jamroozek Simler's core mod isn't compatible with NRaas mods, so I would remove it if your goal is fewer glitches and other issues. Many of the fixes it contains are included in various NRaas mods, and some others exist as standalone mods that don't conflict with anything from NRaas. If you'd like to know other ways to implement specific features, ask on the NRaas site; I'm not up-to-date on everything out there.
The Smooth Patch is fine, except for the CAS part. There was an additional file to make it compatible with MasterController, but LazyDuchess pulled it because it wasn't working. I use the base file though (no CAS improvements) and have never had an issue I could trace back to it, or any more issues than I did before I added it to my game.
I would also consider adding NRaas Register, and absolutely Traveler if your sims are going to travel at all.
What world(s) are you playing in, and how does the game run in Sunset Valley? How long does the freezing take to start showing up in your main saves, and when you say "after playing for a while," do you mean progressing a save overall (how many sim-days or weeks does it take) or having an extended play session (how many minutes/hours does it take). And how much memory does your Mac have installed? It's unified on ARM Macs, meaning it's shared across video and regular memory as well as among all the apps you're running and the OS itself. So 8 GB might not be enough for your setup, at least in terms of ideal results.
