[Desktop] Switch back to integrated GPU on macOS

[Dani3lSun]

Description

When GPU hardware acceleration is enabled (which is the default) it occurs that some browser window is enabling dedicated GPU (if you have an MBP 15 for example). Which is fine, a lot of modern web pages need that extra power for fancy things. But if you close that window or tab, Brave doesn't switch back to the integrated GPU. So you stay at using the dedicated GPU, which burns your battery. Chrome or other Chromium based browsers do switch back after some time, Brave doesn't.
There is already an entry in the community forum which describes that:
https://community.brave.com/t/brave-wont-change-back-to-integrated-gpu-and-high-battery-usage/47295
And turning off hardware acceleration is more or less just a workaround then a real solution to this problem.
And opening the in-browser task manager to kill the GPU process isn't nice as well...

If you install a tool like gSwitch ( https://github.com/CodySchrank/gSwitch ) you can see which GPU is currently in use.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Visit e.g. https://web.basemark.com/ and run a benchmark
2. After some seconds dedicated GPU is activated
3. Close the browser window/tab
4. Dedicated GPU is still active

Actual result:

Dedicated GPU stays active

Expected result:

Brave should switch back to integrated GPU

Brave version (brave://version info)

Brave 0.65.118 Chromium: 75.0.3770.80 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[todbot]

Confirm this is an issue. My system is 2015 MacBook Pro w/ discrete GPU.

[Savjee]

Confirm this is still an issue on:
Version 0.66.100 Chromium: 75.0.3770.142 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Tested using MacBook Pro mid 2015 with this graphics config:

• AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2 GB
• Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB

[Aggiemaster]

I saw this issue as well:
0.67.125 Chromium: 76.0.3809.100 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Testing on 2019 Macbook Pro:
Radeon Pro Vega 20 4 GB
Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

[biddster]

Confirming on a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013). Makes my legs pretty hot.

Version 0.68.132 Chromium: 76.0.3809.132 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[lokitoth]

On Surface Book 2 15" (Windows 10, Insider Preview), same issue is happening: Merely launching Brave (v1.0.0 Release Channel) spins up the dedicated GPU to the tune of 50-60%.

Contrast with Edge Dev and Firefox Dev Channel: Neither has this issue, and both properly use the integrated GPU.

[vincent-li-dev]

Confirming this is still an issue.
Macbook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, 2016)
Version 1.0.0 Chromium: 78.0.3904.97 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[leoscku]

Same issue happening
Macbook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, 2017)
Version 1.0.0 Chromium: 78.0.3904.97 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[zeebonk]

Confirmed for:
Macbook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
Version 1.0.1 Chromium: 78.0.3904.108 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[SAGV]

Confirmed for:
Macbook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
Version 1.0.1 Chromium: 78.0.3904.108 (Official Build) (64-bit)

And this is indeed pretty annoying!

[mbedded]

Not sure if I have the same issue but I have made the experience that my battery is dead after using VS Code + Brave for 2-3 hours. When I use VS Code + Safari the battery lasts 8-9 hours as expected. No compiling or any other "heavy CPU work" was done in these few hours. Battery was always 100% before

macOS Catalina 10.15
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2014)
Version 1.0.1 Chromium: 78.0.3904.108 (Official Build) (64-Bit)

[euclaise]

Confirmed for:

• Macbook Pro (16 Inch, 2019; UHD360 x Radeon Pro 5300M)
• macOS 10.15.2
• Version 1.2.28 Chromium: 79.0.3945.79 (Official Build) beta (64-bit)

I was wondering what was eating my battery life...

[jbm1991]

Confirmed for:

• MacBook Pro (16 inch, 2019)
• MacOS 10.15.4 (19E287)
• Version 1.7.92 Chromium: 80.0.3987.163 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[SAGV]

Actually it got fixed for me since the last either mac os or brave update

Upd: No, it is not fixed!

[jbm1991]

Interesting, my Mac and Brave are fully up to date too, but it is definitely still happening.

To test you can view the new iPhone SE page https://www.apple.com/uk/iphone-se/ and do some scrolling, which immediately utilises the discrete GPU. Then close the tab and it does not stop using the GPU until you either restart Brave or use the Brave task manager to kill the GPU process

[amuteau]

not fixed for me.
after 30min working on brave :

I only have 5 tabs opens (Gmail, google drive, gsheet, gdocs)

I can't use brave anymore

My config :
MacBook Pro (Retina 15 pouces, début 2013)
macos 10.15.4 (19E287)
Version 1.7.92 Chromium: 80.0.3987.163 (Official Build) (64-bit)

[SAGV]

Ok, I take my words back. It is indeed not fixed for me as well…

[biddster]

I love brave but I think I'm off to firefox. My legs are on fire :-(

[Jecht5]

The issue is still here, Brave please take it seriously. I want to fully switch to Brave, this is one of the many hassle preventing me to do it

[no-nice-username]

Still not fixed.

[generalpepperoni]

Confirming also for Windows 10

• Version 20H2
• OS build 19042.870
• Version 1.22.67 Chromium: 89.0.4389.90 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Hardware

• Device name Razer Blade 15 2020
• Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10750H CPU @ 2.60GHz 2.59 GHz
• GPU RTX 2060
  

[fristys]

+1 on this issue. Considering how there's hardly any activity on this issue, is this a "won't fix" or? Because, if that's the case, there are other browsers.

[iamteedoh]

This is disappointing to see. This has been reported since 2019 and there is no movement here. Such a great browser with a great goal and yet no real movement, responses or discussions. I'm tired of FF and Safari but if they are going to give me better battery life, I'm moving on if no ETA is provided. We at least deserve an ETA considering it's been over 2 years now with this issue.

[luizoti]

Configuring on the nvidia panel and setting brave to use the integrated graphics, it worked for 1 day and suddenly stopped, my cpu is able to run brave with 4k 60fps videos for example, without problems, I say because it worked temporarily, it would be great if the brave worked correctly.

[bsclifton]

+1 here from a user

Not sure if this comes from upstream but I try to keep up on updates. Since the last one the GPU helper has been banging on my Intel MacBook and draining the battery nonstop which also kicks on the fans

I finally closed it which made the system calm down almost instantly. I saw the Brave GPU helper or whatever its called specifically for multiple minutes in a process monitor called iStat Menus

Apple MacBook Pro 16-Inch "Core i7" 2.6 2019

[zielu]

I would recommend if you have dedicated graphics just to move on to other browsers that solved this issue years ago.

[mikklfr]

Still an issue as of today, Chrome is switching back to integrated graphics once you close the tab using the GPU acceleration but Brave is not.
MBP 16" 2019

[dejvizelo]

Still an issue as of October 16th 2023. How is this issue not getting any attention from the dev team?