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RAM overuse

aureiden

aureiden

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 7, 2007
72
0
USA
I feel like my Macbook is using too much RAM. I did install 2 GB of outside RAM several months ago, and it's been working beautifully until recently when my computer started using almost all of it constantly. It has nothing to do with CPU. Can anyone tell me why this is happening?

Not sure if they'll help, but attached are the screencaps of Activity Monitor:
image 1 = right after booting
image 2 = after 6 min of use
image 3 = after using it for a while
image 4 = where it'll eventually settle and remain until booting again - sometimes it even goes down to around 4 MB
 

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He is fine, doesn't understand the graphic, and not adding the blue and green together to get a representation of memory available.

There is a definition of the terms around somewhere, like in the help button on Activity monitor...

Wired: Wired memory is information that can’t be cached to disk, so it must stay in RAM. The amount depends on what applications you are using.

Active: Active memory is currently in RAM and actively being used.

Inactive: Inactive memory is no longer being used and has been cached to disk. It will remain in RAM until another application needs the space. Leaving this information in RAM is to your advantage if you (or a client of your computer) come back to it later.

Used: Used memory is being used by a process and not immediately available.

Free: Free memory is not being used and is immediately available.
 
I understand that what I have available is both the green and blue. What I don't understand is why I have significantly less RAM available than I used to even though I'm not doing any different these days.
 
your virtual memory usage seems kinda high too. I see a lot of folks bad-mouthing limewire, wonder if it effects RAM usage too?
 
Limewire definitely uses up a lot of RAM, but I've always used it and it's clearly not what's causing this problem. Oddly enough, it's actually been good to me these days.
 
Show all processes, and use the drag bar at the bottom to show all the columns.

The memory one may show you an app running that is taking up more than before.

But having 800MB free out of 2GB isn't too bad, but you are running something that gets you some pageouts every now and then.

It might not even show up here, but in your logs as a process that is stalling and restarting all the time.
 
Nukemkb said:
OMG! :eek: (not on my hard drive!) ;)
Click to expand...

haha well yea.. u need the space. but yea. how much free space do u have??

on my mbp i will normally use around 15-24gb VM..i have 24gb free...(WTH i swear i had 35gb.) hahaha dangit

aureiden said:
Limewire definitely uses up a lot of RAM, but I've always used it and it's clearly not what's causing this problem. Oddly enough, it's actually been good to me these days.
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i find logging out and back in will pretty much reset all of ur RAM, and you get to keep ur uptime and most of the main system startup items are already loaded so its much quicker :)
 
lancestraz said:
You're fine. Both the blue and green sections are good.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed, he seems to be fine.

Sun Baked said:
He is fine, doesn't understand the graphic, and not adding the blue and green together to get a representation of memory available.

There is a definition of the terms around somewhere, like in the help button on Activity monitor...

Wired: Wired memory is information that can’t be cached to disk, so it must stay in RAM. The amount depends on what applications you are using.

Active: Active memory is currently in RAM and actively being used.

Inactive: Inactive memory is no longer being used and has been cached to disk. It will remain in RAM until another application needs the space. Leaving this information in RAM is to your advantage if you (or a client of your computer) come back to it later.

Used: Used memory is being used by a process and not immediately available.

Free: Free memory is not being used and is immediately available.
Click to expand...

Nice little guide there:p:)

OP, it seems that you took these screenshots at different times. The first one seems to have been shortly after a boot-up, and the last one seems to be some time after a boot-up. Am I right? Just curious.:)
 
CalBoy said:
Yes indeed, he seems to be fine.



Nice little guide there:p:)

OP, it seems that you took these screenshots at different times. The first one seems to have been shortly after a boot-up, and the last one seems to be some time after a boot-up. Am I right? Just curious.:)
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're right. If you refer back to my first post, I describe each image.


And Sun Baked, here's the screenshot you requested.
 

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On another note, do I sound like a guy? Or is it my gender-ambiguous username? Cos I'm a girl.
 
aureiden said:
haha, no, it's totally fine. i don't mind. you were one of three who did...! :eek:
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haha its just cauz its really hard to tell emotions, voices, anything over text based things.

and also you wouldnt find an incredible amount of women in the IT arena, although it is increasing. good for the desperate ones haha
 
DoFoT9 said:
haha its just cauz its really hard to tell emotions, voices, anything over text based things.

and also you wouldnt find an incredible amount of women in the IT arena, although it is increasing. good for the desperate ones haha
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haha, true, true.... but i'm only here cos technology and i don't mix. :(
 
DoFoT9 said:
bahahahahaha join the club!!!!!!!!

i just marvel at what some of these people know. its crazy. im such a complete n00b compared to them lol.

enjoy ur night(day??) im off for a game of tennis :)
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i know, i'm constantly amazed by how much some people know on here! it's baffling.

enjoy your tennis game. (you're from australia? that's so cool. i've been there once, but i was like 5, so i don't remember much. i do remember some things, though! like feeding cubes of bread in milk to parrots and riding a mini-train in some kind of mine, and seeing the koalas.) as for me, i'm off to sleep. have a good one.
 
aureiden said:
i know, i'm constantly amazed by how much some people know on here! it's baffling.

enjoy your tennis game. (you're from australia? that's so cool. i've been there once, but i was like 5, so i don't remember much. i do remember some things, though! like feeding cubes of bread in milk to parrots and riding a mini-train in some kind of mine, and seeing the koalas.) as for me, i'm off to sleep. have a good one.
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oh yea i wish i was smart like so many people.

yup from australia, its sumer here. soooo good i love the heat. the cold just ***** me. lol koalas. theyr nothing special. so ferocious.

p.s. we got smashed in tennis hahaha.
 
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