The MacBook Neo may only have a mobile-grade A18 Pro chip inside, but it offers way more performance than you’d expect from a $599 laptop. At this price point, it’s incredibly impressive and will to some extent redefine what we can expect from the best budget laptops in 2026.
Still, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect, and the MacBook Neo struggles to perform many tasks. However, you don’t have to settle for that: if you want to tune your Apple laptop and improve the performance of its chip, you have many avenues to explore.
Here we have collected some of the best ways to improve the performance of your MacBook Neo. Whether it’s freeing up storage space or judiciously adjusting a handful of settings, trying these tips could give you even more bang for your buck than you’re already getting.
Article continues below
1. Manage your storage
It’s a simple fact: the less free space there is on your Mac’s storage drive, the slower your machine becomes. If you notice that your MacBook Neo is slowing down significantly, it’s a good idea to check how much storage space you have left by opening the System Settings app and heading to General > Storage.
If it’s weak, there are things you can do. The first is to look under the Recommendations section of the Storage page and click To optimise next to Optimize storage. This will automatically remove things like Apple TV shows you’ve already watched. You can also upload files to iCloud (provided you have enough space), automatically empty the Trash, and much more. All of these options reduce the space used by files on your Mac.
While you’re doing this, it’s worth researching external storage drives and, once you have one, offloading large files to it. Make sure you get an SSD rather than a hard drive (also known as a hard drive), because the speed differences are incredible.
However, there is a very important point to make here, and that is the importance of setting up your Mac correctly before purchasing it. It’s very difficult (if not impossible) to upgrade your Mac’s internal storage, so you need to make sure you equip your Mac with enough storage space before pulling the trigger. This way, you don’t have to worry about external SSDs or freeing up space regularly.
2. Update macOS
Updating your Mac is not only a good way to protect it against emerging threats: it also ensures you get the latest speed and performance fixes.
Apple makes a big deal about all the new features it’s working on when it reveals new versions of macOS each year, but an underrated aspect of these updates is how they can speed up your Mac’s performance. Apple regularly adjusts its software to ensure it works optimally, and that’s something you’ll miss if you stick to older versions.
Before you start updating your Mac, make sure you have everything backed up (perhaps using one of our picks for the best backup software) in case something goes wrong. Next, open System Settings and go to General > Software Updatewait for the new version to appear, then click Update now.
3. Restart your Mac
It can be tempting to forgo turning off your Mac and just close the lid when you’re done at the end of the day. Indeed, one of the reasons the Mac mini’s power button is so hard to reach is because Apple knows that most people don’t actually turn off their computers. But it has some notable benefits and can help improve your Mac’s performance, even if only to a small extent.
You see, when you turn off your Mac, macOS clears its memory, removes unnecessary temporary files and caches, restarts demanding processes, and allows some app updates to complete. All of these things benefit your Mac and help improve its performance by removing things that might be slowing it down. Conversely, the longer you go without stopping, the worse these problems can become.
If you don’t want to turn off your Mac for an extended period of time, even a simple restart will help. This allows all of the above processes to work the same as shutdown.
There’s also the added benefit that shutting down your Mac means it doesn’t consume your battery. This can have its own performance benefits, as Apple automatically starts reducing performance when your laptop runs out of juice.
4. App Improvements
Overall, macOS is an efficient operating system that is quite good at managing applications and preventing them from getting out of control. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to completely eliminate app-related issues.
One way to stay on top of things is to regularly exit apps you don’t use. We’re not just talking about closing the main application window, because the application itself is still running when you do that. Instead, tap Order + Q or click the application name in the menu bar, then click To leavewhich completely closes the application. By only opening applications that are currently in use, you reduce pressure on your Mac’s resources.
Aside from that, you can make a concerted effort to use more efficient apps. Google Chrome, for example, may be one of the best web browsers, but it’s also known for hogging your Mac’s memory and battery life. Switch to another browser and you’ll likely feel the performance benefits right away.
5. Use the correct USB port
This may seem strange: after all, the MacBook Neo’s two USB-C ports are identical. Why would there be a difference between them?
Well, in an effort to reduce costs, Apple used a cheaper and slower option for one of the ports. The USB-C port closest to the trackpad operates at USB 2 speeds, which peak at 480 Mbps. The port closest to the MacBook’s hinge is USB 3.0, which means it can reach speeds of up to 5Gbps. That’s a big difference.
If you’ve plugged in something that relies on fast transfer speeds – one of the external SSDs we mentioned earlier, for example – you’ll definitely notice something is wrong if you’ve plugged it into the USB-C port before. Switch it to the rear one and its performance will increase considerably.
6. Login and background elements
Every time you start your Mac, a host of apps and processes launch alongside macOS itself. These run the gamut from apps you have installed to automatic updates and everything in between. Accumulate too much and your MacBook Neo will feel the strain.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to fix this problem. Open the System Settings app and go to General > Connection elements and extensions. Under the Open at login header, you’ll see everything that happens once you sign in to macOS. If you see something you no longer need, click the minus (-) button at the bottom of the list.
Below is a section titled Background app activity. This determines which apps are allowed to launch background processes (such as checking for updates or syncing files to the cloud). Just like login items, background activity can eat up a lot of your Mac’s resources. As before, go through the list and disable anything you don’t need using the buttons on the right side.
There is also a Extension cords section at the bottom of the window. This is for extra features added by apps, and these sometimes run in the background. The impact of disabling them will likely be minimal, but it’s worth taking a look just in case. Click on the I next to each entry to see the relevant extensions and disable them if necessary.
And if an app has started misbehaving or you’ve noticed macOS slowing down for no apparent reason, try opening the Activity Monitor app (you can find it by tapping Order + Space and typing its name in the Spotlight search bar). Activity Monitor lists all open apps and processes and shows how much of your Mac’s resources they are using, including memory, storage, CPU, and more.
In the CPU tab, for example, you can sort items by CPU usage, then close anything that’s out of control. Be careful here, though, and only close things if you know exactly what they are. Otherwise, you might risk causing an error in macOS.
7. Adjust visual settings
The macOS operating system is not too flashy, but it relies on some visual effects (notably with the arrival of the Liquid Glass redesign in macOS 26). While there’s nothing too demanding, there are a few things you might want to control a little to help your Mac run a little smoother.
One option is to reduce motion and transparency effects. First, open System Settings and go to Accessibility > Display. There, enable the toggle next to Reduce transparency. This makes operating system elements, such as menus and the Dock, more opaque, reducing the load on your Mac’s graphics processor.
Now go back to Accessibility and click Movementthen activate the toggle by Reduce movements. As the name suggests, this uses simpler animations and completely removes some movements, such as when you open and close the Notification Center. Not only can it help you with motion sickness, but it also reduces the impact on your Mac’s chip, freeing up resources and helping to improve performance.
While all of the tips above have focused on what you can do with your Mac itself, you can also enhance it with a few third-party accessories. An external SSD is one we’ve already mentioned, and you shouldn’t underestimate how it can help solve storage constraints.
Elsewhere, you may want to invest in a laptop cooling pad or similar solution if you frequently use items that make your MacBook Neo hot and bothersome. Since this laptop does not come with a fan, some demanding tasks may cause overheating, resulting in limited performance. Granted, most MacBook Neo users aren’t likely to process huge data sets with their laptop, but you may find that keeping it cool leads to better performance from time to time.
While this is an extreme example, one YouTuber connected a custom water cooling system to his MacBook Neo and claimed to have doubled its performance.
I water-cooled the MacBook Neo and DOUBLED the FPS! -YouTube 
Look on it
We’re not suggesting you try something like this, but it shows what’s possible with a properly cooled machine. So a much simpler cooling pad or fan could be a worthwhile investment.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
