Seeking Advice: New MacBook Pro M3 Max Performance Issues

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Level 1

15 points

Seeking Advice: New MacBook Pro M3 Max Performance Issues

I'm seeking advice regarding my recent MacBook Pro Max 3 purchase and issues I’m encountering. I upgraded from a 2013 MacBook Pro which became problematic due to the spinning wheel, unresponsive apps, overheating, and loud fan noise during simple tasks. To address these concerns, I upgraded to the new MacBook Pro Max 3 with enhancements, primarily focusing on memory for multitasking with apps like Photoshop, Dropbox, Word, Mail, Safari, Cricut, and Acrobat. I do plan to do some very light video editing in the future when I finally get around to converting old home movies.

My current specs are:

- 4TB SSD storage

- 64GB unified memory

- 16-core CPU

- 40-core GPU

- 16-core Neural Engine

Despite these improvements, I've encountered performance issues within a week of use. Even with basic applications like Word, Excel, Acrobat, Dropbox, Mail, and Safari open, I'm experiencing the spinning wheel. I prefer maximum screen brightness due to vision challenges, but I doubt this is the root cause.

Additionally, I've faced the following problems:

Random black screen, unresponsive to touch, requiring a force power-off. (Has happened twice)
Occasional trackpad freezing with cursor disappearance when multiple apps are open.
Incorrect network disconnect messages despite being connected.
iCloud Drive sync issues persisting even after restart and direct Ethernet connection attempts.

Having invested $5,303.17 (seriously might have to sell a kidney) in this MacBook, I'm deeply disappointed with its performance. I anticipated smooth operation, especially given the substantial memory upgrade. I'm contemplating returning the MacBook, but I'm unsure if upgrading to 128GB of unified memory would resolve these issues. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated as my return window will be approaching shortly.

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.2

Posted on Dec 16, 2023 03:09 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

piglett222

Level 1

8 points

Jan 21, 2024 01:21 AM in response to songbird0918

Yes. Been experiencing the same. Just got my Macbook Pro M3, 16GB Memory, 1 TB, 16 Core, and it is significantly slower than my M1 2019 Macbook I had. Can't even edit a 3 minute video file on CAPCUT without it lagging and having the spinning wheel of death every time I pause and play the clip. It's been extremely frustrating and disappointing considering how much money is invested. And just to note, it is brand new, so the only files I have is the film editing software and the 3 minute clip.... Worried to now download other applications and files. Hopefully this is just a bug that Apple can get onto.......

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Answer 2

Platypus4

Level 2

239 points

Jan 22, 2024 08:37 AM in response to songbird0918

Hello songbird0918.

Those issues are very odd to take place on such a high performance laptop. My guess is that there is some software on your computer that was transferred from your old Mac to your new Mac. To stop these problems, I suggest:

Doing what jeffreythefrog said and downloading the free version of EtreCheck and testing for any unwanted installed software.
Contacting the official Apple Support Team and telling them about these issues. If the results from EtreCheck prove that you do have an unwanted software, make sure that you tell them that too.

If neither produce any results, back up and restore your Mac.

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Answer 3

songbird0918 Author

Level 1

15 points

Jun 17, 2024 08:56 AM in response to songbird0918

I sent it back and got the 16”. I’ve had zero problems. I think maybe it was because the 14” didn’t have two fans but I could be wrong. No issues whatsoever. I did choose to get the 128gb memory though. I had to sell a kidney lol. Kidding

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Answer 4

Dec 16, 2023 04:43 PM in response to songbird0918

with those specs, your MBP should be handling those tasks without breaking a sweat.

have you installed any apps that claim to "speed up" or "clean up" or otherwise "optimize" your Mac? and / or have you installed any antivirus apps on the Mac?

if not, you may have something else going on. i'm thinking you should download and run the free version of EtreCheck so we can see if you have some software installed that is causing your issue. make sure you give "full disk access" to etrecheck. Learn how to use it by reading Using EtreCheck. if you need help interpreting the report, you can see how to post the report here by reading How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, i.e. an Etrecheck Report. and it automatically obscures sensitive things (like serial numbers) so you don't have to worry about sharing the report here.

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Answer 5

Jan 21, 2024 01:02 PM in response to jeffreythefrog

x2 for both of these users running Etrecheck and posting the results here, as those computers should be flying fine with no issues.

(Ensure the Etrecheck report is posted correctly here. Follow the directions linked in jeffreythefrog's suggestion).

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Seeking Advice: New MacBook Pro M3 Max Performance Issues

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