More Memory Needed???

I have recently upgraded to Leopard on my iMac G5 with 512 MB Ram. Since the upgrade my Mac has been running slowly. If I try to run several programs, it sometimes takes a very long time for a program to come up. Also, often the fans will run very loudly.
I suspect that I might (?) need more RAM. What are your experiences running Leopard with 512MB? Should I buy more RAM?
Thanks for your help.

512MB is rather tight for memory these days.
Try starting an Applications -> Utility -> Terminal session and run the following command:
sar -g 60 100
This will give you pageout information every 60 seconds for 100 minutes.
Now use your Mac as normal. After using it for a while, go back to Terminal and check the pageout numbers.
If a 60 second interval is too long, then change the command to
sar -g 10 600
which will give you pageout information every 10 seconds.
Now if you have low pageout numbers or mostly zeros, then this is noise.
If you have consistant large numbers, then this is a strong indication that you could benefit from more memory.
And it my guess that with only 512MB you could use more memory, but sar will give you more concrete information to base a decision upon.

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When is more memory needed?

The article http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107918 is very helpful explaining the different kinds memory shown in the Activity Monitor. The article states, "If the combination of Free and Inactive is very low, then you might need more memory." I am wondering how to decide when more memory would be called for. What is the threshold at which I should consider adding more memory? Is there a per cent of total memory? Something to do with performance? Number of apps I typically run simultaneously?
Current statistics for my PB are
Total memory: 768 MB
Free memory: 114 MB
Inactive memory: 243 MB
With MS Word, Safari, Entourage, Foxfire, MS messenger currently running
-- stephen
PowerBook G4 12-inch Mac OS X (10.4.6)

stephen
Another way to judge if you're running out of memory is to look at the Activity Monitor's "System Memory" tab. Notice the statistic about "Page in/outs". If the second number if very large, and especially if it grows steadily while you're using your computer, you should think about adding RAM.
That number growing quickly and steadily is a sign that you're using your hard drive as RAM (the disk thrashing mentioned by another poster).
charlie

Need more memory, need help

Hi There,
I tried to download some software for my Powerbook and a window opened and said not enough memory. Where do I go to buy memory? I want to buy the Apple Word Version and update to Leopard but don't know if I need to buy 2 or 4GB or MB. What do I do? Do I go to Crucial or NewEgg? My budget is kinda limited as I'm a student currently. My CPU speed is 1.33 GHz, I don't know if you need more info. Thanks in advance for your help.

Nina:
So what brand memory do I buy and where is the most reasonable & reliable place to buy from? NewEgg or Crucial?
The PowerBook G4 behaves better with optimal quality RAM. This module from Crucial is what you need.
Can I install it myself?
Yes, you can with these directions from iFixit.
And will 1GB be enough memory for Apple's Word and Leopard?
It should. When you have installed an additional ! GB module you will have a total of 1.25 GB. That should easily be sufficient.
Don't mean to bombard you with so many quest. ;)*
My pleasure.
cornelius

How do I create my own favorite template for DVD slideshows? I used to be able to select this from pulldown menu, but cannot now do so. I am directed straight to templates, which take more memory. I have a large slideshow, and need all the space I can get

First, how do I create my own favorite theme template for DVD slideshows? I used to be able to select this from pulldown menu, but cannot now do so. I am directed straight to already existing themes, which take more memory. I have a large slideshow, and need all the space I can get. I just want to use a picture as my DVD cover, and then insert a slideshow. Also, when I try to burn my 8.5gb double sided slideshow, all that burns is the music. It is a large slideshow, a memorial on the life of my now deceased brother. This means a lot to me and to my family, and I am having so much trouble trying to burn it. I have gone into Project View and selected appropriately. The bar shows I have room to burn this DVD, but it does not burn. I have burned so many DVDs in the past, but this one just will not burn. I am so confused at this point. I will say this is the first 8.5gb I have attempted to create and burn. My specs list a 7.7gb or 4.7gb as operable....but there are no 7.7gb dvds. I had to purchase 8.5gb. Help? What am I doing wrong? I have spent so much time on this, and just cannot figure it out.

Final Cut is a separate, higher end video editor. The pro version of iMovie.
Give iPhoto a look at for creating the slideshow. It's easy to assemble the photos in an album in iPhoto, put them in the order you want and then make a slideshow of them. You can select from various themes and transitions between slides and add music from your iTunes library.
When you have the slidshow as you want use the Export button at the bottom of the iPhoto window and export with Size = Medium or Large.
Save the resulting Quicktime movie file in your Movies folder.
Next, open iDVD, choose your theme and drag the QT movie file into the menu window being careful to avoid any drop zones.
Then follow this workflow to help assure the best qualty video DVD:
Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.
To check the encoding mount the disk image, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is good.
Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.
The reason I suggest iPhoto is that I find it much easier to use than iMovie (except for the older iMovie 6 HD version). Personal preferences showing here.

How do I get more memory on my IMAC .I have 1 GIG and to run LION you need 2 GIGS?

How do I get more memory on my IMAC .I have 1 GIG and to run LION you need 2 GIGS?

Depends on the Mac; what model and processor is it?
 > 'about this Mac' > 'more info'
In the first section (hardware overview) post this info;
Nothing below that is reqd, especially not the serial number.

Do I need more memory on my iMac (Mid 2011)?

First and for most I want to make sure that I'm addressing the correct problem that's why I am asking a question that appears to be asked by many people on here. I mainly use my imac 27" to produce music (I use Logic and a LOT of plugins and instruments) and well I always get the following message:
I hate it because I get it everytime Logic reaches a point where a lot of instruments and sounds come in (It's annoying and ruins my work flow). I usually just have logic and chrome open, bc I close everything else to help my situation.
I bought my iMac thinking it would be faster than any laptop and I now realize that it doesn't matter if it's a laptop or a desktop but rather the memory it has and other things included. Anyways what would all of you recommend? What would be most useful to change? Would it just be adding memory (increasing the 4GB)? Thanks for your time!!
<Image Edited By Host>

I would just like to add to what everyone else said about 4GB really not being enough for doing much of anything. Even Safari and Mail can easily run up to the limit.
If you are running up against the memory limit, your computer will start doing what is known as "thrashing". On an OS like iOS, too much memory simply causes running apps to be killed. On Windows and OSX, if you try to use more memory than what is available, the computer will start to use a disk cache as if it was memory. It will try to put the "older" items in memory to the disk. If you need to access that memory, the OS needs to load it back from disk. The problem is that the disk is about 20x or more slower than memory. When your computer is thrashing, it will seem like it is not working at all.
If you are not running against the memory limit, then adding more memory will do absolutely nothing to improve performance. If you are running against the limit, you will be amazed at how much faster your computer will run with the extra memory.
As far as adding memory goes, as others have said, you need to add them in matched pairs. Also as other have said, the 2011 iMac secretly supports 8GB ram cards. (check OWC at macsales.com and they will confirm).
My advice would be to buy two 8GB cards ($109 at OWC) and add them in addition to your two 4GB cards. That will give you a total of 20GB. 20GB is TONS of memory and I am 100% sure that should be plenty for you. More is almost definitely overkill. You could almost definitely get away with adding 2 4GB cards for $50 as well (this would triple the memory you currently have), but memory is getting really cheap, and is a great way to "future proof" your computer.
If you want to see what your computer is doing, try looking at "Activity Monitor". If you start it up, sort the processes by "Real Mem" and you can see which processes are using the most memory (some of the processes will have cryptic names, but you should be able to tell most of them).
Also, click on "System Memory" at the bottom. Look at the "Page Ins" number ... if it is large, that means that you have been running into memory issues and having to "page in and out" memory to / from disk. You can also see what your processes are using currently. I forget exactly how OSX classifies the memory in each category, but Free is memory that is totally free, and "Wired" is memory that is in use. Active is basically memory in use, and Inactive is memory that is not really being used and can be made available for other processes, but I believe its being kept around in case the process that last used it decides it wants it back.

How do I add more memory to my Imac, I only have 1GB of memory and need 2GB to download Yosemite!

How do I add more memory to my Imac, I only have 1GB of memory and need 2GB to download Yosemite?

Janet,
This is why the question rkaufmann87 asked about your model is so important:
[click chart to enlarge if needed]
The list covers the early iMacs with Intel processors that shipped with either OS 10.4 or 10.5 and have only two RAM slots. As you can see, some have limits to what version of OSX you can install. If the step rkaufmann requests does not narrow down your model, you can do one more thing.
While the "About this Mac" window is open, click the "More Info..." button at the bottom of that window to get this (assuming you are really running OS 10.5.8 as shown in your profile):
The code I've indicated with the red arrow corresponds to the codes in the second column on the chart. Post the code your computer reports--again don't post a serial number.
If your iMac shipped with only 1GB RAM, I fear it is one of the earliest models that cannot be upgraded all the way to Yosemite.

Have MacBook Pro (ancient) has 2.16 Ghz Intel Core Duo with 1 GB 667 MHz RAM using OS 10.4.11. Can I upgrade OS? If so, how far? And can I add more memory? I realize this is an old laptop but I need to wait to upgrade to new.

Have MacBook Pro (ancient) has
2.16 Ghz Intel Core Duo with
1 GB 667 MHz RAM
using OS 10.4.11.
Can I upgrade OS? If so, how far?
And can I add more memory?
I realize this is an old laptop but I need to wait to upgrade to new.

if it is the core duo, mac OS X 10.6.8., max ram 2gb.

What is the best External Hard Drive for a Macbook Leopard 10.5.8? I need more memory for documents, pictures, videos, and music. Thanks!

What is the best External Hard Drive for a Macbook Leopard 10.5.8? I need more memory for documents, pictures, videos, and music. Thanks!

Hi, does your MacBook have Firewire, or just USB?
FW is far faster if you have that.
Avoid Bus powered ones.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB
USB only...
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/usb/eliteclassic

Will I need to put more memory on my MacBook Pro for Mavericks?

I got my MacBook Pro in Februrary 2013 (so I think it's a mid 2012 model? Not sure). The memory for it is 4gb and 1600mhz. It came with OS 10.8, but I am now upgrading to Mavericks. My question... will I need to get more memory to fit Mavericks onto my computer? Or will what I have suffice? I don't have much stuff on my computer; I backed everything up before beginning the process (should be done in a few hours, and I can always pause it if necessary). The backup flashdrive holds 8gb and I'd say, in total, I have about 4.5gb worth of stuff (word documents, pictures, and videos) on my computer. How will that affect what Mavericks takes up (Mavericks says it needs 5.32gb of space)?

venom --
With all due respect, I find it hard to believe you ever worked at Apple.
You can't spell. And you believe that Mavericks only needs 1 GB to install. Totally incorrect.
I can easily upgrade my computer with more memory, too, after all is said and done.
Do that, you'll love it.
Babowa & KOT: Right on.

Need more memory?

My computer is running very slow & I've been told I need more memory. How do I know what to buy and where to get it? Also, how do I install it, or do I have to get it done somewhere?

This HP support document should tell you everything you need to know about upgrading your memory on a desktop computer.
However, before you spend time and money adding memory, you might want to try the tips and tricks in this document: Improving System Performance without Adding Memory (Windows 7). It offers some very useful techniques for speeding up your system. (Here's the version for Vista, and for XP/ME/9x). You might find that you don't need to add memory, but even if you still do, the suggestions are great for maintaining a healthy, quick computer.
Please click the thumbs up button to say "Thanks!"
Clicking "Accept as Solution" on a reply that solves your problem makes it easier for other people to find solutions.
I am an HP employee.

I have ordered OS X 10.6. I have 1 GB of memory. Will I need to buy more memory?

I have ordered OSx 10.6. I have 1 GB of memory. Will I need to buy more memory?

If you like to work with photos, graphics, or videos at all, then 2 GB would be much better; I actually had 3 GB installed when I was running Snow Leopard (that was the maximum for my iMac). The minimum requirements published are exactly that: a minimum. For instance, for Mountain Lion, it says 2 GB; unless you do nothing but email and web browsing, 4 GB is a much more realistic minimum.
So, if your computer model can handle 2 GB, go for it.

My memory is full of "other" what files need to be deleted to free up more memory?

My memory is full of "other" what files need to be deleted to free up more memory?

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5142
MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9), i7 500GB 16GB RAM iPhone5 iOS7.0.4

I haven't done an update since 24.0 because my computer is running out of memory. How much MORE memory will I need to get up to version 28.0?

I haven't done an update since 24.0 because my computer is running out of memory. How much MORE memory will I need to get up to version 28.0?
My computer is really old.
It is running out of memory.
I haven't done a firefox update since 24.0 because I think it will explode my computer.
I see that v28.0 takes 200MB.
How much more is this than what is already loaded for my v24.0?
Will it just add the extra pieces, or will it require a free block of 200MB (which my computer does not have)?
I don't want to crash and lockup my computer because I try to install something that is too big for the remaining memory.
Thanks.

You should updated to Firefox 28, Firefox updates don't take any new space they just replace the existing files.
There are some things you can do to clean up your hard drive to free up space however, http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?p=21178060 and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956324, also uninstall programs you don't use anymore and delete files you don't need anymore.
You should also start saving up for a new machine, Windows XP is being dropped from support by Microsoft in a few days, which means it will no longer be safe to use on the internet.

More RAM or memory needed to run Windows-- AutoCAD 2010 on my mac?

Hi all,
I have researched for days and have still not been able to find an answer, last time I was here I was thoroughly impressed with the help, so I'm back!
I have a MacBook 5,1, basic model 2 Ghz, 2GB, 65.7 GB free on my hard drive. I run parallels to use Windows XP to use AutoCAD 2010. I borrowed a friends Mac, a larger "better" model and was instantly jealous at the speed his computer was able to do the same tasks my computer takes when I have Windows/AutoCAD running.
So my question is.. would more RAM help with the speed and overall function of my computer? Would more memory help? A combo of both? Also where is a reliable place to purchase what I may need? The best (and most cost effective) advice for my computer would be GREATLY appreciated!
oh, would upgrading to Snow Leopard help as well? I am currently running just Leopard as far as I can tell (10.5.8). Also would this require me to reinstall all programs on my computer?
Thanks in advance,
Laura

The short answer to your question is a resounding YES! RAM and memory are the same thing, but having more of that would most definitely improve your performance at almost everything.
Upgrading to SL may help a little, but not nearly as much as more RAM. I'm not positive, but I think that model maxes out at 4GB, so that should be your goal. If it's 8GB, even better. The more RAM you have, the better things will be with a memory hungry app like AutoCAD.

More Memory Needed???

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