My laptop throttles during long video exports, what can I change?
Yes, this sounds like thermal throttling: a processor lowers its speed when it gets too hot to hold full speed. On a MacBook Pro with a Pro or Max chip, set Energy Mode to High Power while plugged in, keep the vents clear and cool the room. Do not open the machine.
Cite
Geek With Laptop Forum, "My laptop throttles during long video exports, what can I change?", https://geekwithlaptop.com/forum/thread/my-laptop-throttles-during-long-video-exports-what-can-i-change/, accessed 2026-11-10.My 16-inch MacBook Pro with a Max chip starts a 4K export at a good pace, and after roughly ten minutes the frame rate drops and does not recover until I pause and let it cool. The fans get loud. It sits on a stand, plugged in, lid open, in a room that gets warm in the afternoon.
It is not the noise that bothers me, it is export times on client deadlines.
Is this thermal throttling or something else? What can I change without opening the machine? Is there a setting that lets the fans run harder? I would rather not turn it into a hobby of measuring clock speeds, I just want dependable export times.
- Accepted answerInes CalderStaffHardware and repairs editor ·
Yes, this sounds like thermal throttling: a processor lowers its speed when it gets too hot to hold full speed. On a MacBook Pro with a Pro or Max chip, set Energy Mode to High Power while plugged in, keep the vents clear and cool the room. Do not open the machine.
Apple's About Power Modes page says High Power Mode lets the fans run at higher speeds, and that the extra cooling may let the system deliver higher performance in very intensive workloads. It names video editing and 3D apps, where you may see smoother playback and faster exports. You will hear more fan noise. It lists supported models, including MacBook Pro introduced in 2021 through 2023 with a Max chip, so yours qualifies. If a Mac does not show High Power in the menu, that model does not offer it.
To set it, on macOS Ventura or later choose Apple menu, System Settings, Battery, then pick High Power Mode from the "On power adapter" menu under Energy Mode. On macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later you can also change it from Control Center. Apple's Battery settings guide describes High Power as increasing energy usage to improve performance during sustained workloads, so export on the adapter.
On a Windows laptop the equivalent is the maker's performance profile plus Settings, System, Power & battery, Power mode. For temperatures and fan noise on other machines, see how to check CPU temperature.
Repasting is not a fix to try on a MacBook, and doing anything inside a laptop while it is plugged in is dangerous. Leave it closed.
7 more replies
Most helpful first- Raul M.Member ·
Rule out the boring things first. Open Activity Monitor, click the CPU tab and look for another process eating cores during the export: a sync client, Spotlight indexing, a browser tab playing video. Then check that the vents are clear and the laptop is on a hard surface or a stand with open space underneath.
- Sophie LinMember ·
@Ines Calder thank you. High Power Mode is there for the adapter setting, and I had not touched it. I will test one export tonight against the old time, with the stand and the window shaded.
Write something first.
Give people something to work with: at least 30 words on what happened and what you tried.
That is too long. Keep it under 6,000 characters.
Write the question as the title, 15 to 140 characters, no links.
Pick a category.
Add a name (2 to 40 characters, no links).
That email address does not look right.
That was quick. Read the thread, then try again.
The form expired. Reload the page and post again.
Something went wrong with the form. Reload and try again.
Please complete the check and post again.
Limit reached for now. Try again later.
This thread is closed to new replies.
This thread no longer accepts replies.
Something went wrong with the form. Reload and try again.
Post a reply or question first (name and email), then this browser can vote, edit and accept answers.
You cannot vote on your own post.
Only the author (within 30 days) or the forum team can do that.
That email already has an account. Use your sign-in link instead.
New accounts are paused for the moment. Try again later.
That was already posted.