How to Fix CPU Throttling (800MHz) on MacBook Pro 2011 with No Battery (OCLP)

guide MacBookPro macOSMonterey OpenCoreLegacyPatcher Troubleshooting

Fixing MacBook Pro 2011 CPU Throttling (800MHz) with Missing/Dead Battery

When running a MacBook Pro (like the A1297 Early 2011) without a battery, Apple's SMC automatically throttles the CPU to its lowest frequency (800MHz) as a safety mechanism. Sometimes, the "Disable Hardware Throttling" option in OpenCore Legacy Patcher does not take effect. Here is how to resolve the issue.

Method 1: Manual SMC Bypass (Highly Recommended)

If OpenCore's settings do not work, you can force the SMC to ignore the missing battery condition by removing the platform sensor plist file:

  1. Disable SIP: Boot into recovery mode, open Terminal, and run csrutil disable. Restart your Mac.
  2. Locate the Plugin: Navigate to /System/Library/Extensions/IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext/Contents/Resources/.
  3. Find your board ID: Locate the plist file matching your Mac's board ID. You can find your board ID by running ioreg -p IODeviceTree -r -n / -d 1 | grep board-id in Terminal.
  4. Backup and Delete: Move or delete the plist file corresponding to your board ID from the directory.
  5. Rebuild Cache: Run sudo kextcache -i / in Terminal and restart. Your CPU should now run at its full clock speed.

Method 2: Re-configure OCLP and Rebuild OpenCore

  1. Open the OpenCore Legacy Patcher app.
  2. Go to Settings -> Developer Settings (or advanced options depending on the version).
  3. Verify that Disable Hardware Throttling is checked.
  4. Go back, click Build and Install OpenCore, and apply it to your internal drive. Reboot.

Method 3: Install a Replacement Battery

The safest and most permanent solution is to install a functional battery. The SMC relies on the battery to buffer sudden power draws, which is why it throttles the CPU to prevent unexpected shutdowns when the battery is missing.

Original Question: "Disable Hardware Throttling Not Working"

So I have a Macbook pro a1297 early 2011 running Monterey and for some reason, disable Hardware Throttling does not work. I have no battery installed because it was in the end of it's life. Even checked cpu power thing, forgot what it's called. The cpu is currently running at 800MHZ and everything is so slow, stuttering, lagging, sluggish, you name it. Even boot time is affected, I had this whole thing working back then, just had to reinstall macos since it was only allocating 70gb out of the 120gb ssd, so about 50 gb was free, but couldn't add it to the thing, so had to reinstall.

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