In Snow Leopard, you get a System Profiler window-select Memory to check the RAM amount: Select Serial-ATA, and then select your drive’s name on the right, to see your free drive space. Click the Storage tab to view your drive’s free space, and click Memory to check the amount of RAM. In Mountain Lion and Lion, the resulting window displays, by default, your computer model and year/version. Not sure which Mac you own or how much RAM or free drive space it has? Choose About This Mac from the Apple Menu, and then click More Info. In Lion and Mountain Lion, you can check your Mac’s specs using the About This Mac window (left) Snow Leopard users can use Mactracker to identify their Mac model (right). We’ve also covered some specific suggestions for freeing up drive space. (You may also find, especially if you’re upgrading from Snow Leopard, that some of Maverick’s features require more “everyday” free space, as was the case with Lion and Mountain Lion.) If you need to free up space on your drive, you can use a utility such as WhatSize or GrandPerspective to help you find big files you can get rid of.
Similarly, Apple states that you should have at least 8GB of free space on your Mac’s drive to install a major OS X update, but I recommend playing it safe by aiming for 15GB to 20GB-the Mavericks installer itself is 5.3GB in size, and you’ll need some room for temporary files. Most reputable vendors will make it clear which RAM they offer is compatible with Macs.
Some third-party RAM that’s not up to Apple’s specs will cause problems when you upgrade your OS. A word of advice here: If you don’t buy your RAM directly from Apple, be sure you get RAM that’s specifically guaranteed for use in Macs. If you have only 2GB installed-and especially if you have only 1GB-you should consider a hardware upgrade, if that’s possible with your particular Mac model, before installing Mavericks. (Note that while all of the above computers can install Mavericks, some features, such as Power Nap, AirPlay mirroring and extended desktop, and AirDrop, have stricter requirements.)Īpple also says you need at least 2GB of RAM (memory), but in my experience, you’ll enjoy better results with at least 4GB.