Is this 2018 MacBook Pro suitable for UE4 Development?

Community Community & Industry Discussion
1

Hello,

I’m going to college to study Computer Science, and one of the requirements is a MacBook Pro (because it’s the best for code development). I would like to make video games, so I am trying to pick a MacBook Pro that can satisfy my needs in both College and in UE4. Below are the Technical Specifications for the MacBook Pro that I’m thinking of buying. Keep in mind that this is the new 2018 MacBook Pro that was announced like a week and a half ago;

• 2.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
• 15.4" Retina display with True Tone (True Tone can be disabled)
• Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory (I can get an eGPU, if required).
• 32GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory (RAM)
• 1TB SSD (I am considering getting the 2TB SSD Option).

The computer comes with 6 cores, so it’s an absolute beast. The 32GB RAM is super attractive for game development. So, I was hoping someone could tell me, based on the specifications given above, if this MacBook Pro is suitable for UE4 Game Development? A simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ is absolutely perfect!

Thank you so much for all your help!

2

tl;dr Yes.

You should not incite people ;p

The video card is on the average side of things, considering that you’ll be driving that retina display at a close to 4k resolution, right? It would be close to what, a geforce 1050, maybe 1050ti in performance - someone corrects me if I’m wrong here, please. It is definitely good enough to get work done up until heavy load.

Can’t comment on the eGPU, the performance is subpar when compared to a pure desktop equivalent (20% or so) and the enclosures are expensive (not to mention the bulk!). Might be worth it later on, once you decide that the 555x no longer cuts it. I wonder if there’s anyone on the forums who has tried eGPU - I mean compatibility-wise. Historically, UE4 has handled integrated and discrete cards in laptops with mixed results.

Another thing you could consider is an external SSD rather than a 2TB option - might save you coin.

3

The GPU isn’t amazing but other than that it’s good. If you’re concerned about cost then it’s a poor value.

4

Considering they are choosing 32GB RAM and are considering a 2TB SSD, I think we can disregard cost. :slight_smile:

5

No offense, but the questions just don’t look like from a person who’s entering CS industry.

Anyway - MBP [can] develop UE but it is not [recommended], there are few reasons, poor thermal, limited API, weak CPU & RAM.

If you are joining CS, better to have another laptop or desktop running both windows and linux.

6

You’d think that, but I’ve seen people looking to buy a fully loaded Mac without realizing that they would be paying a lot more than what they could get for less with a Windows PC

7

HeartletTullius, I would suggest going with a smaller SSD and using that money to go the highest possible GPU config, either the 560, or if you still haven’t bought it, move up to the Vega 20 option. The machine will work quite nicely for UE 4. You will get better performance when in BootCamp Windows 10, but if you were going that route, then you probably wouldn’t be looking at a MacBook Pro to begin with. Good Luck!