macOS Update Alters Power Consumption Behavior of M5 Max Chip in 16‑inch MacBook Pro
Recent tests on the latest macOS releases examined their impact on the M5 Max chip in the 16‑inch MacBook Pro, revealing that the newest update alters power‑consumption behavior in "Automatic" mode.
Test Details
With macOS 26.3.1, power draw was nearly identical in "Automatic" and "High Power" modes, peaking at 78 W briefly before stabilising at 65 W while maintaining performance. macOS 26.6.2 introduced a gradual reduction in "Automatic" mode from 75 W to 60 W then 54 W, whereas "High Power" stayed higher (75 W then 70 W) to deliver stronger sustained performance.
Performance Impact
The gap is minimal in short tasks but becomes evident under continuous load; Cinebench 2024 Multi dropped about 5 %, and the 20‑minute Steel Nomad test fell roughly 13 %.
Development Context
Findings suggest Apple did not intentionally throttle performance but likely fixed a flaw that forced "Automatic" to run at full power all the time. Consequently, "High Power" is now the preferred setting for demanding workloads, while "Automatic" suits users prioritising quieter operation with solid performance.
Users are advised to toggle between the two modes based on their power‑efficiency and performance needs.
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