Brand new MacBook Pro 16 Inch (2019) - Battery draining very fast

[applemmm]

Hello,

I have just bought a brand new MB Pro 16 inch (2019) with the basic configuration (512GB SSD, i7 6-core).

I have set up two users on Catalina, one for private stuff, one for work.

What I have noticed is:

I have started the Mac this morning at 06:00 AM. I worked for three hours running the following programs: Spotify (listened to some songs, not for the full 3 hours), MS Office, MS Word, OneNote. After 3 hours, the battery was drained down to 3%, which I found extremely odd.

I have read a lot of reviews, which talked about the great battery of the new 16 inch MBP, stating that it can stream Youtube for 10+ hours and run office apps while working for 12+ hours without the need of charging.

Battery state is "good", charging cycles "2" right now. Activity monitor didn't show any particular or extreme usage.

Now my question: Would you return the laptop and get a new one or wait a bit? I have read that new Macs do a lot of backgrund syncing, which causes the battery to drain quickly.

- How do I know if this is the case? How do I see this in the activity monitor?
- How long does this state last and when can I expect my Macbook to fully function, with 10+ hours of office working ?
- Would you keep it or return it?

Thank a lot!

 

[smallcoffee]

What is the brightness level you are using? That can impact the battery.

 

[applemmm]

What is the brightness level you are using? That can impact the battery.

about 75%

 

[smallcoffee]

about 75%

Hmm. That will affect battery but you shouldn't see only 3 hours. I see 3 hours at that level on my MBP and it's like 4 years old.

It could be that the applications you are using are draining battery life significantly. Maybe try not using Spotify, see if that makes a difference, etc.

I think that Apple's claims about battery life are always a bit generous, and typically it's using their own applications which are better optimized. I see that some software can become an energy hog (like Chrome).

Hopefully someone else can chime in with some options for testing to identify if it's a battery issue or if it's an issue with the software you are using.

 

[applemmm]

well i had an external 35 inch screen connected the whole time, plus airpods and a bluetooth mouse and a bluetooth keyboard plus two users logged in simultaneously. Maybe this is the reason it drained so fast? all these things combined i mean.

 

[hallux]

well i had an external 35 inch screen connected the whole time,

I'm not sure with the newer models, but with older models any time there's an external display connected it forces use of the discrete video card, which will certainly draw down the battery faster.

 

[applemmm]

I'm not sure with the newer models, but with older models any time there's an external display connected it forces use of the discrete video card, which will certainly draw down the battery faster.

Apparently that also happens with the 16 inch models

 

[smallcoffee]

well i had an external 35 inch screen connected the whole time, plus airpods and a bluetooth mouse and a bluetooth keyboard plus two users logged in simultaneously. Maybe this is the reason it drained so fast? all these things combined i mean.

Now the truth comes out!

Just kidding. I think that those will definitely have an effect. As others mentioned, having the two monitors plugged in may enable the discrete GPU to power both of those.

Let me ask another question, what's the actual problem? Is it expected 10 hours of battery life with the applications you are running, and connected to two 35" monitors? If so why not just plug the laptop in?

I think your best bet for testing battery life would be to run those applications or do a normal workload on battery life without connecting to the monitors. That'll help you diagnose where the power drain is coming from.

 

[chengengaun]

How does the Energy tab in Activity Monitor look like? Checking the list may give you some clues.

Also, do you have a large number of files (not file size, but number of pieces)? Are these files in iCloud (including photos) or OneDrive? These might also cause issues.

 

[applemmm]

How does the Energy tab in Activity Monitor look like? Checking the list may give you some clues.

View attachment 934020

Also, do you have a large number of files (not file size, but number of pieces)? Are these files in iCloud (including photos) or OneDrive? These might also cause issues.

I will post a screenshot later.

I have re-installed Catalina for now and i'll let everything sync now. Then I am going to drain the battery to 0 and re-charge it to 100%. Let's see what that does.

I did have OneDrive installed and integrated, where I do actually have quite a few files. Is that really that big of an issue? I was hoping that it is not.

Does OneDrive only drain battery once, after setting up and syncing or is it a permanent battery drainer?

Thanks!

 

[smallcoffee]

I will post a screenshot later.

I have re-installed Catalina for now and i'll let everything sync now. Then I am going to drain the battery to 0 and re-charge it to 100%. Let's see what that does.

I did have OneDrive installed and integrated, where I do actually have quite a few files. Is that really that big of an issue? I was hoping that it is not.

Does OneDrive only drain battery once, after setting up and syncing or is it a permanent battery drainer?

Thanks!

Probably only drains battery on the initial sync. Generally once setting everything up I let all of my applications sync before going on battery, or I'd pause them.

 

[chengengaun]

I did have OneDrive installed and integrated, where I do actually have quite a few files. Is that really that big of an issue? I was hoping that it is not.

Does OneDrive only drain battery once, after setting up and syncing or is it a permanent battery drainer?

Thanks!

Probably only drains batter on the initial sync. Generally once setting everything up I let all of my applications sync before going on battery, or I'd pause them.

Yes, I think generally it's the initial sync that really consumes a lot of CPU time. However, it might also happen if there are large file movements. Earlier this year I moved thousands of small files into and out of OneDrive. Had to manage the syncing process manually (pausing and restarting the sync depending on what I do).

 

[bpwoods7]

Hi All. I was going crazy.. but finally solved this. The only thing that fixed it was to follow the instructions posted on the Apple support site that recommended wiping the hard drive and reinstalling Big Sur. Then you will do your SMC and graphic card resets. This is the only way I got back to 10 hours of batter life. Thank. God. Here is the copy and paste:

1. 
   I've learned when I buy a new Mac the best first immediate step is to go in and do an internet recovery and erase the HD and reinstall MacOS. This way you're getting the latest version without having to install OS updates. Do this before installing anything....and install fresh. Not from Time Machine. Best steps are here...thanks to MacWorld!: https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac/reset-mac-3494564/
2. System Settings>Energy Saver I checked the box "Automatic Graphics switching"
3. System Settings>Bluetooth>Advanced>Uncheck "Allow Bluetooth devices wake this computer"
4. System Settings>Notifications>Turn on Do Not Disturb>When Display is sleeping/When Screen is locked.
5. Install TurboBoost Switcher (free app) This keeps your MBP from throttling up to turbo mode if you don't do high powered Pro-style apps
6. Install gfxCard Status (free app or Pro for $$). This apps helps to keep your Graphics card mainly on the integrated graphics. https://gfx.io/
7. Set the above steps into place and restart the MBP.

One thing to know is it takes about 3-4 battery cycles for the MBP battery to get "set".



NOW, with the above steps taken, reset the SMC and NVRAM/PRAM

Yes, ensure your Mac is plugged in to your power supply.



Notebook computers with the T2 chip(yes this applies to the 16" MBP)



Before resetting the SMC:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release the button.
3. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn on your Mac.

To reset the SMC:

1. Shut down your Mac with power plugged in.
2. On your built-in keyboard, press and hold all of the following keys. Your Mac might turn on.

• Control on the left side of your keyboard
• Option (Alt) on the left side of your keyboard
• Shift on the right side of your keyboard

Keep holding all three keys for 7 seconds, then THEN press and hold the power button as well. If your Mac is on, it will turn off as you hold the keys.

Keep holding all four keys for another 7 seconds, then release them.

Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn on your Mac.



Resetting the NVRAM/PRAM



With the power supply plugged into the Mac, power it off. Reboot and immediately press and hold these four keys together:

Option, Command, P, and R. You can release the keys after about 20 seconds, during which your Mac might appear to restart.

• On Mac computers that play a startup sound, you can release the keys after the second startup sound.
• On Mac computers that have the Apple T2 Security Chip, you can release the keys after the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time