If your Mac runs slowly
If you find your Mac is running slowly, there are a number of potential causes that you can check.
Your computer’s startup disk may not have enough free disk space. To make disk space available, you can move files to another disk or external storage device, then delete files you no longer need on the startup disk. macOS can also help you optimize storage on your Mac by storing files in the cloud and helping you identify files you no longer need.
An app you’re using may require more memory than your computer has easily available. To see how much memory your computer has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then check the amount of memory listed in the Overview panel. See the help that came with the app to find out its system requirements.
To find out how to increase your computer’s memory, choose Apple menu > About This Mac, click Memory, then click Memory Upgrade Instructions in the lower-right corner. (Not available on all computers.)
Quit any app that isn’t compatible with your computer. For example, an app may require a different processor or graphics card. See the documentation that came with the app to its system requirements.
To see what processor your computer has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Overview.
To see what graphics card your computer has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Displays. The name of the graphics card in your computer is displayed in the middle of the window.
Quit any apps you’re not using.
If you have problems with your disk, use Disk Utility to verify and try and fix any issues.
Use Activity Monitor to see if a particular app or activity is making a large demand on your Mac.