Mac hardware
We help to solve your hardware hassles, from interrupted upgrades to running diagnostics
Quick-fire questions
What battery charge level is best in storage?
> Battery life is reduced when it’s kept at more than 80% charged, or below 20%. Apple advises the optimum is 50% when being stored, but as charge level falls slowly, it’s better to charge to 60-70%, then to recharge every 2-3 months, keeping within that 20-80% band.
Was there an M1 Pro chip with only six ‘P’ cores?
> Yes, as a ‘binned’ version of the normal M1 Pro with eight Performance (P) cores and two Efficiency (E) cores, not a different design. When chips are made, some cores don’t come up to spec and are ‘binned’. Some could have two of their ‘P’ cores disabled and work well in cheaper variants of that model.
Power-hungry virtual machines
Q Why does running apps in a virtual machine on my MacBook Pro M2 Pro drain its battery so quickly? by JOE HARRIS