Graphics Gaming Issues on Win7 Parallels 8

[EliteDeforce]

Sorry in advance if this is in the wrong section.

I have a mid-2010 iMac with the 3.06GHz i3, 4GB of RAM, and 256MB Radeon HD 4670. I'm running Win7 on Parallels 8 with Mavericks installed. Having some issues gaming through Parallels.

I've been gaming with Parallels for a while now and have run into very few issues before. However, I just picked up Mass Effect 1, 2, and 3 and I'm currently on 2 and am having character texture issues. My research has suggested this is a rather common problem and that downgrading graphics drivers is a solution. Can anyone comment on this? I thought it was impossible to downgrade graphics drivers on Macs.

Thanks.

 

[saturnotaku]

Can anyone comment on this?

Yes. Install Windows natively via Boot Camp. Playing classic titles in a virtual machine is fine, but trying anything even remotely recent is a fool's errand, especially on a machine that's fairly old such as yours.

 

[EliteDeforce]

Yes. Install Windows natively via Boot Camp. Playing classic titles in a virtual machine is fine, but trying anything even remotely recent is a fool's errand, especially on a machine that's fairly old such as yours.

Unfortunately that's not an option for me with this machine as I run both OSs for work. I have a rMBP 15 with windows 8 on parallels 8, that's my last report, just wondering if I could get it to work on this instead.

Also, I wouldn't consider any of the titles I have been running on the iMac classic, certainly not ME1 which ran just fine.

 

[saturnotaku]

Unfortunately that's not an option for me with this machine as I run both OSs for work. I have a rMBP 15 with windows 8 on parallels 8, that's my last report, just wondering if I could get it to work on this instead.

Also, I wouldn't consider any of the titles I have been running on the iMac classic, certainly not ME1 which ran just fine.

"Classic game" = Anything released more than 5 years ago.

In any event, you're pretty much stuck. The whole "downgrading graphics drivers" applies to the game running in Windows. Video drivers for OS X are built into the operating system and only change with subsequent releases (10.8, 10.9 and the .x roll-up updates). Further, the video drivers are different when running in a virtual machine. Those are supplied by Parallels or VMWare and similarly cannot be changed via traditional means.

 

[EliteDeforce]

"Classic game" = Anything released more than 5 years ago.

In any event, you're pretty much stuck. The whole "downgrading graphics drivers" applies to the game running in Windows. Video drivers for OS X are built into the operating system and only change with subsequent releases (10.8, 10.9 and the .x roll-up updates). Further, the video drivers are different when running in a virtual machine. Those are supplied by Parallels or VMWare and similarly cannot be changed via traditional means.

I see. I'll try it out on the rMBP just for fun if I get the chance. Thanks.