Mac is really slow

Hootanany · 30-10-2014 5:41pm #1

I have the 24" mac 2008 and I am getting the beachball a lot recently performance is not great everything stops working when i get a Entourage email.

Is it gone and if so would it be any good to get a mac mini and a large monitor has anyone on her do this?

Many thanks in advance

shanec1928 · 30-10-2014 6:32pm

upgrade to a ssd and max the ram should speed things up dramatically

ZENER · 30-10-2014 10:43pm

Might just need a clean up ! Maybe Entourage has amassed a huge amount of email that needs to be cleaned up.

How much free space do you have on the Hard Disk ?

Ken

Hootanany · 31-10-2014 10:39am

I have 110 g free of 499g

Zcott · 31-10-2014 12:39pm

When was the last time you erased everything and reinstalled the OS?

Hootanany · 31-10-2014 1:42pm

Apple did it about a 9 months ago they feared the HD was going.

Hootanany · 03-11-2014 3:34pm

Bump

Kinet1c · 06-11-2014 1:11pm

Hootanany wrote: »

Bump

shanec1928 wrote: »

upgrade to a ssd and max the ram should speed things up dramatically

This is your answer, it's a 6 year old machine with possibly older tech inside it.

solomafioso · 06-11-2014 1:15pm

You could try running Ccleaner to remove any unnecessary "clutter" on the drive. But as another user said, it could be the fact you're using older hardware.

Look in to upgrading RAM or the machine itself.

Hootanany · 06-11-2014 2:00pm

Thanks to all will Apple take a trade in?

solomafioso · 06-11-2014 4:26pm

Hootanany wrote: »

Thanks to all will Apple take a trade in?

For a six year old machine? I doubt it, but there's no harm in asking!

Just to make sure you wipe the machine completely in case there's any sensitive data on it (passwords / credit card numbers [stored in browsers], etc)

Zcott · 06-11-2014 4:35pm

I have a 2008 MacBook Pro and it's upgraded with a new SSD and the RAM bumped up to 4GB. It runs Yosemite pretty well, haven't seen much slowdown. Cheaper than a new machine but those retina iMacs are nice...

Greentree_uk · 07-11-2014 7:57pm

I'd say your GPu is going. common enough in that unit.

Hootanany · 11-11-2014 9:39am

Can it be replaced? is it worth it?

Talisman · 11-11-2014 4:07pm

Do you have the original system discs? You could run the Apple Hardware Test by booting the computer with the original system install disc while holding the 'D' key.

Also check the Disk Permissions using Disk Utility.

Have you tried to reset the PRAM and SMC?

MillField · 11-11-2014 8:03pm

SSD and upgraded RAM sound like a good option if possible.

Ciaran_B · 13-11-2014 3:25pm

colmulhall wrote: »

SSD and upgraded RAM sound like a good option if possible.

I put an SSD and max'd out the RAM in my 2008 iMac and it's like a new machine. Runs Yosemite like a dream, no slowdowns or dock bouncng when opening programs. Reckon I'll get two more years out of this machine for a small-ish amount of money.

MillField · 13-11-2014 5:28pm

Ciaran_B wrote: »

I put an SSD and max'd out the RAM in my 2008 iMac and it's like a new machine. Runs Yosemite like a dream, no slowdowns or dock bouncng when opening programs. Reckon I'll get two more years out of this machine for a small-ish amount of money.

Makes a huge difference. I'll be looking into getting an SSD for my MacBook before too long id say.

huggs2 · 13-11-2014 6:03pm

colmulhall wrote: »

Makes a huge difference. I'll be looking into getting an SSD for my MacBook before too long id say.

I also fitted an ssd to my 2008 macbook and it really transforms this machine.

I have 4GB ram.
I removed the DVD drive also and fitted the old drive in its place so i now have a spare drive for storage.I now use the old DVD drive with a USB cable which i got online.

MillField · 13-11-2014 6:28pm

huggs2 wrote: »

I also fitted an ssd to my 2008 macbook and it really transforms this machine.
I have 4GB ram.
I removed the DVD drive also and fitted the old drive in its place so i now have a spare drive for storage.I now use the old DVD drive with a USB cable which i got online.

Is that a MacBook Pro 2008? I have the mid 2012 Pro with the disk drive so the option is there fir me as well.

huggs2 · 13-11-2014 6:58pm

colmulhall wrote: »

Is that a MacBook Pro 2008? I have the mid 2012 Pro with the disk drive so the option is there fir me as well.

No, just a macbook.You won't regret it.Its like getting a new mac for relatively little money.I keep the DVD drive in a jiffy bag under my desk for the rare occasion when i might need it.

The Black Oil · 13-11-2014 8:55pm

I went the SSD route as well - in February of this year. I have 2008, 24" iMac like some of you who've posted earlier. Boot time went from about 75 seconds to 15.

I left the optical drive in mine, but am tempted to remove it and put the old HD back in for storage. I rarely use the DVD drive. I can't really recall the last the time I did. I presume it's not too complicated to do this.

MillField · 13-11-2014 9:12pm

I've literally used the optical drive twice in about a year. Dead technology at this stage.

huggs2 · 13-11-2014 9:47pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

I went the SSD route as well - in February of this year. I have 2008, 24" iMac like some of you who've posted earlier. Boot time went from about 75 seconds to 15.

I left the optical drive in mine, but am tempted to remove it and put the old HD back in for storage. I rarely use the DVD drive. I can't really recall the last the time I did. I presume it's not too complicated to do this.

There are lots of sites online. This is the one i used for my unibody.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+MacBook+Unibody+Model+A1278+Dual+Hard+Drive/8515

barryj · 14-11-2014 9:13am

Upgraded our 2008 20" iMac from 4GB to 6GB and the difference was amazing. Went from unbearable on Yosemite, to perfectly useable. 5 min job to upgrade the RAM. Officially max RAM is 4GB, but it actually supports 6GB max with 1x 2GB and 1x 4GB module.

Still on original spinning disk! Upgrading the disk to SSD is a more time consuming job, so worth trying the memory first.

Hootanany · 17-11-2014 3:28pm

Ciaran_B wrote: »

I put an SSD and max'd out the RAM in my 2008 iMac and it's like a new machine. Runs Yosemite like a dream, no slowdowns or dock bouncng when opening programs. Reckon I'll get two more years out of this machine for a small-ish amount of money.

Is it hard to do is it expensive?

The Black Oil · 17-11-2014 8:10pm

I bought a Crucial M500 480GB, it was €175, plus VAT. It was a little fiddly to install, but not impossible. iirc, Crucial have online guides. Installing RAM is a lot more straightforward.

Hootanany · 19-11-2014 10:55am

The Black Oil wrote: »

I bought a Crucial M500 480GB, it was €175, plus VAT. It was a little fiddly to install, but not impossible. iirc, Crucial have online guides. Installing RAM is a lot more straightforward.

Did you instal it in a mac or a macbook?

The Black Oil · 19-11-2014 1:33pm

I installed the SSD in my 2008 iMac a few months ago. The site huggs2 linked to has guides.

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_24%22_EMC_2134_and_2211

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_24%22_EMC_2267

huggs2 · 19-11-2014 5:09pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

I bought a Crucial M500 480GB, it was €175, plus VAT. It was a little fiddly to install, but not impossible. iirc, Crucial have online guides. Installing RAM is a lot more straightforward.

Ditto with the Crucial M500.

Ciaran_B · 20-11-2014 4:42pm

Hootanany wrote: »

Is it hard to do is it expensive?

I didn't do the disk myself. I had a look at the guides and decided to pay someone to install it. Can't remember how much it cost but it was reasonable enough. Right-Click on Wexford St. in Dublin did it.

The RAM is easy. Unscrew the panel at the bottom of the iMac and the slot is there. Takes maybe two minutes.

Mac is really slow

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