Should I sell my gaming rig for a top of line iMac 27?

HUGE MISTAKE

Don't sell your gaming rig. From the specs you posted it seems like a high performing machine.

The problem with iMacs is that they use mobile components. Your gaming would suffer tremendously.

luffytubby said:

but at what frames? Crysis 3 is a killer. Bioshock Infinite is a killer.

Maxing it out, and maxing it out with staple framerates are two different things. No fun playing a slideshow.

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I get just over 60 fps stable with Bioshock Infinite.

Without wanting to quote anyone in particular, my comments on my two post above are based on the following facts and assumptions:

I have an i7, 680MX iMac, so am speaking from direct experience of actually playing games on it (in Bootcamp). It rocks.

Regarding how it will be in 2-3 years time, like anything, the human being does a great job of adjusting to changes over time. As long as I don't sit my rig alongside a new dedicated rig, I will subjectively adjust and probably still think the graphics are great - until lag really does kick in. In my experience this is a 3 year cycle, hence I replace my iMac every 3 years.

Doesn't the eye struggle to pick up any improvements over 30 fps?

It is actually difficult to tell graphic quality between ultra and high settings, unless two rigs are placed side by side. And certainly once immersed in the game, the imagination makes up for any graphical inferiority. So in my view, talking about the superiority of high end graphics is both subjective and theoretical. I am sure we could argue about this until the proverbial cows come home.

With regards to my views on console versus PC gaming, by the time PC games are truly dead, so will console games - they will have been completely eclipsed by the next greatest interface to come along, what ever that will be - my 40+ years has shown me this time and time again in things technological. In the meantime, I find PC gaming to be a fun and immersive experience, so I have no need or desire to take up console gaming. If this is your experience with console gaming, then stick to console gaming - each to their own I say.

I am in the last fight scene of Bioshock Infinite, and no one is going to convince me that my rig can't play it on ultra settings without the game looking great, because to me, it does.

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Mac32 said:

You game 15-18 hours a week, and don't notice 30fps? OK... You should definately try out D3DOverrider (from Rivatuner) for vsync triple buffered, and cap framerate @59. That makes a HUGE difference from 30fps in terms of lag and responsivness in games. Just sayin.. Of course, the new big thing is 120hz monitors with the light boost in 2D (strobing) tweak that pretty much equals CRT screens, but I'm digressing..
Btw. do you know about the STALKER games? Just discovered them myself recently, amazing games - incredible atmosphere, esp. when modded correctly..

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Thanks for the suggestion Mac32, the graphics on the screenshots for STALKER look pretty damned good. I am looking forward to seeing Day Z standalone live as well.

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luffytubby said:

I was responding to a guy who said you could max it out.

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dedicated gamers who anticipate games like rome 2 total war, witcher 3, battlefield 4, and other high profile games in 2013-2014 should stay clear and use less than half the amount on a small rig.

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I can't wait to test Rome 2 Total War out on my iMac. If I remember, I will post to let people know how it runs on my rig - as subjective as my comments will be, despite what the frame rate states it will or will not be.

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nizmoz said:

Already took apart my gaming rig and stuff is up forsale already. Like I said, I don't game that often. It was more waste of a rig than I really needed.

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Good luck with the sale prices.