Macbooks are quite reliable as far as their performance goes. However, some people tend to neglect their computers and not take proper care of them. Doing so leads to problems, such as random app crashes, frame drops while you play video games or a persistent spinning beach ball.
If the situation sounds familiar, and you want to restore your Mac’s performance to what it was when you first bought it, you can do so. The options mentioned in this blog post should give you plenty of ideas.
Option #1 – Check for Potential Computer Viruses
You should be familiar with computer malware and viruses. These threats can cause significant damage even if they seem insignificant. Ideally, your system should be malware-free.
For that, you will need reliable antivirus software. The default antivirus should do a good job for the most part, but do not be afraid to try different antiviruses.
Make sure that your antivirus software is active all the time and has no problems detecting and eliminating threats.
Besides investing in antivirus software, you can also improve your Macbook’s security by enabling the firewall and using virtual private networks.
Option #2 – Limit Background Applications
If you want to find out currently active apps, check the Activity Monitor. The tool also lets you sort processes by resource usage. For example, you can find out which applications consume the most memory, GPU, and energy.
Macbooks have a finite amount of resources, and if your model is older, you have even fewer to work with. Therefore, it is important to limit background apps for optimal Macbook performance.
Quit apps you have no use at the time. Keep tabs on the startup item list because you may forget about some applications after restarting the computer.
Limiting background apps will free up system resources and improve the overall Macbook performance. In addition, you should also notice how the battery has a longer lifespan.
Option #3 – Have Enough Free Space on the Drive
Running out of drive space is easier than one might think, particularly on a Macbook. The recent trend of replacing hard drives with solid-state drives does not help with the problem either, though the trend is understandable given how much faster SSDs are.
If you have only a few gigabytes of free computer drive storage left, do not expect to have a smoothly running Macbook. There should be at least 10% of total space free. For instance, if your drive has 500 gigabytes, 50 gigabytes should be free. And even then, that might not be enough.
Freeing up drive space is not that difficult. You need to constantly delete unnecessary files, like old downloads, applications, and temporary system junk.
Taking advantage of external hard drives and cloud services would help as well since you can transfer data there instead of keeping it on the Macbook.
Lastly, if large media files are the primary reason why you lack drive space, use streaming platforms and consume your media online.
Option #4 – Clean the Dust Inside Your Mac
The dust inside your Mac causes overheating and loud internal fan noise. Clogged hardware will not last too long. As soon as you notice that the computer’s temperature is higher than usual, or that the noise is really loud, take the Macbook to a computer service store.
It is unlikely that you can clean the dust inside a laptop yourself. Taking it apart is risky since you can do more harm than good and damage the internal hardware.
On the other hand, leaving the work in the hands of those who have experience will give you peace of mind. You will have to pay for work, but it is worth it.
Besides cleaning the dust inside the Macbook regularly, you should also consider getting a cooling pad. The accessory is cheap, and it can do wonders for your Mac by providing an extra source of cool air.
Option #5 – Do Not Miss OS Updates
Do not overlook system updates, even if they are small. OS updates bring the latest features, patch potential security holes, and introduce performance and stability improvements.
Some Mac owners are reluctant to upgrade their operating system because it takes too long for an update to download and install, especially if you already have a poorly performing Mac.
Delaying updates is not recommended. If anything, missing the latest macOS version could be one of the main reasons why your computer has been underperforming.
Option #6 – Invest in New Hardware
Not all Macs are compatible with additional hardware. However, if your model is an exception, and you have some money to spare, why not spend it on new Macbook hardware?
For example, you could replace your hard drive with a solid-state drive or add extra RAM. An external graphics processing unit is also quite popular, though some GPUs are expensive, and you may not really need one unless you play video games or use apps that require a lot of Macbook resources.
