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Graphics performance in OS X - we need your info!

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  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    @daenerystubborn

    All feedback is useful to others, especially those who have the same Mac as you - thanks!
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  • Lee-Suh92Lee-Suh92 Posts: 2 New Member
    ErikTheRod wrote: »
    Graphics Card: AMD M295X 4GB
    Operating System: OS X Yosemite 10.10.2

    Graphics Quality: Custom
    Display Type: Fullscreen
    Resolution: 5120x2880
    Retina Resolution:: Yes
    Vertical Sync: No
    Sims: High
    Objects: High
    Lighting: High
    Reflections: High
    Visual Effects: High
    Edge Smoothing: Off
    3D Scene Resolution: High
    View Distance: High
    Uncompressed Sim Textures: No
    Post Processing Effects: Yes
    Laptop Mode: No

    FPS Live Mode: 20-30
    FPS Build Mode: 20-30

    (Darn I'm not a member so I can't bold...)

    So annoying that new users can't use bold etc.

    Thanks for the specs. I didn't realise there's a Retina Resolution :)



    WHERE ARE YA'LL EVEN FINDING THIS LAPTOP MODE OPTION?!?!?!?! I have watched videos and looked at photos and googled away at figuring out WHY laptop mode option isn't available on my MacBook pro LAPTOP. I just don't understand! If anyone can please let me know, that'd be awesome. Most of my CC hair won't even function properly because of the laptop mode option. HELLLLP :(
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    Scroll down in the Display options when you first start up the game. You'll find it in there.
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • sozopol96sozopol96 Posts: 3 New Member
    Hi, I'm looking to get a MacBook for my daughter (16th birthday) and she is not a big PC/Mac gamer EXCEPT for Sims 4. So I'd love to get a Mac that can handle it. I have been more of a PC guy, don't know Macs that well, but from what I've read do I pretty much have to look at the 15" MBP with dedicated graphics card? They are so freaking expensive, I'd love to be able to get her a cheaper one (13 inch, integrated graphics) if it can handle Sims 4 and not be too choppy or blocky looking. It seems I've read a few comments here that make that sound doable. Any info is appreciated, thanks!
  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    sozopol96 wrote: »
    Hi, I'm looking to get a MacBook for my daughter (16th birthday) and she is not a big PC/Mac gamer EXCEPT for Sims 4. So I'd love to get a Mac that can handle it. I have been more of a PC guy, don't know Macs that well, but from what I've read do I pretty much have to look at the 15" MBP with dedicated graphics card? They are so freaking expensive, I'd love to be able to get her a cheaper one (13 inch, integrated graphics) if it can handle Sims 4 and not be too choppy or blocky looking. It seems I've read a few comments here that make that sound doable. Any info is appreciated, thanks!

    13" will be fine for now but as she adds more game packs to the base game it will start to slow down. If it starts to lag then lower the graphics settings.

    The 15" with the dedicated AMD GPUs will play the game beautifully and you are future proofing yourself for years. I play Sims 4 on a 2012 model 15" with dedicated NVIDIA GT 650M 1Gb VRAM and I can still play with all settings on high, with all add on packs released so far (and 3Gb CC and improved lighting Mods). That is the difference between the 13" and 15". The 15" also have quad core CPUs as opposed to the dual core in the 13".
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  • sozopol96sozopol96 Posts: 3 New Member
    13" will be fine for now but as she adds more game packs to the base game it will start to slow down. If it starts to lag then lower the graphics settings.

    The 15" with the dedicated AMD GPUs will play the game beautifully and you are future proofing yourself for years. I play Sims 4 on a 2012 model 15" with dedicated NVIDIA GT 650M 1Gb VRAM and I can still play with all settings on high, with all add on packs released so far (and 3Gb CC and improved lighting Mods). That is the difference between the 13" and 15". The 15" also have quad core CPUs as opposed to the dual core in the 13".[/quote]

    The future proofing point is a very good one, I was thinking that too. Ideally this will also be for her to take to college (eek) so I think it would be wise to invest a little now to save more later. Thanks!

  • sozopol96sozopol96 Posts: 3 New Member
    oops-- deleted the first quote tag. Can't edit post? oh well
  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    edited March 2017
    sozopol96 wrote: »
    The future proofing point is a very good one, I was thinking that too. Ideally this will also be for her to take to college (eek) so I think it would be wise to invest a little now to save more later. Thanks!

    There are already Simmers beginning to experience lag on two and three year old 13" MBPs. It's a shame because they're good machines but the difference between the 13" and 15" is huge when it comes to needing power, especially when gaming.

    Hope she enjoys it :)
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  • DarayaVahu777DarayaVahu777 Posts: 12 New Member
    Hi!
    I thought if I would buy 5K iMac I would be easily able to play Sims 4 at native retina resolution on ultra settings without going under 60fps, because it's so expensive, also the game is couple years old now, and graphics looks pretty simple.
    Looks like that's not the case from what I find on google. That's so disappointing.

    I can't find out if Sims 4 use Metal on macOS?? probably not, that's why it's so bad, and now Metal 2 comes out they should use it.

    Right now I have 2012 21.5 base 1080p 640m iMac and Sims 4 are playable at 1080p only on low settings ;( it won't even turn on on medium :( I can't visit San Myshuno, game will crash right away, everywhere else it's up to 40fps but goes down to under 10fps if lots of sims around.

    Can anyone please upload screenshots at retina 5K resolution?

    Ok, so I've spent days trying to configure settings for best-looking and playable fps and withoud crash right away. This is the lowest settings I can look at, anything fewer looks too ugly to play, the most important thing is for sims to be very high (the textures are so bad at high and lower), and lighting needs to be at least on medium so the blurred background works and edge smoothing at least low, I can't even look when it's off, all the edges so bad. At this settings the game crashes from time to time, and can't visit San Myshuno for more than one second.

    Sierra 10.12.5
    Display Type - Windowed
    Resolution - 1920 x 1031
    Vertical Sync - Yes
    Graphics Quality - Custom
    Sims: Very High
    Objects: Low
    Lighting: Medium
    Reflections: Off
    Visual Effects: Low
    Edge Smoothing: Low
    3D Scene Resolution: High
    View Distance: High
    Uncompressed Sim Textures: Yes
    Post Processing Effects: Yes
    Laptop Mode: No
  • LyouflnLyoufln Posts: 10,861 Member
    Ok, here's my 2 cents :)

    13-inch Macbook Pro (early 2015 model) with Retina
    Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 1536MB

    display type: fullscreen
    resolution: 2560x1600
    refresh rate: default
    retina display: yes
    vertical sync: no

    Graphics quality: custom
    sims: low
    objects: low
    lighting: low
    reflections: low
    visual effects: low
    edge smoothing: off
    3D scene resolution: medium
    view distance: high
    uncompressed sim textures: no
    post processing effects: no
    laptop mode: yes

    I really enjoy playing with my Sims (I only have the base game + parenthood) however, it would be nice to have my sims in a higher quality. I tried to change it once, and my game crashed within 5 minutes. Any suggestions?
  • janwearsbracesjanwearsbraces Posts: 53 Member
    Here's my input:

    13” MacBook Pro, early 2015
    2.7 Ghz Intel Core i5
    8 GB RAM
    Intel Iris 6100 (built-in graphics)

    Game Options:
    Display Type: Fullscreen
    Resolution: 2560 x 1600
    Refresh Rate: Default
    Retina Display
    Sims: Medium
    Objects: High
    Lighting: Medium
    Reflections: Medium
    Visual Effects: Medium
    Edge Smoothing: Low
    3D Scene Resolution: Medium
    View Distance: High

    (Vertical Sync, Uncompressed Sim Textures & Post Processing Effects all unchecked)

    Packs:
    Vampires
    Outdoor Retreat
    City Living
    Get Together
    Get to Work
    Romantic Garden Stuff
    Holiday Celebration Pack
    (Plus a lot of CC)

    Recently I’ve been experiencing game freezes and crashes and noticed my laptop getting very hot. (Note: I mostly use build mode, since that’s what interests me most.) I did some research and, after the following adjustments, it runs better:

    —vacuumed the air intake ports and fan outlet vents
    —attached “feet” to the bottom (I sliced up a cork into 1/2” pieces and attached the pieces to the 4 black pads on the bottom of the MacBook with some Locktite Fun-Tak)
    —I’d been using a piece of plywood, cut to size, under the Macbook, but during gameplay I add another board or a book to place more distance between the laptop and my legs.
    --changed the Sims and 3D scene resolution from high to medium

    And:
    —always have your MacBook plugged in during play (don’t run on battery, in other words)
    —always make sure the game is the only program running To be sure, click on the Apple symbol in upper left corner of screen, then on “Force Quit” to see if anything else (besides Finder) is running. If so, quit it (save any important work first, of course).
    —don’t be alarmed if you hear the fan spinning—it’s just doing its job
    —always do frequent saves! Save the building you’re working on and save the game (I always use “save as” and give each build a unique name.)

    P.S. SAVE FREQUENTLY! If you spend an hour or two on a fancy build then your game freezes or crashes and you lose everything…you’ll want to cry.

    Having said all that, I’m now saving up to buy a 15” MacBook Pro (despite the stupid touch bar and lack of ports and card reader) because it’s more powerful and has a dedicated graphics card. In the meantime I hope my 2-year-old 13” MBP continues to hold out. It really is a nice little computer. I know it was never meant to be a gaming machine, but I’m too invested in Macs and have found Windows way too buggy to change.
    Spiral staircases please!
  • LyouflnLyoufln Posts: 10,861 Member
    @janwearsbraces I think we have similar laptops! I only have the Parenthood pack with no CC, but I will probably get another pack or two in the future. I think I'll take your suggestion of vacuuming the vents as that would probably help.

    I didn't think of using cut-up cork to support the Mac either. I've been using a square-ish plate that curves up enough to leave a 1cm gap in the lowest part of the plate to allow ventilation. Besides a couple things, I keep everything on low and my game works great! The one time I wanted my Sims to be in medium graphics the game crashed within 10 minutes. My friend who plays the Sims has a slightly older MacBook and her game works great!
  • janwearsbracesjanwearsbraces Posts: 53 Member
    > @Lyoufln said:
    > I think we have similar laptops! I only have the Parenthood pack with no CC, but I will probably get another pack or two in the future. I think I'll take your suggestion of vacuuming the vents as that would probably help.
    >
    > I didn't think of using cut-up cork to support the Mac either. I've been using a square-ish plate that curves up enough to leave a 1cm gap in the lowest part of the plate to allow ventilation. Besides a couple things, I keep everything on low and my game works great! The one time I wanted my Sims to be in medium graphics the game crashed within 10 minutes. My friend who plays the Sims has a slightly older MacBook and her game works great!

    I actually got the cork idea from some website I visited. The little pads on the bottom of the MacBook don't allow enough air to circulate if you're using your laptop on your lap (and who doesn't, right?). Your body heat can be transferred to the laptop (and vice versa, of course, which is why I started using the board in the first place--ouch!). If by plate, you mean a dinner plate, you might want to find something that's less heat-conductive, like the plywood I use. You can also cut up a cardboard box to the size of your laptop and tape the pieces together into one thick "pad".

    As you probably saw, most of my graphics are on medium setting, and (knock on wood!) the game's running fine since my modifications. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself! :D
    Spiral staircases please!
  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    @janwearsbraces

    Such an informative post that will really help others - thank you!

    For what it's worth, yes the 15" are more expensive but definitely worth it. I play on a 2012 15" with NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1Gb and have all settings on high. Not bad for a 5 year old machine :)
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  • LyouflnLyoufln Posts: 10,861 Member
    @janwearsbraces I usually sit at a table or desk when I play the Sims because I use a computer mouse when I play. Yes, I've been using a dinner plate, but I guess you're right. Since I'm already sitting at the table I don't think I'd need the plywood but the cork would be really useful. I'll ask my roommates if they have any old corks around that I could use because I don't.

    What do you mean by a cardboard "pad"? I'm a little confused as to what you mean by that.
  • janwearsbracesjanwearsbraces Posts: 53 Member
    > @Lyoufln said:
    > I usually sit at a table or desk when I play the Sims because I use a computer mouse when I play. Yes, I've been using a dinner plate, but I guess you're right. Since I'm already sitting at the table I don't think I'd need the plywood but the cork would be really useful. I'll ask my roommates if they have any old corks around that I could use because I don't.
    >
    > What do you mean by a cardboard "pad"? I'm a little confused as to what you mean by that.

    I mean to cut a few pieces of corrugated cardboard the same size, stack them together, then either glue them together and clamp till dry or wrap some duct tape around them. Does that make sense? It's a bit hard to explain without a photo. I've seen pictures on Google of DIY lap trays made that way, if that helps. :)
    Spiral staircases please!
  • janwearsbracesjanwearsbraces Posts: 53 Member
    > @BluebellFlora said:
    > @janwearsbraces
    >
    > Such an informative post that will really help others - thank you!
    >
    > For what it's worth, yes the 15" are more expensive but definitely worth it. I play on a 2012 15" with NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1Gb and have all settings on high. Not bad for a 5 year old machine :)

    I've been lurking on this site for months and have found your info and knowledge very helpful, so thank you for taking the time to inform us all! :)
    Spiral staircases please!
  • ravenclawreppinravenclawreppin Posts: 1 New Member
    Hey guys I'm really hoping someone will be able to help me... I have had sims 4 since it released for mac users and it used to work great but this year it has been getting progressively slower and there is so much lag that I get too frustrated with it to play. Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do I've tried a billion different graphics settings and tried without mods/cc and still plays the same. I only have 2 saved games and they're both 1st gen families so I have no idea what the issue is :'( :'(

    I have these spec:

    MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
    Processor: 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5
    Memory: 8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3
    Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 1536 MB

    Does anyone know what graphics settings I should have or any other things I can do to fix this issue because I'm about to give up hope for this game ever running the way it used to...
  • Tremayne4260Tremayne4260 Posts: 3,126 Member
    Do you play with any CC or Mods? Also what EPs, GPs, and SPs do you have? 8GBs is not a lot of RAM to have and if you can add more I would do so. The CC/Mods could be slowing your game down if you have a lot of it.
    Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning.
  • southaltansouthaltan Posts: 152 Member
    edited July 2017
    nEy7JHy.jpg

    I had this glitch after updating to the last patch.

    stats:
    MacBook Pro (13in, Mid 2010)
    Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Memory 16 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
    Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB
    Post edited by southaltan on
  • BluebellFloraBluebellFlora Posts: 7,110 Member
    southaltan wrote: »
    nEy7JHy.jpg

    I had this glitch after updating to the last patch.

    stats:
    MacBook Pro (13in, Mid 2010)
    Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Memory 16 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
    Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB

    Not pretty! Can you trash the Options.ini (Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4) file and then launch the game and see if it still happens?
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  • southaltansouthaltan Posts: 152 Member
    Thanks BluebellFlora! That worked, before I deleted the Options.ini it did it in another lot, but so far it hasn't. ;)

    southaltan wrote: »
    nEy7JHy.jpg

    I had this glitch after updating to the last patch.

    stats:
    MacBook Pro (13in, Mid 2010)
    Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Memory 16 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
    Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB

    Not pretty! Can you trash the Options.ini (Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4) file and then launch the game and see if it still happens?

  • FloppyFishFloppyFish Posts: 3,881 Member
    Hi! I was just wondering if this computer could run Sims 4 on high settings at least? I know it can run the game, but what are the ideal graphic settings for it?

    These are the specs:

    3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz)
    8GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
    1TB Fusion Drive
    Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB of VRAM

    I will be running bootcamp on the computer too. Would the game run better on bootcamp / Windows?

    Thanks!!
    Mafia Stats
    Games Played: 14 | Games Won: 8 | Games Lost: 6
    Times Town: 9 | Times Mafia: 2 | Times 3rd: 2
    Town Wins: 6 | Mafia Wins: 1 | 3rd Wins: 1
    Deaths: 8

  • FloppyFishFloppyFish Posts: 3,881 Member
    bump?
    Mafia Stats
    Games Played: 14 | Games Won: 8 | Games Lost: 6
    Times Town: 9 | Times Mafia: 2 | Times 3rd: 2
    Town Wins: 6 | Mafia Wins: 1 | 3rd Wins: 1
    Deaths: 8

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