About memory

[MrJim]

I got a new computer a couple months ago~~2012 Mac Mini. I has 4 GB memory and is easily upgradeable.

I shut down this mac once a week. Very rarely do I ever have any memory swap...usually reads:

"0 KB of 1.00 GB"

I'm wondering then if I should bother adding anymore memory to this computer for now or if I would see any benefit if I changed if I doubled it?

Pages in/out is always lopsided, started up this morning, currently at:

Pages In 250,111
Pages Out 6,816

Thanks

 

[EphesiaNZ]

I'm wondering then if I should bother adding anymore memory to this computer for now or if I would see any benefit if I changed if I doubled it?

Pages in/out is always lopsided, started up this morning, currently at:

Pages In 250,111
Pages Out 6,816

Well I'm no Mac expert but "pages in" represents application calls from memory cache and "pages out" are app calls from disk. If pages out exceed pages in on a regular basis then buy more memory!

Ideally "pages out" should be less than 10-20% of the "pages in" total - in your case, those figures suggest the system is coping fine at that moment in time. A good time to check these figures is when there's a load operating such as word processor open and also web browser with several tabs open on various sites.

Now even if your machine is running fine, doubling memory is usually best way to get extra performance. I've always found it results in a far snappier machine and allows you to go that bit extra on occasions when you have multiple apps open.

AFAIK - a page equals 4k Bytes.

 

[MrJim]

Well I'm no Mac expert but "pages in" represents application calls from memory cache and "pages out" are app calls from disk. If pages out exceed pages in on a regular basis then buy more memory!

Ideally "pages out" should be less than 10-20% of the "pages in" total - in your case, those figures suggest the system is coping fine at that moment in time. A good time to check these figures is when there's a load operating such as word processor open and also web browser with several tabs open on various sites.

Now even if your machine is running fine, doubling memory is usually best way to get extra performance. I've always found it results in a far snappier machine and allows you to go that bit extra on occasions when you have multiple apps open.

AFAIK - a page equals 4k Bytes.

Yeah I'm looking for some "snappy" on this box~I think I'll give it an upgrade

 

[MrJim]

Currently 4.2 million pages in/16,000 pages out

still no swap

 

[MrJim]

5.9 million in/ 30,600 out ~ no swap

Why do these numbers seem outrageous?

 

[MrJim]

Up to 12.5 million in/50,000 out...still no swap.

You'd think I don't have a day job

 

[ulu]

has to be said

Bill Gates Lives!

 

[MrJim]

has to be said

Bill Gates Lives!

 

[MrJim]

I replaced the stock 4GB RAM with 16GB a few weeks ago~~some folks said 8GB was enough but glad I maxed it out~~and it made a huge difference..works like a new computer should.

Someday the HD will get the SSD upgrade

 

[paul1149]

The SSD difference is amazing. I had a 120gb 2.5" SSD that I never used, so I moved my OS over to it and kept data files on the 3.5" spinner. The machine is about twice as fast for most operations, including boot.