Brush cursor inaccurate

On Mac OS and PS 21.2.2.

Been using PS 20 years or something like that. Way back, when using the normal paint brush cursor (a circle) and 100% hardness, the color actually covered the entire area of the circle, all the way out to the circle line itself.

But since a few PS versions back, I can't make this happen. The paint/color never meet the cursor circle but leaves a gap (random width?).

I do a lot of work with layer masks and this is extremely annoying, generating a lot of extra job as I have to guess and test a lot.

A couple of years, I have tried every possible way in general settings and brush settings to remedy this, but failed.

If someone understand my way to explain the dilemma and know a way to fix the problem, I'll be able to trash the Xanax.

(oh, the last part was a joke...)

Cheers