Run this sample program :
"import javafx.animation.TranslateTransition;
import javafx.application.Application;
import static javafx.application.Application.launch;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;
import javafx.util.Duration;


public class testTranslate extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) {

        Label test = new Label("This is a test");
        TranslateTransition transition = new TranslateTransition(Duration.seconds(10), test);
        transition.setFromX(0);
        transition.setToX(1000);
        transition.setCycleCount(-1);
        transition.play();
        BorderPane pane = new BorderPane(test);
        pane.setMinWidth(1000);

        primaryStage.setTitle("Hello World!");
        primaryStage.setScene(new Scene(pane));
        primaryStage.show();
    }

    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        launch(args);
    }

}
"

If you run it on Windows and open the task manager, you will see that your process do not take too much CPU percentage (0 or 1 at most).

Then run the same program under Mac, open the task manager and you will find that 8% of your CPU is constantly taken for the animation.