Let’s settle this like adults—with numbers.
You’ve got an Intel-based Mac, and you’re wondering:
“If I ditch macOS and go full Linux, will it actually run better?”
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Let me show you.
The Test Environment
We used two machines for these benchmarks:
- MacBook Pro 15” (2015)
- Intel Core i7 (2.8 GHz)
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- MacBook Air 13” (2013)
- Intel Core i5 (1.3 GHz)
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
Each was tested with:
- macOS Monterey (clean install, updated)
- Linux Mint 21.3 XFCE
- Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS
Booted natively. No virtual machines. No excuses.
Boot Time
| OS | MacBook Pro | MacBook Air |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | 23 sec | 26 sec |
| Linux Mint | 8 sec | 11 sec |
| Pop!_OS | 9 sec | 12 sec |
macOS took literally 3x longer. Launchd and background daemons are the culprits.
App Launch Speed (Cold Start)
| App | macOS | Linux Mint | Pop!_OS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | 5.3s | 2.1s | 2.3s |
| VS Code | 6.5s | 2.8s | 3.0s |
| GIMP | 8.4s | 3.1s | 3.4s |
Linux flies out the gate. No Spotlight, no bloated launch agents. Just the app.
CPU Load (Compile Time)
We compiled the same Rust project (~140 files) using cargo build.
| System | Compile Time |
|---|---|
| macOS | 1m 19s |
| Linux Mint | 52s |
| Pop!_OS | 54s |
Clang vs GCC? Maybe. Or maybe Apple just doesn’t care about devs using older Macs.
Battery Life (50% Brightness, Wi-Fi On, Browsing + Writing)
| OS | MacBook Pro | MacBook Air |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | 5h 30m | 6h 10m |
| Linux Mint | 6h 45m | 7h 20m |
| Pop!_OS | 6h 10m | 6h 55m |
Linux wins. With TLP and auto-cpu-frequency enabled, the gains are real. Especially on XFCE.
RAM Usage at Idle
| OS | Idle RAM Use |
|---|---|
| macOS | 2.6 GB |
| Linux Mint | 630 MB |
| Pop!_OS | 970 MB |
Want your RAM back? Linux doesn’t hoard it like macOS does.
Real Talk: User Experience
Linux doesn’t just feel faster. It is faster.
Especially when you rip out bloat like Siri, Notification Center, and random analytics services.
Plus, you can tweak anything. Want a tiling window manager? Use i3. Hate your login screen? Replace it. Try doing that on macOS without breaking SIP.
And for remote workers or digital nomads—like me this past winter—Linux made a difference.
I ran these tests while staying in a short-term rental in Puerto Vallarta. The sunsets were better than the Wi-Fi (barely), but the experience made something click.
If you’re planning to stay long-term or just need a reliable work setup away from your hometown, it’s easy to see why people are drawn to Puerto Vallarta real estate. Quiet neighborhoods, fiber internet, and ocean breezes beat the office grind every time.
So… Should You Switch?
If you want to revive your Mac and make it feel snappy again—yes.
If you love tweaking your setup—absolutely.
If you’re a developer, minimalist, or just hate waiting—Linux is your next OS.
macOS still has polish, no doubt. But on aging Intel Macs?
Linux doesn’t just match it. It wins.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Boot Time | Linux Mint |
| App Speed | Linux Mint |
| Battery Life | Linux Mint |
| Dev Performance | Linux Mint |
| Memory Efficiency | Linux Mint |
| Ease of Use | macOS (barely) |
Linux isn’t perfect. But if you’re hanging onto an Intel Mac, it’s no longer a backup machine.
It’s your secret weapon.
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