I had to restart my new MacBook Air with 4 GB of RAM because there wasn't enough space left as it as using all the available memory for SWAP. It's a bit ridiculous.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
4 GB is not enough (over 50 GB of Swap used)
- Thread starter Brandon263
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
How long has the Mac been running, since Page Outs are accumulative?
Taking screenshots in Mac OS X
Btw, "memory" is not the same as "hard drive / storage capacity":
It is recommended, to have 10 to 20 % of the SSD/HDD's capacity unused.
The above links also apply to SSDs.
Taking screenshots in Mac OS X
Btw, "memory" is not the same as "hard drive / storage capacity":
It is recommended, to have 10 to 20 % of the SSD/HDD's capacity unused.
The above links also apply to SSDs.
What version of OS X are you running? IF you're running 10.7.x, make sure you update to 10.7.5 and the the security update that will be available. If you're running 10.8.x, make sure you update to 10.8.4.
And looking at the process list, are you running the latest version of the dropbox software?
And looking at the process list, are you running the latest version of the dropbox software?
I agree with the other posters. How long has the MBA been running? With that sort of swap file it may indicate a memory leak in one of the programs you've got. Ensure everything's up-to-date as a start.
Reboot the computer, and untick the option 'Reopen windows when logging back in'. Keep us updated!
Reboot the computer, and untick the option 'Reopen windows when logging back in'. Keep us updated!
But its on SSD, so it's SOOO FAST!!
An SSD with swap on it may be fast, but it is more limited in space than a regular hard drive. Your run away swap does sound like a leaking program.
I know. I was sarcastically making the point to those in other threads who said 4GB RAM was enough because any memory paging would occur quickly in SSD. Thus completely ignoring the pitfalls of relying heavily on limited-space, limited-write-cycle-lifespan storage media.
I just got the Air this morning. It's the new 1.3 Ghz Air with the latest OS X 10.8.4 pre-installed. All the apps running are the latest versions since I literally downloaded them hours ago so I am not sure why there should be any memory leakages. In 14 years of using Macs, I have never had this happen to me. I'm very disappointed.
Newness doesn't necessarily mean the programs are free of bugs. 50GB of swap is a lot if you're really just using the stock programs, but perhaps the act of downloading and installing new programs is driving up your memory usage. Also, your computer may be actively building its Spotlight index. Let us know what happens in the next 24 hours of usage.
Separate from your other issues, I would argue that 4GB of RAM is definitely not enough for a computer you plan on keeping for 3 to 4 years... The BTO option to double the RAM to 8GB is only $100, and since you can't upgrade later, I consider it a no-brainer on any new Air. In fact, it is the only BTO option that I would strongly suggest.
I don't think this is OS X's fault. It's working as designed. Try running it with just one program at a time while keeping a close eye on the memory usage. If you see it starting to climb without stopping and going into swap, you'd have found the problem. I've had this happen to an older XP machine of mine. Problem then was a poorly written video converter.
My question is what is dropbox doing that it is using so much CPU? (According to the images you posted.)
It could very well be the problem application. It might be stuck in a loop or race condition that is using up all of the system's resources.
Yeah, we've seen that in other threads too. It's really pronounced with a fresh install and Dropbox syncing. Their Mac client seems to be lacking.
----------
But its on SSD, so it's SOOO FAST!!
Bwahaha! Yeah, no need for 8GB EVER!
Why is Mail using up so much RAM and why is Dropbox running at 400+ CPU usage?
Restart your computer, neither of those things are normal
Restart your computer, neither of those things are normal
Ive been running my 2011 MBA with 4gb of ram since launch and ive never had that warning come up or even close to that amount of swap used. There is defiantly an app or process playing up there. Why is mail using 1gb of memory lol??? Here is a screenshot of my activity monitor.
Last edited:
I would like to piggy back on this thread if I may.
I bought a new MBA last weekend, base model 13in. Only programs on it, other then what it came with, is pages and numbers.
At first I was nervous about 4gig memory being enough. I have used my MBA as my primary machine this week to get a feel for it and what it can do. I have kept activity monitor up watching CPU and memory usage and am satisfied I do not push it, there has always been available green in the memory usage pie chart.
When reading this thread I looked at the page outs and there are zero, but there is 359.6mb Swap used?
Google has told me that memory swap is the machine swapping tasks from memory to virtual memory. Is this a sign that my Numbers / Pages use has pegged my memory? Is it normal use and nothing to be concerned about?
I bought a new MBA last weekend, base model 13in. Only programs on it, other then what it came with, is pages and numbers.
At first I was nervous about 4gig memory being enough. I have used my MBA as my primary machine this week to get a feel for it and what it can do. I have kept activity monitor up watching CPU and memory usage and am satisfied I do not push it, there has always been available green in the memory usage pie chart.
When reading this thread I looked at the page outs and there are zero, but there is 359.6mb Swap used?
Google has told me that memory swap is the machine swapping tasks from memory to virtual memory. Is this a sign that my Numbers / Pages use has pegged my memory? Is it normal use and nothing to be concerned about?
After restarting, resetting PRAM and SMC, repairing permissions and cleaning up the computer using Onyx, the computer is working fine. Although it is showing huge pageouts (~4GB), it nonetheless feels marginally faster than my rMBP 15 and there's no lag. The display actually doesn't look that bad either.
Attachments
After restarting, resetting PRAM and SMC, repairing permissions and cleaning up the computer using Onyx, the computer is working fine. Although it is showing huge pageouts (~4GB), it nonetheless feels marginally faster than my rMBP 15 and there's no lag. The display actually doesn't look that bad either.
What display do you have, LG or Samsung?