The CPU view in Activity Monitor is the starting point for tuning the performance of software. Here are its virtues, and a few vices to beware of when using it.
CPU
Set up from unboxing in under 2 hours, its CPU cores perform better than those in the M3, differences that are magnified.
One of the most common reasons for opening Activity Monitor is to check the % CPU of processes that might be running out of control. How accurate are those figures, though, and should you believe them?
Is an M4 next week a better risk than the promise of a better model next year? Understand how to select the M4 chip suited to your needs, and specify your new Mac.
Comparing CPU core counts and maximum core frequencies across the four families in the M series, plus expected performance of Thunderbolt 5. Which M4 Mac should you buy?
How could you study how Apple silicon CPU cores are used to run code? Comparisons between Activity Monitor, Xcode Instruments, and powermetrics.
Few acts can excite an audience as much as the plate-spinner darting between crockery threatening to wobble out […]
Little seems to have changed in CPU cores in M3 chips, if you read reviews. Dig a bit deeper and there are major changes, as explained here.
Once you know how to configure an app to be able to use Game Mode, you can run better tests. Here are measurements of CPU and GPU performance for comparison between Full Screen and Game Mode.
How much faster are P cores at running the same thread as E cores, and how much more energy do they require? And how do they compare with using the GPU?
The Eclectic Light Company 