I'm a freelance graphic designer using a 13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics, 16 GB of memory, and plenty of free storage. Before updating to macOS Tahoe 26.6 about a week ago, I could run Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and several other apps together without trouble. Since the update, even one Adobe app causes noticeable lag, loud fan noise, and delayed mouse and graphics response. Running two apps at once is practically unusable, but I regularly need all three for work. Activity Monitor currently shows green memory usage, so I'm unsure whether RAM is really the issue. What can I do to restore the previous performance, and could the processor be upgraded without replacing the entire computer?
3 Answers
There have been reports of Illustrator and other Adobe applications lagging on Tahoe, so trying Sequoia is a reasonable troubleshooting step. Unfortunately, the processor in this MacBook Pro is soldered to the logic board and is not a realistic upgrade. If the older operating system does not solve the problem, reducing document complexity, disabling unnecessary background utilities, and eventually moving to a newer Mac with stronger graphics performance may be necessary.
This sounds more like a compatibility or performance problem with the new operating system than a simple lack of storage. Before making major changes, check Activity Monitor for memory pressure, CPU usage, and processes consuming unusually large amounts of resources. You could also test the Mac by installing an older system on an external SSD and booting from it. If the Adobe apps work normally there, that would strongly point to Tahoe or the current software versions as the cause.
The memory graph is currently green, so I’m not sure RAM is the main problem. I’m mostly trying to figure out what changed between the updates that made the graphics and mouse response so poor.
The 2020 Intel MacBook Pro may simply be struggling with the newest operating system and Adobe releases, especially with integrated graphics and only 16 GB of memory. A practical option is to downgrade to macOS Sequoia, or otherwise return to the last version that worked well, then avoid upgrading that machine until compatibility improves. Back up your files first and verify that your Adobe versions and plugins will work with the older system.
I was hoping the processor could be replaced, but it sounds like that isn’t a practical option. I’ll investigate returning to the previous macOS version before considering new hardware.