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Am I the only one experiencing Snow Leopard constantly becoming slower and slower?
- Thread starter Ramius
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Like I said, it is not.
Activity monitor tells me that Safari is using 1gb of memory. ONE ****ING GIGABYTE OF RAM. And that´s for one pane.
The other programs I run, like Adium, Mail and such, is only using 20-30 mb of memory.
So Safari is the sinner here, obviously, and since Apple made Safari, that means it´s Apples fault, and not mine.
Activity monitor tells me that Safari is using 1gb of memory. ONE ****ING GIGABYTE OF RAM. And that´s for one pane.
The other programs I run, like Adium, Mail and such, is only using 20-30 mb of memory.
So Safari is the sinner here, obviously, and since Apple made Safari, that means it´s Apples fault, and not mine.
After I deactivated addons in Safari, ram usage dropped from 1 gigabyte down to 250 mb.
Which is good... I suppose - but extremely wierd. I can´t actually make sense of it.
After some research on this issue, I´ve found out it´s not a new problem that Safari uses alot of memory. It is infact known for being a resource hog, often called a dirty pig even. And it´s been going on for quite a while. I just wonder why it has started behaving this way first recently for me, when I´ve had the machine for three years. And people have been complaining about it for much longer.
If I were to change browser, which one uses the LEAST memory? I tried Opera out, which actually is made a few block away from my house, and it was fast. but it doesn´t look as nice as Safari does.
Which is good... I suppose - but extremely wierd. I can´t actually make sense of it.
After some research on this issue, I´ve found out it´s not a new problem that Safari uses alot of memory. It is infact known for being a resource hog, often called a dirty pig even. And it´s been going on for quite a while. I just wonder why it has started behaving this way first recently for me, when I´ve had the machine for three years. And people have been complaining about it for much longer.
If I were to change browser, which one uses the LEAST memory? I tried Opera out, which actually is made a few block away from my house, and it was fast. but it doesn´t look as nice as Safari does.
This is the support desk at the Apple Store. If your hard drive isn't failing and you suspect that it's the Snow Leopard updates slowing down your computer, try this. Reinstall Snow Leopard (or Leopard) with the install disc that originally came with your computer. This will not be the latest version, and instead will the version of the OS that came with your computer originally (which you claim isn't slow). See if the computer still runs slow. If it does, you may have some deeper hardware failures about to occur. If not, just stick with an older version (you can update, but update step by step with each update until you get to a point where it gets slow again, and reinstall the OS to the point update right before that).
Sure... everyone has got time to manually get to know each update all over again, from two years ago....
You sure the answer is not simpler than that? Like quit using Safari? Which would take me a few seconds. Or delete some folder or perform some magical trick?
Oh yeah, just to clarify a previous comment I made. When I said "This is the support desk at the Apple Store", I was referring to the Genius Bar. I'm not the support desk haha.
But you could always quit using Safari, and try using Chrome or Firefox. However, they don't use much less resources than Safari, but it's always worth a try. You said you manage your computer rather diligently, so I'm not sure what you could do regarding files or cache or anything.
That being said, the method I offered was a surefire way to determine if the problem was your operating system version or if it was something else. You don't have to install all the point by point updates. You can just try installing the original OS at first, and seeing how that goes. If you want the feature from another update, just do a combo update to that version, which automatically do all previous point updates for you.
Would it not be great if there was a log of memory usage by each application?
I´m sure that would tell me that way back when I bought my machine, less ram was in use, and that by the end of 2010, far more ram was in use. With no increase in applications in use.
I find this to be a strange mystery, how ram is enough when a machine is new, but somehow, it is not enough anymore after a few years. What is causing this to happen?
I´m not playing any demanding games or challenging the system with anything. I´m just surfing the net, reading my emails and stuff. Very simple.
I´m sure that would tell me that way back when I bought my machine, less ram was in use, and that by the end of 2010, far more ram was in use. With no increase in applications in use.
I find this to be a strange mystery, how ram is enough when a machine is new, but somehow, it is not enough anymore after a few years. What is causing this to happen?
I´m not playing any demanding games or challenging the system with anything. I´m just surfing the net, reading my emails and stuff. Very simple.
r0k
macrumors 68040
I would add that there's a bit more of a bump by going to a "hybrid" SSD. I picked up a Momentus 500GB/7200 RPM + 4 GB SSD and I'm very happy with the performance compared to my old 5400 RPM 160 GB (stock Macbook) drive. I spent less than $200 including tax, shipping, etc on RAM from Crucial and the HDD from Best Buy. I could have saved $40 if I had been willing to order the drive from Amazon instead of brick and mortar. I was bracing myself to take it back but the more I learned about it and used it the more I liked it.
arcite
macrumors 65816
Your computer is getting dated. Buy a new one, or ask less of it; computer equipment is perishable and does break down and get more errors over time. 4 gigs of memory is really the minimum needed these days and a new Hard disk would help as well. On the other hand, it might just be better to sell the old computer and upgrade to a newer system.
I would love to agree with you on this. If only you could elaborate on your answer in a more scientific way.
You claim computer equipment breaks down over time. Sure, sounds logical, but is it? What exactly is breaking down in my Macbook, causing it to run slower and slower?
What is causing my system to need more Ram all of the sudden? Twice as much as it originally had out of the box, and ran fine with for years?
Another annoying thing:
Sometimes when I scroll on websites. The scrolling doesn´t happen before AFTER I have done the scrolling.
Theres like half a second lag between the physical scrolling and the action. Sometimes longer!
Sometimes when I scroll on websites. The scrolling doesn´t happen before AFTER I have done the scrolling.
Theres like half a second lag between the physical scrolling and the action. Sometimes longer!
My apple systems, (imac g5 and imac i7) have always, always gotten a lot slower after time (6 months minimum). With daily use (entire working day). There is definitely something wrong with apple's OS.
Big-TDI-Guy
macrumors 68030
OK - whatever the (#*k is wrong with your Mac - it sounds EXACTLY identical to what's up the @$$ of mine. Should you discover it - kindly report back! As while mine has past it's prime and will be replaced should it get much worse, I still want to know what's behind this evolving problem...
smithrh
macrumors 68030
You almost certainly don't have enough RAM and you're swapping.
Safari is a terrible RAM hog. Even moderate browsing can lead to huge amounts of RAM being used.
In addition, SL caches a lot more in RAM than Leopard did, which in this case winds up being a double whammy. 4Gb in SL is *maybe* enough, 2Gb certainly isn't.
Add RAM people, add RAM.
Safari is a terrible RAM hog. Even moderate browsing can lead to huge amounts of RAM being used.
In addition, SL caches a lot more in RAM than Leopard did, which in this case winds up being a double whammy. 4Gb in SL is *maybe* enough, 2Gb certainly isn't.
Add RAM people, add RAM.
sjinsjca
macrumors 68020
I recently upgraded my early-2010 MBP with a 500GB, 7200 rpm Hitachi Travelstar for $58.
Anyway, you asked for advice, you got it. More RAM and/or a fresh hard disk.
steve knight
macrumors 68030
I have this slowdown issue too. I don't run a lot of apps on my mini and I have 4 gigs of ram. firefox was the worst it needed shut down and restarted to get things going ok. chrome is not quite as bad but it still eats memory. Not having time machine always running helps a lot.
smithrh
macrumors 68030
Websites have a lot more crap on them these days. Flash ads, interactive media content, so on and so forth.
Nothing is breaking on your Mac (probably). But the web isn't sitting still either - websites are getting seriously amped up (and not always for the better). Also, perhaps your expectations have, for some reason, risen over time.
My 2008 hard disk in my unibody macbook is fine. For whatever reason, yours may not be. It is a complicated moving part.
Also, given the original purchase price of your Mac, adding RAM or - if needed - a new hard disk, are hardly expensive items. They used to be, but if you haven't looked at prices recently, you may be pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive they have become.
That was the most valuable information I´ve gotten in a long time. Is it true? That Snow Leopard uses more Ram than Leopard did?
I wish Apple would inform users of this when upgrading their software. Should I even bother with Lion? Will that use even more ram?
So far Opera runs alot quicker than Safari, but uses only about 100mb LESS ram. But it´s not as nice as Safari, when for instance opening multiple videos in Youtube, Safari pauses the load of the other panes untill you open them. So you wont have ten videos starting to play at the same time. Opera does not pause them, and you have to manually pause each of them.
Honestly I hardly remember the difference between Snow Leopard and Leopard. I have no problem downgrading again, if Leopard had lower demands in hardware.
Atleast this thread has made me aware that several of you people have the same problem. And that something IS slowing down in the system.
I will stay away from upgrading, because I think in a few years, I will buy an Imac as my stationary machine, and drastically reduce usage of this Macbook.
i have a 2006 core 2 duo 2gig ram on snow leopard....
over the last 2 weeks itunes and safari have started beach balling all the time! also everything else seams to be running slower than before...
5 years of faultless running isn't bad after all!!!
Time for a new one i think 🙂
edit
i have just noticed every time my computer hangs i have process MRT running, found this about it
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1161706/
have a look on yours and see if its there
over the last 2 weeks itunes and safari have started beach balling all the time! also everything else seams to be running slower than before...
5 years of faultless running isn't bad after all!!!
Time for a new one i think 🙂
edit
i have just noticed every time my computer hangs i have process MRT running, found this about it
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1161706/
have a look on yours and see if its there
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This could be part of your problem. Unix operating systems run maintenance scripts; daily, weekly, and monthly. These scripts run automatically early in the AM hours, sometime between 0300 and 0500 local time IF your computer is on. There are a lot of easy software solutions to running them, but it is easier to just do it yourself in the terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app).
Copy and paste the following into the command prompt and press ENTER:
Code:
sudo periodic daily weekly monthlyNote that sudo requires an administrator password to use. This will NOT echo to the screen as you type!! Press ENTER again once you have typed your password.
Also, there will be no visual indication of the scripts running, but you can check the log files for when they last ran. Copy and paste into the command prompt:
Code:
ls -al /var/log/*.outThese scripts do a lot for cleaning out old scratch and log files that can ultimately take up a LOT of space if you don't allow the scripts to do their job.
Most browsers will end up taking up a great deal of RAM if you leave them open a long time.
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smithrh
macrumors 68030
<facepalm>
Look, I'm going to be blunt here. A RAM upgrade is cheap as hell right now. If you can't be bothered to upgrade RAM - which is an extremely easy thing to do - then I think you should also quit complaining.
$20-40 and 5 minutes of your time, really that's all we're talking about here.