{"id":24334,"date":"2023-10-09T16:57:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T14:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=24334"},"modified":"2023-10-09T16:57:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T14:57:35","slug":"check-memory-usage-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Check Your Memory Usage on a Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668457605a301\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668457605a301\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668457605a301\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#M1M2_Mac_Devices_-_Soldered_RAM_Without_Exception\" title=\"M1\/M2 Mac Devices \u2014 Soldered RAM, Without Exception\">M1\/M2 Mac Devices \u2014 Soldered RAM, Without Exception<\/a><\/li><\/ul><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#How_to_Check_Memory_Usage_on_a_Mac\" title=\"How to Check Memory Usage on a Mac\">How to Check Memory Usage on a Mac<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#Stats_-_A_Great_Little_App_for_Checking_Memory_Usage\" title=\"Stats \u2014 A Great Little App for Checking Memory Usage\">Stats \u2014 A Great Little App for Checking Memory Usage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#How_Much_Memory_Do_I_Need_on_a_Mac\" title=\"How Much Memory Do I Need on a Mac?\">How Much Memory Do I Need on a Mac?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#How_Can_I_Check_Memory_Usage_on_a_Mac\" title=\"How Can I Check Memory Usage on a Mac?\">How Can I Check Memory Usage on a Mac?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#How_Much_Unified_Memory_Do_I_Need\" title=\"How Much Unified Memory Do I Need?\">How Much Unified Memory Do I Need?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/check-memory-usage-on-mac\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Memory management is <em>vital<\/em>. There\u2019s no other way to put it. If you start pushing your computer too hard, it\u2019ll start slowing down and will, eventually, grind to a halt.<\/p>\n<p>Even the most basic functions will seemingly take eons to execute, and anything more demanding will most likely result in your device \u201cfreezing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mac owners are well aware of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spinning_pinwheel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spinning beach ball<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s Apple\u2019s simple and straightforward way of telling you: <em>you\u2019re pushing your Mac device beyond its limits.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t <em>always<\/em> a memory-related issue, but it\u2019s nonetheless one of the biggest reasons why your Mac might start feeling unresponsive.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re short on RAM \u2014 or, in the case of Apple\u2019s latest <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/guide-apple-arm-architecture\/\">ARM-based<\/a> devices, <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/apple-unified-memory-guide\/\">Unified Memory<\/a> \u2014 there\u2019s very little you can do other than shutting down a bunch of applications or, as a last resort, restarting your device.<\/p>\n<p>With Windows PCs and most larger laptops, this isn\u2019t necessarily all that big of an issue as it can always be alleviated and circumvented by simply <em>buying<\/em> more RAM.<\/p>\n<p><strong>With the latest Mac devices, things aren\u2019t quite so simple.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"M1M2_Mac_Devices_-_Soldered_RAM_Without_Exception\"><\/span>M1\/M2 Mac Devices \u2014 Soldered RAM, Without Exception<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No \u201cmainstream\u201d Mac has upgradeable memory \u2014 it\u2019s all soldered onto the motherboard. This includes all of <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/are-apple-laptops-worth-it\/\">Apple\u2019s MacBooks<\/a>, its <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-mac-mini-alternatives\/\">Mac Minis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/apple-m1-ultra-mac-studio\/\">Mac Studio<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/m1-imac-vs-mac-mini-vs-mac-studio\/\">24\u201d iMac<\/a>, and even the (larger than necessary) Mac Pro.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24340\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1.jpg\" alt=\"RAM upgradability on Apple M1\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24340 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"RAM upgradability on Apple M1\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-upgradability-on-Apple-M1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>If you happen to need more Unified Memory, you\u2019ll either have to change your multitasking habits or, conversely, sell your existing device in favor of a \u201cbeefier\u201d SKU.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s really no other option. To make things even worse, Apple charges a veritable <em>fortune<\/em> for additional memory, and it\u2019s not a negligible amount in the slightest: $200, regardless if it\u2019s a MacBook or, say, a Mac Mini.<\/p>\n<p>This, in short, is why it\u2019s so important to really think twice about your needs and preferences; <strong>skimping out on Unified Memory can easily become the bane of your existence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Moreover, because of the fact that Apple\u2019s ARM-based Mac devices rely so heavily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/what-is-swap-used-in-mac-activity-monitor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on swap<\/a>, it\u2019s actually a good idea to keep track of your memory usage even if your Mac <em>isn\u2019t<\/em> unresponsive.<\/p>\n<p>That way you\u2019ll not only understand the inner workings of your Mac but also, potentially, extend the lifespan of its internal SSD \u2014<strong> the likes of which cannot be upgraded or replaced.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24341\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage.jpg\" alt=\"RAM vs Pagefile virtual memory usage\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24341 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"RAM vs Pagefile virtual memory usage\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/RAM-vs-Pagefile-virtual-memory-usage.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>So, how can you check the memory usage on your Mac device, be it a MacBook, or something a bit more \u201cstationary\u201d like a Mac Mini or iMac?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Check_Memory_Usage_on_a_Mac\"><\/span>How to Check Memory Usage on a Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The quickest way of checking your memory usage would be the following: simply press on <strong>Command<\/strong> (Cmd) + <strong>Space<\/strong> and the Spotlight search will pop up.<\/p>\n<p>Now simply type \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/guide\/activity-monitor\/welcome\/mac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Activity Monitor<\/a>\u201d and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Once a new window opens up, click on the \u201cMemory\u201d tab in the upper navigation menu.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24336\" style=\"width: 1570px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24336\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-24336\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2.png\" alt=\"Activity Monitor\" width=\"1570\" height=\"104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2.png 1570w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-300x20.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-1024x68.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-768x51.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-1536x102.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24336\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-24336 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201570%20104%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Activity Monitor\" width=\"1570\" height=\"104\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201570%20104%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2.png 1570w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-300x20.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-1024x68.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-768x51.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2-1536x102.png 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/activity-monitor-2.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24336\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: G100<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here you\u2019ll see the list of all active processes (on the left), and the amount of memory they\u2019re currently taking up (on the right). This can range from just a couple of megabytes to well over ten <em>gigabytes<\/em>, depending on the application and, well, whatever it is exactly that you\u2019re currently working on.<\/p>\n<p>Down below, beneath all those aforementioned processes, you\u2019ll find a very interesting graph of sorts, accompanied with the core information you\u2019re after. <strong>Let\u2019s go over everything and explain what it actually means.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border alignnone wp-image-24337\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph.png\" alt=\"Memory Usage Graph\" width=\"1184\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph.png 1184w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph-300x53.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph-1024x180.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph-768x135.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1184px) 100vw, 1184px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border alignnone wp-image-24337 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201184%20208%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Memory Usage Graph\" width=\"1184\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201184%20208%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1184w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1184px) 100vw, 1184px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph.png 1184w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph-300x53.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph-1024x180.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph-768x135.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/memory-usage-graph.png\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: G100<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Physical<\/strong> <strong>Memory<\/strong> \u2014 The total amount of physical Unified Memory (or RAM, if you have an Intel-based Mac) that\u2019s available.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Memory<\/strong> <strong>Used<\/strong> \u2014 The amount of memory that\u2019s currently being used. This part actually branches out into the right and is divided into App, Wired, and Compressed memory.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cached<\/strong> <strong>Files<\/strong> \u2014 The size of all files that have been cached by the operating system so as to improve performance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Swap<\/strong> <strong>Used<\/strong> \u2014 The amount of SSD space being used to swap unused files to and from. The higher the number, the slower your Mac will feel. It\u2019s important to note that, for this swapping process to occur (and <em>keep<\/em> on occurring), you\u2019ll need to have the necessary amount of free space available on your SSD.<\/li>\n<li><strong>App<\/strong> <strong>Memory<\/strong> \u2014 The amount of Unified Memory currently being used by your applications.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wired<\/strong> <strong>Memory<\/strong> \u2014 This memory is required by macOS to operate. It cannot be cached and is unavailable to other applications.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Compressed<\/strong> \u2014 The amount of memory that\u2019s been compressed in order to make more of it available. These are essentially the applications that happen to be running in the background.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The graph on the left represents <em>memory<\/em> <em>pressure<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>If it's green, you're good.<\/p>\n<p>If it's yellow, you might want to slow things down ever so slightly.<\/p>\n<p>If it's red, your Mac is feeling either <em>relatively<\/em> slow or is grinding to a halt.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stats_-_A_Great_Little_App_for_Checking_Memory_Usage\"><\/span>Stats \u2014 A Great Little App for Checking Memory Usage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you want to check your memory usage even <em>faster<\/em> \u2014 a way that\u2019s <em>glanceable<\/em>, even \u2014 then make sure to download a little application called <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/exelban\/stats\" target=\"_blank\">Stats<\/a>. Short, sweet, and aptly named.<\/p>\n<p>There are many others like it online, but we\u2019ve found this <em>particular<\/em> one to blend in nicely with the rest of the OS and is wholly inconspicuous.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s also surprisingly feature-rich, too.<\/strong> It\u2019ll essentially add a few small icons to your menu bar, all of which will update in real-time.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in learning more about any particular metric, you can simply click on it and a small window (packed with easily legible information) will drop down.<\/p>\n<p>Stats can also be used for purposes other than checking memory usage, like CPU, GPU, and disk utilization, network usage, battery statistics, sensor information (temperature, voltage, power), and so on and so forth.<\/p>\n<p>And, better yet, you can easily check which of these little tabs you want to be viewable at all times and which to be hidden; that\u2019s yet another layer of customization that makes this small little app stand out.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24338\" style=\"width: 1912px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24338\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24338\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban.png\" alt=\"Stats by Exelban\" width=\"1912\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban.png 1912w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-1024x325.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-768x243.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-1536x487.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1912px) 100vw, 1912px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24338\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24338 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201912%20606%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Stats by Exelban\" width=\"1912\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201912%20606%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1912w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1912px) 100vw, 1912px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban.png 1912w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-1024x325.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-768x243.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban-1536x487.png 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/stats-by-exelban.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Exelban, the developer<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Much_Memory_Do_I_Need_on_a_Mac\"><\/span>How Much Memory Do I Need on a Mac?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>That\u2019s actually a much more complex question than one would expect.<\/p>\n<p>All ARM-based Macs come with Unified Memory, and this memory is a <em>lot<\/em> faster than most folks realize. These Macs also excel at swapping, so even when you fill up its <em>physical<\/em> memory, your Mac won\u2019t really slow down all that much \u2014 if at all.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019d have to <em>really<\/em> push your Mac to its limits for the operating system to start slowing down. <strong>This is a lot more likely to happen if you have an 8GB model.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With 16GBs, there\u2019s a <em>lot<\/em> more leeway \u2014 a surprising amount, even.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, if you\u2019re a demanding user and have the tendency to multitask, make sure to go with 16GB, despite Apple\u2019s awful pricing.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a <em>lot<\/em> more future-proof and you\u2019ll be able to use your device for many more years without ever being <em>too<\/em> burdened by the lack of memory.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Checking how much memory you\u2019ve used up on your Mac is always a good thing as it allows you to better understand how much strain you\u2019re putting on your device and how your use-case affects its performance.<\/p>\n<p>If you have ample amounts of Unified Memory, then there\u2019s really no tremendous use in doing this.<\/p>\n<p>If, however, that\u2019s <em>not<\/em> the case \u2014 and you happen to be a heavy multitasker \u2014 then giving the Activity Monitor a look every so often might not be such a bad thing.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, checking your Mac\u2019s memory usage is both quick <em>and<\/em> easy, and, better yet, there are <em>multiple<\/em> different ways of doing so.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s go over a few potential questions you might have regarding this particular topic:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_I_Check_Memory_Usage_on_a_Mac\"><\/span>How Can I Check Memory Usage on a Mac?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The simplest and most straightforward way of checking your Mac\u2019s memory usage is by opening up <strong>Activity<\/strong> <strong>Monitor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24339\" style=\"width: 932px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24339\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-24339\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1.jpg\" alt=\"MacOS Activity Monitor\" width=\"932\" height=\"622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1.jpg 932w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 932px) 100vw, 932px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24339\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-24339 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20932%20622%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"MacOS Activity Monitor\" width=\"932\" height=\"622\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20932%20622%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 932w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 932px) 100vw, 932px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1.jpg 932w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1-768x513.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/10\/MacOS-Activity-Monitor-1.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/guide\/activity-monitor\/welcome\/mac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>You can do so by pressing on the Command+Space keys (which will open up Spotlight) and then typing \u201cActivity Monitor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can also install a third-party application and have the exact same information embedded right into the menu bar.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Much_Unified_Memory_Do_I_Need\"><\/span>How Much Unified Memory Do I Need?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You should always aim for 16GB, regardless if it\u2019s RAM or Unified Memory.<\/p>\n<p>8GB simply isn\u2019t enough in today\u2019s day and age and while that SKU <em>will<\/em> perform a lot better than one would expect, you\u2019ll still encounter memory-related issues once you start pushing your device to its limits.<\/p>\n<p>Last but certainly not least, you don\u2019t want your device to rely on swap memory <em>too<\/em> much as that\u2019ll inevitably shorten the life span of your SSD.<\/p>\n<p>8GB will suffice only for the simplest of workloads \u2014 stuff like answering emails, typing out documents, browsing the web, and consuming content on YouTube, Netflix, and the like.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a more demanding user \u2014 and tend to multitask \u2014 then going with 16GB is basically a no-brainer.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>How much Unified Memory does your Mac device have and did it ever feel limiting in any way? Let us know in the <a href=\"#comments\">comment<\/a> section down below and, in case you need any help, head over to <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">our forum<\/a> and ask away!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Memory management is vital. There\u2019s no other way to put it. If you start pushing your computer too hard, it\u2019ll start slowing down and will, eventually, grind to a halt. Even the most basic functions will seemingly take eons to execute, and anything more demanding will most likely result in your device \u201cfreezing.\u201d Mac owners...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2346,"featured_media":24335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[290],"tags":[286,194,120],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24334"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24334"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24344,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24334\/revisions\/24344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}