Apple’s MacBook Neo arrived as a shock to the industry. It is the new cheap MacBook that is designed to be silent, efficient, and affordable. But a new stress test suggests that it could have been noticeably better with a very simple change.
As per a recent test, the addition of a basic copper plate to the cooling setup can improve both thermals and performance by a meaningful margin. And the frustrating part? It isn’t some complex engineering overhaul and is relatively straightforward.
What’s holding back the MacBook Neo?
Just like the MacBook Air, the Neo runs on a completely passive cooling system. So the fanless design, which keeps the A18 Pro chip cool, is part of the problem. There is no active cooling here to help dissipate the heat. While you do get a completely silent device that is thin and lightweight, and even more power-efficient, the trade-off is thermal throttling.
Under sustained workloads, the chip heats up quickly, forcing the system to reduce performance to stay within the optimal temperature limits. And this is completely avoidable, as per an ETA Prime video on YouTube.
How to boost the MacBook Neo’s performance
By adding a copper plate for improved heat transfer, the MacBook Neo was able to spread heat more efficiently across the chassis. The result?
- Lower operating temperatures
- Reduced throttling
- Noticeable performance gains (in double-digit percentages)
In real-world use, this is a significant improvement for such a small hardware change.
Apple probably skipped this for various reasons. Adding additional thermal materials, like a copper plate, increases manufacturing costs, affects internal layout, and potentially transfers more heat to other components.
Furthermore, the MacBook Neo is positioned as a $599 entry-level MacBook, so the company is clearly optimizing for cost efficiency, simplicity, battery life, and silent operations. It isn’t meant for hefty workloads, which is what the more expensive MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are for.