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Question

Lightroom Classic, Macbook Air & High Memory Usage

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
January 25, 2024
3 replies
4199 views

Hello,

For the past couple of months I've been ignoring a warning that CleanMyMacX has been popping up, telling me that my macbook has high memory usage and I need to do something about it. When I click on this, it tells me the main culprit is Lightroom.

Please can someone talk me through (in simple terms, I'm great at cameras, reasonably competent at computers but rubbish at this bit) what I need to check? I delete lightroom backups every couple of months (I keep 3), and delete previews periodically (I am scrolling back through old photos as I try to tidy old photos). Its a 16GB M2 2022 macbook air, running ventura 13.2.1. I use Lightroom classic release 13.1. I've nothing against updating my macbook, I generally delay updates to avoid it causing any headaches with Lightroom.

Thank you very much, Lyndsey

macOS

This topic has been closed for replies.

Conrad_C

Community Expert

Can you post the message that CleanMyMacX shows?

Generally, if macOS itself is not complaining about memory, and if you don’t perceive any slowdown, there isn’t an actual problem. Some apps that watch memory don’t properly account for how modern memory management works.

Another way to check is to open Activity Monitor (which comes with every Mac, it’s in the Utilities folder), click the Memory tab, and look at Memory Pressure. If you leave this running as you work, and Memory Pressure is low and always green, there is no problem. If Memory Pressure becomes orange or red, then there is a problem.

L

lyndseya54518626Author

Participating Frequently

Thanks.

I've been running activity monitor for the last house, and it seems like it's a fairly constant yellow.

I'll post again next time I get the pop up from Clean My Mac. When I go into it it tells me the memory pressure is 63%.

L

lyndseya54518626Author

Participating Frequently

Watching the activity monitor is quite addictive. It says memory used 14GB, and physical memory 16GB. This feels like a very high percentage is being used?

GoldingD

Legend

Some info from your post:

MACBOOK Air M2 (2022)
MACOS Ventrura v13.2.1
16 GB RAM
LrC v13.1

Some obvious inquiries come to mind. They may not solve anything but....

Why stuck back at MACOS 13.2.1, as Ventura is now at v13.6.4, numerous bugs would have been fixed, numerous improvements, and very likely improvements in the GPU driver (LrC is very sensitive to the GPU)
Why stuck on MACOS Ventura when MACOS Sonoma can be upgrade to on that MAC. Yes, initial their were huge issues LrC vs Sonoma, and Adobe recommends currently that it be v14.2.1 (issues with 12.2.0). Now this one may not provide improvements towards LrC (but I do not know that for a fact)
Does LrC crash?
If LrC crashes, did you get a crash report (Adobe)?
Does the MAC crash?
If the MAC crashed, do you get a crash report (Apple)?
What drive is the catalog on?
How much free space in % on the drive the catalog is on? Looking for at least 20% some say 25%
How large do you have the limit for the Camera RAW CACHE set to in /preferences/performance/?
In /preferences/performance/ If the Use Graphics Processor is selected as on (Auto or Custom) try it off. Any change?
Speaking of that GPU setting, what level of support is stated if you have it selected as on (Auto or Custom, if Custom try clicking on all boxes) Is it Full Acceleration? (just remembered that one, see 2nd link below)

Some Discussions to look at:

And a request (If I do not, then other members will)

Please post your System Information as Lightroom Classic (LrC) reports it. In LrC click on Help, then System Info, then Copy. Paste that information into a reply. Please present all information from first line down to and including Plug-in Info. Info after Plug-in info can be cut out as that is just so much dead space to us non-Techs and it takes up vast amounts of scroll space making the reply less readable and less likely that others will bother with your post.

L

lyndseya54518626Author

Participating Frequently

Thank you.

I'm downloading Sonoma now. The reason for not updating so far is Oct - Dec is my crazy season with work so the less that goes wrong in that time the better, therefore I try to change as little as possible.

Neither LR or the mac ever crash.

The calatlog is on my mac hard drive, the hard drive has 365GB free out of 1TB, I need to have a clear out and try to not to let it drop below 300GB (normally fairly sucessfully). So over 30% is spare. I keep the images I'm editing on my macbook hard drive, then move them to an external drive once editing is done.

Camera RAW cache is set to 20Gb. Use graphics processor is auto, I've switched it off to see what happens.

Will post System Info now

L

lyndseya54518626Author

Participating Frequently

I should have said, I don't notice any problems with lightroom (or any other software) running slowly. I've had the macbook about 12 months, and it's only in the past couple of months I've had this issue. I'm not aware that I've changed anything, but it's quite possible that I have without realising.

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