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Can Mac Mini run Flight Simulator X, Multitask well?

M

markw10

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 4, 2006
371
0
How well does the mac mini do at multitasking and would it run Flight Simulator X in Boot Camp well? I know the CPU's in the mini are more limited than other Mac's and as well the graphics card isn't as good as the card in most imac's.
My needs are fairly basic, using word for word processing, dreamweaver for web design, web browsing in Safari, Parallels for Windows XP, and Illustrator and Photoshop for graphic design.
It isn't uncommon though for me to have 4 web pages open at a time while I have parallels running Quickbooks at the same time, Photoshop editing a picture, and dreamweaver open. I would definitely max out ram at at least 2 gigs.
 
adrianblaine

adrianblaine

macrumors 65816
Oct 12, 2006
1,156
0
Pasadena, CA
I'd be very, very surprised if you'd be able to run FS X on a mac mini. I run it on my MBP and it doesn't handle the graphics very well. It is playable of course, but I turn the graphics down because I like higher frame rates. I would not plan on using FS X on the mac mini.

It should be good for everything else though. It will make a difference if you are running Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver etc, in OS X. None of those programs currently run nativly on the new processors. Running all those at the same time will probably slow stuff down a little bit...
 
K

kendo26

macrumors newbie
Aug 8, 2006
10
0
Flight Sim X is just a hog. I have it running on a Core 2 Duo PC with a Nvidia 6600 gpu. Settings are at Medium and I only get 20fps. Even an 8800 with all settings to high only gets 30-35fps. So to answer the OP's question, I wouldn't even bother running it on a mini.
 
mrgreen4242

mrgreen4242

macrumors 601
Feb 10, 2004
4,377
9
Dont Hurt Me said:
Mac mini has no video card, im sure it would look horrible or like a slide show.
Click to expand...

People need to stop saying that. Of course it has a "video card" (in the sense it has a video subsystem, just like the iMac and all laptops have a discreet video subsystem, not physically on a card, though). It's not a very good one, and it uses the CPU and system memory, but there is a chip in the Mac mini that does nothing but handle video.

Anyways, FSX is probably a bit much for the mini, but I can't say as I've not tried it.
 
aafuss1

aafuss1

macrumors 68000
May 5, 2002
1,598
2
Gold Coast, Australia
The mini's GPU isn't good enough-you'd need at a 7600GS/GT ( latter BTO on the 24" iMac) to run it OK. I have a PC with 512MB and 7600GS-FSX runs fine on high settings (I wouldn't even try to run on a Mac mini at all).
 
gkarris

gkarris

macrumors G3
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
1,061
"No escape from Reality...”
I researched it (I'm a student pilot). FSX really wants a DX10 system. Which is:

Windows Vista
Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHZ+
4 Gigs RAM
512 Megs PCI-E Video card DX 10 compatible

SLI Dual 512 Meg PCI-E video cards preferred.

People online have gotten it to run on:

Windows Vista
Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHZ
2 Gigs RAM
512 Meg PCI-E DX9 card

But it runs really slow.

A Mac Mini - forget it...
 
triobot

triobot

macrumors member
Apr 3, 2007
77
0
Milton Keynes
**Note:Sarcasm**
No, trust the student. He knows best. He can feel the wind when he flies, he was a fan in his room !!!

**back to the serious note**
the intel GMA950 can't run demanding games such as FS, or much modern games without turning the graphics down to UBER low...

you can play good games though, my friend has a laptop equiped with a GMA950, can't run Counter Strike Source, but can run trackmania nations rather well (though there are some spikes when it can't handle it...)

Actually if you upgraded it e.g. more RAM + c2d you maybe could run it, cos the GPU takes memory off the RAM and the c2d will handle with less mem in hand....
 
P

psingh01

macrumors 68000
Apr 19, 2004
1,571
598
JohnNotBeatle said:
And as a student pilot, you'd be better off using X-Plane, anyway, trust me. MSFS is a toy.
Click to expand...

Well as a licensed pilot I say get FSX! Perfect balance of realism and most importantly FUN :)


Also...FSX will make your mini cry....don't try it!
 
Spanky Deluxe

Spanky Deluxe

macrumors demi-god
Mar 17, 2005
5,282
1,745
London, UK
To the OP, have you bought your mini yet or not? You may want to save up a little longer to get an iMac for the graphics card. While its true that even on an iMac, the graphics won't run at maximum resolution at 30fps, flight sim software isn't something that needs high framerates. 10-15fps is actually more than enough. Every time a new version of Flight Sim comes out, it barely runs 'smoothly' on the very top end machines of the time, I'm afraid its just the way it is.
 
N

nsilverman15

macrumors newbie
Nov 2, 2008
2
0
It sucks don't try it!!!!

It will not work with my mac mini on boot camp i would not try it the graphics card doesn't work, the bad thing is that the demo works!!!!! It Sucks. I bought it and only after I installed it (whitch happened to take 5 hours) :mad: and it will not work because of the bad graphics card It will not work and if you try to get it to work it will probly be like a slideshow!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:mad::mad:
 
colourclassic

colourclassic

macrumors member
Feb 15, 2008
92
4
Melbourne
nsilverman15 said:
It will not work with my mac mini on boot camp i would not try it the graphics card doesn't work, the bad thing is that the demo works!!!!! It Sucks. I bought it and only after I installed it (whitch happened to take 5 hours) :mad: and it will not work because of the bad graphics card It will not work and if you try to get it to work it will probly be like a slideshow!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:mad::mad:
Click to expand...

I take it that it doesn't work?
 
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