How to Check How Much RAM Available on a Mac

If your computer is lagging, crashing, or doesn’t open the programs you need, it might be due to a lack of available RAM. This critical system component bottlenecks of how many programs your PC can run simultaneously.

You can check how much RAM is available on your Mac to ensure that you have enough for optimal performance. This article will explain how to check your current and total RAM capacity and how to free up space.

How to Check How Much RAM Is Available on a Mac

Here’s the first method you can try out to check your Mac RAM capacity. It’s quick and simple:

1. Click on the Apple icon in the menu bar on the top (usually).
   
2. Choose the “About This Mac” option.
   
3. The total RAM capacity is listed under “Memory.”
   

You can also get a detailed overview of the RAM capacity by slot:

1. Follow the previous steps to reach the “About This Mac” screen.
   
2. Go to the “Memory” section.
   

This menu will list the RAM capacity by slot and the total, as well as which RAM type your Mac can support.

If you go back to the “Overview” menu and select “System Report,” you can find out exactly what RAM you have installed on your PC. The data is located in the “Hardware” section, under “Memory.”

How to Monitor RAM Usage on Mac

You can also check current RAM memory usage on your Mac to ensure that you don’t overtax your computer. Here’s how you can use the Activity Monitor to follow up on your RAM usage:

1. Open Launchpad and click on the “Go” button.
   
2. Select “Other” folder.
   
3. Double-click on the “Activity Monitor” to open the application.
   
4. Click on the “Memory” tab.
   
5. You can see memory usage shown under the “Memory Pressure” section on the bottom, and the list displays all the apps currently taking up space.
   

How to Use Memory Cleaner to Assess Your RAM

The Memory Cleaner freeware will help you to free up space in your RAM by getting rid of data that you aren’t using. It also helps you to know your total RAM capacity, volume of RAM used up, and the memory used by each application.

How to Check RAM Usage on Mac Using iStat Menus

iStat Menus is one of the best system monitoring solutions for your MacOS. It is very convenient to use because you can check on your RAM usage at a glance. It also runs updates automatically in the background. This is because the iStatus Menus is displayed on your menu bar. Follow the steps below to check RAM usage using iStatus Menus:

1. Open iStatus Menus.
   
2. Turn on the toggle for “Memory” under the “General” section.
   
3. Drag your RAM icon to the “Active Items” bar.
4. You are all set, monitor your RAM usage with a quick glance at the menu bar.

Note that iStatus Menus requires a paid subscription. It however comes with a 14-day free trial for you to check out before you decide to commit to the platform.

How You Can Free Up RAM on Mac

Frequently checking your Mac RAM usage helps you to identify whether you’re overworking your computer. This will help you undertake timely action to ensure that your device keeps running smoothly. The steps below will help you manage your RAM usage properly and avoid issues such as crashing, lagging, and stuttering.

Use Activity Monitor to Exit Programs

Follow the steps below to free up space on your RAM using the Activity Monitor:

1. Double-click on Activity Monitor to open the application and click on the “Memory” tab.
   
2. Click on the “Memory Column” to check RAM composition and identify any app that may be overworking the RAM.
   
3. Select the app and click on “Information” to check the volume of RAM it has occupied while running.
   
4. Choose the “Stop” option and confirm by clicking on Quit again on the appearing prompt.
   
5. Click “Force Quit” if you suspect that the app has frozen in the background.
   

Restart Your Mac

Your PC will automatically empty your RAM and caches during a restart. This will free up space on your Mac ensuring that the systems run better. However, this isn’t a convenient option when you are in between work because you can easily lose crucial data in the process. If you can’t risk this, try out the alternative options below to free up RAM on your Mac.

Keeping a Mac running for extended periods can steadily increase RAM usage, so turn it off when it’s not needed.

Update MacOS

You always check whether they’re any pending updates to run on MacOS. This is because Apple typically issues updates that can fix any bugs on your Mac system. These stay in your RAM until they’re committed to the system during installation. Here are some quick steps you can follow to update MacOS:

1. Locate the Apple icon in the top left of your screen and click to open menu.
   
2. Open “System Preferences.”
   
3. Click on “Software Updates” to check for pending updates.
   
4. Select “Update Now.”
5. (Optional) Tick the “Automatically keep my Mac up to date” box to enable automatic updates.

Use Third-Party Applications

You can use Memory Cleaner to free up memory on Mac. Here’s how you can use the application to create more RAM storage:

1. Launch Memory Cleaner by clicking on its icon appearing on your Mac toolbar.
   
2. Click “Clean Up.”
   
3. Turn on the toggle for the “Automatically Free Up” option.

FAQs

How do you know if a Mac needs more RAM?

Using the Activity Monitor can help you find out whether your Mac needs more RAM. It displays a color-coded bar under the Memory Pressure section which signals RAM usage. Green indicates that your PC has used your RAM memory efficiently. Yellow shows that there is a heavy application running in RAM while red shows that you’re exceeding your RAM limit.

Does RAM cause your Mac to lag?

Yes. Low RAM space can cause your Mac to lag. This is especially common when you’re running high-demand applications because they require large RAM to run smoothly.

How much RAM do you need for optimal Mac performance?

This depends on how you use the Mac. For instance, a video editor requires at least 64GB of RAM to operate seamlessly, while gamers usually use at least 16GB of RAM between their games and browsing. However, if you’re just a casual user, 8GB RAM may be just enough for you.

What does RAM mean?

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. The name comes from the fact that data can be accessed or written in the same amount of time regardless of where it’s stored in the memory.

Maximize Your RAM Potential

RAM is an essential component for the successful running of all computer systems. You should always check on the available RAM capacity and frequently free to enhance your user experience. This is because an overtaxed RAM is likely to affect system performances.

Have you ever checked how much RAM is available on your Mac? What do you do to free up space on your RAM? Let us know in the comments section below.