Questions dealing with performance of Apple hardware or software, especially about troubleshooting or improving poor performance.
2
votes
0answers
147 views
How do I troubleshoot appalling write performance on DIY Fusion Drive? [closed]
I recently bought a 120 GB OCZ Vertex 3 and stuck in my 2009 Macbook White, together with a optibay-adapter for the old 500 GB HDD and configured them as a corestorage "fusion drive" by using the ...
1
vote
0answers
25 views
System very slow while and after login
I'm using OS X 10.8.4 on a Mac Mini with 2.3 GHz Core i5 and 8 GB RAM. For security reason I have to lock my computer to screensaver while I leave my seat for a while. I set it up so that password ...
2
votes
2answers
161 views
MBP w/ OS X 10.8.3 Performing Quite Slowly Lately
My MBP (2.66 GHz i7, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) is about two or so years old. It's been running like a champ for most of its life. However, within the past few months, I've noticed a considerable degradation ...
2
votes
4answers
935 views
Retina Macbook Pro now has faster battery drain
I have disabled Hibernation mode and Deep Sleep mode, I also keep the charger plugged in about a week before removing it if I want to go somewhere with the laptop.
I don't know if this is normal, but ...
1
vote
1answer
383 views
Comparing performance between the 2012/2013 MBA 13' baseline model
The MBA just launch and I did a little research on the baseline 13 inches for both years:
--
MBA 13' (2012): i5-3317U @ 1.7GHz (turbo: 2.6GHz); 4000 Graphics: 350MHz-1050MHz
MBA 13' (2013): ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
How to troubleshoot stuttering iTunes video playback while downloading on Mac OS X 10.7.2?
Observations: Recently, not sure when it happened, with upgrade to Lion or before, but I have not been able to cleanly watch a video of any type in iTunes while something [movie, tv show, app, ...
1
vote
1answer
47 views
For the Apple SSD drives, will they run slower with less free space available?
From what I understand, most SSDs will run slower once there is 20% or less free space available, due to TRIM/garbage collection. However, are Apple SSDs the same way?
The reason I ask is because ...
6
votes
4answers
7k views
Are the Retina MacBook Pro 15" suitable for PC (Windows) gaming?
I want to buy a MacBook Pro Retina 15" and install Windows 7 or 8 (boot camp) to play games.
Obviously games aren't ready for this 2880x1800 resolution, so I hope I can set the games to run at ...
1
vote
2answers
28 views
Corsair GS 180 slowdown in Macbook Pro over a year's time
I installed a Corsair GS 180 SSD (revision 5.020000) in my Macbook Pro, around this time last year. (July 2012.) I ran the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test application, and ended up with:
Write: 219.0 MB/s
...
1
vote
1answer
42 views
Mac OS Virtual Box performances [closed]
If you run Mac OS 10.8 with Virtual Box (on Linux), on a computer that supports hardware virtualization, how good will be the performances?
With a powerful computer (i7, 8gb of ram, ssd hd), would ...
3
votes
2answers
164 views
Does An External Solid State Drive (SSD) Increase Performance In The Same Manner That An Internal One Would ?
I've read quite a bit on Ask Different and elsewhere about how fitting a Solid State Drive (SSD) is one of the best ways (if not the best way) to increase the performance of your Apple Mac computer.
...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Can I improve network speed with VirtualBox between host and guest?
I use a VirtualBox machine with Arch Linux as development web server. I want to improve rsync transfer speed via smb://. What kind of configuration is best to improve file transfer/synchronization?
...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Can imagent in OS X Mountain Lion be made to consume fewer resources?
imagent is constantly consuming CPU cycles and a couple of GBs of "real memory" on my wife's MacBook Air since upgrading to OS X Mountain Lion. I believe this is part of the Messages app.
Is there ...
4
votes
2answers
463 views
is it worth it to install SSD internally, instead of using USB3?
I prefer to keep my boot drive external, so that I can quickly boot using another Mac if my primary Mac fails. I use a USB3 drive dock to connect the drive to my Macs.
I bought a 120GB SSD w/SATA3 ...
0
votes
1answer
69 views
2010 2.66 GHz 12 core Mac Pro not utilizing all 24 threads?
I just recently purchased a 2010 Mac Pro.
I am wondering why all 24 threads never go past 50% usage when doing CPU intensive tasks.
My coworker has a 2009 2.93 GHz 8 core Mac Pro and we both tried ...
0
votes
2answers
462 views
Spotlight on mid-2012 MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion Constantly Re-Indexing
On my 4-month old mid-2012 MacBook Pro I observe that Spotlight seems to want to ALWAYS re-index. I frequently notice that the performance will get unbearably slow and I can hear the hard drive ...
1
vote
1answer
398 views
Why does Reminders seem to be syncing with the network, even though I have reminders turned off in iCloud settings?
I started using Reminders.app as soon as I got iOS 5.0, and for me it mostly works very well. As soon as I got an iCloud account, of course I turned reminder syncing on there as well.
However I soon ...
2
votes
1answer
208 views
How do I debug Airport Extreme (5th gen) + iPhone 5 wifi performance problems?
Right around when I bought iPhone 5s for my wife and me I also moved in to a new, larger house. I was finding that wifi performance on our fancy new phones was terrible: I have a 35mbps internet ...
4
votes
2answers
459 views
Help identify what uses the CPU when the Activity Monitor list of all processes does not help
Problem
After rebooting, and with only Activity Monitor open, my MacBook Pro (10.6, i7) shows a very high idle % (98% or higher) but then shortly after drops down to 40% - 50%.
In the Activity ...
1
vote
3answers
152 views
Sluggish performance with Airport gear on 5 GHz
I've a network that is powered by an Airport Extreme and extended by an Airport Express. My Airport Extreme broadcasts 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz channels separately.
2.4 GHz operates on channel 4 and 5 GHz ...
1
vote
4answers
467 views
How do I improve my performance of my MBP (2009) after upgrading to 10.8.2
I'm relatively a novice when it comes to computers. I recently upgraded my MBP to the new OS X 10.8.2 and noticed that it's running much slower now. I purchased this laptop in the summer of 2009. ...
15
votes
5answers
2k views
Does the use of SSD give one a dramatic performance boost?
I use Mac book pro 15", and it's time to buy a new one.
For HDD, now I see a new option of SSD, which is pretty expensive.
I can expect shorter boot-up time and faster access of files, but I'm not ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I best use an SSD?
I have a Mac Pro, and I've added an Intel 80GB SSD to improve performance in LightRoom and Photoshop. So far so good.
But after moving all of my current work, catalogs, etc. to the SSD, I still have ...
5
votes
4answers
17k views
What is the fastest iOS version for the iPhone 3GS?
I upgraded my wife's iPhone 3GS to iOS 5.0.1 and now basic tasks like opening apps like Texts/Phone dialer are now slower than before. I understand the 3GS is 2 years old, but just being able to type ...
0
votes
2answers
46 views
2010 Mac Pro beachballing/freezing
My machine is a 2010 Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 6-core intel xeon with 32 GBs of ram running Mac OS X 10.8.3. Just the other day it started to beach ball after about an hour of use. It doesn't make any ...
0
votes
2answers
175 views
OS X unusably unresponsive after upgrading 10.6 to 10.8
Every other click and keystroke seems to cause my MacBook to just freeze for minutes at a time.
(I saw How to fix OS X Lion being unresponsive? but I'm not seeing much swap activity nor is my RAM ...
0
votes
4answers
1k views
I run out of RAM on a 8GB MacBook Pro 15"
I'm a designer using Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro 15" (i7) with 8GB Ram, 500GB (180GB free) (2010 model).
I usually use Chrome (4/5 tabs), Firefox (1/2 tabs), Skype, VM Ware Fusion (with Win XP, ...
2
votes
1answer
32 views
Is there a guideline for the max number of active fonts
I manage my fonts through FontExplorer X. Today I noticed that I have 770 fonts activated. All legitimately licensed, by the way. The Adobe CS family installs a bunch, I've purchased and have received ...
1
vote
1answer
34 views
Hot File Clustering with multiple partitions
I'm planning a performance-oriented clean install of OS X 10.6 and I was wondering if the hot file clustering feature will exists only on the boot partition or if there will be one for each partition ...
0
votes
0answers
99 views
Mac Mini has slowed to an unbearable crawl!
I've read a lot of other questions about speed, but my question does not seem to be answered anywhere. My Mac Mini is running so slow that I cannot see what I am typing. It takes up to 15 seconds to ...
0
votes
4answers
1k views
OWC SSD freezes regularly
I installed a new 115GB SSD with a clean lion install in my MacBook pro (2010) with the data doubler containing my old seagate hdd.
The install took over five hours, which made me pretty suspicious ...
3
votes
0answers
294 views
Cursor stuttering: “IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.”
My 2011 iMac running Lion recently developed a new problem; the mouse cursor stutters. At random intervals when I move the mouse it lags, then jumps, like it missed a couple of frames. Ordinarily I'd ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Why might my mac be running extremely slowly at times?
This sounds like a pretty open, multi-possibility question, but I'm at a loss. I continually experience my mac falling behind by several words or characters. I mainly notice it in chrome and adium, ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Using memory with a higher MHz rating? [duplicate]
Can MacBook Pro's successfully support and fully exploit RAM of a higher MHz rating than that which they ship with?
For example, take my 15" MacBook Pro (Late 2011) that ships with 4GB of 1333MHz ...
0
votes
1answer
59 views
What's the noticeable speed difference between these two Mac computers? [closed]
Someone wants to trade his new iPhone 5, his 20" iMac, and some cash for my 15" Macbook Pro. Here are the specs for my MBP and his iMac:
My Early 2011 15in Macbook Pro
2.2GHz i7
4GB Ram
AMD Radeon ...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
Time machine backup is very slow (new TM drive and large amount of data)
I have data (mostly photos) on an external WD 2Tb drive (about 930gb)
I have just installed a 3Tb Lacie drive and want to use it as the TM drive to back up the external WD drive and the Mac HD (very ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
/usr/bin/nice and Handbrake
This is really two questions... If a process is run with nice (/usr/bin/nice in the default OS X Mountain Lion installation) will it run processes in equivalent time compared to that process being run ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
How can I speed up SD card writing speed (using /dev/disk*) on a MacBook Pro?
I've been installing some linux distributions onto an SD card from my MacBook, although they take over an hour to transfer a few hundred MB (using dd and /dev/disk1).
If you look at the above ...
0
votes
1answer
222 views
iPad Mini vs iPhone 5 browser speed
Is typical browsing speed on iPad Mini noticeably slower than iPhone 5?
This is assuming I don't have any other apps in RAM, and I'm not loading any extremely difficult sites. And for the purpose of ...
1
vote
2answers
65 views
How accurate is System Report on RAM speed?
I have successfully replaced 2 * 4GB DDR3 1333 MHz RAM (Samsung) with 2 * 8GB DDR3 1600 MHz RAM (CnMemory). Everything runs fine and System Report is displaying the RAM is running at 1600 MHz.
Now I ...
2
votes
2answers
535 views
16, 32, 64 GB iPhone / iPod touch: are there any negative effects of size?
I am debating between purchasing the 32 vs. 64 GB iPod touch.
I would lean toward a smaller hard drive if there is an effect of size on speed or battery life. Aside from cost, are there any reasons ...
0
votes
0answers
35 views
Performance monitoring tools for connected devices
I am looking for something on a Mac OS using which I can monitor the performance of upto 8-10 devices connected to a MacBook using the Hot-Spot or directly via USB, etc.
Is there any single/multiple ...
1
vote
1answer
353 views
How to check if MacBook battery is genuine?
My white MacBook's battery has completely died, so I'm looking for a replacement.
It costs $150 from Apple, or about $70 for allegedly genuine Apple batteries on eBay:
I'm leaning toward this ...
1
vote
1answer
472 views
What is the normal fan speed for the 15'' Retina Macbook Pro?
What is the typical fan speed for a 15'' Retina Macbook Pro ?
I would like to compare it with mine using istatpro
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Apple Mail vs Thunderbird performance
I'm running Apple Mail 5.3 and Thunderbird 17.0.4 on Mac OS Lion 10.7.5. The system I'm running those apps it's an iMac with 3Gb of RAM and 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.
I run both applications at the ...
3
votes
1answer
111 views
Sublime Text 2 input laggy
I use Sublime Text 2 (ST2) both on Linux & OS X Lion. When entering text, interacting with menus etc, ST2 is very laggy - I can type a few sentences very quickly, then take my hands of the ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Error while Compressing the Mail DB: file is encrypted or is not a database
I am trying to compress the Mail database by running the sqlite3 vacuum command. But I get the following error:
SQL Error: file is encrypted or is not a database
I was running Mac OS 10.6 and I ...
29
votes
12answers
18k views
Why would I disable swap file in Mac OS X?
I came across a thread about installing an SSD drive in MacBook Pro.
Someone in the comments also recommended to disable the swap file but didn't say why:
sudo launchctl unload -w ...
0
votes
0answers
107 views
Is it just me or do iOS device get slower with each update? [closed]
When I got my iPod Touch 4, it was the fastest device. All menus/applications open smoothly. Same is the case with my iPhone 4.
But now even opening built-in apps feels like it takes longer as time ...
3
votes
1answer
4k views
How can I control (start/stop) applications and services that start up after reboot?
I have a Mac that is slow when using the internet, but other PCs on the same connection aren't as slow.
I suspect there are too many AV scanners running concurrently, or there is some process that ...
