gives you plenty of details on the resources being consumed by any application, including the memory being used, Number of threads utilized by each app, CPU usage, etc.
What's more, ths Activity Monitor shows how you can add different columns to check a particular resource being utilized by an application and play with the statistics to shut down what you don’t need and that eats too much of memory. To illustrate a few, let’s have a look at the memory page of Activity Monitor.
The memory page is very informative when you understand all that it is showing to you;
Memory Pressure: This graph gives you the usage of memory over a period of time. You can set the Update Frequency and set the intervals. The right-most bar is the current memory usage, going back in time as you move to the left of the graph. The color of the graph shows the usage level.
- Green – RAM Memory available.
- Yellow – RAM Memory still available, tasked by memory-management processes (like Compression)
- Red – RAM Memory completely used. This is the time where you should start shutting down some apps.
You can see the total installed RAM on your computer shown as,
Physical Memory: Total memory installed.
The part which you are really concerned about is the one marked as,
Memory Used: Total memory being used by the running apps and processes. Getting inside to have a deeper understanding of the memory distribution allows you to play with it and get the best performance.
- App Memory: Total memory used by all the apps/processes.
- Wired memory: As the name suggests, this memory is (virtually) hard-wired and you cannot make any changes to the processes using this memory. These are usually the primary processes of your Machine and they need the memory with the quickest access and cannot be swapped with the memory on disk.
- Compressed: The MacOS will compress a chunk of memory in the RAM to make more space for the utilization of other apps. You can see the column of compressed memory to see how much actual and compressed memory is used by each process or application.
Swap Used: The MacOS will utilize some space on the disk drive of your Mac. This is used to free up physical space on RAM for the applications requiring more intense use of memory.
Cached Files: The MacOS keeps the recently closed applications as cached files for quick loading once you restart the same application. However, this memory is available to be used by any new application if the same application is not started.
Running out of Space? Try The Quick Fix to Free Up Memory Space Here
When you are running out of space on your Mac and your memory pressure graph is constantly in the red. Your computer is slowing down and if you are thinking about how do I free up memory on my Mac, using a powerful Mac cleanup software is the quickest fix for you. Umate Mac Cleaner is beyond compare your first choice for Mac cleaning software you will find and let me tell you why.
Umate Mac Cleaner is an amazingly powerful tool to clean and offers a one-click solution for releasing more memory. No important files will be deleted through Umate Mac Cleaner so you don’t have to worry about accidentally harming your Mac. Its one of the main features - Clean Up Junk is designed to delete all the junk files which are slowing down the Mac system. You can use the Clean Up Junk feature to run a Quick Clean first.
Quick Clean will run an automatic scan to search, identify and delete the unnecessary files piled up on your system. Deleting those junk files have no effect on system performance, so you can safely remove them without consideration.
Once the Quick Clean has done its job and you still feel the need to make some more space available, the Clean Up Junk lets you run a Deep Clean on the Mac. Deep Clean shows you the files available on the system which can be deleted to make more space available on the Mac. It runs a scan and finds the items that can be deleted, and you can now choose which of these files you want to permanently remove from the system, then hit the big Clean button to remove them with single click.
Another very useful feature of Umate Mac Cleaner to lower memory usage on Mac is Manage Application & Extensions. Naturally, there are a few applications lying around over the chunks of your memory and these applications are not even being used. These unused applications and unnecessary extensions are hogging on the memory bytes which are needed for the new and more frequent applications. This feature of Umate Mac Cleaner is how to save memory on Mac by uninstalling the rarely used applications and their associated files. Along with the unused applications, it also targets the unnecessary extensions which are installed in your Mac. This feature will list down the applications with their usage statistics and you can choose which ones to remove to lower memory usage on your Mac.
Getting Umate Mac Cleaner for Mac memory management is unbelievably easy. All you need to do is get the app from iMyFone, install and launch the app and let it do the rest automatically. The app comes with a very intuitive user interface and is compatible with Macbook/iMac running MacOS 10.15-10.9.
Other 7 Tips to Reduce Memory Usage on Mac Manually
Using a Mac cleaning tool to free up memory on Mac is much easiesr and faster. And this way is highly recommended for time-saving clean up. However, if you want to free up memory without using third-party software, here are other 7 extra tips for you to do the job manually. Let’s check them out together!
1. Clean up the Desktop
No matter what computer you are using, you know that your desktop is filled with unnecessary and unused icons scattered all around the screen. Don’t worry; this is what we do on all our computers. But if you want to lower the memory usage on your Mac, you might want to steer away from cluttering your desktop. This might come as a surprise, but MacOS allows your desktop icons to be treated as priority applications and it keeps all the desktop icons in the active memory. This takes up space in your RAM which you definitely want to save.
2. Manage Memory Usage in Finder
The Finder application on Mac can sometimes take up a lot of memory of your system. You are thinking that Finder should not be taking up this much space, right. It is probably because the Finder application is set to show all files available on the system. Try changing the default display of Finder to not show All My Files. This will work wonders for you.
3. Force Quit Memory-eating Processes
In the Activity Monitor, you can see which applications are consuming most of the memory. These memory-hogging processes are slowing down your system. You can select to Force Quit these processes to save memory on your Mac.
4. Delete Browser Extensions
The add-ons and extensions on the internet browser are nice tools for quick access to features you need while surfing the internet. But more often than not, they are consuming more memory than they are being helpful. You can save a lot of memory on your Mac by deleting the unwanted browser extensions. Just launch the browser on your Mac, like Safari, Chrome and Firefox, and then go to Preferences to remove those unwanted extensions on the Extensions tab.
You can use Umate Mac Cleaner to remove the undesired extensions. Just launch the app and go to Manage Applications and Extensions and the memory management tool will list down all the extensions for you to choose and delete. You will be surprised at how many of these extensions are not even needed in your Mac.
5. Close Unwanted Finder Windows
Opening a number of Finder windows takes up a lot of memory, and it is incredible how much memory you can save by this little tip. You don’t need anything fancy for this. A keyboard shortcut is all you need; press Command + Option + W to close all the open windows on your Mac.
6. Disable Login Items
The items that are set to launch on every login are going to use a lot of memory space. Most of these login items are not essentially required for your day to day computing needs and you can easily get rid of them. Here are the simple steps to do that: Click the Apple icon > select System Preferences > Click Users & Groups > Select the login item you want to remove, then click the Remove.
Using Umate Mac Cleaner to Disable Startup Items is your one-click solution to fix this issue. Select the items you want to disable on your next login and you will start your Mac with a bunch of memory saved.
7. Purge RAM in Terminal (for Advanced Users)
Open the terminal on your Mac and enter the command ‘sudo purge’. This feature requires admin rights so you would have to enter the password here then the system will clear the inactive memory. We strongly advise against using this method unless you know your way around your Machine.
If You Use Chrome Browser, Here's Bonus Tip to Lower Memory Usage
If you are using Google applications like Gmail, Google Drive, etc. This tip might be useful on how to lower memory usage on Mac. Google Chrome makes use of the system GPU for its processes to help load web pages super fast, however, this process takes a lot of memory on your system RAM. Fortunately, there is a way to control this. Use the Task Manager of Google Chrome to manage the memory available for use by Chrome, and you are good to go!
Anyway, You Should Keep Your Eye on Mac's Memory Usage
If your Mac is boosted up with 16 gigs of RAM memory, then you might have a lot of free space to use up for unnecessary applications. But with the basic 4 or 8GB RAM machine, you would require the monitoring more often. More applications running on the Mac means more memory usage. This makes it very important that you should keep a check on your applications. Learning to read and analyze the memory page of the Activity Monitor will be extremely useful in memory management for your Mac and keep your MacBook memory usage under check.
Conclusion
With these simple tips and tricks, you can bring your Mac back to its fast performance condition when the speed of your MacBook was unmatched to all the other computers. Using an application that can efficiently look after the system health will keep your Macbook hassle-free. Umate Mac Cleaner might just be the thing you were looking for, a application that comes with all-in-one package and all the features you need.