Which Macbook Is The Best For Gaming - Macs are not good for gaming because they focus more on software optimization than raw hardware power. Most Macs simply don't have the kind of hardware power needed to run modern games, plus the range of games available for macOS is very small compared to Windows.
Also, high-end Macs that are actually powerful enough for gaming offer little value because they mostly have workstation-oriented hardware.
Which Macbook Is The Best For Gaming
Over the years, Apple has been known for many great things: innovative design, excellent build quality of their products, superior software optimization, excellent customer support, but also incredible prices that will make most people's heads spin.
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Macs come in both laptop and desktop form. At the moment, Apple sells three MacBook products: the MacBook Air, a laptop aimed at more casual users, as well as two MacBook Pro variants: a 13-inch and a 16-inch model.
Then we have the all-in-one computer solutions: iMac and iMac Pro. Finally, there are the usual desktop setups: the basic but compact Mac mini and the beastly new Mac Pro. Needless to say, all Apple Macs start from 'expensive' and go all the way up to 'extremely expensive'. Many of them have good hardware, so why aren't they good for gaming?
As mentioned in the introduction, Apple's computers have focused a lot on form for some time. Some would even say that they now put form before function. But the truth is that even the weakest Macs perform quite well thanks to excellent software optimization. However, the games are not really optimized to run on Mac.
In the case of lower-priced Macs, their GPUs are generally Intel's Iris Plus graphics solutions. However, the more powerful ones marketed to professionals come with Radeon Pro GPUs, which are hardly suitable for gaming.
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Not that all these GPUs perform terribly. Rather, the problem is that they simply don't offer adequate gaming performance considering the price.
For example, the Radeon Pro 5500M found in the $2,800 16-inch MacBook Pro performs worse in games than the budget GTX 1650 Super, which has an MSRP of just $150. The same goes for Vega-equipped iMac Pro and Mac Pro configurations: they're simply too expensive for the kind of gaming performance they offer.
Plus, it's easy to build a high-end gaming PC for a fraction of the price you'd pay for a Mac Pro or iMac Pro. Not only would you pay a lot less, but the computer would also offer much better gaming performance.
Also, very few games are actually released for macOS compared to Windows, which is another reason why getting a Mac for gaming would be a counterintuitive decision.
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All of these reasons lead to the conclusion that while Macs certainly have their strengths, they are simply a terrible choice for gaming.
In short, we can say that no, Mac is not good for gaming. That's just not their purpose. To refer back to Einstein's popular quote: don't judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Macs are very good at what they are designed to do, but gaming is not one of those things.
Most of them have weak hardware, and the ones that contain hardware powerful enough to run modern games are simply too expensive if all you need is a gaming device. To top it off, very few games have actually been released for macOS compared to Windows.
Samuel is editor-in-chief. He describes himself as a dedicated gamer and developer. He enjoys helping others discover the joy of gaming. Samuel keeps a close eye on the latest trends in the gaming industry to keep visitors updated. Apple MacBooks were never designed to function solely as gaming laptops. Even so, some models are better than others for this type of use. Our current favorite model, the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019) i7 processor, packs a number of features that make it a great device for casual gamers. There are other notable models that we have collected to help you choose the one that best suits your needs.
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For gamers, we recommend the cheaper of the two 16-inch models, which includes a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.5 GHz. We've chosen it here because it offers a nice mix of features at a price that's much more affordable than the premium offerings we highlight below.
The basic 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory, 512GB of SSD storage and four Thunderbolt 3 ports. The model comes standard with AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB GDDR6 graphics processor which you can upgrade to AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB GDDR6 or AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB GDDR6 for better performance.
On the other hand, this is still an expensive laptop. Also, you'll need to charge this laptop more often than the MacBook Air. And like all MacBooks, it's usually not on sale.
Much lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro that has the same screen size, the 2019 MacBook Air weighs just 2.75 pounds, making it a great laptop. In addition to being lighter, the MacBook Air provides an hour more use between charges, although actual performance depends on the tasks.
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They are sold at the entry level MacBook Air, even for gaming, because of its price. However, consider casual gaming here just thanks to the slower processor and graphics card. There are also fewer Thunderbolt 3 ports on this model.
If you're buying a laptop purely for gaming, this is not the one to buy. However, it will work well in the small case when you need to take a break from studies or work.
When it comes to the 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro, $500 separates the base packages and the most complete packages. For even more, you can upgrade the machine for five memory, memory and processor.
The smaller of the two MacBook Pro models is an excellent choice. At just over three pounds, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is only slightly heavier than the MacBook Air. For this you get a better processor and graphics card, more available storage space and a Touch Bar. You can upgrade the processor and storage. However, doing so will only push the price down by $2,000. If that happens, you might want to consider our first pick.
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Regardless, if a 13-inch screen is what you want, and you want the bells and whistles of the MacBook Air missing, this is what you get. If you intend to spend more than a quarter of your time playing games, it's even more important to consider this model right away.
If you are a die-hard Mac gamer or want to be, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an 8-core 9th generation Intel Core i9 processor and Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz is the right choice for you. Compared to the entry-level model, you get an expanded graphics card and 1 TB of storage space. If this is not enough, add more memory, an even better graphics card and more storage space. However, the price of this model can quickly exceed almost $6,000.
In 2019, the MacBook line changed significantly as Apple discontinued the 12-inch MacBook and the 15-inch MacBook Pro model. The change brings the number of Apple laptops we recommend for gaming to four. Our favorite, the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019) i7 processor should give you enough power to play your favorite PC games. However, it will cost you, especially if you add extras. It's still an expensive laptop, which is undoubtedly something to consider as well.
The base model includes a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.5 GHz with 16 GB of 2666 MHz DDR4 memory, 512 GB of SSD storage and four Thunderbolt 3 ports. The model comes standard with AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB GDDR6 graphics processor and can be upgraded to AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB GDDR6 or AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 8GB GDDR6 for better performance.
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Bryan M. Wolfe is a father who loves technology, especially anything new from Apple. Penn State (go Nittany Lions) grad here, also big New England Patriots fan. Thank you for reading. @bryanmwolfe Despite the widespread belief that Macs are not gaming machines, you can play games on a Mac. In this article, we will tell you about the technical specifications that you should pay attention to when choosing a Mac for gaming. We also discuss M1 processors and whether they will improve gaming quality and give you some tips on how to optimize your Mac for gaming. Let's play.
A graphics card (GPU) is important for 2D and 3D games because the faster your Mac can process information, the more frames it can handle. So, rule number one: choose a good graphics card. There are other things that affect the quality of games. Here are the top 6:
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