Basic gaming on a base 13' 2011

[kkzooi]

Dear macrumors members,

I've finnaly made the decision to buy myself a Macbook pro. I'm going for the base 13' model (which I may later upgrade to 8gig RAM and prob. a SSD) cause I'm in college and my budget is not that big. I will hook my macbook up to a 22 inch screen and use it as a desktop-replacement when I'm at home.

I was wondering if I will be able to play games like WoW and SC2 (and in the future Diablo3) and if anyone has experience playing games like these on the base 13' model. I wont be playing on ultra settings or fullscreen (22') as long the fps is alright and the games are playable.

Would like some comments on this matter.

Thanks in advance!

 

[miles01110]

Yes, those games will run acceptably well on a base 13" MBP.

 

[Samuriajackon]

Yes, those games will run acceptably well on a base 13" MBP.

Go for the 15in. The power of the 3000 doesn't quite cut it, wow at 1200x800 runs okay, but with an extra monitor(like a 22in) it won't run at 1200x800 unless i tone down all the bells and whistles. Stormwind looks like crap no matter how low I set the graphics.

 

[kkzooi]

Thanks for the fast replies. I dont have the cash for anything more expensive then the base 13 inch. Does WoW run in normal fps tho?

 

[tejagamer]

Why not a Mac Mini?

If you are going to stay more time at home, I suggest you to get the Mac Mini..
If you go out alot, then get the MBP..
BTW MBP 13" can play games at 1024x768 on med.. So, its upto you

 

[snaky69]

PC
OS: Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 (Latest Service Packs) with DirectX® 9.0c
Processor: Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD AthlonTM 64 X2 4400+
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better

Mac
OS: Mac® OS X 10.6.8 or newer | Processor: Intel® Core 2 Duo
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better

All Platforms
HD Space: 12 GB available HD space | Memory: 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB required for Windows Vista®/
Windows® 7 users, 2 GB for Mac® users) | Drive: DVD-ROM drive | Internet: Broadband Internet
connection | Display: 1024x768 minimum display resolution

(Note: Be advised that some wireless connections do not meet the minimums required to be a true Broadband Internet connecton. Wireless results may vary.)

WoW will run okay, starcraft will run okay. Diablo 3(system requirements posted above) probably won't.

 

[BrickbookPro]

Those requirements look like blackops requirements which I am running fine on my 2010 Base model 13" MBP (under windows 8 developer preview).

Blackops requirements here: http://gamesystemrequirements.com/games.php?id=1186

PC
OS: Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 (Latest Service Packs) with DirectX® 9.0c
Processor: Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD AthlonTM 64 X2 4400+
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better

Mac
OS: Mac® OS X 10.6.8 or newer | Processor: Intel® Core 2 Duo
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better

All Platforms
HD Space: 12 GB available HD space | Memory: 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB required for Windows Vista®/
Windows® 7 users, 2 GB for Mac® users) | Drive: DVD-ROM drive | Internet: Broadband Internet
connection | Display: 1024x768 minimum display resolution

(Note: Be advised that some wireless connections do not meet the minimums required to be a true Broadband Internet connecton. Wireless results may vary.)

WoW will run okay, starcraft will run okay. Diablo 3(system requirements posted above) probably won't.

 

[ZZ Bottom]

Also keep this in mind OP:

There are a couple companies working to release Thunderbolt to pci-e adapters that would allow you to use a desktop Graphics Card with your MBP. There hasn't been a mention of price yet, but if these carry a reasonable price, you could very well "dock" your MBP at your 22" Monitor with the TB/PCI-E device in between.

Note: Thunderbolt will likely support high-end GPU's due to bandwidth constraints, but many argue that mid range GPU's should work sufficiently. No matter what you could see an improvement over the built-in GPU.

Here's an article with some info: Link

EDIT: also remember that Blizzard is aware of the potential for lost players if they don't make D3 at least playable on the current 13". There are dozens of PC's running the same GPU (with worse driver optimization no less).

 

[jgz]

diablo 3 beta running on macbook air 2011 i5 i think it will work....

 

[Demosthenes X]

Someone suggested a Mac mini (with discrete graphics), which I would concur with. What about a mini + iPad? It would cost a little more than the base MBP, but might give you the combination of gaming performance and mobility you're looking for?

 

[GuitarG20]

the games will run with acceptable FPS... but something with more power would be a good idea for diablo 3

 

[Adamantoise]

Depends on the game obviously, but I tried portal on my 2011 Macbook Pro (13") and it was passable. However, Civilization V is a different story, the game runs terrible on my Macbook Pro.

 

[altecXP]

My friend plays WoW happily on her 13in i5 MBP. SHe was upgrading from like a 2007 MacBook though so to her it's leagues ahead.

 

[Wattser93]

Depends on the game obviously, but I tried portal on my 2011 Macbook Pro (13") and it was passable. However, Civilization V is a different story, the game runs terrible on my Macbook Pro.

I have a 13" 2010 and Civ 5 is tough on it. I can imagine it's worse on the HD3000. A mild overclock really brings the 320M to life and makes games like Portal 2 perform well on high settings (capped at 30FPS). In L4D2 I get 60FPS on low settings, or 30FPS on med settings.

Capping the framerate at 30FPS may not be optimal, but 30FPS capped will be much more playable than a framerate varying between 30FPS and 60FPS (and everything in between). Halo 3 is in 30FPS, and is still playable.