iMac i5 vs i7 for Diablo 3

Either. Really it comes down to this, if the extra dollars are of no consequence buy the i7. Better yet, buy a refurb and pocket the change. If you buy the i5 you can use what you save for some extra memory.

I really doubt either machine will be taxed by D3. I run LOTRO through Parallels on my machine with most of the high options enabled and I don't have problems with performance and I am quite sure that LOTRO is more demanding than D3 can be; especially since I have to run it through a VM

 

If Diablo 3 comes 2012 or later - which in my opinion is the most likely scenario - either iMac should run it at low settings maybe even at native resolution. Since I expect a release 2-3 years from now I doubt one can expect more from todays iMacs mobile gpu.

To the poster above, LOTRO is from 2007 so Diablo 3 could be much more demanding.

 

The graphics card in the new iMacs should be able to run it at better than lowest settings.

The 9600 in my old MBP ran SC2 at mid to high perfect, and the iMac runs circles around any MBP. The new iMac can run CoD:MW2 at max settings in Bootcamp.

Diablo 3's graphics aren't going to be industry stand in 2012. It's been in development for, what, 5 years now? You can tell by the videos that it's not extensively graphics intensive. It's low poly, soft texture models on low poly soft texture terrain.

 

Yes but your mbp had 1440x900 pixels to push, the iMac has 2560x1440!

 

Fair enough, but the iMac can still run MW2, which has better textures, more dynamic lighting, and higher poly models than Diablo 3 on max (-AA, but I don't think Blizzard really uses that, do they?) in bootcamp. Surely that's got to translate to better than lowest settings for D3, yeah?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klg4C32xYoo

(that's an i5, too)

 

Both should be fine for Diablo 3, and as the people above me have said, it's going to be your GPU that matters.

 

Maybe, but personally I'd say it depends on when it comes out.

My now sold iMac with the ati 2600hd ran MW1 at most settings maxed, but Starcraft2 was only playable on low. That's a pretty similar comparison.

 

I probably don't have the experience to really make a call here. I've never owned an iMac so I don't have first hand knowledge of what it's like to run on a giant screen.

I wish Apple would let us get a 21/24 inch i7 with a good card, although there might be a heat issue.