Performance on Macbook Pro Intel vs Apple Silicon

I'm currently running Parallels on my Mackbook Pro 16 inch 32 GB Ram Intel 8-Core i9. Recently I keep having issues when I run Windows via Parallels; laggy performance all around, including mac apps (text as I write this post in Chrome (mac) is lagging & missing keystrokes). I'm wondering if this issue is because of my current macbook specs and I need to upgrade to a new macbook? Do I need to upgrade my macbook to have a usable system?

I've seen Parallels markets that it is now optimized for M-Series Macs but not sure if that means it's no longer ideal for Intel macs.

Not sure if it makes a difference by I am running a multiscreen setup.

Thanks in advance!

 

Agreed, I'm on a 2019 Intel Macbook Pro. Even assigning my Windows 11 VM a lot of RAM and other performance tweaks, performance has been getting worse with each update. It sure looks like optimizing for Apple Silicon means de-optimizing for Intel. Any suggestions to help reverse this trend would be extremely welcome.

 

Are you running 64-bit apps that have been optimized for the ARM processor? If not you are probably suffering from 32-bit emulation delays.
Here is some info from Perplexity.ai regarding this situation when asked

"Can Parallels running Windows 11 on Apple Silicon run 32-bit apps"
Yes, Parallels running Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs can run 32-bit applications. This is made possible through x86 emulation, as Parallels allows 64-bit x86 operating systems to run on Apple Silicon, and these operating systems can in turn execute 32-bit applications. However, there are limitations:

• Performance: The emulation process is slow, with long boot times (2-7 minutes) and reduced responsiveness due to the translation of x86 instructions to ARM.
• Compatibility: While 32-bit apps can run, 32-bit operating systems cannot be installed. Only 64-bit x86 operating systems are supported.
• Other Limitations: Features like USB device support and nested virtualization (e.g., WSL2) are not available.

For gaming and older software, users have reported success with 32-bit Windows apps in Parallels, though performance may vary depending on the app or game.