Apple is releasing a new performance mode for the already announced 16″ MacBook Pro with M1 Max-soc called High Power Mode. In this mode, the upcoming laptop delivers “optimized performance”.
High Power mode was initially discovered in a recent macOS Monterey beta, after which Apple confirmed the new performance mode to MacRumors. The mode is only available for the new 16″ MacBook Pro with M1 Max-soc. This is the most advanced and most expensive configuration of the 2021 MacBook Pro series. The 14″ MacBook Pros, with or without M1 Max, as well as the 16″ MacBook Pro with M1 Pro soc do not have access to High Power Mode. MacOS Monterey will be released on October 25 and the new MacBooks will be available the following day.
Apple has not yet disclosed an exact description of the new booth. The macOS Monterey beta, on the other hand, already states the following: “Your Mac will provide optimized performance for better results in demanding tasks. This may result in louder noises produced by the fans.”
MacBook users do have the opposite of the High Power Mode at their disposal, namely the Low Power mode. This reduces the performance of the laptop for a longer battery life. The High Power Mode consumes more power with increased performance anyway and would therefore only be useful in specific situations such as rendering a video at the last minute.
Update, 7:00 PM: The article claimed that the M1 Max soc would only be available for the 16″ variant of the MacBook Pro. The 2021 14″ version, on the other hand, also supports the new processor. Thanks to Herax10NL.