Something is eating up memory? Using iFreeMem too much will harm your computer?

[Nghia Nguyen]

I've noticed how my MBP performs. In the past 1 week, it's run really smoothly. It never lags nor crashes on me. But there is one thing I'm concerned: even when I'm just using safari to surf web and iTunes for music, 2GB of RAM is wired and active. Does it really take that much? Or, (here comes a stupid question), does it take that much RAM to help my MBP run smoothly?

Here is a screenshot:



I also use iFreeMem to clear out all the inactive memory on my computer. Before and after I use it, the computer is really fast. But during the time it processes, it's really slow. Is it common? Is using iFreeMem too much will harm the RAM?

 

[spinnerlys]

It is common for the OS and some applications to take up 2GB of RAM.

The system is slow during the "freeing RAM" process, because it has to work.

To understand a bit more about Inactive and Free RAM, read here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1342

PS: MRoogle is a good tool to search these forums.

PPS: Using iFreeMem isn't necessary, Mac OS X is quite good with memory management, but if you insist on using it (it isn't necessary btw), it will not harm the RAM, it will put more stress on it during the "free memory" process, but that is all.

 

[scaredpoet]

I wouldn't stress over the use of the memory. Most people seem to be accustomed to the WIndows model of memory usage, where "excessive" use is a bad thing and you try to keep your memory as clear as possible. *NIX systems, however, tend to take advantage of the RAM you have to help buffer I/O intensive processes, cache up frequently used apps so they launch faster, things like that.

You've got 4 GB of RAM, and your Mac is making sure it's put to good use and you're getting your money's worth. Just let it do its job.

If you want to use iFreeMem you can, and it shouldn't harm your system at all. But as you've noticed, it will slow things down while you're freeing up memory because your resources are now being devoted to clearing out all the RAM that was being used to optimize i/o intensive processes in the first place. iFreemem isn't harming, but it's not really helping your computer either.

The irony of iFreemem is that on its website, it claims to speed up app launches and reduce spinning beach balls. But, a lot of the inactive and Wired RAM in use by OS X is meant to do the same things iFreemem says IT does. Unless your system is physically low on RAM (like, less than 2GB of memory physically installed), it's really just a placebo.

 

[Nghia Nguyen]

Thanks for the comments!