F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Yes, it is possible to utilize swap memory on an external drive on a Mac.

Yes, it is possible to utilize swap memory on an external drive on a Mac.

Yes, it is possible to utilize swap memory on an external drive on a Mac.

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Mino995
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07-30-2020, 01:28 PM
#1
I understand it runs slower than the internal M1 SSD, but with 8GB of RAM you can upgrade via swap space. The system uses the main drive for swap, which I prefer not to do since it may reduce the SSD’s life. Windows supports external drives as virtual memory. Is this feasible on a Mac? Please let me know. On the screenshot it appears only 242MB was written, yet before that the swap used nearly 17GB when working with images in Pixelmator Pro.
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Mino995
07-30-2020, 01:28 PM #1

I understand it runs slower than the internal M1 SSD, but with 8GB of RAM you can upgrade via swap space. The system uses the main drive for swap, which I prefer not to do since it may reduce the SSD’s life. Windows supports external drives as virtual memory. Is this feasible on a Mac? Please let me know. On the screenshot it appears only 242MB was written, yet before that the swap used nearly 17GB when working with images in Pixelmator Pro.

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Taybaybay
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07-31-2020, 07:46 AM
#2
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Taybaybay
07-31-2020, 07:46 AM #2

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Bahezz
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07-31-2020, 12:41 PM
#3
Above mentioned points include the SSD's condition and longevity, the impact of external swap, and the need for more RAM for heavy photo editing.
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Bahezz
07-31-2020, 12:41 PM #3

Above mentioned points include the SSD's condition and longevity, the impact of external swap, and the need for more RAM for heavy photo editing.

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Andk_
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07-31-2020, 08:16 PM
#4
Based on the calculations, the Mac should still function for another 16 years. (I purchased it in May and it’s now December, meaning I’ve used it for 7 months so far. The typical TBW is 300TBW on a 256GB SSD. Over those 7 months, I’ve written about 4.8TB. Uploading a session would extend its lifespan beyond 10 years.)
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Andk_
07-31-2020, 08:16 PM #4

Based on the calculations, the Mac should still function for another 16 years. (I purchased it in May and it’s now December, meaning I’ve used it for 7 months so far. The typical TBW is 300TBW on a 256GB SSD. Over those 7 months, I’ve written about 4.8TB. Uploading a session would extend its lifespan beyond 10 years.)

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