Did Apple reduce the performance of the M5 Max via software update? - Yes and no
We have reviewed Apple's new M5 Pro/M5 Max chips in the beginning of the year and the overall performance level is excellent, even though the smaller MacBook Pro 14 cannot really handle the M5 Max. Back then we were able to perform some additional benchmarks with the M5 max in the larger MacBook Pro 16 and the performance was better and also more stable compared to the smaller 14-inch model.
We were contacted by some users with reports about a performance reduction of the M5 Max after software updates, so we once again checked the performance of the M5 Max in the larger MacBook Pro 16 with some benchmarks. We can confirm a performance reduction, but the situation is a bit more complex, so we want to have a closer look at our findings.
Apple offers multiple performance profiles on the MacBook Pro models for years now (Automatic, High Power, Low Power), even though the differences between Automatic and High Power are usually pretty small, while Low Power limits the SoC power to 13 Watts. In case of the MacBook Pro 16 M5 Max running macOS 26.3.1, there was actually no performance difference between Automatic and High Power. The M5 Max consumed up to 78 Watts for a short period and then dropped to 65 Watts (CPU load, combined workloads up to ~90 Watts). This was quite unusual, and the performance was very stable even under sustained workloads and the High Power mode simply resulted in louder fans. Apple now changed the behavior with the current macOS 26.6.2, because the Automatic mode now consumes up to 75 Watts, but quickly drops to 60 and then to just 54 Watts. The High Power mode on the other hand now consumes 75/70 Watts, so the sustained performance is better.
| macOS version | Performance profile | TDP | Cinebench 2024 Multi | 3DMark Steel Nomad | 3DMark Steel Nomad Stress Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.3.1 | Automatic | 78/65 Watts | 2437 points | 4392 points | 98.5 % |
| 26.6.2 | Automatic | 75/60/54 Watts | 2312 points | 4373 points | 87.3 % |
| 26.6.2 | High Power | 75/70 Watts | 2490 points | 4386 points | 98.4 % |
While these changes hardly affect peak load scenarios (which is evident when you look at the Steel Nomad benchmark), there are bigger gaps in longer test/benchmarks. Cinebench 2024 Multi, for example, runs for a couple of minutes, and the deficit is about 5 %, while the 20-minute Steel Nomad stress test shows a performance drop of 13 %. These are obviously not huge changes (especially compared to the throttling of the smaller MacBook Pro 14), but if you want the highest performance under sustained workloads, you are now forced to use High Power mode. The fan noise levels were not affected by the software updates.
All in all, the situation was a bit better for the user before the updates, because you got the full performance combined with quieter fans. We think Apple simply fixed a bug, because now you actually get a performance difference between the power profiles. The Automatic mode is still a great choice with high performance figures and comparatively quiet fans, but you have to live with a performance drop under sustained workloads. If you want to avoid these, you are now forced to use the High Power mode. However, considering the device worked fine and you got the higher performance combined with quieter fans, we are not sure the MBP 16 really needs a High Power mode.
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