Is your Mac slow? Are you suffering from freezes, crashes, reboots, or lag? Your random access memory (RAM) may be to blame.
Most Mac computers ship with around 8 GB of RAM. Old files and cluttered caches can eat away at it over time, causing your computer to slow down significantly. Unlike Windows 10 computers, it's difficult to upgrade the RAM on your Mac.
For businesses running Mac workstations, RAM issues multiply across creative departments, executive suites, and development teams. When your design team's Macs slow to a crawl or your CEO's MacBook keeps freezing during presentations, professional IT support becomes crucial for maintaining productivity and preventing costly hardware replacements.
But, before you go out and buy a brand-new computer, here are some steps you can take to free up some precious RAM.
RAM is temporary data storage that your computer uses to execute programs and process applications. If your hard drive is a long-term memory solution where you store files and folders, then RAM is short-term memory. It's responsible for rapidly handling immediate tasks, and is much faster than traditional hard drive space. RAM is typically stored in memory modules that are socketed to your motherboard, giving them a rapid pathway to the "brains" of your computer (your CPU).
Of course, RAM isn't perfect. It operates on random access memory as opposed to sequential memory. Hard drives, which are sequential, offer the ability to store data even when the computer is off and not currently running processes. In contrast, RAM stores data that is currently being utilized for ongoing processes and applications, and application memory.
Unlike PCs where IT teams can upgrade RAM easily, modern Macs and their cached files often have soldered memory that can't be expanded. This makes proper RAM management essential. Our technicians see businesses prematurely replacing $3,000+ Macs when simple optimization could extend their lifespan by years.
When you don't have enough RAM to execute ongoing processes, you'll trigger a Kernel Panic Screen (the Mac equivalent of the blue screen of death), which will shut down all processes and display a blue screen with white text. There are plenty of other ways that a low amount of RAM can disable your computer even if you don't get the BSOD. These include:
RAM is what your computer uses to rapidly process functions, so it may eventually have to utilize your SSD for some of its processing power. RAM is much faster than your hard drive, so your computer slows down when this happens. If you feel like your device isn’t as efficient when running different apps at the same time, you may be suffering from a RAM shortage.
In business environments, slowness compounds across teams. Creative professionals working with large files, accounting running complex spreadsheets, and sales teams juggling multiple browser tabs all suffer when RAM runs low. We monitor RAM usage patterns to identify problems before they impact deadlines.
Having an application freeze once in a blue moon isn't a big deal. It happens to all of us. However, if your computer is freezing semi-regularly, you may be short on RAM, especially if it happens during memory-intensive gaming or using multiple applications simultaneously. Memory management involves understanding how to free up memory in RAM to boost CPU usage. Random freezing is one of the first signs of memory trouble.
Nothing damages professional credibility like a Mac freezing during a client presentation. Our monitoring tools detect RAM pressure before it causes embarrassing freezes, allowing preventive maintenance during off-hours.
You could have the fastest processor on the planet, but you're going to experience massive slowdowns if your RAM is almost used up. Having a shortage can cause your computer to lag when you're doing simple tasks like typing. Noticing lag when performing basic actions is one of the signs of a RAM shortage.
For businesses, typing lag affects everything from customer service response times to code development efficiency. Even five-second delays, multiplied across dozens of employees daily, represent significant productivity losses.
It can be easy to blame the app when it crashes, but the app may not be to blame. RAM shortages can cause your applications to freeze and crash since they don't have anywhere to store their in-the-moment information.
When Final Cut Pro crashes and loses hours of video editing, or when Xcode crashes during compilation, the cost isn't just time - it's missed deadlines and frustrated clients. Professional monitoring prevents these crashes through early intervention.
These symptoms cost real money in lost productivity. A designer waiting for Photoshop to respond, developers unable to run testing environments, or executives experiencing crashes during client presentations - these aren't just inconveniences, they're business disruptions our IT team prevents through proactive management.
Some RAM issues are due to faulty RAM modules, but most usage issues are solved by clearing up space. Like your hard drive, RAM can become cluttered by files. You can't directly store files on it, but you may have files on your computer that eat away at your RAM without you even noticing.
Here are a few tips to help you free up some RAM space on your Mac.
Your RAM doesn't store a shred of data when your computer is off. It only stores temporary data for programs that are actively running. Every Mac has "login items" (startup programs). These programs start the moment you turn on your device, and pop right back up even after restarting. Since they start immediately, they also start using RAM immediately, and that can consume a good chunk of your available RAM.
To find your login items:
From here, you can identify, add, and remove login items. Remove any unnecessary login items to reserve space for those that need to be running around-the-clock, like antivirus software.
Note: You can see some of the programs that are currently running in task manager (cmd+option+escape). Open it and check for hidden running programs that aren't in the login list. These may be malware and they could be hogging memory usage.
Professional malware detection goes beyond checking Activity Monitor. We use enterprise security tools that identify cryptocurrency miners, backdoors, and other RAM-consuming threats that hide from standard detection methods.
In business settings, some login items are mandatory - VPN clients, security software, asset management tools. Our IT team audits login items across your Mac fleet, removing unnecessary programs while preserving required business applications. We deploy configuration profiles that standardize login items company-wide.
Caching involves temporarily saving small bits of information about an app or website. It stores tiny parts of applications or websites to help them load faster. Instead of reloading an entire website, Google Chrome uses a cache to remember parts of that website to offset load times. Over time, these files can clog up your cache and put more strain on your RAM.
Want to know how to clear ram on mac? Technically, you can clear the memory in advanced system settings, but the easiest way to clear your cache on Mac is as follows:
Want to know how to clear ram cache? Manual cache clearing risks removing active session data, losing unsaved work, or breaking application preferences. Our managed services implement automated cache cleaning that:
The files on your hard drive can also clog RAM. Even when you delete them, small portions can linger in your system and cache. Using a permanent file shredding solution to free up memory on Mac can help safely and permanently delete files from your Macbook, which can help reduce strain on both your hard drive and your RAM. This improves system processes, clears disk space, and prevents memory leaks.
Business Macs require careful data handling. That "unnecessary" file might be a client project archive or financial record needed for audits. Our technicians:
You're not completely removing files when you delete or uninstall them. Dragging files to the recycling bin just removes header references to it. This allows your computer to write over the portion of your hard drive that contained that file, but that doesn't always happen.
If you've seen crime dramas on TV, you know that forensic scientists can recover deleted files from your computer. They're able to do this because those files aren't gone, your computer just doesn't recognize them anymore. Unfortunately, those recycled files can still eat away at the hard drive and RAM space.
Permanent file shredding solutions destroy source files as well as any traces of them throughout your system. This helps free up hard drive, RAM, and cache space, and remove traces of personal data to make them unrecoverable.
For businesses handling sensitive data, proper file shredding isn't optional - it's legally required. HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and other regulations mandate secure data destruction. Our certified data destruction services provide:
Your organization needs professional Mac support when you notice employees complaining about slow Macs despite recent purchases. Creative teams report frequent Adobe Creative Suite crashes during critical projects. Video calls freeze during important meetings, making remote collaboration difficult. Your IT team spends hours troubleshooting individual Macs instead of strategic initiatives. Different departments report wildly different performance from identical Mac models. These symptoms indicate systemic RAM management issues requiring professional intervention.
RAM management is just one aspect of comprehensive Mac fleet management and network security. Without proper oversight, businesses face:
Our managed IT services keep your Mac fleet running efficiently through proactive monitoring, automated maintenance, and expert troubleshooting. We extend hardware lifespan, maintain peak performance, and ensure security compliance.
Don't let RAM issues slow your team's creativity and productivity. Contact GAM Tech for a Mac fleet assessment. We'll identify optimization opportunities and implement solutions that keep your Macs running like new.