Out of RAM ?s

I run all of my photography editing software on a 2011 Mac with 16gb of RAM. I am trying to open large TIFF files of my astro images in PS, but most of the time get a not enough RAM to open notice. I have looked online and don't really see anything that addresses my specific issue. Most say to allocate more ram. I have increased the allocation for PS, but still can't do it. I have a work around importing into LR and then to PS, but it compresses the file from its original format and I loose some of the data. The files I am using come straight from Deep Sky Stacker and are exported as a TIFF. They are 32bit TIFF.

Does anyone have any idea how to open the original files as they are from DSS?

Photoshop likes to pre-allocate all the RAM it will use, to prevent it from doing slow swapping to disk. Try quitting everything else. Try reducing your undo count.

One other option is of course to get more RAM. Apple charges an ARM and a leg for RAM, but some of their systems are user upgradable with non-Apple RAM. I bought my iMac with 8GB, then bought 16GB (2 x 8GB) more online.

If you choose this route. Click on the apple in the menu bar, About This Mac, then the click on memory tab. This will tell you the type of RAM you need, and what's already installed, whether there are free slots, etc. Mine says 1600Mhz DDR3, and shows I have 2 x 4GB, 2 x 8 GB. It even has a button for instruction on upgrading (takes you here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201191 ). When I went to order my RAM I noticed there are different voltages available, which that site didn't talk about (atleast not for my model). Digging around online I found that the Mac doesn't care. It can use whatever voltage RAM you want.

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Originally Posted by DavidEccleston

If you choose this route. Click on the apple in the menu bar, About This Mac, then the click on memory tab. This will tell you the type of RAM you need, and what's already installed, whether there are free slots, etc. Mine says 1600Mhz DDR3, and shows I have 2 x 4GB, 2 x 8 GB. It even has a button for instruction on upgrading (takes you here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201191 ). When I went to order my RAM I noticed there are different voltages available, which that site didn't talk about (atleast not for my model). Digging around online I found that the Mac doesn't care. It can use whatever voltage RAM you want.

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Yeah, I tried quitting everything that wasn't necessary for my computer to run and it still had the issue. I am considering purchasing a gaming laptop since I know my kids will use it as well and doing the initial work on that. Regarding the upgrade of ram, my MB pro is from 2011 so it was before they started to solder in the RAM. I have upgraded to what it says is allowable, 16gb. I was fine until they made me upgrade the IOS from Mavericks, since that a year or so ago I have been having all sorts of issues.

To have example ps and lr run about smoothly together you should really get 32gb memory. I had before 16gb and it was a pain. Now i have 32gb and i have allowed nearly 300gb swap for both ps an lr and now it is decent. When i am working with astro stuff, mostly with milky way images, i allway work on the "final" tiff aka the one with lights and darks stacked on it. My comp is still quite old 8core amd, which is currently my bottle neck. But yeah 32gb-> is the memory you really should have.