Best app for speeding up iMac

[Alwyn]

When I was on the Bombich website an ad popped up from Google for an app that speeds up slow iMacs. Is it any use or are there better ones out there?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Spam. That's all it is. You can only get as fast as the machine is. If you've got a machine that is slowing down over the years. Doing some cleanup to avoid running lots of applications/services you don't need will help.

You might want to install an adblocker on Chrome to avoid getting sucked into installing random bits of software with crazy claims.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

When I was on the Bombich website an ad popped up from Google for an app that speeds up slow iMacs. Is it any use or are there better ones out there?

Don't be scammed into purchasing software that you don't need.

If your Macintosh isn't as fast as it was when it was new, you can likely regain the performance it had when it was new for free. See:

Macintosh Slowdown Solutions
http://www.macattorney.com/sd.html

If you need any assistance with anything on that page, just ask.

 

[Rod]

I put ads like that in the same box as a preparation that claims to remove all the weeds in your lawn with one application or a shampoo that cures baldness

 

[Jimmysb]

I put ads like that in the same box as a preparation that claims to remove all the weeds in your lawn with one application or a shampoo that cures baldness

Is that next to the Nigerian who would like you to take care of his money.

 

[Alwyn]

Don't be scammed into purchasing software that you don't need.

If your Macintosh isn't as fast as it was when it was new, you can likely regain the performance it had when it was new for free. See:

Macintosh Slowdown Solutions
Macintosh Slowdown Solutions

If you need any assistance with anything on that page, just ask.

I have read your solution web page several times but have so far failed to speed up my iMac. The first question relates to whether the HDD was formatted as HFS+ or APFS. I can't remember what the original OS was. I think it's a 2017 iMac and this is the picture on the outside of then original box. I'm pretty sure it is post High Sierra, so Mojave. Mike Bombich has kindly helped me to set up an external SanDisk Extreme 1TB SSD to use instead of the internal HDD. My attempt with a Legacy Bootable Backup failed but after erasing it several times I did a standard backup then installed macOS Ventura 13.6.1 and it works. It has been suggested to me that erasing an SSD is not as effective as erasing a HDD. Is that true?

Since the performance of my iMac conforms with all the indications relating to APFS that you describe I could try erasing the HDD, formatting it to HFS+ then restoring from my external SSD. I don't fancy trying to replace the internal HDD with an SSD myself but could get it done at a reasonable price if I'm prepared to do without my iMac for a week to 10 days.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Before you start erasing and re-installing and all that. Are you actually dealing with slow downs? If so, quantify it. Based on that, there might be things that can be done to address specific issues.

Trying to resolve "slowness" generically can't be done regardless of what set of directions you are following since those suggestions are generic themselves.

 

[MacInWin]

It also might help to describe what you actually mean by "slow." Slow internet? Slow opening apps? Slow doing things with the apps? What apps are slow? How full is the disk drive? (Being full can slow down things.)

 

[Alwyn]

Slow opening apps mainly. 1TB HDD less than a third full, around 323 GB.

 

[pm-r]

The first question relates to whether the HDD was formatted as HFS+ or APFS. I can't remember what the original OS was.

What specs does it give under the Apple(menu) in the About this Mac window?

There should be enough information there to do a Google search and everymac.com should give you enough info and maybe even more than you need to know once you select the proper model. Using the gigahertz speed should help narrow down the model.




- Patrick
=======

 

[Rod]

In my experience the two things most likely to slow down your Mac are lack of free storage and background apps using up your CPU resources.

It seems we can rule out lack of free storage so I have to assume, *short of faulty hardware, something is using up your processor resources such that it runs simple tasks slower than expected.

As for the Filing System, HFS+ or APFS (its simple to check in Disc Utility) if you are running High Sierra or later it would have been updated to APFS when you Upgraded the macOS.

So, launch Activity Monitor and under the CPU tab see what is using the majority of your CPU %

* If nothing seems obvious it is possible that you have a faulty RAM chip but I would expect more extreme symptoms or a failing HDD.
You might want to try EtreCheck Pro (free) it will provide you with a hardware and software report. EtreCheck

 

[Randy B. Singer]

The first question relates to whether the HDD was formatted as HFS+ or APFS. I can't remember what the original OS was. I think it's a 2017 iMac and this is the picture on the outside of then original box. I'm pretty sure it is post High Sierra, so Mojave.

Go up to the Apple menu.
Choose About This Mac. There it should tell you exactly which Mac model you have and the version of the Mac OS.
Choose System Report in the same window.
Under "Hardware" choose "Storage". Under "File System" it will tell you if your Mac is HFS+ or APFS.
Under "Media Type" it will tell you if you have a "rotational" hard drive, or an SSD.

If you are running Mojave or later, your internal drive will almost certainly be APFS.

It has been suggested to me that erasing an SSD is not as effective as erasing a HDD. Is that true?

Yes. But that's kind of moot since you report that you have an internal rotating disk hard drive. APFS is optimized for SSD's. APFS is far from optimal for rotating disk hard drives, while HFS+ was. APFS will cause a performance hit for operations that involve accessing your drive, such as opening applications (as you have found).

The Slowdown Soutions Web page includes links to sites that talk about the slowdown that APFS causes with rotating disk hard drives. It is very real, and as you have found, incredibly annoying that your previously nicely performing Mac has been hamstrung by an OS upgrade.

Also on the Slowdown Solutions Web page there are links with instructions on how to get your drive back to HFS+. It isn't dead easy to do so. In fact, most folks don't bother trying to do so. Most either install an internal SSD or just buy a new Mac. But if you don't have money to throw at the situation, the option to revert to HFS+ is there.

Mike Bombich has kindly helped me to set up an external SanDisk Extreme 1TB SSD to use instead of the internal HDD.

I don't mean to be a downer, but you may not want to rely on that drive heavily:

SanDisk Portable SSDs Are Failing So Frequently, We Can No Longer Recommend Them
https://www.reddit.com/r/editors/comments/10syawa/a_warning_about_sandisk_extreme_pro_ssds/

https://petapixel.com/2023/08/08/sa...o-frequently-we-can-no-longer-recommend-them/

 

[Alwyn]

That’s useful to know. Thanks. It’s no big deal if it fails because I have an Airport Utility and an external HDD Time Machine.

 

[Alan_B]

That’s useful to know. Thanks. It’s no big deal if it fails because I have an Airport Utility and an external HDD Time Machine.

Looks like it may just a problem with the larger capacity drives? I have a few SanDisk portable SSD drives but these are 500GB or smaller and have had no problem with them over several years. But I certainly won’t be buying the larger capacity drives any time soon!

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Looks like it may just a problem with the larger capacity drives? I have a few SanDisk portable SSD drives but these are 500GB or smaller and have had no problem with them over several years. But I certainly won’t be buying the larger capacity drives any time soon!

There is no need to, considering how fast, reliable, and inexpensive the Samsung T7's and the Crucial X8's have become.

SAMSUNG T7 Shield, Portable SSD, *RUGGED*
1TB $90
2TB $120
4TB $239
https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Portable-Photographers-MU-PE1T0S-AM/dp/B09VLJ7VBM/ref=sr_1_3

Crucial X8 Portable SSD
1TB $60
2TB $100
4TB $200
https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-1TB-Portable-SSD-USB/dp/B07YD5TK4F/ref=sr_1_3

Review:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-x8-portable-ssd/2

 

[Alwyn]

Thanks Randy,

That's most helpful as I see there are several on eBay although they all seem to have USB connections. My SanDisk is connected to the thunderbolt port and I understand that's the fastest connection.

This is what the Activity Monitor shows. I see that most of the activity is on the SSD. I thought I was running the internal HDD but this suggests not or does it just run in the background until I eject it?

 

[pm-r]

That’s useful to know. Thanks. It’s no big deal if it fails because I have an Airport Utility and an external HDD Time Machine

I might be missing something here, but I don't see how that combination is going to help you if your Mac fails, unless you mean you can fall back to using your external hard drive and are relying on your Time Machine Backup with a newer replacement Mac.



- Patrick
=======

 

[Alwyn]

I might be missing something here, but I don't see how that combination is going to help you if your Mac fails, unless you mean you can fall back to using your external hard drive and are relying on your Time Machine Backup with a newer replacement Mac.



- Patrick
=======

Yes your para from ‘unless…’ summarises the position exactly. The airport utility is permanently connected. Time Machine is generally connected at one week to ten day intervals.

As far as the external SSD is concerned the questions I have are whether I can continue to clone it from the HDD without affecting the OS and can I update the OS without affecting the clone? There is also the hassle of minor updates from one drive to the other.

i have been quoted £125 (about $156) to replace the internal drive with an SSD. That’s door to door with a 10 day turnaround. The alternative is to take it the 20 miles to my nearest Apple Store. I suspect that would be more expensive and not necessarily any faster.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

My SanDisk is connected to the thunderbolt port and I understand that's the fastest connection.

Your Thunderbolt port has a physical USB-C connector. Thunderbolt is a protocol. But your Thunderbolt port is also compatible with devices that use the slower USB 3.x protocol.

So the question is whether your SanDisk external SSD supports the Thunderbolt protocol and is faster than other SSD's that attach via a USB-A connector at USB 3.x speeds. From the specs, it does not, and is not.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-1TB-Extreme-Portable-SDSSDE61-1T00-G25/dp/B08GTYFC37/ref=sr_1_2

 

[Alwyn]

Thanks. Are SSDs that do use the Thunderbolt protocol more expensive?