Are you tired of having to work on a sluggish Macbook? Things might have been great at first, but the situation changes after a few years or so. When the Mac begins to underperform, a number of people start to wonder whether they would be better off purchasing a brand-new model.
While spending your money on another Macbook is an option, there are ways to increase the performance of the one you own right now, and without spending any money. And here are some tips that will help with boosting your computer’s performance.
Tip #1 – Perform Disk Cleanup
Quite a few people struggle with fitting every file they want in a Macbook. Lack of disk space is a common issue, and if you are not careful, you will encounter warning messages about your disk being too full.
These warnings are quite annoying, but the bigger problem is how a lack of drive storage leads to bad Mac performance. Deleting old applications or transferring data to clouds and external storage devices also do not cut it.
People who are using software like Photoshop will have to deal with their scratch disk being full. And unless you discover this post and thoroughly read it, there will still be problems with junk files like caches and old backups since you cannot delete them manually.
So what would be a good solution? Well, there is cleanup software like CleanMyMac, and it does a pretty good job of removing junk files from the Macbook. Not to mention that this method is much safer since deleting files manually might lead to accidentally removing something crucial to the macOS.
Tip #2 – Scan for Malware and Viruses
Image source: Pixabay.com
Protecting computers from malware and viruses is impossible without proper software. And there are a lot of cybersecurity threats out there on the internet.
Even if you are actively avoiding downloading unknown files or visiting shady websites, that simply does not cut it.
There is a myth floating around that Mac users do not have to bother with anti-virus since their computers are safe without it. That is anything but the truth.
Do not trust those who claim that you do not need anti-virus. There are great free alternatives if you are not willing to pay money. Great anti-virus will give you peace of mind.
Tip #3 – Clean Dust and Dirt
Dust and dirt accumulate over time, and everyone should look to get in the habit of cleaning their Macbook regularly. Some may find it difficult because they are afraid of getting inside and potentially damaging internal hardware. If that is the case, take the Mac to someone who is a professional and will do the cleaning for you.
Tip #4 – Purchase a Cooling Pad
A cooling pad is an excellent investment if you are experiencing high temperatures even after removing all the filth inside. The pad can also function as a resting place for the computer, but its primary function is to reduce the temperature.
Internal fans tend to be overworked when it is summer, and even the air conditioner in the room is not helping. But a cooling pad will salvage the situation as it is developed specifically for keeping Macbooks in optimal temperatures even when it is hot.
Tip #5 – Update the OS and Apps
Image source: Pixabay.com
New updates bring stability and performance improvements, meaning that your system should always be up to date. Whether it is the OS itself or a simple application, be sure to use the most recent version.
Tip #6 – Turn off Visuals
Visuals may seem like a neat feature, but they do not offer anything of value other than providing various effects that may look nice but are a hindrance to the overall Mac performance.
Go to the Dock and switch the Genie effect into the Scale effect in the settings. Also, untick the box of both “Automatically hide and show the Dock” and “Animate opening applications.”
Tip #7 – Look at Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor shows resource-hungry processes. You can sort applications by CPU or memory usage and determine which of those consume the most resources.
Look more carefully into apps that are the biggest offenders. Perhaps you can find a replacement that does not put such a strain on the system and consumes fewer resources? Or maybe there are applications that are not necessary in the first place and can be removed from the Mac?
Tip #8 – Optimize Web Browser
In some instances, people experience the most issues when they are surfing the internet. A website browser with too many extensions and add-ons does not guarantee a good experience.
Take a look at what your current browser is like. If you went a bit too far with plugins and extensions, remove the ones that are unnecessary. And in case the problem does not go away, try a different browser as there are quite a few choices available.
