WindowServer using 3GB when connected to dual 4K displays and Sidecar

[MrGunny94]

Alright, this has been discussed around the forum. However this is becoming a very big issue for me whenever I am connected to my dual 4.5K displays (Huawei Mateview 27.5") and my iPad Pro 12th gen.

My Window Server goes up to 3,20GB

Anyone else having the same issue?

 

[BanditoB]

Is this actually causing any other problems with your system? Your memory pressure looks fine, so I would be inclined to let the computer/OS handle this as it wants to and wouldn't be too concerned about it.

 

[pshufd]

Does running BetterDisplay result in more RAM use?

 

[Pressure]

Are the desktops cluttered with folders and files? Many applications open?

The service is essentially making sure that all applications open can be "drawn" / shown instantly if they are behind each other. Therefore the service will take up more memory the more it needs to be ready to show application windows and desktops.

In older operating systems moving an active application would blank it out and the windows revealed under it before it was re-rendered. You can force close the service and see how WindowServer re-renders every window, desktop and application.

For ***** and giggles you could first try and close Microsoft Edge and Teams ...

 

[MrGunny94]

Is this actually causing any other problems with your system? Your memory pressure looks fine, so I would be inclined to let the computer/OS handle this as it wants to and wouldn't be too concerned about it.

Yes every time I disconnect or add a display I have excessive swapping and get between yellow to red lines. System seems it's about to have a kernel panic for 10 seconds..

Are the desktops cluttered with folders and files? Many applications open?

The service is essentially making sure that all applications open can be "drawn" / shown instantly if they are behind each other. Therefore the service will take up more memory the more it needs to be ready to show application windows and desktops.

In older operating systems moving an active application would blank it out and the windows revealed under it before it was re-rendered. You can force close the service and see how WindowServer re-renders every window, desktop and application.

For ***** and giggles you could first try and close Microsoft Edge and Teams ...

Yeah Edge and Teams are memory eaters, but they are essential to my workflow.. would prefer Webex or Slack tho.

Does running BetterDisplay result in more RAM use?

Nope it's the exact same, just using BetterDisplay for easily swap resolutions if needed

 

[uller6]

Yeah Edge and Teams are memory eaters, but they are essential to my workflow.. would prefer Webex or Slack tho.

Be careful what you wish for. Webex is...as bad as teams. Slack is an incredibly poorly written program (for Mac), and it drives me insane that the window "themes" are different from those on MacOS...

 

[pshufd]

I added a DisplayLink 2k monitor and my RAM usage went fro 768 MB to 1.11 GB. I don't see it growing though. Really good thing that I went with the 16 GB mini. I wish that there was a 24 GB option so I could put a fourth monitor on it.

 

[MrGunny94]

Be careful what you wish for. Webex is...as bad as teams. Slack is an incredibly poorly written program (for Mac), and it drives me insane that the window "themes" are different from those on MacOS...

Jeez... Well, we ain't moving away from MS Teams any time soon anyway.

I added a DisplayLink 2k monitor and my RAM usage went fro 768 MB to 1.11 GB. I don't see it growing though. Really good thing that I went with the 16 GB mini. I wish that there was a 24 GB option so I could put a fourth monitor on it.

Whoo! And that's a 2560x1440 display.. Imagine us with 4.5K displays. To me it's quite crazy that such a memory usage can jump just by connecting monitors lol.

 

[pshufd]

Jeez... Well, we ain't moving away from MS Teams any time soon anyway.


Whoo! And that's a 2560x1440 display.. Imagine us with 4.5K displays. To me it's quite crazy that such a memory usage can jump just by connecting monitors lol.

My other two displays are 4k. I have another 4k monitor but can't plug it in unless I use something like Airplay. And I have a 5k iMac. I was curious as to what would happen if I plug in the 4k monitor to the DisplayLink device - would the monitor flip to 2K or just go black?

 

[Pressure]

To me it's quite crazy that such a memory usage can jump just by connecting monitors lol.

It's pretty much blown out of proportion.

With an 8K monitor (7680x4320 pixels) WindowServer only use 1.59GB with plenty of applications open.

 

[pshufd]

It's pretty much blown out of proportion.

With an 8K monitor (7680x4320 pixels) WindowServer only use 1.59GB with plenty of applications open.

My 2014 iMac 5k doesn't have a windowserver process. So all of the 32 GB of RAM is available for OS, programs and cached files.

Perhaps Apple should start the M3 chips at 12 GB of RAM.

 

[Pressure]

My 2014 iMac 5k doesn't have a windowserver process. So all of the 32 GB of RAM is available for OS, programs and cached files.

Perhaps Apple should start the M3 chips at 12 GB of RAM.

Is it because it runs another operating system? Mac OS 9 perhaps?

I'm sorry but WindowServer is a collection of services tasked with, well, window management. It's a core macOS process that sits between applications and their graphical representation we see on the screen.

 

[pshufd]

Is it because it runs another operating system? Mac OS 9 perhaps?

I'm sorry but WindowServer is a collection of services tasked with, well, window management. It's a core macOS process that sits between applications and their graphical representation we see on the screen.

It's running Big Sur.

Maybe it isn't in the task list because it has a Discrete GPU.

 

[MrGunny94]

It's running Big Sur.

Maybe it isn't in the task list because it has a Discrete GPU.

Well yeah but connecting dual 4K display never caused me an issue since 2016, the more time I’m connected with them the more it increases at some point I saw 3.8GB and I didn’t even had a VM or Electron apps open

 

[pshufd]

Well yeah but connecting dual 4K display never caused me an issue since 2016, the more time I’m connected with them the more it increases at some point I saw 3.8GB and I didn’t even had a VM or Electron apps open

I think that the systems with discrete graphics only use the on-board RAM and you can get a considerable amount of it with some models.

After I shut down my production stuff, RAM usage dropped from 1.1 GB to under 1 GB. So it appears to be the resolution of the monitors, what you're running and maybe the number of spaces per monitor. Everything did run fine today though.

 

[MrGunny94]

I think that the systems with discrete graphics only use the on-board RAM and you can get a considerable amount of it with some models.

After I shut down my production stuff, RAM usage dropped from 1.1 GB to under 1 GB. So it appears to be the resolution of the monitors, what you're running and maybe the number of spaces per monitor. Everything did run fine today though.

I‘m more and more thinking of getting an ASD monitor and eventually a M2 Pro Mac with 32GB of RAM

 

[ondioline]

Because the M1 GPU doesn’t have dedicated VRAM, the compositor uses system memory. Where else would it be buffering the output?

 

[estabya]

Because the M1 GPU doesn’t have dedicated VRAM, the compositor uses system memory. Where else would it be buffering the output?

This.

The unified memory means the GPU is using RAM for a video buffer. The higher your resolution and more applications you have open, the higher the memory usage will be. Someone referenced their older iMac not showing this process using any memory, but Macs with dedicated GPUs (and thus video memory) don’t need to utilize RAM for GPU buffering.

Frankly ~3GB for 2x 4.5k monitors and an iPad as Sidecar sounds completely reasonable to me.

 

[MrGunny94]

This.

The unified memory means the GPU is using RAM for a video buffer. The higher your resolution and more applications you have open, the higher the memory usage will be. Someone referenced their older iMac not showing this process using any memory, but Macs with dedicated GPUs (and thus video memory) don’t need to utilize RAM for GPU buffering.

Frankly ~3GB for 2x 4.5k monitors and an iPad as Sidecar sounds completely reasonable to me.

Yeah I suppose I should have gone for 32GB I get into the 65/70% when using UTM with Ubuntu at 4GB