Hard drives, which are sequential, offer the ability to store data even when the computer is off and not currently running processes. It operates on random access memory as opposed to sequential memory. RAM is typically stored in memory modules that are socketed to your motherboard - giving them a rapid pathway to the “brains” of your computer - your CPU. It’s responsible for rapidly handling immediate tasks, and is much faster than traditional hard drive space. If your hard drive is a long-term memory solution where you store files and folders, then RAM is short-term memory. RAM is temporary data storage that your computer uses to execute programs and process applications. Unlike Windows 10 computers, it’s difficult to upgrade the RAM on your Mac.īut, before you go out and buy a brand-new computer, here are some steps you can take to free up some precious RAM. Old files and cluttered caches can eat away at it over time, causing your computer to slow down significantly.
Most Mac computers ship with around 8 GB of RAM. Is your Mac slow? Are you suffering from freezes, crashes, reboots, or lag? Your random access memory (RAM) may be to blame.