If you have a modern MacBook or MacBook Pro that offers Turbo Boost —a feature that allows your MacBook’s processor to speed-up when under heavy load, it’s nice to get the speed boost, but it also heats up your Mac and drains your battery at a more rapid pace.

Enter Turbo Boost Switcher, a nifty little menubar utility that allows you to turn off the processor’s Turbo Boost feature whenever you wish.

Along with turning on and off Turbo Boost, this handy little utility also shows you the CPU load, fan speed, and temperature. 

Reviews of the app claim up to a 25% increase in battery life. In my use, I’ve noticed an increase in battery life of around an hour or so, and the bottom of the laptop doesn’t get hot at all. Lowering the temperature of your processor helps preserve its overall life (heat kills), so even if battery life isn’t an issue for you, the app can still serve the purpose of protecting your investment! Since the app shows you the statistics, it’s easy to see what it will do for you.

I’ve been turning off Turbo Boost off for pretty much everything except when I’m working in Adobe apps and haven’t even noticed the difference in Safari, Mail, office apps, and other small apps and utilities I use regularly.

Turbo Boost Switcher is free for basic use, and the Pro version offers several nice features. For $9.95 (which includes free updates, forever!) you’ll be able to:

• Fully customize the status bar to show temp, fan speed, etc., have the Turbo Boost
• Automatically disable Turbo Boost when the charger is disconnected
• Automatically disable Turbo Boost when battery level goes below a configurable setting.
• Enable / Disable turbo boost when a specific app is running (customizable)
• Much more!

If you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro with Turbo Boost (pretty much all of them in the last few years), I highly recommend you give this app a try!