OS X macOS Game Mode vs. renice -20: Combining for better performance?

[RazorBackXX]

"I'm trying to optimize game performance on my Mac and I'm curious about combining two different performance-boosting methods:

1. macOS Game Mode: I know this built-in feature prioritizes game performance when running full-screen. I think it allocates more system resources to the game, reduces background processes, and maybe adjusts power management.

2. A custom script I use with 'renice -20': This Unix command gives my game the highest possible priority, making the OS allocate more CPU time to it.

What I'm wondering is:

1. If I use both Game Mode and my 'renice -20' script, will I get extra benefits, or might they clash?

2. How might my 'renice -20' script affect the way Game Mode is using my CPU?

3. Has anyone tried using both at the same time? What happened when you did?

4. Are there any risks or downsides I should watch out for if I combine these?

I'm really trying to squeeze the best performance out of my Mac for gaming, but I don't want to mess things up by having these methods fight each other. If you've got any experience with this or insights to share, I'd really appreciate it!"

 

[Slartibart]

what version of macOS? on Sonoma game mode is triggered automatically. Nice-ing a process still has benefits when this does not happen - but priorisation has a of course physical limit. On a side note: why are you writing in quotes?

 

[RazorBackXX]

what version of macOS? on Sonoma game mode is triggered automatically. Nice-ing a process still has benefits when this does not happen - but priorisation has a of course physical limit. On a side note: why are you writing in quotes?

the newest one. I know Sonoma is automatic. id need you to explain priorisation having a physical limit I'm not a tech guy yet. as for the quotes nice catch, I didn't notice. good ol chatgtp rephrasing it so you tech guys can help me. I'm not the best at writing. you say that it has its benefits but a buddy online posted this.
Here’s what the response means in simpler terms:

1. **Renicing is basic**: The person is saying that "renicing" (which adjusts the priority of a process) is a very simple and rough tool. It doesn’t have much control over the complicated way macOS manages tasks and how it decides which processes get more CPU time.

2. **Renice might hurt gaming performance**: Changing a game’s process priority with "renice" could actually hurt performance because there’s more to gaming than just giving the game more CPU power. Other processes, like the ones handling graphics or running the kernel (the core part of the operating system), also need CPU time. Game Mode is smarter about distributing CPU power to the right processes.

3. **Game Mode is better for overall performance**: Game Mode looks at everything the game needs, not just the main game process. For example, it might give more priority to tasks like **MTL Compiler** (which is part of Apple’s Metal graphics framework) or kernel-level GPU processes. These might actually be more important for smooth performance than just giving the game process more CPU time with renice.

4. **Game Mode and renice affect the CPU**: Renice only affects the CPU, and Game Mode mostly focuses on the CPU too. Since you’re likely to be **GPU-bottlenecked** (where the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU), changing CPU priorities might not have a big impact on performance anyway.

5. **YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)**: This phrase just means "results will vary." In other words, the performance impact could change depending on the game, the version of macOS, or the specific Mac you’re using. You’ll have to test it out with benchmarks to know for sure.

In short, this person is saying that renicing probably won’t help much and could even make things worse for games. Game Mode, on the other hand, is smarter about how it allocates CPU time. But in the end, you’d need to run benchmarks on your Mac and with your specific games to really know what works best for you.