[OS-neutral] Gaming on the new 13"

rust.puppet · Jan 30, 2013, 10:22 AM

I'm looking to buy a new computer and was originally going to buy a 2000$ gaming rig but I really would rather have a macbook if at all possible.

I'm looking to see how it performs from people who already own it. the games i'm looking to play are star wars the old republic, diablo 3 and possibly final fantasy xiv when the new version comes out. my current (2009 mbp) plays D3 and SWOTOR at fair rates but d3 lags horribly in parties. If anyone has any advice it would be great. I would be upping the ram to 16gigs or whatever max is right away.

sniffs · Jan 30, 2013, 10:46 AM

I have the 13" MBP with the Intel 4000HD graphics and I can play Rage, Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2.. it's a really decent integrated chip this time around and plays lots of newer games with a good amount of quality and decent fps

Mackilroy · Jan 30, 2013, 01:25 PM

The HD4000 isn't bad, but I would go with a computer that has a dedicated GPU any day.

SingularityG · Jan 30, 2013, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mackilroy

The HD4000 isn't bad, but I would go with a computer that has a dedicated GPU any day.

Agreed. If you can afford to spend the extra $200 and get the base 15" Macbook Pro with GT 650M, go for it. Integrated graphics do hurt, especially if it's meant for gaming.

Cougarcat · Jan 30, 2013, 06:17 PM

Avoid the HD 4000. Intel's Haswell chips coming out this summer will have a significant boost in integrated GPU performance. Either wait for that, or get a mac with a dedicated GPU.

Upgrading the RAM to 16 GB is a waste of money, IMO. No games will need or use that much ram in the foreseeable future. 8 is plenty.

Huntn · Jan 30, 2013, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cougarcat

Avoid the HD 4000. Intel's Haswell chips coming out this summer will have a significant boost in integrated GPU performance. Either wait for that, or get a mac with a dedicated GPU.

Upgrading the RAM to 16 GB is a waste of money, IMO. No games will need or use that much ram in the foreseeable future. 8 is plenty.

Isn't 4GB plenty along with a 1GB video card?

Cougarcat · Jan 31, 2013, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huntn

Isn't 4GB plenty along with a 1GB video card?

Depends on your app usage and screen size, respectively. If I had a giant 27" monitor I'd want 2 GB VRAM. If I kept a bunch of apps open all the time I'd want 8 GB ram.

Jan 30, 2013, 10:22 AM	#1
rust.puppet macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ashtabula, OH	Gaming on the new 13" I'm looking to buy a new computer and was originally going to buy a 2000$ gaming rig but I really would rather have a macbook if at all possible. I'm looking to see how it performs from people who already own it. the games i'm looking to play are star wars the old republic, diablo 3 and possibly final fantasy xiv when the new version comes out. my current (2009 mbp) plays D3 and SWOTOR at fair rates but d3 lags horribly in parties. If anyone has any advice it would be great. I would be upping the ram to 16gigs or whatever max is right away. __________________ iPod Nano 3G // 13" Macbook Pro // Black 8 gig iPhone 3g.
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Jan 30, 2013, 01:25 PM	#3
Mackilroy macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jun 2006	The HD4000 isn't bad, but I would go with a computer that has a dedicated GPU any day. __________________ Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.
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Jan 30, 2013, 10:46 AM	#2
sniffs macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2013	I have the 13" MBP with the Intel 4000HD graphics and I can play Rage, Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2.. it's a really decent integrated chip this time around and plays lots of newer games with a good amount of quality and decent fps
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Jan 30, 2013, 06:17 PM	#5
Cougarcat macrumors 601 Join Date: Sep 2003	Avoid the HD 4000. Intel's Haswell chips coming out this summer will have a significant boost in integrated GPU performance. Either wait for that, or get a mac with a dedicated GPU. Upgrading the RAM to 16 GB is a waste of money, IMO. No games will need or use that much ram in the foreseeable future. 8 is plenty.
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