Is your iMac running slow? Not sure how to fix the issue? Check out these 7 tips and tricks for speeding up your Mac computer.
iMacs have come a rather long way. To give you an idea, its single- and multi-core CPU performance has increased by around 40% since 2012.
It has received major makeovers and upgrades in five years and now, it’s one of the fastest computers today.
However, they can still slow down at no fault of the user. It’s a computer so it happens, especially after you’ve used it for quite some time.
If an iMac running slow is your problem, you can do different ways to speed it up again. Try our solutions below and see which ones will work for you.
1. Kill Some Processes
Some processes might be eating into your Mac’s resources, slowing down your computer. To check, use the Activity Monitor. You can find it in the Utility folder in the Applications tab, or you can use Spotlight to find it for you.
Here, you’ll see all the processes that are using your CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, and Network resources. Pay attention to the ones that are hogging your CPU and Memory, and avoid tampering with the other resources.
You can terminate a process by clicking the process name and then clicking the x button on the top left corner of the window. Be careful with what you choose to end, though. Only kill the ones you’re familiar with.
2. Free Up Some Space
Sometimes, your hard drive needs a clean-up once in a while to free some storage space. Storing too much data can slow down any device, so if you notice your iMac running slow, check your local storage.
To see the state of your hard drive, click the Apple logo on the top left corner of your screen. Then, select About this Mac and navigate to Storage. Click the Manage button, which will take you to another window.
Here, you can see your computer’s recommendations on how to get more space. Review each one to see if you can apply some of them.
It will also show you how much space your Applications, Documents, Books, and other libraries are taking up. If you click on a tab, you’ll also see the biggest apps and files in size.
You can delete them right in this tab. Uninstall some apps you don’t use anymore and delete large files you don’t need.
3. Minimize Your iCloud Syncs
One of the said recommendations is to use iCloud for storing your photos. This frees up space, yes, because you’ll store them on the internet instead of local storage. However, this may also contribute to the slowing down of your system.
Whenever you put a file in an iCloud folder or desktop, it syncs. Whenever you open the Photos folder, it also syncs.
The syncing process can take up resources, slowing down your computer. If you need an instant boost in speed, check your syncs and stop the unnecessary ones.
Put the files elsewhere first and then put them later in your iCloud when you don’t need as many resources anymore.
4. Clear Your Desktop Clutter
Storing files on your desktop use RAM resources; the more files there are, the higher the memory it needs. This can be why your iMac is running slow.
Clear up your desktop by deleting some apps and files you don’t need there anymore. Organize them into the core folders: Documents, Pictures, Music, Movies, and such. You’ll see a huge improvement, especially if you’re running out of memory.
Keep in mind that your desktop may also sync across different computers. That means anything you put in here has to sync, further slowing down your device.
5. Empty the Caches
Your Mac stores cache files, which are temporary data that can help it speed up processes by reusing caches. Some of the caches can increase the performance of your computer, but some of them may be slowing it down.
Go to ~Library/Caches/ and you’ll likely see a lot of files there. All of them combined might even amount to gigabytes of data.
You can delete the ones from unused apps. While they are all safe to delete, it’s still best to practice caution when dealing with system files.
6. Update Your Software to the Latest Version
macOS updates are always free, so there’s no reason to keep your computer outdated. Sometimes, making iMacs faster is as simple as updating it to the latest version. It contains new features, security updates, bug fixes, and optimizations.
Your Mac can update itself automatically, but to confirm if you have the latest software version, click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen. Then, choose About This Mac.
A window will appear, displaying the software name currently installed on your computer. Below it, a series of numbers represents the version number.
To check if there’s an available update, click the Software Update button. Wait a bit as your computer checks for updates. If there is, an Upgrade Now button will appear; click that to update your OS.
For more on iMac troubleshooting, you can head on to setapp.com to see more tips on how to do this.
7. Check Your Trash and Downloads
After deleting files and apps in an attempt to free up space, empty your Trash folder. It should be on your dock; right click on it and select Empty Trash. If you don’t do this, your apps and files may still be taking up storage space.
You can always see if your Trash folder has contents. The icon looks empty when there’s none, and if there are files there, you’ll see it start to fill up.
Check your Downloads folder, too. You may not need some of the files you downloaded before, such as installers.
Use These Tips for Your iMac Running Slow
Now you know the reasons for your iMac running slow, and now you also know the solutions to these problems. Try the tips above and see if you’re noticing an improvement.
For more tech and iMac tips, check out our blog posts today. We offer all sorts of guides and tips to help you get the most out of these amazing gadgets.
