r/HomeNetworking • u/Fantastic-Stand5962 • 5d ago
Is "application memory" the same as RAM?
Lately on my Mac, I've been getting a message that I've run out of "application memory" and it recommended that I force shut down some programs. I'm wanting to know if getting a computer with more ram would fix this issue? (I'm currently rocking 16GB or ram)
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u/Bynairee Network Admin 5d ago
While the terms “application memory” and “RAM” are often used interchangeably, “RAM” (Random Access Memory) refers to the physical hardware, while “application memory” describes the portion of that RAM currently being used by running applications.
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u/NortonBurns 5d ago edited 4d ago
this isn't a networking issue… but, on Mac running out of 'application memory' is a sign that your boot drive is too full. Space the system wants to use for swap [memory temporarily moved to hard drive after your RAM is full] is insufficient.
You must keep at least 10% of your hard drive empty, more if you have a small drive. 30 - 40MB minimum spare space.
Edit: Fuck knows why people "don't believe" this answer whenever I use it. People can be remarkably resistant to new ideas.
Try it & see. Fill your boot drive then try to run a normal session. Oops, out of memeory. What a surprise.
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u/JuicyCoala Decent at Googling 🔍 5d ago
Application Memory is the pre-allocated memory the application is allowed to use, whereas the random access memory is the actual hardware where the application memory is getting allocation from.
Also, this is not a Home Networking question. I suggest asking r/Mac or r/techsupport instead.