Siliv

Siliv (Silicon VRAM) — A simple macOS menu‑bar utility to adjust Apple Silicon GPU VRAM allocation

Topics: macos apple-silicon vram menu-bar python

📋 Table of Contents

• About
• Quickstart
• Features
• Requirements
• Installation
• Running from Source
• Building a .dmg
• Usage Notes
• Support & Donations

🔍 About

Siliv provides a convenient way to view and set GPU VRAM allocation on Apple Silicon Macs via sysctl. Whether you need more headroom for graphics‑intensive apps or want to revert to the macOS default, Siliv makes it effortless from your menu bar.

🚀 Quickstart

1. Download the latest release from the GitHub Releases page.
2. Move Siliv.app to your /Applications folder.
3. Launch Siliv and grant administrator privileges when prompted.
4. Adjust VRAM via the menu‑bar slider—and enjoy!

✨ Features

• Menu Bar Utility
  One‑click access from your macOS menu bar.
• Real‑Time VRAM Display
  Shows current GPU‑allocated VRAM and reserved system RAM.
• Visual Allocation Bar
  Graphical comparison of target VRAM vs. reserved RAM.
• Custom Slider Control
  Set VRAM in MB; snaps to nearest 5 GB interval on release.
• Presets
  Quickly apply common VRAM values.
• Reset to Default
  Restore macOS defaults by setting sysctl to 0.
• Auto‑Refresh
  Periodically updates without relaunching.

🛠️ Requirements

• macOS: Ventura (13) or Sonoma (14) with debug.iogpu.wired_limit or iogpu.wired_limit_mb
• Python: 3.11
• Dependencies:

  PyQt6
  

📦 Installation

git clone https://github.com/PaulShiLi/Siliv.git
cd Siliv

(Optional) Create & activate a virtual environment

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

▶️ Running from Source

cd src
python -m siliv.main

The Siliv icon will appear in your macOS menu bar.

🖥️ Building a .dmg

Use the helper script with PyInstaller and create-dmg:

1. Install tools

   pip install pyinstaller
   brew install create-dmg
   

2. Build

   ./scripts/build_dmg.sh
   

3. Find your .dmg in dist/.

📝 Usage Notes

• Admin Privileges: Changes require administrator rights and will prompt for your password.
• System Stability: Excessive VRAM allocation may reduce available system RAM.
• Persistence: sysctl changes may reset after reboot;

❤️ Support & Donations

If Siliv helps you, please consider supporting by watching/starring this repo to help others find this repo more easier!

Enjoy fine‑tuning your Apple Silicon VRAM with ease!