Sims 4 on MacBook
I currently use The Sims 4 on a MacBook Pro 2015 (2.7 Ghz Intel i5, 8GB 1867 MHz DDR3 RAM, Intel Iris HD 6100). However, I have noticed that it has started becoming sluggish and stuttery and I am th...
Forum Discussion
@hybridace101
Both Macs are not designed for gaming because they have integrated low spec. Intel chips. An iMac with AMD or 16" MBP is much better suited, although there are currently issues with the graphics drivers in the 16".
When you did your test did you load the game in the exact same environment, on the same OS build? The same save, same settings, same packs installed, same processes, background tasks and apps running in the background? That would be the only way to get a true comparison.
The MacBook Air will throttle power to avoid overheating thus eventually causing lag in-game. Too much heat over time can also damage hardware.
The 13" MacBook Pro has dual fans to help with better cooling and is not as thin as the MBA so heat will dissipate more effectively.
I cannot recommend either but if I had to choose, I would go with the MacBook Pro.
Both Macs are not designed for gaming because they have integrated low spec. Intel chips. An iMac with AMD or 16" MBP is much better suited, although there are currently issues with the graphics drivers in the 16".
When you did your test did you load the game in the exact same environment, on the same OS build? The same save, same settings, same packs installed, same processes, background tasks and apps running in the background? That would be the only way to get a true comparison.
The MacBook Air will throttle power to avoid overheating thus eventually causing lag in-game. Too much heat over time can also damage hardware.
The 13" MacBook Pro has dual fans to help with better cooling and is not as thin as the MBA so heat will dissipate more effectively.
I cannot recommend either but if I had to choose, I would go with the MacBook Pro.
I recognise I won't be getting the best experience possible. That's out of the question for this time.
Interesting take on MacBook Pro. My question though: will having 1/2 the RAM size and a change from i7 (MBA) to i5 (MBP) have an impact on gameplay, especially how long it takes to load the game and whether there is a bit of choppiness, i.e. the difference of when you click on something to the time the computer actually does what you command it?
Yes, the settings were almost as identical as I could make them.
- @hybridace101
The fans and cooling are a significant factor in OS throttling. The MBA will get hotter quicker and not cool down as quickly as it only has one fan. When this happens the game will lag (what you are referring to as choppiness). You are unlikely to notice a difference in the CPU between the two because the MBA will start trying to cool itself quicker than the MBP, therefore throttling, therefore lagging. 16GB RAM would be preferable, 8GB is considered low nowadays. The speed of the RAM is faster in the MBA but again, I doubt you will even notice this in performance.
Can you bump up the CPU and RAM in the MBP? I see on Apple's site that will be around $500 without any discounts you may be eligible for.So let me get this straight: the MBA with an i7 (and 16 GB RAM) may be faster on paper than the MBP with i5 (and 8 GB RAM) but that could be negated by the lack of a second fan in the former?
@hybridace101
Is it faster by performance for graphically intense apps, like the Sims 4? You would need to do some googling and look up comparisons and benchmarks. MBAs are built for long battery life and mobile lifestyles with simple usage for work and college. Never gaming in any form.
My point is that even though the CPU in the MBA is an i7, the MBA is not capable of utilising it to its full potential for gaming because it will get too hot and the Mac will go into damage limitation mode and throttle the power. This is a really informative article - https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/2020-macbook-air-problems-3788127/
Might buying an external fan pad help a bit?
- @hybridace101
The first seems to be a hardware component in place of thermal paste, forget it.
Yes a fan will help but ultimately the MBA is ridiculously thin for portability. It's not going to compensate for weak graphics and it will still get very hot.
