Sims 4 Crashes/Lags on Mac since Anniversary Update Feb 2021

[fantasims]

Sure I can do that, my save files are all mostly empty because I use a save file for each build so I don't know if it will be helpful but I'd be happy to share them!

I usually close origin and then "force quit" the app from running so it shows up as using no CPU on activity monitor? 

Also none of the other players have shared any specs online. Kate Emerald told me she would test out the lag on a big build she's working on to see if the wall tool is still giving her problems and if it does I can ask her if she'd be willing to share her task manager stats on Windows

below is another shot of performance when the game crashed - it crashed over 8 times yesterday whilst building something small on med graphics setting and the CPU was at 19% before it crashed but there is no spike in CPU/RAM/GPU to signify that RAM/CPU was overloaded (I forgot to screenshot activity monitor as well but they both had the same readings)

Thank you so so much!

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Hmm. Can you disable whatever monitoring/malware/antivirus software that is you're using whilst playing and see if it makes a difference?

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

I sent you another message

[fantasims]

I don't have any antivirus software except for Clean My Mac that I use to scan my computer....does that count?

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Noooooo! Those apps are awful and can remove files that shouldn't be removed. Best way to clean your Mac up is to do it manually. But User and System Library files left over from uninstalled apps shouldn't really cause any problems (unless it's an app like Origin which can affect a future re-installation).

[fantasims]

O ok I didn't know that! My computer ran a lot smoother when I started using Clean My Mac so I thought it was a good software to use! 

On another note I have managed to get my game to not crash as much - still lags more than it did but less crashing! I should have done the following things separately to differentiate which one helped the most, but alas, i did them all together lol:

I dragged my Tray/Saves folders to my desktop and deleted The Sims 4 folder and loaded the game to create a fresh The Sims 4 folder, then exited out of the game and replaced the Tray/Saves folders with the ones I had dragged to my desktop (I had done this several times already but figured I'd try again)

Then in the game options menu I disabled all weather from seasons and Eco Lifestyle gameplay, disabled the gallery and my game ran a lot smoother

I'm still having trouble with the bigger lots, but for the most part, no more crashing!

I also noticed I have less RAM available after yesterday's patch (APR 27, 2021). Like usually I have 20-25G RAM available but I only had 13 after the update so I can't tell if that was due to other factors or if it is due to the update, I'll have to see if it remains like that over the next few days. The update was quite small so I'm surprised if it is due to the update!

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Thanks for the update If disabling weather and eco effects improves performance it would indicate the issue is simply down to hardware struggling to run the game due to the increased resources needed. I'm really hoping to test your save over the next couple of days (I promise!).

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Just loaded your save - thanks!

While I was playing the RAM usage hit 4GB and kept on climbing. FPS was really low too, down to 6 at one point. I think with this particular build the issue could be all the vents and lava together with the amount of objects on the lot to make all the ornate turrets (very cool!). The Mac I tested on has an 8-core CPU, 8GB AMD Radeon 580X and 32GB RAM, plenty of power to run it optimally.

[fantasims]

O wow thanks for testing it out and letting me know how it handled on a more powerful computer! I really really appreciate it! Especially all the details about the RAM and FPS levels! Definitely am saving up for a new computer that's for sure lol 

I am just really confused because before the update i was building it and I had no problems and no lag but now my builds all lag after these updates and I've had the same old hardware the whole time. Some builds I can't even open even though I was able to before the updates. 

I totally agree that my hardware is too old and I need a new computer to keep up with the demands of my building, I just don't get why the sudden change in performance if I've had no problem up to this point?

Maybe the updates were just the last straw and just made it too much?

You've been such a huge help thanks!

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Updates can also have performance tweaks, maybe that's what happened for you. You could mitigate it a little by lowering resolution and graphics settings but I'm not sure what else you could do.

Thanks for sending your save, it was really helpful to test