How I Revamped my old MacBook
(No, this story doesn’t involve Linux!)
I use a MacBook Air from 2017. While it was ahead of its time at release, it is what one would call a modest computer in today’s terms.
Its Intel i5 1.8 GHz Dual-Core chip isn’t exactly pulling locomotives and the 8GB DDR3 RAM isn’t helping either. And the battery? Mac stopped bothering about the cycle count and instead displays a “Service Recommended” message.
On an average day, here’s my experience with this fossil:
- The average CPU temperature hovers between 92°C and 103°C (198 F to 217 F)!
- Memory (RAM) is perennially full and SWAP at ~3 GB.
- CPU throttled and the fans spin out of control
- Battery life is ~40 mins.
- App opens take ~1 minute
- Taking a screenshot requires some 7 seconds of wait time
Original Image Source: Reddit user
…How I Revamped my old MacBook
(No, this story doesn’t involve Linux!)
I use a MacBook Air from 2017. While it was ahead of its time at release, it is what one would call a modest computer in today’s terms.
Its Intel i5 1.8 GHz Dual-Core chip isn’t exactly pulling locomotives and the 8GB DDR3 RAM isn’t helping either. And the battery? Mac stopped bothering about the cycle count and instead displays a “Service Recommended” message.
On an average day, here’s my experience with this fossil:
- The average CPU temperature hovers between 92°C and 103°C (198 F to 217 F)!
- Memory (RAM) is perennially full and SWAP at ~3 GB.
- CPU throttled and the fans spin out of control
- Battery life is ~40 mins.
- App opens take ~1 minute
- Taking a screenshot requires some 7 seconds of wait time
Original Image Source: Reddit user
Yes, but it comes with the radioactive Apple logo!
After a bit of panic sleuthing and researching, I made the following changes:
- Use only one browser at a time. (Browsers are resource hogs; I use Firefox for now; despite Safari being the most optimised for Macs, it’s a shit browser)
- Move from system-wide VPN to a browser extension. (Pros and cons, but can live with it)
- Keep a max of 3-4 tabs open at a time. (No “I’ll come back and read this later” shit. I either finish with the tab, or bookmark it for later and close it.) And only one video-streaming tab open at a time.
- Installed this small open source app called Macs Fan Control which constantly monitors the fan speeds and component temperature. (If abnormalities, I immediately close things down)
- Not using the Mac in bed, and instead on a flat surface.
- Turned off Spotlight indexing of everything except settings and apps.
- Turned off extra graphics and motions in MacOS.
- Parted ways with Raycast, my favourite Mac app. 😦 It always ran in the background and hogged memory and CPU. “Moving on” was hard; I had to find “memory safe” alternatives for each of the million features it offered. (Raycast is a spotlight alternative with superpowers; easy recommend.)
The last change made the biggest difference, and forced me to do more with less. Raycast left big shoes to fill. (R.I.P)
Now, the average CPU temp hovers around 55 C (131 F), apps are responsive, and am forced to single-task, which is hard, but I like it. Bonus: I can’t even hear the fan sound!
Now you see me!
The ultimate satisfying story would have of course been me getting frustrated with the Mac and nuking it with Linux. Not today, though!
