MacBook Neo Heatsink Mod Dramatically Improves Gaming Performance Up to 18 Percent

YouTube Creator Shows Copper Strip and Thermal Paste Can Reduce Thermal Throttling Significantly\n\nA simple heatsink modification for the MacBook Neo can improve gaming performance by up to 18 percent, according to YouTube creator ETA Prime.\n\n### The Mod\n\n- Copper strip + Noctua thermal paste + Arctic Thermal Pad applied to MacBook Neo\n- Reduces thermal throttling on the Neo's A18 Pro CPU\n- Up to 18% gaming performance improvement\n- Liquid cooler mod offers even better results but considered overkill\n\n### How It Works\n\nThe MacBook Neo, like many thin-and-light laptops, is limited by thermal throttling — the CPU slows down when it gets too hot. By adding a copper strip to improve heat dissipation from the CPU, the modification allows the chip to maintain higher clock speeds for longer periods during gaming workloads.\n\n### Practical Value\n\nWhile not everyone will want to modify their MacBook, the results demonstrate just how much thermal constraints limit performance in Apple's thin laptop designs. For users who primarily use their Neo for gaming or sustained workloads, the mod could be a worthwhile consideration.\n\n### Caveats\n\nOpening and modifying a MacBook voids the warranty and carries risk of damage. The mod is best suited for technically skilled users willing to accept these trade-offs.\n\nSource: The Verge / ETA Prime / Tom's Hardware