iMac slow/laggy with RAM continuously up to 6,00gb out of 8,00

Hi everyone, over the last ten years I have downloaded a lot of programs and application onto my 2013 iMac, then I decided to grow up and uninstalled most of them from my Mac.

Lately it's running really slow and laggy, with the RAM always at 6,00 gb out 8,00.

Now I only use the pc to study, but lately it has been very slow and laggy with the RAM always at 6,00 gb out 8,00 even tough I only have three applications open (Safari, Pages and Preview).

It takes several minutes before opening a tab in Safari, or Safari itself; the same with the other apps.

I'm pretty sure that all the stuff that i've downloaded during my childhood it's clogging it but I have no idea where to look to empty my RAM and make my Mac fast again.

I'd like to know if there's a way to distinguish Mac system processes from others, without having to reset my computer.

I've added a list processes running in this moment.

Thanks!

list of processes running

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on May 21, 2025 1:25 PM

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Old Toad

Level 10

215,136 points

Posted on May 21, 2025 2:47 PM

RAM is not what makes an iMac fast. It's the speed of the boot drive. A 2015 is likely to have a rotational HDD or a Fusion Drive (small SSD for the system and larger HDD for files).

Go the the  menu and select About This Mac. It will tell you what year and model it is, how much RAM you have, the screen size and what type and size of drive it has. Give us what it says. Do not include the serial no. of the iMac.

Have you installed and run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your Mac?

You can see if you're pushing the envelope with your RAM by watching Activity Monitor's Memory graph while you're operating. If it stays in the green zone you don't have a memory issue.

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23 replies

May 22, 2025 11:26 PM in response to Servant of Cats

That one is the Bootcamp partition, I honestly don't know why it's in FAT12, I've used the Bootcamp built-in application to make that partition years ago.

Anyway I use that partition once or twice in a year and it's pretty empty, I have never downloaded there any apps or some other stuff, it's all system files.

It shouldn't be causing problems since I alway run in Macintosh, but I'm no expert xD.

May 23, 2025 4:12 AM in response to andreamattei1

If it is a Boot Camp partition,, note this:

Remove Windows from your Mac using Boot Camp - Apple Support

"You must use Boot Camp Assistant to remove Windows, or a partition that was created with Boot Camp Assistant, from your Intel-based Mac.

WARNING: Do not use any other utilities to remove Windows or a partition that was created with Boot Camp."

Or, in other words, Bad Things might happen if you use Disk Utility to remove a Boot Camp partition. (Seems like Apple should have made Disk Utility a little smarter than that, but it is what it is …)

May 23, 2025 8:15 AM in response to andreamattei1

After an overnight search from Findanyfile I managed to remove everything related to CleanMyMac, then I have removed also some other junk stuff remaining from older deleted apps.

Then I have rebooted and run again Etrecheck and DriveDx.

Now the HD is not failing anymore (LOL), in the next few days i'll try the solutions that you all have suggested to me.

I'd really like to thank you all!!!

Etrecheck report

DriveDx report

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,422 points

May 21, 2025 1:35 PM in response to andreamattei1

What version of Mac OS is the 2013 iMac currently running?

May 22, 2025 6:14 AM in response to Old Toad

I had CleanMyMacX, but I have uninstalled it two years ago (and then I've cleared all of the remaining files in -Lybrary).

No anti-viruses or VPN apps.

thanks in advance

May 22, 2025 6:15 AM in response to rkaufmann87

MacOS 10.15.7 Catalina

May 22, 2025 6:44 AM in response to KiltedTim

etrecheck report

here it is, thanks

May 23, 2025 8:21 AM in response to HWTech

I have tried many times with apple diagnostics but it isn't able to locate any error.

thanks

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iMac slow/laggy with RAM continuously up to 6,00gb out of 8,00