I am using Brave [Version 1.64.116 Chromium: 123.0.6312.105 (Official Build) (arm64)
] on my Macbook Air [M2], 8 GB RAM, Mac OS 14.4.1 (23E224)
Brave is taking up 3GB of RAM, I have about 10-12 tabs open
I have selected “Memory Saver” in Brave Settings.
How do I fix this?
Take a look at task manager via ≡ → More Tools see which resources are taking up memory. Would test with no extensions also.
Whenever I try to watch…
I see the Brave CPU jump into the high 30s. When it gets even higher, the image can lag and the fan turns on which is annoying, distracting, & loud.
How do we fix this given the plethora of now closed threads on this subject dating back to 2020?
Disabling HW Acceleration will offload to the CPU, which is why its worst performance. Re-enable it.
I don’t have HWA disabled nor do I even know where that is. Is that the same as graphics acceleration? I already gave plenty of information. All these short replies seem to dodge the issue.
What shows up in ≡ → More Tools → Task Manager
Is there a newer MacOS version?
Also stop spamming the forums. People will have different issues with Ram, CPU, etc. Not every thread relates to this specific issue.
Also given you’re on older MacOS x64, I suspect the video drivers can’t decode AV1/HEVC causing it to be offloaded video playback to the cpu. Causing excess cpu usage.
For youtube:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/enhanced-h264ify/omkfmpieigblcllmkgbflkikinpkodlk.
The threads I bumped tended to focus on Brave’s high CPU when related to video. The goal was to highlight how many CPU-related threads focused on the issue occurring while using video/streaming/YT/gaming.
There are lots of open & closed threads dating back to 2020. The issue has been insufficiently addressed. Instead, it’s the same old stopgap, recurring replies about Hardware Acceleration and Task Managers without any real changes made. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Over the past week, I’ve read through previous threads & replies including instructions to locate CPU readings via Task Manager. Right now, I’m not watching a live stream so everything is fine in terms of CPU numbers & the fan isn’t running. When I was watching T2 on Plex, CPU was around 36, but while using WatchParty, it was much higher, the fan came on, and the video lagged.
Sonoma is the most recent MacOS released in Fall 2023. It officially supports 2017 & on. One of the keys for using older models is Retina Display, which I have.
I don’t have a problem with Youtube videos in general, only the tennis live streams which I can technically watch elsewhere. If I turn down the resolution, that typically helps, which is what I think your link is trying to say for laymen despite the jargon.
So, you’re intimating the fix to high CPU usage & a loud fan only while using Brave & not Firefox or Safari, etc… is get a new MacBook Pro even though my current one is perfectly good? Is that the advice for everyone, then?
I’ve only needed to buy two MacBook Pros since 2008 & always for college/university. Barring irreparable physical damage, they last for a very long time which justifies the high price. I update the OS as needed, keep storage free with an EHD, don’t do anything crazy, & keep it moving.
There is common thread, all the sites are related to video playback. If your GPU can’t decode the video codec being supplied by those sites, youtube, amazon, netflix, pluto etc. Then it has to use your cpu to decode said video.
Over time this has changed as websites have migrated away from h264 video to newer more efficient video codecs (AV1/HEVC). Which is why 264ify works well for older GPUs. Chrome removed h264 support a while, affected all Chromium builds including Brave.
Be easy to just check GPU/CPU usage with and without 264ify, be much improved on older hardware. Which GPU are you using?
