International media outlets have begun to disseminate reviews of the newly unveiled Mac M4 chip introduced last week. Of notable interest, Ars Technica discovered that macOS on both the Mac mini and MacBook Pro have expanded the usage of the High Power mode, increasing device options.
Originally limited to the 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M1 and M2 chips, Apple subsequently extended it to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Max chip. With the M4 chip family, it was found that the High Power mode can be activated on the M4 Pro chip in both the Mac mini and MacBook Pro. However, Ars Technica noted a lack of significant performance difference on the Mac mini, with only a noticeable increase in fan noise. Nevertheless, the testing was brief and may not yield drastic results.
According to Apple Support documents, the default operating mode for macOS is Automatic, which balances energy consumption and performance. Conversely, the High Power mode enhances performance for graphic-intensive tasks such as grading 8K footage with ProRes 4444 and 8K DNxHR, as well as using 3D applications.
TLDR: Recent reviews of the Mac M4 chip reveal an expansion of the High Power mode to additional device models, offering increased performance for graphic-intensive tasks while balancing energy consumption.
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