iStat Menus: an advanced system monitor for your menu bar

If you don’t know where your system resources are going, you can’t expect the best performance from your Mac. Solution? Monitor your computer from the menu bar with iStat Menus works. The app displays information about your CPU and GPU, Memory, Disks, Network, Sensors, and Battery/Power. You can also set up iStat Menus to show the weather and notifications.

Control Mac's activity and performance from menu bar

Each menu bar display expands into a set of specialized charts and displays, each of which gives more specific information. Plus, you’ll be able to customize the appearance of each display according to your needs.

To expand a menu, just click on its icon. You’ll find a list of readouts, some of which have charts and graphs to show what they mean. Move your cursor over it to find out more about a particular readout. Some readouts can be expanded to show more graphs or tables with more information.

Now, let’s look at each main stat display in more detail.

CPU and GPU

In the CPU and GPU section, you can see how much your processor is being used at the moment. If you click the icon in the menu bar, a drop-down menu will show you the top five processes that are using the CPU, CPU temperature, and more. You can see your system stats in the menu bar as a line graph, a bar graph, a pie chart, or a number, depending on your preference.

Memory

In iStat indicators, all the information about your memory load is hidden behind one blue bar. You can see a list of the apps that use the most memory and how the memory load is usually split between “wired,” “active,” and “compressed.” As well as how actively your Mac’s memory is being used right now.

Disks

Use iStat Menus to keep track of your Mac’s SSD performance and statistics. You can find out how much space is on your Mac and what apps are using your disk resources.

Network

Stay on top of network activity with a real-time graph that monitors sent and received data for all connections. Get a bandwidth breakdown of the top 5 apps.

Sensors 

Did you know your Mac has thermal sensors that you need to monitor? When you run software that is hard on your system, there is a chance of overheating. Use iStat Menus to keep track of the sensors’ temperatures and prevent a bad scenario for your Mac.

Battery/Power

The Battery/Power section tells you the status, health, number of charging cycles, and condition of the battery. You can also find out which apps use the most of your battery. The best part is that you finally know how much time your Mac has until it turns off. 

Notifications 

iStat Menus will notify you when your system hits certain conditions. For example, your CPU gets too hot, memory use reaches a certain threshold, or your battery is about to die. 

For the notifications to function properly, turn on the corresponding switch in the left sidebar.

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Knowledge is power, and iStat Menus in Setapp tells you everything you’d ever want to know about how your Mac is running. Take advantage of its customizable appearance and functionality to get the information you want and need.

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