How to check MacBook performance: 5 ways to test speed

If you want to know how to check your MacBook's performance, I can only imagine you’ve run into the rather frustrating issue of a slow device. The problem with slowdowns is that it can be tricky to figure out if it’s temporary, fixable, or if there's an even larger problem at play, so here’s five methods to help you uncover what’s really going on.

What does it really mean to check Mac performance?

I think a lot of users still think there’s a magic MacBook performance test button that will give you the answers, when actually the reality is a little more complex than that.

Things like your CPU load, available memory on your device, disk speed, battery health, the actual task you’re currently working on, and even the GPU all have a role to play.

But don’t let me scare you here, your macOS has a couple of native built-in tools to help you stay on top, it’s just that most users never open them. I’ll walk you through the best methods, from easiest to more advanced, so you can really start to understand your Mac’s behavior.

How to monitor Mac performance

Method 1: Activity Monitor for general performance review

1. Open Activity Monitor on your Mac via a Spotlight search.

2. Here’s what all the tabs across the top mean:

• CPU. The user column is what your apps are using, the System column is what the OS is using, and the Idle column shows what's free. If you see anything above 60%, close it by pressing the X button.

• Memory. Take a look at the Memory Pressure graph. Green is always good, yellow means your Mac is showing stress and red means your memory is struggling. If you notice the Swap used figure is very high, this means your RAM is running out.

• Energy. You can spot apps draining battery or preventing you from putting your Mac to sleep.

• Disk. This shows read and write activity. If you see a lot of spikes, this can point to apps that are sucking up resources in the background.

• Network. Shows if anything is using too much bandwidth in the background.

If this feels like a lot, I really recommend using CleanMyMac — its Menu App shows all of this in a simple, real-time overview.

Method 2: Check your Mac’s System Report

1. Press the main Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info > System Report.

2. In the sidebar review Memory, Power, and Storage sections.

You’re basically checking that your battery health is normal (no service recommendation), that your RAM is enough for your workload, and that you have around 20% of free storage, because if any of these are compromised, then it’s no wonder you need a MacBook running slow test.

Method 3: Apple Diagnostics

Quickly rule out hardware (not software) issues in Apple Diagnostics. Depending on your model, how you do this differs; check the support article from Apple here.

If Diagnostics does find something, make a note of the code; you’ll need to cross-reference that here, in Apple Support pages, to find out what the issue is.

Method 4: Use Console for advanced log analysis

If you’re more of a technical user, Console is pretty handy.

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Console.

2. Try searching for a specific error or a specific app name to narrow results.

3. View reports and error messages in real time.

Method 5: run a benchmark test with third-party apps

If you decide to go down the benchmarking route, just remember that scores are only useful when compared to a baseline (same model, same year).

• For CPU and GPU testing, use Geekbench 6.

• For CPU-focused rendering, use Cinebench 2026.

• For SSD testing, use Blackmagic Disk Speed Test.

• Use Novabench for general, all-in-one testing.

If your score is clearly below the results of where other similar machines land, then you know you have something worth investigating further.

What to do when performance is low

So, if you’ve checked Mac performance and there are issues, here are my absolute top recommendations for quick actions you can take right now, to improve things instantly.

1. Close down all open but unnecessary apps and browser tabs.

2. Disable any unnecessary startup items (System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions).

3. Delete old files, move things to Cloud or external storage, and even empty your Trash to free up disk space.

4. Always make sure your Mac is running the latest software update (System Settings > General > Software Update).

5. Depending on your model, reset your SMC / NVRAM. Apple has support on this here.

In my opinion, you can do all of this more easily with the Smart Care scan from CleanMyMac. This handles multiple maintenance tasks in one go; here’s how:

1. Open CleanMyMac (get your free trial here).

2. Click Smart Care > Scan.

3. Review and run tasks.

Do I need professional help?

If Apple Diagnostics reported anything, if your battery condition is compromised, or if you keep experiencing overheating or really big slowdown, it’s time to visit a genuine Apple repair center. Just double-check your warranty or AppleCare+ status.

Now you know how to check your MacBook's performance.