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Is your Mac slow?
Do you see the spinning pinwheel of death every day?
Don’t put up with it!
Here’s how to diagnose the issue so you could fix the problem.
How to Diagnose a Sluggish Mac
There are many reasons why your Mac might have performance issues.
it’s possible for you to fix most common causes of a slow Mac yourself, and relatively easily.
Here are some of the easiertips you might venture to speed up your Mac.
Hardware issues, though, are the exception.
If your Mac has a problem with a particular component, the fix becomes more complicated.
When your device needs repairs, you can save money by investing in AKKO’s low cost insurance coverage for all of your electronic devices at a fraction of the cost that you’d pay for AppleCare+.
In a worst-case scenario, you might always ask Apple to take a look.
From there, they should be able to recommend a fix for the problem.
The company only charges you for repairs after it has your consent to make them.
you could also use the keyboard shortcut Command+Option+Esc to force quit the current app.
tap the “CPU” tab and view the “% CPU” column in descending order.
This way, the apps using the most processing power appear at the top.
you’re free to kill processes the same way you would an app that’s crashed.
you’ve got the option to kill these and restart them.
Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t specify exactly how much free space is required to keep your Mac happy.
A general rule of thumb is to keep 15 percent of your startup disk free at all times.
This figure applies mostly to laptops with small drives.
An iMac with a 3 TB drive requires a much smaller percentage to satisfy macOS requirements.
But it’s also much harder to fill up a 3 TB iMac than a 128 GB MacBook Air.
smack the “Storage” tab to see a breakdown of your current disk usage.
it’s possible for you to thenfree up space on your Mac.
System Resources: Are You Pushing Your Mac Too Far?
Browsers, in general, can be a source of poor performance.
Too many extensions and plugins negatively affect your web app’s responsiveness.
And some web apps can tax your machine just as much as native ones.
Hardware Issues: Problems Under the Hood
Few computers hold resale value like a Mac.
But problems can arise—particularly if your machine is showing its age.
But there are some things it’s possible for you to check yourself.
Apple Diagnostics
Note:If Apple Diagnostics doesn’t start, try holding Option+D instead.
You need an internet connection to do this because your Mac downloads Apple Diagnostics before it runs it.
Apple Diagnostics can only tell you so much in the form of a reference code.
This tool is useful to rule out hardware issues, but it’s pretty useless for troubleshooting purposes.
For a more detailed report, you’re better off booking a free appointment at the Genius bar.
Of course, you won’t get detailed feedback about how to fix your Mac there, either.
Memory
it’s possible for you to check some components manually with the right tools.
For example,MemTest86is a free tool you might use to check your gear’s memory.
Install it on a USB stick, start your Mac, and then run it.
This utility should give you more information than Apple claims it will.
For ultimate peace of mind, be sure toback up your Mac regularly withTime Machine.
CPU & GPU
The CPU is the brain of your rig.
There’s not a lot it’s possible for you to do to test it, though.
If it’s not functioning correctly, you might encounter slowdowns, freezes, and sudden shutdowns.
One way to glean more information is to benchmark it with an app likeGeekbench.
you’re able to then use theMac benchmark chartsto see how it stacks up.
If your Mac has a dedicated GPU, you might test it with tools likeHeavenorCinebench.
Any problems that arise there will likely require that you replace your Mac’s logic board.
Decline with Age: Is Your Mac Just Old?
Sometimes, performance issues have a very simple cause: age.
As your Mac ages, expect its performance to decline.
New software requires better hardware, while the hardware inside your Mac stays the same.
Most Mac owners shouldn’t encounter too many performance issues over the first three years or so of use.
After that, things start to go downhill.
The right time to buy a new computer is when you need one.
Remember, your old Mac might still hold good resale value.
Even ancient machines with problems fetch more money than you would expect.
If you’re thinking about selling your old Mac,here are some tips to help you out.
