TROUBLESHOOTING PERFORMANCE ISSUES AND MAC HEALTH
If you are experiencing any of the following, these troubleshooting steps are essential to complete.
- Slow or lagging system
- Fans kicking in
- Overheating
- High CPU usage
- Graphics Glitches/Tears
- Freezing
Hardware problems do not evenly affect all games and design software, so even if only vanspace 3D seems to be the trigger, your hardware must still be checked.
TROUBLESHOOTING CHECKLIST
CHECK THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
INTEL MAC? RESET NVRAM, PRAM and SMC
CHECK THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
iMac OS Catalina (High Sierra if a high-spec system)
Macbook Pro Catalina (2015 systems and below may need a later OS, depending on specs)
Macbook Air M1 Catalina (non M1 or M2 are not compatible)
CPU
Intel i5+
AMD Ryzen 3 1300
GPU
DX10 capable
Geforce GTX 960
Radeon r9 380
RAM: 8GB
BARE MINIMUM FREE MEMORY: 4GB
HDD: 3GB
ACCEPT REGULAR UPDATES
Macs can be vulnerable to malware, adware, spyware, malicious files, worms, trojans and phishing software if the OS is not updated. Apple does an excellent job combatting any attacks; however, updates are needed to maintain the protection levels.
Mac users must make sure they accept all updates offered by Apple as it is commonplace to select 'Remind me Tomorrow'.
These updates offer important OS improvements and security features, and during testing, systems where these had not been activated were found to experience the majority of the issues mentioned below.
Fans running very high
System hot to touch
Lagging
Inability to navigate to other programs running
CPU in high percentage.
Battery Draining
In 'About this Mac', You will find information on any updates available to you; these do not mean that you have to upgrade your OS to the newest release on all occasions; generally, they are to update the security on your existing OS.
If a newly released OS is available, look at the available memory that you have on your system, as a new OS takes up a lot of space, which in turn can also cause the issues listed above. You should always aim to have 2GB of free memory at any time.
INSUFFICIENT MEMORY/STORAGE
Modern games and software use significant amounts of memory and storage, and users often leave many programs running in the background, which can even cause systems with 16 GB RAM to run low.
Storage = the amount of space that you have on your Mac. The more storage that you have, the more files, videos and programs you can save/store on your Mac
A good guide for the minimum amount is to keep at least 15% - 20% of your start-up drive free at all times, although more is better.
Check your available storage - Apple Menu > System Settings > General >Storage > All Volumes
If you see more than one disk in the storage area, your internal disk has more than one volume 👉️ READ
Move your pointer over a colour to see the amount of storage each category uses. Light grey represents free storage space.
- Trash unneeded application
- Empty trash
- Delete old downloads, images, files and folders
- Clean your desktop
When in the Storage area☝️, you can also click Manage for recommendations on how to free up more space.
Memory or RAM = This plays a part in the running of your applications and operating system. The more memory you have, the more applications you can run simultaneously.
As a rule of thumb, you aim to have a minimum of 2000 MB (2 GB) available memory at all times. You can never have too much free memory.
Check your available memory - In the macOS menu bar, click Go > Utilities. Double-click Activity Monitor. Click the Memory tab.
- Disable background applications
- Disable start-up programs
- Free up memory
OVERWORKED GPU
In some setups, your GPU may slow down while you are designing, which could be caused by the GPU having to work harder on your system to run intensive software.
If the GPU has to work harder, you can expect the fans to kick in, too.
If you are experiencing noticeable heating, the cooling system may not be working correctly, or you have poor ventilation.
Make sure that your system is getting enough cool air, and be careful that vents are not being blocked by carpets or other materials that you may be resting on. You can also consider using a cooling pad if you are using a laptop.
If your Mac is slower than expected when you perform graphics-intensive tasks such as playing games or running a 3D design software, open Battery Settings.
You may see options that let you improve graphics performance in exchange for greater power consumption.
Apple Menu > System Settings > Battery > Options > Turn off Automatic Graphics Switching
Your Mac then always uses high-performance graphics. If your Macbook is running on battery power, you might also improve graphics performance by plugging in the power adaptor.
DEMANDING CPU
All Macs have powerful processors that help you get your work done. In return, all this generated power dissipates heat in your system; that's why temperatures can rise when running intensive software.
An increase in heat or fan power is particularly noticeable in those with an Intel processor, as this type of CPU generates more heat than those designed directly by Apple.
Non-M1 or M2 Macs have fans to blow hot air away from the processor and are designed to withstand temperatures over 100 degrees. ( The latest M1 and M2 don´t get hot 🙌️)
Mac OS does not provide an easy way to check your system temperature, but you will know when it is too hot.
- The external casing becomes uncomfortable to touch for more than a few seconds.
- Performance becomes laggy and slow
- It switches off suddenly for no reason
- Graphical on-screen glitches
If your system meets the minimum requirements set out earlier in this guide and you have covered all of the basic troubleshooting steps in this guide so far, then your Mac is trying to tell you something.
Check your CPU in the macOS menu bar, click Go > Utilities. Double-click Activity Monitor. Click the CPU tab.
CPU Check List
- Disable/remove background applications
- Disable/remove start-up programs
- Too many browser tabs open
- Clogged or blocked vents
- Fan problems
- Increased ambient temperature - Use in a cool location
- Overheating battery or charging issue
Changing your battery charging settings may help with any overheating issues; there are a couple of things you can try.
1. System Settings > Battery > Options
2. Turn off Optimised Battery Charging and Manage Battery Longevity. If they are already on, try turning them off.
GRAPHICS PERFORMANCE
Many MacBook Pro models have two graphics systems — an integrated graphics processor and a discrete graphics processor — and a software feature that optimizes graphics performance between them.
On these computers, the "automatic graphics switching" option is turned on by default to allow your computer to automatically switch to the best graphics system for the applications running on your computer.
Using this option may also maximize battery life.
If you want to use the higher-performance discrete graphics processor at all times, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Battery, click the Battery tab, then deselect the automatic graphics switching checkbox. In macOS Catalina 10.15 and earlier, this setting is in Energy Saver preferences.
If you connect an external display to your Mac, your computer uses the high-performance graphics processor until you disconnect the display.
If you don't see the automatic graphics switching option, your computer has only one graphics system.
INTEL MAC? RESET NVRAM, PRAM and SMC
When your Mac starts behaving oddly, and you have followed all troubleshooting steps so far, we recommend resetting NVRAM, PRAM and SMC where appropriate.
There is a great article HERE
Ensure that you back up any needed data before following, as during these resets, if anything untoward is located, you will be advised to re-install your OS.
If you need to reinstall your OS, you should reinstall vanspace 3D (and other used applications) afterwards in case file corruption occurs during the OS upgrade process.
CONTACT VANSPACE 3D SUPPORT TEAM 📩️
If all troubleshooting steps have been completed and you have not experienced any change, please provide the information below to the vanspace 3D support team for review at hello@vanspace3D.com
It is very important to provide all of the requested information in full
1. A screenshot of Apple Menu > About this Mac
2. Details of any additional hardware (including monitor set-up)
3. A screenshot of your CPU information Task Manager> Processes
4. A screenshot of your available memory. In the macOS menu bar, click Go > Utilities. Double-click Activity Monitor. Click the Memory tab.
5. A screenshot of your storage management Apple Menu > System Settings > General >Storage > All Volumes
6. Have you reset the NVRAM, PRAM and/or SMC? INTEL MAC? RESET NVRAM, PRAM and SMC
7. Information on any further changes you have made
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