really strange ram issues

billpicle · #1 September 6th, 2005, 07:11 PM

im having some really weird issues with my ram just kinda being used up. i look at the activity monitor and the free memory keeps going down and down while the inactive and used goes up. im running 1 gig in my powerbook g4 1.0 ghz on 10.4. i didnt notice this while i was running 10.3 of course i may have just not paid any attention. i first noticed this when i ram photshop and closed it and the free ram didnt go back up it just kinda stayed at what it was while running pshop. ive tried formatting and reinstalling the os already as well as many apps. if anyone has any info they can give me that would be great. thanks in advance.

simbalala · #2 September 6th, 2005, 09:32 PM

Can't you see in activity monitor which app is gobbling up the memory? Check again, I've had that problem on a PowerBook with an app. It was caused by the trackpad. Easily fixed though.

billpicle · #3 September 6th, 2005, 10:40 PM

it looks like window server keeps going up and down. i would take a screenshot but im not sure how under os x.

ElDiabloConCaca · #4 September 6th, 2005, 11:02 PM

Did you ever use OS 9? I'm asking because it sounds like you're likening UNIX's "Free Memory" to OS 9's "Free Memory," but the two are very, very different.

You always have swap files in UNIX, even if you've got 8 billion megs of RAM. "Free Memory" in Mac OS X/UNIX does not indicate the amount of RAM that is really free for use. "Inactive Memory" in addition to "Free Memory" is roughly the amount of RAM available for new use. Likewise, "Used Memory" does not indicate the amount of RAM currently unavailable for use, or actively being used up.

If you run "top" in the Terminal, you can add up the wired and active RAM amounts next to "PhysMem" and the "inactive" and "free" RAM amounts reported and it should roughly equal the total amount of RAM you have in your system.

If you want an indication of how much RAM you're using, you can roughly gauge this by watching the "active" and "inactive" RAM amounts in "top." "Active" combined with "wired" would be something similar to "Used Memory," and "inactive" combined with "free" would be something similar to "Free Memory."

You can also gauge memory usage by gauging your swap file usage, or "pageouts" in top as well. "Pageins" are the total number of pages read into memory, and "pageouts" are the total number of pages written to disk. If "pageouts" seems high (20,000 or more, roughly, give or take, after running 24/7 for a month), you may want to consider adding more RAM, or using less programs simultaneously.

billpicle · #5 September 7th, 2005, 05:23 PM

ive never used 9. but that makes sense. thanks alot im just glad nothing is wrong.

Veljo · #6 September 7th, 2005, 06:35 PM

Screenshot: Apple + Shift + 3

FyreFly · #7 April 7th, 2006, 03:35 PM

I'm experiencing this EXACT problem. I think that I may have a runaway app or possibly some kind of memory leak. I never noticed it until after installing 10.4.5 also.

I tried logging in as different users and the problem is persistent between them, eliminating one of my many login items. The real kicker is the fact that I don't even have to login for this problem to present itself. Example: I turn on my computer and walk away for an hour, the screen sits at the login window. After returning I login for the very first time after a reboot, check activity monitor, and 99% of my RAM is already "Used". Primarily filled with 1.3GB of "Inactive" RAM. I'd really love to know what it could be filled with since I never even logged in!!

I'm contemplating doing a fresh install of the OS, but am saving this as a last resort.

Here's a small pic of Activity Monitor, having only run Activity Monitor, FireFox, and Mail:

sinclair_tm · #8 April 7th, 2006, 03:54 PM

again as EL said, the unix terms of memory are very missleading. as long as things don't seem slugish, all is well for your memory. the only real numbers to look at are the page in/outs. if the page outs are really high, then the mac doesn't have enough ram for what you are doing. because your page out is only 307, which is very small, i'd say you have enough ram for what you are doing. if it gets over 3000, time to not have so many open apps. if it gets over 7500, then its time to up the ram.