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Good for gaming?

H

HighKing

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 26, 2014
22
0
I'm getting a MAC for Christmas and want to know if it's good for gaming.

Here are my specs:

2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB (two 4GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 1GB video memory

Ty in advance :)
 
What gaming? tell us your specific games titles, because if you are talking about Crysis 3/ Witcher 2/ Far Cry 3 etc no it is not good enough and you will need the model with Geforce 775M or 780M. BUT if you need it for blizzard games or something like that, yes go ahead, BUT again :) if you get one for Christmas i would wait for the refresh with 950M
If there will be indeed a so called retina iMac+9xx series i will upgrade but not if otherwise :)
 
Last edited:
Fusion drive or SSD a must if possible

To be honest that will run most modern games at a low to medium level just fine, but that is no high end desktop graphics card. Any older games will usually be fine.

I would reccomend some solid state storage on any mac they just run much faster for everyday actions opening apps and files etc with a fusion drive or SSD.
 
Serban said:
What gaming? tell us your specific games titles, because if you are talking about Crysis 3/ Witcher 2/ Far Cry 3 etc no it is not good enough and you will need the model with Geforce 775M or 780M. BUT if you need it for blizzard games or something like that, yes go ahead, BUT again :) if you get one for Christmas i would wait for the refresh with 950M
If there will be indeed a so called retina iMac+9xx series i will upgrade but not if otherwise :)
Click to expand...

No, I wasn't planning to do any big game hunting like that just yet lol, not until I get a job and can get some money (I'm only 14) so I was only really planning on getting some Steam stuff and playing MMOs like C9, and I was hoping Archage once it's released, but I don't think my specs are good enough :p
 
HighKing said:
I'm getting a MAC for Christmas and want to know if it's good for gaming.

Here are my specs:

2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB (two 4GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 1GB video memory

Ty in advance :)
Click to expand...

I have the same config as that, I can play Dirt 2 maxed out at 1080p at 45fps. X-Plane 10 can be set to 1080p, 4X AA, 4X AF, very high textures, every box ticked apart from HDR, and maxed out buildings and traffic at 65fps with loads on screen, and 190fps when flying over the sea.
 
Ty for all the replies guys :)

But if I wanted to play something like Archeage or some modern games, what would I need to upgrade/change?
 
Samuelsan2001 said:
To be honest that will run most modern games at a low to medium level just fine, but that is no high end desktop graphics card. Any older games will usually be fine.

I would reccomend some solid state storage on any mac they just run much faster for everyday actions opening apps and files etc with a fusion drive or SSD.
Click to expand...

I have had people mistake my iMac (HDD) for a Fusion drive iMac. My iMac boots in 35 seconds, and once an app has been opened once after a bootup, and boots just as fast as launching from an SSD (due to App Caching). So you are only benefiting from saving yourself 20 seconds on bootup once every 2-3 months, and apps still open very fast. I compared my iMac with a 15" retina MBP (had a faster i7 over my i5, twice as much RAM, and the weaker GPU) and it has an SSD. It opened apps at around 1 second faster than my iMac. I really am amazed at how little difference there was.

I feel a lot of MacRumors members compare their new SSD 2013/2014 iMac with their old 2008/2009 HDD iMac. Just not a fair comparison.

OP, the HDD is great and more than good enough.

----------
HighKing said:
Ty for all the replies guys :)

But if I wanted to play something like Archeage or some modern games, what would I need to upgrade/change?
Click to expand...

You can't upgrade the system. You get what you bought.

If you are looking up gaming performance for the 750m, stop. Every benchmark and site I have read uses the DDR3 version of the 750m. Look at the 755m (which only comes in GDDR5) instead for a better comparison.

I think you will be fine with modern games. Here is a video of the GDDR5 750m running Battlefield 4 at 'PS4 settings': http://youtu.be/j8U2BJN04o0
 
MartinAppleGuy said:
I have had people mistake my iMac (HDD) for a Fusion drive iMac. My iMac boots in 35 seconds, and once an app has been opened once after a bootup, and boots just as fast as launching from an SSD (due to App Caching). So you are only benefiting from saving yourself 20 seconds on bootup once every 2-3 months, and apps still open very fast. I compared my iMac with a 15" retina MBP (had a faster i7 over my i5, twice as much RAM, and the weaker GPU) and it has an SSD. It opened apps at around 1 second faster than my iMac. I really am amazed at how little difference there was.

I feel a lot of MacRumors members compare their new SSD 2013/2014 iMac with their old 2008/2009 HDD iMac. Just not a fair comparison.

OP, the HDD is great and more than good enough.

----------



You can't upgrade the system. You get what you bought.

If you are looking up gaming performance for the 750m, stop. Every benchmark and site I have read uses the DDR3 version of the 750m. Look at the 755m (which only comes in GDDR5) instead for a better comparison.

I think you will be fine with modern games. Here is a video of the GDDR5 750m running Battlefield 4 at 'PS4 settings': http://youtu.be/j8U2BJN04o0
Click to expand...

Oh, you can't? I thought that you could change the graphics card and increase the max memory and stuff? Like customisation?
 
HighKing said:
Ty for all the replies guys :)

But if I wanted to play something like Archeage or some modern games, what would I need to upgrade/change?
Click to expand...

It will run archeage fine. I am using a custom built pc from 2009 to play. I can play on high with little lag.
 
HighKing said:
But the specs I listed say I'll have the 750M? When I get it can I take it out and swap it for a better one?
Click to expand...

You said you will buy imac in December. until now, there is a good chance that Apple will update to the 9xx Geforce series. Or at least 8xx

And even with 850M and 2 Gb vRAM will run fine

PS The guy doesn't know what is talking about. I never get to 98C.
From 2012 the imacs are designed not to get so hot.
I have a late 2013 27" iMac and when i play from time to time games..i have around 72C
 
HighKing said:
Really? I've posted a thread similar to this one where I listed the specs, and everyone said it would be junk.

http://forums.archeagegame.com/showthread.php?32217-Will-this-PC-run-ArcheAge&p=341134

Btw I messed up the first link in that thread so ignore it lol
Click to expand...

I am playing Archeage beta and alpha with no issues at all. The fan on y graphics card gets a little louder but that's pretty much it.

vq54R5e.png


Above are the requirements to play the game. I am sure you can run it. Maybe they are saying no because you need bootcamp or parralels. Parralels might slow you a little but I dont see a problem playing archeage. Just dont expect highest settings on the highest resolution.

I think you can run medium setting using parallel just fine.
 
Serban said:
You said you will buy imac in December. until now, there is a good chance that Apple will update to the 9xx Geforce series. Or at least 8xx

And even with 850M and 2 Gb vRAM will run fine
Click to expand...

Sorry, my fault I didn't really list the original question properly.

My parents bought the IMac and I'm getting it for Christmas, It's the default £1,200 one.
 
HighKing said:
Sorry, my fault I didn't really list the original question properly.

My parents bought the IMac and I'm getting it for Christmas, It's the default £1,200 one.
Click to expand...

Why they don't given to you now and they keep it until Christmas ??
 
HighKing said:
Sorry, my fault I didn't really list the original question properly.

My parents bought the IMac and I'm getting it for Christmas, It's the default £1,200 one.
Click to expand...

The 750m is fine. I game on it a lot and have never had an issue, even when I push games to the max.
 
WorldTravelBro said:
I am playing Archeage beta and alpha with no issues at all. The fan on y graphics card gets a little louder but that's pretty much it.

Image

Above are the requirements to play the game. I am sure you can run it. Maybe they are saying no because you need bootcamp or parralels. Parralels might slow you a little but I dont see a problem playing archeage. Just dont expect highest settings on the highest resolution.

I think you can run medium setting using parallel just fine.
Click to expand...

Ohh I see, that's very helpful. Thank you :3
 
Talk to your parents to give it to you now to test it, because maybe just maybe has a problem and you will be in the return policy.
 
Serban said:
Why they don't given to you now and they keep it until Christmas ??
Click to expand...

I agree here though, OP how do you know the computer works? The burn-in time for a computer is 70 hours (if something is going to go wrong, it most likely will go wrong in 70 hours). By christmas, if there is an issue, you would have to get it repaired rather than replaced. Plus, not using it now means you are wasting part of your 1 year warranty.

I would say that to your parents and see if they would be happy to let you use it now.
 
Serban said:
Why they don't given to you now and they keep it until Christmas ??
Click to expand...

Since it's a pretty costly present they want me to open it on Christmas day, otherwise I won't have much else; just small stuff. I'm fine with it though and I wasn't supposed to know anyway, but I got it out in the end
 
MartinAppleGuy said:
I agree here though, OP how do you know the computer works? The burn-in time for a computer is 70 hours (if something is going to go wrong, it most likely will go wrong in 70 hours). By christmas, if there is an issue, you would have to get it repaired rather than replaced. Plus, not using it now means you are wasting part of your 1 year warranty.

I would say that to your parents and see if they would be happy to let you use it now.
Click to expand...

Oh, I never knew about stuff like that o_0 I'll have to ask them about it when I have the chance
 
HighKing said:
Since it's a pretty costly present they want me to open it on Christmas day, otherwise I won't have much else; just small stuff. I'm fine with it though and I wasn't supposed to know anyway, but I got it out in the end
Click to expand...

I would at least talk to them and say what I just posted (The burn-in time for a computer is 70 hours (if something is going to go wrong, it most likely will go wrong in 70 hours). By christmas, if there is an issue, you would have to get it repaired rather than replaced. Plus, not using it now means you are wasting part of your 1 year warranty.). At least see what they say.
 
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