Gaming - Macbook Air 11' mid-2013 vs Macbook Pro 13' Retina late-2013

Hi,

Currently I have a Macbook Air 11' mid-2013 model (i5 1.3Ghz, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, HD5000 1024MB).
I was a gamer and had a Windows desktop but ever since I switched I really like using OS X. However I still like to play a few games here and there.
The games I play are games like Counter-Strike Global Offensive, Dota 2, StarCraft 2.
They are not too graphic intensive however they don't run that smoothly on my Macbook Air for some reason.
Currently I am running them on OS X (No parallels or bootcamp) through OS X versions.
I've only had the Macbook Air for a few months (Since August 2013) and I've been thinking of upgrading this will not satisfy me in terms of gaming.

I have taken a look at the mid range Macbook Pro Retina 13' (i5 2.4Ghz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Intel Iris (5100)). Looked at a few videos online and it seems like the Intel Iris has quite the punch.
This seems quite attractive to me right now however I have 2 questions that I want to ask on this forum to have a better understanding:

1. Is the difference between HD5000 vs Intel Iris (5100) really that big? A lot of the reviews I've found online about the Intel Iris, compares with the HD4000 instead.

2. If I were to buy the MBP, should I wait a bit (After February) just incase Apple releases a newer model?

If you can provide your answer to those 2 questions it would be fantastic! Otherwise I am still interested in your opinion on my current situation.

I am new to the Apple Macbook world so I am not familiar with the release dates of Macbooks etc.
I have done some research however it seems that they release either in February, June or October however sometimes they skip so I am not too sure when the next release will be.

Thank you for the prompt replies!

@Itzamna
You are correct in regards to having a dedicated/discrete GPU for gaming (As I was a big gamer on Windows, built myself a very nice gaming computer, but sold it as I was spending too much time in games).
I've never trusted onboard GPU's, however with newer technology coming out so quickly, I thought maybe I could trust onboard GPU's now (Seems like Intel is going crazy promoting their Intel HD products) but it seems like I still can't fully place my trust in onboard GPUs.

@saturnotaku
Yes I agree with you and you brought up the point of looking at 2012 models and refurbish stores. Thank you for that as I totally forgot about the refurbish section on their website! Looking quite promising already, I might end up getting a 15 inch model with a GT650M. Will need to increase my budget a bit more though.

@blooperz
You also brought up a very interesting point about running games on Bootcamp (Windows). I didn't think about that too, as I didn't think there would be much difference. If any I thought the native OS X would be faster but I haven't personally tested it myself. I might take a look at the refurbished MBP and see what I can find then will put Windows on it too!

Thank you all for your suggestions/opinions as it really has helped me out.
You helped me think about other options to serve my needs instead of only looking at the current market for MBPs

20-30% faster than the HD5000 wouldn't be much of a boost and I reckon I'll just become frustrated again 6 month or 1 year down the track. I intend to keep this one for a bit longer like 3-4 years.
But it is good to hear that there probably will not be a refreshed MBPs.

I will have to wait it out a bit longer anyways if I'm looking at getting one with a dedicated GPU (used or refurbished) so by then perhaps I would have a clearer options.

Based on what you mentioned, you said that Intel Iris is on par with the 630M.

What I'm not sure is, since onboard graphics (such as Intel Iris and Intel Iris Pro) use the the laptops RAM, will this make a difference if you compared it to (for this examples sake) a dedicated/discrete 630M which has it's own RAM (Memory)?
Assuming both the Iris and 630M have the same clock speed etc of a GPU.

I would say the onboard graphics would be slower because they will be taking up some RAM which other components might need however I'm not sure. Is there someone able to comment on this?

AppleHater said:

I have a similar dilemma except it's about 128gb ssd vs 256gb ssd between 13 inch MBA and rMBP at around $1250.

Not sure if I can survive with 128gb or future update is a possibility.

Click to expand...

I'm using 128GB MBA now and I can tell you there's not enough space for me. I don't even have my music on my MBA. My space is mainly taken up by documents (important documents on the go), Parallels and other softwares like Photoshop (I do some light editing, not hardcore stuff so MBA is enough for now for me).