Unofficial archive. This is a read-only, community-run archive of the Apple Support Community. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.
WK_88
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

MacBook Air M2 performance drop and lower CPU utilization after macOS updates

Hi everyone,


I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced a significant performance drop on their Mac after the recent macOS updates.


My device: MacBook Air M2, 13-inch, 16 GB RAM.


I first noticed this issue after updating to macOS Tahoe 26.6 (I believe that was the version). Unfortunately, upgrading to macOS 27 hasn’t made any difference. The problem is still there.


Here’s what I’ve noticed:



  • Significantly reduced performance: My Mac feels sluggish and unresponsive compared to how it used to perform.


  • Lower CPU utilization: Under peak workloads, CPU usage used to reach 100%, but now it seems to max out at around 70%.


  • Much lower temperatures: The CPU temperature now stays around 65–70°C (149–158°F), whereas it previously exceeded 100°C (212°F) under heavy workloads.

I understand that lower temperatures can be a good thing, but in this case, the performance drop is very noticeable. My Mac feels much slower than it did before, and I haven’t intentionally changed anything that would explain this behavior.


It makes me wonder whether a recent macOS update has changed CPU power management, performance limits, or thermal behavior in some way.


Has anyone else with a MacBook Air M2 experienced similar symptoms after updating to macOS 26.6 or macOS 27?


I’d be particularly interested to hear from other M2 users who have noticed lower CPU utilization, lower temperatures under load, and a general decline in system responsiveness.


What macOS version are you currently running, and have you found any way to resolve this issue?

Posted on Oct 11, 2026 8:08 AM

2 replies

steve626
User level: Level 7 (20,243 points)

Oct 13, 2026 10:28 AM in response to WK_88

If you have tried kaz-k's suggestion and no improvement has been seen, then I suggest you download Etrecheck (the free version will work fine for this) and post its report here after running it; follow these directions How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community


Etrecheck is a diagnosis tool. When you post the report, you will enable many experienced readers here to review it and look for something installed or in your configuration that is impeding performance. The report does not reveal any personal or identifying information.


Certain tools or apps that are sometimes installed can cause such performance impacts. These include: VPNs, anti-virus, non-Apple security tools, "cleaning" apps, network utilities or monitors, etc. Network tools can especially cause this by interfering with network traffic, which prevents the Mac's processor from working as it should while it is waiting for data to arrive or depart. Also, when two or more such tools are installed, not only can they conflict with the macOS operations but they also can interfere with one another.


An M2 Mac is a powerful computer and should be running very nimbly on macOS 26 or 27. I have a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro 16" on Tahoe, this is a much much slower Mac than yours and it is very responsive on Tahoe. (It is so old it cannot run macOS 27, but you said yours ran poorly even under Tahoe.)

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256374210