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Originally Posted On: https://popcornhorror.com/optimize-mac-gaming-5-mac-optimization-tips-gamers/
Are you trying to figure out how to optimize mac for gaming? Read this article to learn the best mac optimization tips for gamers.
Apple offers its users some of the best devices in the entire industry, so it should come as no surprise that the Mac is perfectly capable of gaming use.
While it may not be considered the “go-to” laptop/desktop by some gaming experts, if you take a few steps, it can be all that and more.
Those steps will be used in order to optimize your Mac or MacBook into a fully-functional gaming machine. From there, you can play to your heart’s desire.
Here’s how to optimize a Mac for gaming so that you can have the best gaming experience possible as you use it.
- Time for Spring Cleaning!
Perhaps you just recently decided you were going to start using your Mac as your primary gaming laptop or desktop.
If that’s the case, then you’ll want to adjust your files and storage accordingly. Your storage should prioritize gaming and all the necessary features.
Fortunately, it’s just the desktop that you need to worry about for now. You should prepare your desktop for gaming by ridding it of all unessential files. The more cluttered your desktop is, the slower your gaming experience will be.
That’s not to say you need to delete the files, quite the opposite. Just store those documents, photos, etc. that are on your desktop into folders.
Think of it as a win-win scenario. You’ll have a more organized computer and your games will lag far less if you take the time to clean your desktop.
- Purchase an Optimal Mac for Gaming
Maybe you haven’t purchased a Mac just yet. You were simply browsing around the internet to see if they’d be suitable for gaming before you went out and bought one.
If so, then the answer is yes. However, you should equip yourself with the Macs that have the best video card and processor in its line.
Currently, the best Macs for gaming would be the Mac Pro, the most powerful model of either sized iMac, and the 15-inch Macbook Pro.
You might be wondering “Why do the inches matter?”. Because the MacBooks that Apple makes are purposedly made with less power in order to provide a cheaper option on each line.
The more power you have on your Mac or MacBook, the better your experience will be with Steam games. Be sure to check out how to download Steam for Mac devices.
- Disable Your Unused Features
One of the best ways to increase the speed of your Mac is and always will be to disable those of its features that you never plan on using.
Are you the type that doesn’t use the calendar app on your iPhone or MacBook? If so, disable it and all of its reminders.
For most people, the notifications are going to be the big one to let go of. You can turn them off by going to the Apple menu, then clicking on “system preferences”.
Once you’re there, click on “notifications”. A notifications preferences page should pop up, at which you’ll go to the app on the left and turn the “allow notifications” tap off.
- Give Your Hard Drive Some Wiggle Room
Imagine being put through rigorous amounts of exercise without the ability to catch a breath of fresh air.
That’s what your computer’s hard drive feels like when it isn’t allowed the proper space to do all that you’re asking it to do.
So… how can you offer your hard drive and games the “wiggle room” that they so desperately long for? Simple: delete anything that you don’t need. That means things like apps, games, tools, files, anything you don’t use is gone.
Be warned, those apps and files can add up quickly the more that you use your Mac or MacBook. So be sure to do some maintenance every now and then to ensure your hard drive has all the space for activities that it needs.
- Let Everything Fully Download
It’s understandable that you only have so much time in your busy day to play your favorite games, even though it’s the part of your day you look forward to.
So when you finally get a chance to fire up the Mac and start your game, it’s deflating to see that the game requires an update or download.
Some games might offer you the option to play as it continues to download, but there are two reasons why you should fight off that temptation.
First off, playing your steam game like it and your Mac downloads new updates is a recipe for a lagging gaming experience. You’ll get more frustration out of that experience than you will joy.
Secondly, you risk those updates never being downloaded at all. That could result in a security risk or losing your current saved data… The horror!
If you see that an update needs to be made to the steam game(s) you’re playing, give it time to load.
Find a way to occupy yourself for the time window that it needs and walk away from the Macbook. If you stare at the screen while it downloads, you’ll feel as if you’re watching bread toast.
How to Optimize a Mac for Gaming: Use These Tips!
Mac’s are capable of so much. The number one thing on how to optimize a Mac for gaming is to clear space and maintain that storage “wiggle room”.
Remember, the less your Mac has to worry about as you play your games, the faster that it will run.
Be sure to browse through our site for more information on gaming tips, as well as other awesome topics.