Last Updated on July 19, 2022 by srinivas
The M2 MacBook Air has caused quite a stir for its redesign and performance, but is also gaining attention for reports of CPU throttling. It’s not unexpected: Like the M1 model, performance slows down during heavy processing to maintain a proper operating temperature, since the MacBook Air has a fanless design. That doesn’t stop reviewers from using benchmarks and video demos to hype the issue.
However, a YouTuber has found a clever solution to the MacBook Air’s CPU problems. Max Tech placed thermal pads on the MacBook Air’s motherboard, based on the theory that the pads would help conduct heat away from the CPU so it wouldn’t slow down and maintain its performance.
And based on Max Tech’s testing, the thermal pads worked. Benchmarks in the video show that the MacBook Air improved from the results recorded before the pads were installed. Better yet, the modified MacBook Air outperformed the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro in benchmarks. Max Tech also showed that it took longer for the CPU to reach higher temperatures.
Max Tech’s solution is pretty tempting — thermal pads are cheap ($15) and they’re relatively easy to install (you just need to open the laptop, which is easy). But long-term effects, such as how exposure to the heat affects the durability of the pads over time, are not known. (This leads to the question of why Apple didn’t implement such an easy fix in the first place.)
There’s also the fact that making this change to the MacBook Air will almost certainly void Apple’s warranty. So if you want MacBook Pro performance MacBook Air, you can try installing thermal pads yourself. But you do it at your own risk.