Which MacBook is best for Sims 4?

[AriaMad2]

(This is my first time looking at buying a computer, so I’m sorry if I don’t understand much) I’m looking into buying a MacBook (since I’ll have to if I get accepted into the school I want) but I don’t know what model would fit my needs best.

Basically, I’m just after something that can run The Sims while being able to do everything else I need. I was looking at either the MacBook Air or the cheaper MacBook Pro (without the touch bar). Which one would be able to run the game better?

[Bluebellflora · Accepted solution]

@AriaMad2

Gaming is largely about the graphics card -

MacBooks, MacBook Airs,13" MacBook Pros and the entry level 21" iMac don't have graphics cards per se, they have integrated processors/graphics chips and share system memory (the 8Gb RAM that @Tremayne4260 is referring to).

15" MacBook Pros and all other iMacs have dedicated/discrete graphics cards which have their own memory, much better for gaming. Apple use mobile versions of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards in these Macs (not including the iMac Pro) - the iMac is essentially a bigger, sometimes more powerful, desktop version of the 15" MacBook Pro.

If you're limited to the non-touch bar 13" MacBook Pro be aware that if you install a lot of packs to the game it will start slowing down significantly and you will have to keep your settings on the low side in-game to keep gameplay relatively smooth.

The non-touch bar 13" has a dual core processor whereas the touch bar 13" has a quad core processor so is more powerful.

And yes, the MacBook Airs are great for their purpose - mobile computing for school and work - but absolutely not designed for gaming,

[Tremayne4260]

Macbook Airs are not gaming computers to be honest and would struggle to run the game. I would opt for the MacBook Pro and make sure you have at least 8GB of RAM, more if you can afford it.

[Bluebellflora · Accepted solution]

@AriaMad2

Gaming is largely about the graphics card -

MacBooks, MacBook Airs,13" MacBook Pros and the entry level 21" iMac don't have graphics cards per se, they have integrated processors/graphics chips and share system memory (the 8Gb RAM that @Tremayne4260 is referring to).

15" MacBook Pros and all other iMacs have dedicated/discrete graphics cards which have their own memory, much better for gaming. Apple use mobile versions of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards in these Macs (not including the iMac Pro) - the iMac is essentially a bigger, sometimes more powerful, desktop version of the 15" MacBook Pro.

If you're limited to the non-touch bar 13" MacBook Pro be aware that if you install a lot of packs to the game it will start slowing down significantly and you will have to keep your settings on the low side in-game to keep gameplay relatively smooth.

The non-touch bar 13" has a dual core processor whereas the touch bar 13" has a quad core processor so is more powerful.

And yes, the MacBook Airs are great for their purpose - mobile computing for school and work - but absolutely not designed for gaming,

[AriaMad2]

Would the new MacBook Air be able to handle The Sims? I’m just wondering because I don’t have a whole lot of money to spend here. 

[Bluebellflora]

@AriaMad2

I’ve detailed why MacBook Airs aren’t good for gaming in my post above. If you decide to buy one you should be aware of its limitations.

[HannahMandisa]

I want to get the MacBook Pro 13inch has touch bar 2019 but would it be good for sims 4 and packs or is it just iMacs and MacBook pro-15inch. 

- Hannah

[pingucat_sims]

should work fine for sims but be wary getting packs as they will slow it down a lot

[Cherrie68]

I know I'm a little late here, but honestly, for the same price (or even cheaper), you could easily get much higher specs with higher processing power, more cores, and with dedicated (aka separate) graphics cards on a Windows laptop (or desktop). Not the Surface laptops because they're generally more pricey (and don't have dedicated graphics), but you could definitely look into other brands like Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, Lenovo etc. (I personally use HP, because they have a great range).

You could even consider some lower-end Windows gaming laptops (that are mighty powerful already), and some are also cheap! Gaming laptops are AMAZING machines because if it can handle games, it can handle absolutely anything. Nowadays, any low-end gaming laptops can easily handle the Sims and won't break your wallet.

I'm not trying to steer you away from Apple products because they are also great, but unless you're able to afford higher specs, the cheaper ones aren't really made for gaming, especially MacBook Airs. They emphasise more on productivity work and are also a lot more limited in terms of apps that're out there.

If you're dead set on the MacBook Air, you won't really have a good experience with playing Sims, unless you get the 15" MacBook Pros or better.

Or just settle with cheap, Windows machines that can handle anything with a fly.

[Bluebellflora]

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@Cherrie68 wrote:

If you're dead set on the MacBook Air, you won't really have a good experience with playing Sims, unless you get the 15" MacBook Pros or better.

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This isn't true anymore with the M1 Macs. They are phenomenal. Apple haven't produced any 15" MacBook Pros since 2019.

[l442ufh22t7u]

Hey! i have the macbook pro 13.3 2019 & do you think it is a good laptop for the sims? it runs my game rlly smoothly even with mods my fans are usually loud but it hasn’t crashed or anything? do you think that’s good