Macbook pro 16 2019 cpu stuck at 1.0 ghz when using highly CPU-intensive apps

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Level 1

4 points

Macbook pro 16 2019 cpu stuck at 1.0 ghz when using highly CPU-intensive apps

Hi. I noticed time ago that my macbook pro (16'', 16gb ram, i7 2.6 Ghz 6-core) was very slow on intensive usage.

I am a software engineer and found it normal to be a little bit slow sometimes, but the problem is that it sometimes gets unresponsive, the audio glitches, and transitions and apps get very slow.

I finally found that when I open some high cpu intensive apps such as games or videocalls (minecraft, smashkarts.io for instance, sharing my desktop on a Meet Call), the CPU goes down all the way to 1.0 Ghz and gets stuck there, without being too hot (it stays at 60 degrees Celsius).

It is kind of working the other way round: when load is not too high, the CPU sometimes goes normal (between 2.0 and 4.5 Ghz), but when I try to use an app as I said before, more CPU/GPU intensive, it just goes to the opposite.

I made a EtreChek in case it helps.

Thanks in advance!

EtreCheck Report

MacBook Pro

Posted on Dec 15, 2022 8:47 PM

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Answer 1

Trish313

Community Specialist

Dec 18, 2022 3:12 PM in response to felipehv

Hi felipehv,

Thank you for posting Apple Support Communities!

You mentioned this is happening when using specific apps, have you check for any app updates that may be available to install?

Open the App Store.
In the sidebar, click Updates.
Click Update next to an app to update only that app, or click Update All.

How to manually update apps on your Apple device- Apple Support

Have a good one!

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Answer 2

felipehv Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 19, 2022 5:20 AM in response to Trish313

HI Trish,

Thanks for answering.

Finally I decided to take my macbook to be opened up and get the fans cleaned.

I read in other forums that accumulation of dust could have been the problem and many people did it and it solved the problem. Fortunately, that was the problem and now my macbook runs smoother.

My macbook is just two years old, I can't believe I had to clean the fans in such a short period of time. Maybe it is a bad design of the macbook pro 16 2019 cooling system, I don't know, but it is very annoying not knowing what the problem was.

About the apps, I do not usually download apps from the app store, that could not have been the problem. Also the specific apps have one thing in common: they all use the discrete GPU.

Have a good one,

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Answer 3

Dec 19, 2022 12:29 PM in response to felipehv

so I took a look at your Etrecheck report. Nothing jumped out at me as obviously wrong.

It seemed surprising that your run took over five minutes, when three minutes or less is typical, but your drive seemed fast enough has TRIM enabled, and is not full, but getting there.

You have VirtualBox installed but not loaded. Last time I checked version 38 was current, you have version 26 and are running under Ventura. I makes me want to ask, "Have you made sure all your added Apps are top-to-date for Ventura?

You have fan control app loaded. If you artificially restrict the fan speeds, your Mac processor will begin to overheat and throttle itself back (by slowing the clock speed).

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Answer 4

felipehv Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 20, 2022 10:04 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hi Grant,

Yes it took really long to complete the Etrecheck report. As I said, my CPU was throttling to 1.0 Ghz. Also I need to add that Kernel_task was using around 700% CPU at the time of the report.

I also did the report under "heavy" load conditions (google meet with blur background camera) and some Chrome tabs opened, to see the report under the circumstances I described as the issue.

About the OS, I updated to Ventura recently in order to try to solve this same problem. Nothing happened. Although I have not checked all my apps to run correctly with Ventura, I haven't had any problems since I got my macbook fans cleaned.

About the fan control app, yes, I had the fan control app loaded just to know the fan speeds and cores temperature at the moment of throttling. I know that I shouldn't restrict fan speeds in any way.

In conclusion, dust in the fans was the cause of my throttling issue.

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