Intel Processor Power Consumption

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Level 2

191 points

Intel Processor Power Consumption

I just got a refurbished dual core 13 MacBook Air (2020 Model). I wanted to test how it cools using some software that I know makes laptops run hot (in this case, MailSteward). I set up Intel Power Gadget 3.7.0 to track the processor and Turbo Boost Switcher Pro to protect the processor. They're both setup right. I have the same rig in my i5 MacBook 12" (2017 Model) so I'm familiar with behaviour I anticipated.

Oddly, and when doing nothing in particular IPG is showing this processor peaking at 240-280 Watt current draw. There seems no rhyme or reason to the pattern; I cannot track it to a software, or switching between different screen settings - it's hard not to say that these spikes appear randomly (other than that, IPG is always running).

I have never seen this characteristic on any machine I have tested in this way.

Is this benign, a likely fault, or is there a way to get further into it?

Thanks in advance for thoughts and considerations.

Posted on Apr 13, 2021 12:49 AM

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Answer 1

Cheryl_I1

Community Specialist

Apr 13, 2021 7:00 PM in response to Frog-one

Hi there Frog-one,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you have some questions about power spikes on your Mac. Have you used Activity Monitor to see what program might be spiking? Learn more here: View energy consumption in Activity Monitor on Mac.

We hope this helps!

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Answer 2

Frog-one Author

Level 2

191 points

Apr 14, 2021 1:29 AM in response to Cheryl_I1

Thank you for the resource link.

Intel Power Gadget provides 4 snapshots of what's happening inside the Intel processor; for example my MacBook 1s a 1.2Ghz MacBook Retina 12". From all three snapshots you can see the processor is calling for and when active receiving Boost 99-100% of the time. Boost isn't a rarity, it's a semi-permanent state of demand (always-on, etc).

My question wasn't about overall machine power consumption (though I found your link useful, insofar as it alerted me to Intel Power Gadget preventing sleep, etc), instead it was about the lightening-strike "sparks" of wattage crashing through the processor's core - something akin to a short-circuit. No other machine I've tested before has exhibited this characteristic, so it has me wondering if there's a defect in this one.

As it's on 14-day trial from Apple Store I guess I'll return it, replacing it with a new one then see if I get the same behaviour on that one.

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Intel Processor Power Consumption

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