Should I upgrade my Intel MacBook Pro (2019) from Monterey to Sequoia?

[JosquinDesprez]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently using Monterey on my 16-inch MacBook Pro (Intel, 2019 model). It has been stable and reliable for my workflow, but it gets hot very quickly, so I’m tempted to switch to Sequoia to see if that improves the situation.

Here are a few things I’m considering:

Performance: I’ve heard mixed reports about newer macOS versions on Intel machines. Does Sequoia feel slower on this model compared to Monterey?

Battery & Heat: Have there been any changes for better or worse after the upgrade?

App/Plugin Compatibility: I use audio production software and plugins. Are there any compatibility issues with Sequoia that I should be aware of?

Longevity: Since Intel Macs are being phased out, would it be better to stay on Monterey for more stability, or should I upgrade to Sequoia now while it is supported?

I would love to hear from anyone running Sequoia on a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro. Did you regret upgrading, or was it a worthwhile move?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

 

[DavidDoyle]

I have a 2019 16" Macbook Pro, 2.4 GHz 8 core, AMD 5500M, 32 GB and run Sequoia 15.6.1 no problem. I tend to avoid the .1 release of any new macOS.

Performance : Seems fine to me. I use CCleaner and Onyx to keep things in check, and make sure to check login/startup items also. Zoom was causing my laptop to crash so have got rid of that. An application called Knock Knock is useful to do a scan also.

Battery & Heat : As above, I had a few issues with high CPU and crashing and wondered what it was. Turned off variouos apps and the laptop has run fine even when driving a 5K Thunderbolt monitor.

App/Plugin : Haven't had any issues with applications however I don't use audio production software.

Longevity : I've made this Mac last 6 years already and with a separate eGPU it's done really well. Yes the newer Apple Silicon macs are faster and quieter but I'm still delighted with mine. There's nothing transformational about the new models plus the 16" is HEAVY. If I'm forced to change for some reason I'll go for a refurbished M4 Max for now, though I'm hoping to eke this one out for another year if I can to get the redesigned M5/OLED model.

If you're seeing issues with heat (a common Intel Macbook Pro issue) then I'd suggest looking at login items, uninstalling apps especially ones in the top bar, and check out Knock Knock to see if anything else is running that you may not want or need.

 

[gmm421]

Monterey has not been supported for a year. So, if using older software is not a problem, then bump up to Sonoma which will be supported for another year after Tahoe comes out. I have had no problems with Sequoia, but I use 16 GB RAM which probably makes a big difference as new models with Sequoia are sold with that amount.

 

[stormchasejg]

While I don't have a 2019 model, End of last year I installed Sequoia on my old 2013 2.6Ghz Dual Core i5 MBP with 8GB RAM which my brother uses and with day to day use of Safari/Pages/Word etc you couldn't really tell its a 12 year old machine even its battery still gets a decent life out of it now if you were to do more intensive tasks then it would slow down but it still keeps up. In fact I even had it side by side with my 2024 M3 Pro MBP and it was only a fraction of a second slower opening most apple apps. I would always recommend moving to the latest supported OS to ensure you are up to date with security patches unless you have a compatibility issue which requires you to remain on an older OS.

 

[norwaypianoman]

Sequioa is dream on my 16" 2019 MacBook Pro 64 GB. Faster than all earlier systems. I wonder if I should stay on Sequoia though(15.7).

Thoughts on details:
Battery & Heat: I think there is less heat and less spinning up of fan. I use Logic Pro, MainStage and Final Cut Pro. Maybe it is not best at 4K, you could have a Mac mini Silicon for 4K video.

App/Plugin Compatibility: Only Apogee seems to loosing some old drivers in 2026 to 10 year old production. Other than that, no.

Longevity: No reason at all to stay on Monterey. Build your base on Sequoia, if you have good with ram. When you upgrade, upgrade app for app.

Even thought it used to be generation changes each 6-8 years on Mac systems. I think there will more than a seamless change from a 2019 Intel on Sequoia - to a Silicon, when you buy in 2027-2028 ?

How did your process go,

Josquin ?​