> Power up your Mac with new hardware

Upgrade your Mac’s RAM

Most modern Macs are sealed, but 27-inch iMacs still have upgradable memory, as do many older models. Go to the Apple menu and choose About This Mac > Overview to find out what your Mac model is. The Memory tab details memory, and provides a button to Apple’s upgrade instructions.

Speed things up via an SSD

If your Mac has a hard drive, consider upgrading to an SSD. Information will be accessed more rapidly, and everything will be speeded up. You may be able to upgrade older Macs yourself; if not confident, find an Apple repair expert.

Trash redundant files

Even if you don’t swap out your Mac’s internal drive, there are ways to improve its performance. For example, use GrandPerspective to search for redundant files, and trash them. This alone can speed up a Mac if its startup disk is getting full.

Use external drives

Not keen on trashing a bunch of files, even if you no longer actively use them? Then offload them to an external hard drive, or even a USB memory stick. If the documents are of some importance, make sure you have at least two reliable backups of them.

Improve your Wi-Fi

If your main Mac problem is internet connectivity being sluggish, consider three things: upgrade to fiber broadband if it’s available; obtain better hardware (free routers supplied by your service provider are often relatively poor), and look at Wi-Fi extenders for buildings where the signal can’t get through heavy walls.

Get a USB hub

Simple, cheap time-savers can often make a big difference. If you have an iMac and are sick of having to disconnect and plug in USB devices all the time, grab a USB hub. Boom! Instant access to a ton of ports.