Let’s see which MacBook is Best for Gaming?
The MacBook’s have never been designed or developed only for gaming purposes.
Except that some models of MacBook are better than others for gaming.
If you want to know which MacBook is best for gaming then at recent times MacBook Pro i7 processor 16-Inch is the perfect match for gaming.
Because it has some great features for gaming.
It is also considered one of the best MacBook’s in the market available right now.
There are some other Macbooks models also available that can fulfill your gaming needs.
Which MacBook is Best For Gaming
16-Inch MacBook Pro (2019) i7 Processor
We will recommend you the two 16-Inches most affordable and cheap Macbook models for gaming.
The Macbook Pro with turbo boost up to 4.5GHz and 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor is one of them.
The reason for our pick is that it offers great specifications and features at very reasonable and affordable prices.
The Macbook Pro 16-Inches has 512GB SSD storage, four thunderbolt ports, and 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory.
This model of Macbook contains a graphic processor of 4GB of GDDR6 with an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M and you can upgrade this graphic processor to 8GB of GDDR6 with an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M to get maximum performance.
From, here you can add some extra features and memory.
But one of the demerits of the Macbook Pro is that still, its price is very high. Furthermore, it has been expected that Apple will upgrade this model of Macbook to launch their first Apple silicon 16-Inch Macbook Pro.
Merits:
- Extra Graphics Boost
- Biggest Display
- 16-Inch Model with Affordable Price
Demerits:
- Wireless Web of 11 Hours
- Expensive
- Chances to Replace
13-inch MacBook Pro
At the start of 2023, only two 13-Inch Macbook pros are available in the market.
One of them provides you with an Apple M1 SoC and the other one offers the Intel processor inside.
The Macbook with an Intel processor is recommended because it offers more memory and storage availability in recent times.
So, if you are a gaming person then you should select this model.
The one thing with this model is also recommended to wait for the Apple silicon base model arrival if it is possible for you because there are only a few months left in the launch of the Apple Silicon base Macbook model.
If you have to buy MacBook now and you can’t afford to buy a 16-Inch MacBook pro then you have a good option in the shape of a 13-Inch MacBook Pro along 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor and 2.0GHz quad-core with a turbo boost up to 3.8GHz and Intel Iris Plus Graphics.
Moreover, it has 32GB memory and 4TB storage.
Merits:
- Excellent Mobility
- Affordable than 16-Inch Model
- Great Storage Capacity
Demerits:
- The 13-Inches Size maybe not enough
- Expensive with Additional Components
- Better to Wait
MacBook Air
For many people, the MacBook Air M1, 2020, the first Apple Silicon Mac product is considered the best MacBook in the market.
Because it has something for everyone at an affordable price and budget with a long battery life of almost 18 hours but it also depends on which type of work you are doing on it.
The Apple M1 SoC has good features. The backlit Magic Keyboard and a Touch ID sensor are also included in this 2.8-pound laptop.
There is no doubt about the fact that the MacBook Air is an excellent laptop with some quality features but it also has some demerits or downsides as well like low display brightness, only 3 thunderbolt ports and it has inferior speakers as compared to the other models of Macbook pro.
If you are a gaming person then you should also need to consider the storage and memory limits. But the battery performance of the MacBook Air is excellent.
Merits:
- Reasonable Price
- Wireless Web up to 18 Hours
- 13 Inch MBP Screen Size
Demerits:
- 2TB Storage
- 2 Thunderbolt 3 Port
16-Inch MacBook Pro
The 16-Inch MacBook Pro with turbo boost up to 4.8GHz and an 8 Core 9th generation Intel Core i9 will be the best laptop for you if you are a hardcore gamer.
With the comparison of entry-level MacBook Pro, you will get storage of 1TB with a graphic card boost.
If you are not satisfied with these specifications then you can also add more storage and better graphic cards.
But maybe by adding these additional specifications its cost exceeds the 5 to 6 thousand dollars. There are a few changes that Apple will replace this model.
Merits:
- Graphics Upgrades
- Best Apple MacBook Pro
- 64GB Memory
Demerits:
- High Price Tag
- Maybe Going to Retire
Is MacBook good for gaming?
Even though Many MacBook’s are not so much good for gaming (not so bad as well) because they focus more on software optimization than on raw hardware power. Many Macs normally don’t have the kind of hardware power required to run modern high-end games, also the number of games available for macOS is very limited as compared to Windows.
But still, there are some macs that are worth buying for gaming, you can buy these MacBook’s and play games without any problem.
iMac with a 4K Retina display
With a super smart body design, the 21.5-inch iMac is one of and most powerful laptops.
The 4k retina of iMac displays a billion numbers of colors which make the image look realistic and bright. Any gaming person will be satisfied with the details of the screen.
We are not interested in discussing the base model in the following article after the update of 2017 because even it does not have the basic features for gaming.
But if you want some more variants, you can turbo boost up to 4.1GHz with it, as the CPU ranges from a 3.6GH quad-core 8th generation Core i3 to 3.0GHz 6-Core 8th generation Core i5.
Moreover, you can configure your RAM up to 32GB from 8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 RAM.
You will get a 1TB hard drive in a Cheap Model with a price of 1,299$ and a 1TB fusion drive in the expensive iMac with a price of 1,499$.
You can also upgrade the GPU to a Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB from a Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. There are 4 USB-C ports and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Every model has a magic keyboard and a Magic Mouse.
RAM: 8GB to 32GB
SSD: 256GB to 1TB
Ports: 4 USB-A
2 Thunderbolt 3 Ports
SSD: 256GB TO 1TB
CPU: 2.3GHz dual Core Intel Core i5
GPU: iNTEL iRIS pLUS 640
15-inch MacBook Pro
If you have a limited budget and can manage to have an older version then a 15-Inch MacBook Pro is a good choice for you.
The processor of it’s base model is a 2.2GHz 6-Core Core i7 CPU and you can upgrade it to a 2.9GHz Core i9 with up to 2.2GHz Turbo Boost.
By doing this upgrade the performance will be transferred to another level. Then it will be able to compete with some excellent gaming laptops and solve complex tasks.
It is perfect to communicate with realistic graphics because of it’s 15.4-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology and resolution of 2880 x 1800 at 220 PPI.
It also has some additional space for graphics processing because it contains the graphics card Radeon Pro 560X with GDDR memory of 4GB with an Intel UHD 630 AND 1.5GB shared memory.
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 256aGB to 1TB
Ports: 2 USB 3
2 Thunderbolt 3 Ports
CPU: 2.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
GPU: Basic Intel Iris Pro
MacBook gaming (12-inch)
The 12-Inch MacBook Gaming is an excellent laptop for gaming.
It is small and thin enough that you will feel the MacBook Air dilated as compared to the 12-Inch MacBook gaming.
When you will look at it for the first time it feels that you are watching the future glimpse.
Although the future would be exciting, it has good value for your money.
Like it,s advantages, it also has some downsides, as well. It,s performance is not up to the mark though, it,s weight, size, and form factor are amazing.
The low-performance factor is not good for gaming persons. On the other hand, it has a very high price tag of 1,549$.
13-Inch MacBook Pro Gaming
A 13-Inch MacBook Pro Gaming is a good choice if you don’t have enough money to spent as 2,000$.
It is quite obvious that you will not get the fast performance as 15-Inch but it is cheaper.
You will get an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 at a very affordable and reasonable price.
Except for the demanding games, you will get decent gaming performance at an average of 44.3 FPS.
The 13-Inch maybe get updated though it is affordable. You need to stay away from this laptop if you see it on sale.
But the question here is whether the 13-Inch MacBook Pro is good for gaming or not.
The 13-Inch MacBook Pro gaming is a good option if you can’t afford a 15-Inch MBP.
May you don’t get fast performance on this device but on medium settings, it can manage modern games easily.
After using this MacBook you will get the answer to your question which MacBook is best for gaming?
Does gaming damage the MacBook pro?
Not at all. Gaming does not damage Mac or MacBook pro.
You can see the list of Macs you can buy for gaming in 2023.
Mac Pro Gaming
It was expected that the Mac Pro would revolutionize desktop computing but it did not happen.
It is not necessary to go deep down the things and explain the whole story.
But the one thing you need to remember is that stay away from the Mac Pro as it was a failure.
To help and recover from this disaster iMac Pro was launched by Apple.
Moreover, the Mac Pro is eventually coming. But in recent times Mac Pro is not fast with a high price tag.
As compared to this the iMac with an average FPS of 80.7 and a price tag of 2,999$ is a good choice.
You can play games at Mac Pro without any trouble.
It also has the specifications you need to play demanding games. For your money, it has good value.
But you don’t need it immediately so it will be good to wait for the model.
But at that time the iMac or iMac Pro were the good choices.
Mac Mini Gaming
The Mac Mini was almost going to be dead without any update.
But after a long period, Apple released its updated New Mac Mini in the year 2018.
After the update, there was a great improvement in performance but at the same time, Apple also increased it,s price as well.
Now its price is 799$ and its previous price was 499$. The new Mac Mini offers great performance though it is not cheap yet.
You will get a decent gaming experience on the new Mac Mini with Intel UHD Graphics 630 integrated card and Intel 8th generation Coffee Lake processor.
It struggles to play graphically intensive games like Tomb Raider only at 16 FPS but it can play the game like DiRT Rally easily at 46FPS.
The Mac Mini is very cheap and affordable as compared to the iMac.
The Mac mini is not much good for gaming because you need horsepower to play great and latest games.
Furthermore, you need to buy a monitor to play games.
iMac Pro Gaming
Right now the iMac Pro is one of the most powerful Macs. It is an ideal gaming laptop.
It has fast speed. If you like video editing or 3D graphics editing then iMac Pro is for you.
It is an excellent laptop for gaming. It has double the price as compared to the 27-Inch iMac with a Radeon Pro 580.
The Final Cut application is offered by the iMac to get the maximum performance out of it.
It reflects that the raw power offered by the iMac Pro will be wasted on most of the games.
You will get an excellent gaming experience on iMac Pro.
You can get even better performance with an upgraded iMac of 27-inch.
It offers a better experience of gaming at a cheap price.
To get an excellent gaming experience you should buy the most expensive and best graphic card as you can afford easily and try to avoid integrated graphics.
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Conclusion
At the start of the year, the 16-Inch MacBook Pro with an i7 processor was considered the best MacBook.
So, if you ask which MacBook is best for gaming then this one will be an obvious choice.
But it is very expensive. Moreover, if you want to add some extra specifications.
Due to its high price you need to look at some other options.
The base model has a turbo boost up to 4.5GHz with a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 4 thunderbolts, 3 ports, 512GB SSD storage, and 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory.
This model has a GDDR graphic processor of 4GB WITH AN AMD Radeon Pro 5300M and you can also upgrade to an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 8GB of GDDR to get better performance.