World of Warcraft Running Slow on Mac

The main appeal of online RPG games or MMORPGs is having the ability to group up with friends from all over the world to take down an unsafe foe or participate in massive battles against other players. One of the best examples is World of Warcraft (WoW), after all the game has become a staple, even in mainstream culture, due to its ability to remain relevant and attract millions of players even after 15 years after its launch. Due to the dynamic nature of our everyday lives, many WoW players have chosen to start using portable computers and devices such as MacBooks. Unfortunately, in some cases, this could lead to sub-par performance including WoW running slow, freezing, or becoming unresponsive. 

Usually, the culprit behind those issues is an insufficient or unstable Internet connection. Sometimes, however, the Mac itself could be responsible. To explore potential solutions that could help speed up WoW, take a look below. 

Monitor Mac's heat levels

While operating the Mac, it generates a significant amount of heat, especially when its hardware is put under stress. This is a common problem with laptops due to the limited size that cripples the airflow inside the device severely. If the system overheats, the symptoms could mimic those of having a slow Internet speed - WoW will freeze and run extremely slow. If you notice that your Mac is too hot to touch, consider shutting it down and letting it cool for a while. To prevent overheating in the future, users could buy a dedicated cooling pad or elevate the device above the surface it is placed on to improve the airflow. 

Adjust the in-game settings

If you are running WoW on an older device with limited hardware capabilities, it also could lead to performance problems. You can alleviate most of the issues by adjusting WoW's in-game settings correctly. Consider lowering the resolution to reduce the stress on the system. You may need to try several different configurations until you find the optimal one. The same also is true for the Graphics Quality and Texture Resolution options. Another hardware-intensive setting is Effects and it should be lowered as well. Although it may take a bit more time, users also should take a look and adjust the various, different settings listed under Effects, such as Sunshaft.

Free up RAM

Having sufficient free RAM to support WoW is an important requirement. If your RAM is running low, it could have a massive impact on the performance of the game. To free up RAM you may see what other applications are running e currently and then close them. 

1. Open Finder and type activity monitor into the search field.
2. Launch Activity Monitor and go to the Memory tab.
3. Take a look at the Memory Pressure graph and note the displayed color. If it is red then the available RAM is extremely low. Go to the Memory column and sort the apps according to their RAM usage. Close some of the items listed at the top to free up more RAM. 
4. A lack of RAM is the most common issue when running or downloading large applications or games. If you find a WoW download slow or an update that can’t complete, it could mean a lack of memory. In a game like WoW, there are constant temporary exchanges of information that use memory while you’re playing, so both permanent and temporary space needs to be available.