If you feel something is wrong with your device, it’s time to test your Mac performance.
Wait, but how do I do that? Well, that’s quite simple. There is a myriad of tools that you can employ for use, which will in fact show you exactly how your device is performing.
In this article, we will cover some of these devices, and how you can quickly improve your performance with some easy changes. Keep your interest going and read on to learn more.
Disk Speed Testing
A disk speed test allows you to measure how your SSD/HDD is performance, in particular, how its read/write speeds are functioning. For this purpose, you can use the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, which was designed for video editors to determine if their device can handle files of various sizes.
It’s easy to use. It consists of one window and a big test button with the words Speed Test Start. If you only have one HDD/SSD, click the button and the test will commence.
If you have several HDD/SSD, you need to select the ones you want to examine. In order to do that, navigate to the settings by clicking the Stress/File menu from the toolbar. Once you’ve chosen the correct device, you can click the start button again.
The tool is free and can be downloaded directly from the App Store, so make use of it when possible.
CPU/Ram Mac Performance
In order to test your memory (RAM) and CPU speed, you can use Geekbench. It was designed to predict how well your device can function with regular everyday tasks.
In order to start the test, you need to download the app for free from the App Store. Now launch it and choose the process architecture that you prefer, and select Run Benchmarks.
When the test is done, you can compare your results with other results received by users of the app. This is a great opportunity for you to compare your device against the results of people who have the same specifications on their laptops.
If you see a great difference between the two, there might be a problem with your device, and you know what to strive for when optimizing your device now. You can try Geekbench for free, but if you want the best version, you have to buy it.
Graphics/CPU Performance
One of the greatest tools used in a variety of industries is Cinebench. It’s a great tool for measuring graphics/CPU performance.
You can use the tool to test the main processor performance, as well as the performance of your graphics card.
Cinebench uses all of your processing power to test how well the processor can render complex scenes that have many shadows, over 2000 objects, reflections, and much more. The higher your result, the better your processors.
The graphics test uses a 3D car scene and tests the capacity of your graphics card. It uses a variety of textures and effects to stress the system. Once again, the higher the number, the faster your device is.
Cinebench is entirely free and is a great tool for measuring your Mac performance.
Improve Performance With CleanMyMac
While the tools mentioned above can only measure your performance, the tool CleanMyMac can also improve its efficiency by optimizing it.
It also measures the current processor load, available disk space, battery health, and memory usage. So if there’s a problem with your device, the utility will notify you of this immediately.
You will get notified if applications are not responding, if the memory use is excessive, if the temperatures are high, or if your battery is in critical condition. With CleanMyMac, you always know when your device is running well, and how to fix it if it’s not.
The utility also has a maintenance option that provides access to maintenance escripts, startup disk verification, reindexing of the spotlight, mail speedup, repair disk permissions, and much more.
All of that might sound complex, but the UI in the utility is quite easy to use. Just scan the system, and the app will tell you what each action is, how it affects your system, and what results you can expect. For more in-depth diagnostics of your Mac performance, wait no longer, and go now.
Background App Removal
Some applications, even clicking the exit red ‘X’ will not turn them off completely. If you have too many processes running all at once, your device will be affected substantially. Or even worse, it will freeze up completely.
To see what services/apps are consuming lots of resources (memory, battery, CPU), go to the Activity Monitor from the Spotlight/Finder. For in-depth information on doing this, click here.
Startup Optimization
If your device takes over half a minute to turn on and reach the desktop, your device probably has too many startup items, and/or launch agents that run in the background.
In other words, there are too many apps opening up at once when you press the start button. When this list adds up in items, it’s not a surprise that your device will be slow.
Nonetheless, disabling these startup items is very easy. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner, and go to System Preferences. Navigate to User & Groups, and select Login Items.
Now select all of the items/apps you don’t want to start on bootup, then click the minus sign that is below the list. This will disable them for good.
Your Mac Done Right
Now that you know how to measure Mac performance, and potentially improve, you are well on your way to experience your device as it was once before.
In any case, a new Mac will always outperform your older one. However, your freshly optimized and updated device is free and is better than the one you had before.
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