Larger apps needing more resources can also sap your Mac’s CPU when nothing else is open – they’re that power-hungry! There are some background processes runningĪ background process is something an app does without notifying you to keep it performant and synced. This is especially true when you’re using a resource-heavy app and have several others open in the background. While a calendar app might need a few resources to stay active in the background, larger, more complex apps simply need more power. Some apps – typically design and development apps – naturally need more processing power!Įven when you have these apps active in the background, they require a larger “slice of the CPU pie” than other apps. Not all apps are created (or act) the same. One of your apps requires the most CPU power Having too many apps open means the app you want to use can’t get what it needs from the CPU. Using an app requires more processing power than if it were idle. Too many apps open simply whittles down how much processing power your Mac has. When you have too many apps open, it’s like all those apps are taking small slices of a pie chart that makes up your Mac’s CPU capacity.

Remember: your CPU, powerful as it may be, has a finite amount of resources to give. Even in the background, apps perform tasks or anticipate your input. When n app is open, your CPU is being asked by that app to help it operate. Here are a few common issues that can overwork your CPU: Too many apps are open This can even happen when your Mac is idle, or you’re doing something as simple as browsing the web or checking emails. There are several reasons your CPU might be overworked. Why is your Mac’s CPU running at full capacity? Even when you do something as simple as slide your cursor around the screen, your CPU is “thinking” in the background. When your Mac is doing – well, anything – your CPU is active. The CPU is responsible for processing all the information a Mac needs to function normally when you use apps. CPU is acronymous for “central processing unit,” which might be how someone would describe the human brain! The CPU is your computer’s brain, essentially. In this article, we’ll show you how to check with CPU your Mac uses, how to clear the CPU on your Mac, and why a system monitor might be the best app you can download for your Mac right now. Still, it’s possible to overwork your CPU without realizing it. Modern Macs have advanced CPUs that can speed up when needed and idle at lower processing speeds when you’re performing simple tasks. Most users are just like you, too!īut the CPU on your Mac is critical for its performance, both long and short-term. Do you know what your Mac CPU is? Chances are, you use your Mac every day without giving its internals a second thought.

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