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luke71933

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 17, 2012
63
0
Hi,
I've got a macbook pro 2012 13" base model . The kernel_task is taking up 800mb of ram
 

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B...

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2013
1,949
2
OK. On 10.8.3, the kernel task increased signficantly. Do not be alarmed; it is normal although not ideal.
 

bobcan

macrumors 6502a
Jan 8, 2007
680
5
Sunny but Cold.. Canada
My mid-2011 i7 2.2GHz is currently at 1.04G and using 4.2% CPU.. I have a lot of things working at the same time right now, and it has always been 'up there' from what I recall..
 

luke71933

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 17, 2012
63
0
Because of this issue my fans are always working and its annoying. when I started in safe mode only 300mb was used.
 

gr8tfly

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2006
5,333
99
~119W 34N
If the fans are running fast enough for you to hear them, you must be running some other processes which are putting a load on the CPU/GPU. A large RAM allocation alone won't do it.

If you're just checking fan speed - they are always running at around 2000 RPM.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,601
California
Because of this issue my fans are always working and its annoying. when I started in safe mode only 300mb was used.

If your fans are running at a high speed, it has nothing to do with the memory usage we are seeing in that screen shot. When you took that screen shot you still had over 2GB of memory available and very little CPU load.

Memory usage will be less in safe mode because no login items or kernal extensions are loaded in safe mode.

As others mentioned, if the fans are ramped up to the point you can hear them during low loads, you have something else going on... but kernel_task using the memory you are seeing is normal.
 

luke71933

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 17, 2012
63
0
Ok , but i am not doing naything just iTunes safari and thats it.

----------

If i format the drive will it void my warranty?
 

luke71933

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 17, 2012
63
0
Here's my temperatures
 

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luke71933

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 17, 2012
63
0
Another question about the battery should I keep my laptop plugged in or should I let the battery drain to 50% and then charge.? I usually keep it plugged in for about 4-5hrs then 1-2hrs without charging.
istat pro readings are here :
 

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leman

macrumors Core
Oct 14, 2008
19,200
19,060
Here's my temperatures

These are absolutely normal idle temperatures for a slim laptop, especially given your enviable ambient temperature *looks at the piles of snow beneath the window*

Yes, you can format your drive. No, it won't affect you warranty in any way.

As to the battery: it honesty does not matter much. Anyway, GGJstudios will probably automagically appear in this thread any moment soon with a bunch of relevant links, so I will save myself the work ^^
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,601
California
Another question about the battery should I keep my laptop plugged in or should I let the battery drain to 50% and then charge.? I usually keep it plugged in for about 4-5hrs then 1-2hrs without charging.
istat pro readings are here :

Here is the official Apple info on batteries. You don't need to drain it. Just use it however you want and take it off the charger occasionally to give the battery a little exercise. :)
 

CitrusPisser

macrumors member
Apr 20, 2013
45
0
Does anybody have an actually answer as to why the kernel task is seemingly very large in Mountain Lion? After startup and only Safari and 3-4 small login items open (temp monitor, ultra fan) it's up around 800mb
 

CitrusPisser

macrumors member
Apr 20, 2013
45
0
Surely somebody here has some sort of answer to this question. Also, since I've upgraded to 16gig of RAM I've noticed that the kernel task uses up to almost twice as much as it used to. Anybody know as to what this extra memory is being used for, and what are you potentially missing out on when you have a 4gig or 8 gig machine with a significantly smaller kernel task?
 

leman

macrumors Core
Oct 14, 2008
19,200
19,060
Its probably just more aggressive caching. The OS will try to utilise the RAM in an optimal way. After all, free RAM = wasted RAM.
 

negativzero

macrumors 6502a
Jul 19, 2011
564
55
Its probably just more aggressive caching. The OS will try to utilise the RAM in an optimal way. After all, free RAM = wasted RAM.

This.
One of the things kernel_task does is cache system processes to speed up your computer.

And there's no point in using apps that "free ram" in OSX or any nix system. It really doesn't do anything.

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You sir, need more RAM, you have 6 GB of pageouts.:eek:

No he doesn't need more ram, he still has 2gigs free. Something else is causing the Mac to page out.
 

DMH3006

macrumors regular
Jun 16, 2011
231
0
You sir, need more RAM, you have 6 GB of pageouts.:eek:

This.
One of the things kernel_task does is cache system processes to speed up your computer.

And there's no point in using apps that "free ram" in OSX or any nix system. It really doesn't do anything.

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No he doesn't need more ram, he still has 2gigs free. Something else is causing the Mac to page out.

The reason of the page outs is I was scanning some documents yesterday and for some reason while its scanning the inactive memory jumps to like 1,6GB/1,7GB and it leaves the mac with no free ram causing the page outs,I very rarely have page outs unless some app goes stupid and doesn't release the inactive memory.
 

justperry

macrumors G5
Aug 10, 2007
12,558
9,750
I'm a rolling stone.
No he doesn't need more ram, he still has 2gigs free. Something else is causing the Mac to page out.

:confused::confused::confused:

You are wrong, those pageouts are written by the system, he has 2 GB free now but that doesn't mean at one time he still had free RAM, not, at one time ALL his RAM was taken, too many pageouts slows down the System.

Now, I see that he posted a reply, I am aware of it, he is a light User and rarely gets pageouts as he says now, many times this is NOT the case and people would be having a faster System WITH more RAM.
 

CitrusPisser

macrumors member
Apr 20, 2013
45
0
Its probably just more aggressive caching. The OS will try to utilise the RAM in an optimal way. After all, free RAM = wasted RAM.

Interesting, so a mac installed with more RAM will in some ways be more optimised even if much of the RAM itself is not being used. I wonder if there is some of algorithm that let's the OS know how much RAM it can use for system tasks based on the overall amount of installed RAM.
 

qsch1

macrumors member
Apr 30, 2013
44
1
I also am getting about 1.2 of ram being used from the Kernel Task. See screenshot! My system keeps running out of memory and asking me to shut down applications. My computer is a 2.7 Macbook Pro i7 processor with 16 gigs. Is this normal?
 

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jerryk

macrumors 604
Nov 3, 2011
7,418
4,206
SF Bay Area
I also am getting about 1.2 of ram being used from the Kernel Task. See screenshot! My system keeps running out of memory and asking me to shut down applications. My computer is a 2.7 Macbook Pro i7 processor with 16 gigs. Is this normal?

What is memory cleaner? Most of these memory optimizers make things worse.
 

Toutou

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2015
1,079
1,573
Prague, Czech Republic
Get rid of that Memory Cleaner X thing. Your memory usage (in that screenshot) looks perfectly fine.

When are you getting those popups? A screenshot of Activity Monitor at that moment would be helpful.
 
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