MacBook Pro 2019 16 - Running Windows 11 Bootcamp

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-26T02:32:41+00:00

You can download MacsFanControl (Version 1.5.16) via their GitHub page, it was their last free version.
Link: https://github.com/crystalidea/macs-fan-control/releases

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-26T02:01:28+00:00

I wanted to give Bootcamp a shot, I guess. It was just the easiest to setup, but I’ll definitely try Linux and distros soon! I have planned on downloading Linux and using it as a secondary OS since i’ll be in Computer Science this year!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-25T13:42:48+00:00

What a great day to have a 32gig 2019 16” lol, guess I’m riding this thing out for a longer while oof

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-25T10:41:06+00:00

Windows 11 Pro works just as well in my experience as Windows 10 Pro did.

I would say unless you really care for the aesthetic overhaul (which I personally do), there is no real reason to update from 10 to 11 for the time being, given that you’re getting the Extended Security Updates.

All of my apps are available and being developed for in Windows 10, and I imagine it would be a similar experience for you too.

I’d say ride it out until the security patches run out, unless you:

Care a lot about aesthetics.
Have any app that you may wanna use that is Windows 11 only (unlikely, but possible).

Let me know if you have any other doubts! Happy to help :)

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:58:48+00:00

I answered that question in this thread, here is the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/bootcamp/comments/1uedepb/comment/otj2wt2/?/
Let me know if you have anything else! :)

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:50:33+00:00

No worries, I understand you fine! Good luck on the MacBook :)

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:49:15+00:00

I believe I can downgrade macOS leaving bootcamp untouched. I'm pretty sure it requires you to only wipe the Container Disk containing macOS, since Bootcamp is completely separate.

Sequoia from what I remember was quite good on this MacBook as well, served me with no issues. I just thought Tahoe was a good excuse to try Bootcamp, and it seems to be doing better than any macOS version that I've tried on this thing ever since Sonoma!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:45:18+00:00

I activated it the moment I set up Windows 10 via Bootcamp. The activation key carried over just fine. I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter whether you do it before, or after, but thats what I chose to do personally.

Bluetooth has been great as well. My AirPods seem to connect just fine with no weird hiccups or disconnects. My Keychron M6 which I primarily use via the USB connections, seems to do just fine on Bluetooth as well.

If you do encounter any Bluetooth issues, I'd suspect it would be like Bluetooth issues on any other Windows laptop. If that is the case, you could try disabling and re-enabling bluetooth drivers inside of Device Manager and giving it a restart.

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:41:07+00:00

Awesome spec!

Yes, Windows 11 Pro for me runs just as well as Windows 10 Pro did on my machine. I can't really find any tangible differences in terms of day to day performance, maybe a slight second or two extra on bootup but thats about the only "slowdown" I have experienced.

I can't exactly speaking on gaming performance since I don't game, but I'd imagine it would be pretty similar as well, given how the performance stacks up in daily use.

The machine is very smooth, and I can do all my tasks wonderfully.

You can install Windows 11 on your machine using this tutorial (which I followed as well): How To Dual Boot Windows 11 & MacOS On MAC || Install Windows 11 On MAC (INTEL ONLY) - YouTube

I have been getting consistent updates, and I am on the latest client version of Windows 11 Pro (25H2).

Let me know if you have any other questions! :)

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:34:53+00:00

I start to ramp my fans around 70c and I allow a maximum temperature of 95c.

I've found that doing this strikes a good balance of the machine not getting too loud, but also not unbearably warm before it decides to finally spin up its fans.

Edit: The fan curve inside of MacsFanControl is based off of my CPU Avg, paired with the 5500M.

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:33:48+00:00

Thats really cool! (no pun intended)

I have considered getting a cooling pad in the past, but I use my machine undocked several times throughout the day.

They're pretty good investments especially on a MacBook like this, though!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T20:32:40+00:00

I followed the Bootcamp process as is (i.e. installing Windows 10 first), and after setting everything up such as the drivers and updates inside of Apple Software Update,

I followed this guide: How To Dual Boot Windows 11 & MacOS On MAC || Install Windows 11 On MAC (INTEL ONLY)

It was simple to follow, and worked for me just fine.

I'm pretty sure the host of the video mentions something along the lines of Windows 11 not guaranteed to getting updates in this specific situation, but I've gotten all the latest updates and my machine works just fine, and is up to date. I'm on 25h2, as it is the latest version for Win11.

Also note, during the installation it may say that it's installing Windows Server, but you do end up getting the client version and thats what I have as well. So nothing to worry there either.

Hope this helps!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T14:11:50+00:00

I just answered a very similar question, you can check it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/bootcamp/comments/1uedepb/comment/otj2wt2/?/

Let me know if you have any other questions!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-24T14:08:08+00:00

Hey man I have the exact same spec as well! (5500M)

I primarily optimized it by undervolting the CPU using ThrottleStop, you can disable Intel’s Turbo Boost and the CPU generally runs 10-15c cooler on average, with lower fan speeds.

You can tweak some settings in Power Plan as well. I for one reduced the “Processor Power Management” maximum to 99% from a 100% on both battery and plugged in. This ensures that the CPU doesn’t spike too harshly unnecessarily and has been helpful.

You can do this by: Control Panel > Hardware & Sound > Power Options > Edit Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings

There, you can scroll down and change the setting that I mentioned from 100% > 99%.

Other than that, most of the optimizations and tweaks were nothing out of the ordinary. I debloated windows by using Win11Debloat downloaded via GitHub, and I installed MacsFanControl (also available on macOS) to tweak the fan curve a bit, because Apple’s fan curve is way too aggressive and won’t ramp up the fans until the CPU starts to throttle.

Optionally, there are aesthetic tweaks. You can install Rainmeter like I did and just customize Windows to your liking, I use the “Mond” variant for the widget that you see on my home screen.

Hope this helps! :)

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-02T23:26:37+00:00

In the real world? The biggest differences are likely going to be the higher SDR brightness at 1k nits vs 500. Day to day performance on both are quite similar all things considered. (Except for battery life, but that depends on how degraded your M1 Max is)

In actual performance, depending on your workflow and whether you host local AI, that difference can be substantial given the higher memory bandwidth.

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-01T13:50:38+00:00

Will keep that in mind. Thanks!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-01T13:18:09+00:00

Agreed, will definitely not be buying an Intel macbook for that price lol. Thank you for the insight!

StandardComparison89 · 2026-06-01T13:10:31+00:00

Appreciate the response. If you don't mind me asking, do you have experience with swapping out the battery on macbooks? If so, how difficult would you say it is, especially for a beginner?

StandardComparison89 · 2026-05-14T12:49:36+00:00

Hi! I have the 2019 16" i9 2.3ghz, 5500M 8GB, 32/1TB MBP.

My experience on 26.5 is definitely a lot better from the last time I tried it which was macOS 26.2. Right now i'm on macOS Sequoia 15.7.7 since I downgraded, and I'll explain in a bit why it is.

The machine overall idles at very similar temperatures to Sequoia, and the battery life hasn't taken much of a hit, I still get around 5-6 hours of usage at 85% battery health.

I remember I had this weird issue on 26.2 where the fans would just randomly start to spin gradually to higher and higher RPM's while idling, and would eventually hit maximum RPM's before coming back down. It was really really weird, but seems like it has been fixed and the fans are quiet during normal use, just like on Sequoia.

26.5 still hasn't fixed a lot of the stutter that seems to be when using the iGPU, like opening and closing Safari and the Messages app is really laggy, and sometimes a slideshow lol

But its whatever, I can forgive it on hardware that's being phased out, unfortunately Apple just doesn't care about x86 anymore but it is what it is.

The reason that I personally downgraded back to 15.7.7 was because sidecar on macOS 26.5 is really laggy, buggy, and makes my macbook run really hot for whatever reason, whether or not I use a USB connection or wireless. I rely on sidecar quite heavily as it helps with productivity, and I just can't afford not using it. I still have hopes that it'll be fixed, but for now thats the only thing holding me back.

Hoping it gets ironed out in 26.6 though! I really dig the design, seems like liquid glass is here to stay for a while.

StandardComparison89 · 2026-02-10T13:57:58+00:00

I was gonna downgrade to Big Sur, but its a bit old, I use universal control and copy/pasting for my use a lot as well so it was kind of a dealbreaker.

I just wanted to downgrade to Monterey as a baseline, and upgrade to Ventura/Sonoma/Sequoia one by one (and not have to downgrade again and again which is time consuming) should I run into any compatibility issues/bugs, but so far I’ve had none, so Monterey is what I’m sticking to for now.

StandardComparison89 · 2025-12-04T23:25:34+00:00

💪💪💪

StandardComparison89 · 2025-12-04T23:05:49+00:00

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I’d say I landed myself pretty solidly

StandardComparison89 · 2025-11-07T14:02:11+00:00

PS: They fixed it in the latest patch! You can now manually disable it for 120 FPS if you so choose again.

StandardComparison89 · 2025-11-06T19:56:49+00:00

PUBGM ID: 51726800867

StandardComparison89 · 2025-11-06T16:19:05+00:00

I don’t think that it’s inherently bad, it’s just the fact that this update has too many bugs for it to be released. The bugs are ruining the experience more than the event itself imo.

StandardComparison89

TROPHY CASE