Apple releases software update against throttling in new MacBook Pros

Apple has made changes in macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 that would reduce throttling in the new MacBook Pros. That should make the laptops significantly faster. According to Apple, the throttling was caused by a software error.

Apple said it discovered a “digital key” missing from the firmware, which affected the laptop’s thermal management system. As a result, the clock speed of the processors in the new MacBook Pro drops when it is put to work and warms up.

On Tuesday, Apple will release macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 and it is said to contain a solution to the problem. The manufacturer explains this in a statement to The Verge, but does not want to clarify what exactly the error is. Apple claims that throttling only happens under very specific circumstances and that’s why it didn’t notice the bug. The software bug would affect all versions of the new MacBook Pro, both 15″ and 13″ models.

Apple states that the new laptops after the update are faster than last year’s models. The manufacturer sticks to its own figures, which are published on the Apple website. It states that the 15″ model is up to 70 percent faster and the 13″ model up to two times faster.

After Apple released the 2018 models of its MacBook Pro laptops, videos from users surfaced online showing the laptops being throttling. The top model with the Core i9 processor with six cores can therefore be slower under heavy workloads than last year’s model with an Intel Core i7 processor with four cores.