Does NotchStar system stats drain your battery?
The System tab is built to cost little: it reads a handful of system counters once a second, and only while the tab is on screen. There is no published energy measurement for NotchStar, so this page describes what it does and does not claim a number.
What runs, and when
- System tab open: one reading a second of CPU ticks, memory counters, startup volume capacity, battery state and network byte counters. These are calls to macOS that return numbers, not scans of files.
- System tab closed: nothing. The loop belongs to the view, so it stops when the notch closes or you change tool.
- Disk tab: nothing runs until you press a scan button. The Monitor section samples every 3 seconds, ports about every 9, only while it is open.
What would cost more
Your own use. A scan that reads thousands of files, a duplicate check that hashes large files, or a video compression will use the processor for as long as it runs. Those start only when you press a button and show progress.
How to check for yourself
Open Activity Monitor, pick the Energy tab and find NotchStar in the list while the System tab is open, then close the notch and look again. That tells you the cost on your Mac, which is better evidence than any general claim.
Related
The System stats feature page lists the limits. For the cadence of each reading, read how often NotchStar updates system stats. For data handling, read is NotchStar safe.
