iMac q's...

[Devie]

Just got a couple of quick q's about the 20" iMac...
I've been concidering going for the Powermac G5 SP for a while due to having the ability to get better GPU's but recently, I've got my head to swing around and think more on the topic, that the Mac isnt a gaming platform, but I still want to play some games.
So, what I do want to know is, how well does the iMac (with about gb of ram) run UT2k4 and World of Warcraft? These two are the only games I am looking at playing on a computer, for a long time. I currently run UT2k4 very well on my current computer (see sig).
Also, is there any way, to use the monitor after the computer is to sluggish for the current aps?

With going for the iMac, I save about $1000 AUD, and I can get Airport and BT KB&M with it over the PMG5 SP...

Thanks in advance 🙂

 

[Littleodie914]

Just got a couple of quick q's about the 20" iMac...
I've been concidering going for the Powermac G5 SP for a while due to having the ability to get better GPU's but recently, I've got my head to swing around and think more on the topic, that the Mac isnt a gaming platform, but I still want to play some games.
So, what I do want to know is, how well does the iMac (with about gb of ram) run UT2k4 and World of Warcraft? These two are the only games I am looking at playing on a computer, for a long time. I currently run UT2k4 very well on my current computer (see sig).
Also, is there any way, to use the monitor after the computer is to sluggish for the current aps?

With going for the iMac, I save about $1000 AUD, and I can get Airport and BT KB&M with it over the PMG5 SP...

Thanks in advance 🙂

The 20" iMac should play both of those games just fine. Might have to turn the details down just a notch in WOW to eliminate any lag, but other than that you should have a smooth time. 😎 As for using the monitor on a different computer... I don't think so. The connectors and cables and what-not are all internal, and are most likely soldered on. Maybe there's a way though.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

my 2 cents is if you spend 2 grand on a machine it should have more then Fx5200 in it. FX5200 is about equal to a geforce3 and thats 4 years old. go powermac.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I am looking at getting an iMac as well, except I am cheap/poor/whatever and considerign the 1.6ghz model. I am also interested in the same games as you. I loaded up UT2k4 Demo onto my sisters iPod and took it to CompUSA yesterday, then loaded it onto the 1.6ghz iMac, which had the standard 256MB RAM...

Details set to high on pretty much everything (game looked terrific) on max resolution (1024x786 I think? Whatever the highest setting available was) it was very playable. There was a little lag when new moving into either new areas of the map, or if lots of new textures were needed quickly, which I assume is a result of 2 things... 1) 64mb of video ram, sucks but not aweful, and 2) 256mb of system ram, also sucks, but fixable. AGP graphics cards can share system memory fairly quickly, so I am guessing that more RAM will allow for better caching of textures, and no loss of smooth 30+ fps.

WoW, from what I have read (haven't played it yet) will run ACCEPTABLY on a 1.8ghz iMac (and a 1.6ghz as well), but probably not great. By the time you start playing there will probably be more improvements, as blizzard seems to be actively workign with Apple to make this specific game perform better.

My advice in the 20" iMac vs. SP PowerMac, for someone like yourself whose main high end need is gaming (ie, you're not planning on doing any massive video or audio work, etc) is to look at the prices...

iMac 20" (1gb RAM, 160GB HD, 5200Urtra GPU, Superdrive, gorgeous 20" LCD) at standard Apple BTO price is $2124.

SP 1.8ghz PM (1gb RAM, 160gb HD, Superdrive, 5200Ultra GPU, no display) at standard Apple BTO price is $1824, however, since the main reason to get a PM in your case is GPU upgradability, it becomes $2174 with a modest 9800XT upgrade. Now you need to get a monitor that can rival the iMacs, and even if you don't get an Apple, and get say, a very nice Dell 20" LCD, you add another $600-800 depending on the deal you get. So lets assume you pay about retail, when you figure in shipping and what not, which still puts it between a great discount price and an ACD 20". That makes the total $2974.

$850 more for what is basically the same computer with a (admitaddly much) better video card. Or you could get the iMac, take the $850 dollars and buy a 27" HDTV ready TV ($400), an XBox with Halo 2 and 2 other games + HD hookup cables ($220), a year of Xbox Live ($50), and a Sony 5.1 digital home theatre sound system ($180). All of that AND a 20" iMac or a PM that will play more games (but as much as an XBox?)...

That's how I figured out what was the right system for me to buy, anyways... 😛

Rob

 

[Devie]

Thanks for the help. As it sounds, both of those games run fine on the iMac, and I am going for: 20", 1GB, Airport and BT M&KB, it comes to about $3800 AUD.
Kinda sucks that you have to throw away that damn nice monitor with the computer when it goes outa date, just like a laptop, but I'm over it (and I'd prolly sell it anyway).

$850 more for what is basically the same computer with a (admitaddly much) better video card. Or you could get the iMac, take the $850 dollars and buy a 27" HDTV ready TV ($400), an XBox with Halo 2 and 2 other games + HD hookup cables ($220), a year of Xbox Live ($50), and a Sony 5.1 digital home theatre sound system ($180). All of that AND a 20" iMac or a PM that will play more games (but as much as an XBox?)...

That's how I figured out what was the right system for me to buy, anyways... 😛

Rob

Well I already have a Xbox (with Live), GameCube, PS2 and GBA with a Denon 6.1ch home theatre system 😉 so gaming isnt a huge factor for me with computers. My TV is a bit dodgy though, only being a Teac 51cm but I will buy a Panasonic 76cm Widescreen one after my mac.

 

[CaptainCaveMann]

I am looking at getting an iMac as well, except I am cheap/poor/whatever and considerign the 1.6ghz model. I am also interested in the same games as you. I loaded up UT2k4 Demo onto my sisters iPod and took it to CompUSA yesterday, then loaded it onto the 1.6ghz iMac, which had the standard 256MB RAM...

Details set to high on pretty much everything (game looked terrific) on max resolution (1024x786 I think? Whatever the highest setting available was) it was very playable. There was a little lag when new moving into either new areas of the map, or if lots of new textures were needed quickly, which I assume is a result of 2 things... 1) 64mb of video ram, sucks but not aweful, and 2) 256mb of system ram, also sucks, but fixable. AGP graphics cards can share system memory fairly quickly, so I am guessing that more RAM will allow for better caching of textures, and no loss of smooth 30+ fps.

WoW, from what I have read (haven't played it yet) will run ACCEPTABLY on a 1.8ghz iMac (and a 1.6ghz as well), but probably not great. By the time you start playing there will probably be more improvements, as blizzard seems to be actively workign with Apple to make this specific game perform better.

My advice in the 20" iMac vs. SP PowerMac, for someone like yourself whose main high end need is gaming (ie, you're not planning on doing any massive video or audio work, etc) is to look at the prices...

iMac 20" (1gb RAM, 160GB HD, 5200Urtra GPU, Superdrive, gorgeous 20" LCD) at standard Apple BTO price is $2124.

SP 1.8ghz PM (1gb RAM, 160gb HD, Superdrive, 5200Ultra GPU, no display) at standard Apple BTO price is $1824, however, since the main reason to get a PM in your case is GPU upgradability, it becomes $2174 with a modest 9800XT upgrade. Now you need to get a monitor that can rival the iMacs, and even if you don't get an Apple, and get say, a very nice Dell 20" LCD, you add another $600-800 depending on the deal you get. So lets assume you pay about retail, when you figure in shipping and what not, which still puts it between a great discount price and an ACD 20". That makes the total $2974.

$850 more for what is basically the same computer with a (admitaddly much) better video card. Or you could get the iMac, take the $850 dollars and buy a 27" HDTV ready TV ($400), an XBox with Halo 2 and 2 other games + HD hookup cables ($220), a year of Xbox Live ($50), and a Sony 5.1 digital home theatre sound system ($180). All of that AND a 20" iMac or a PM that will play more games (but as much as an XBox?)...

That's how I figured out what was the right system for me to buy, anyways... 😛

Rob

I cant believe you did that! You loaded a game onto the floor model imac! hahaha man if they would have caught you doin that you would have been busted big time hahaha hilarious though

 

[mrgreen4242]

I cant believe you did that! You loaded a game onto the floor model imac! hahaha man if they would have caught you doin that you would have been busted big time hahaha hilarious though

Laf... its not like I installed something onto the system with a crazy install script or anything... i just copied a .dmg to the desktop and mounted it, then played from there. It was also only a demo, so all prefectly legal. I don't they would have done anything if they had seen me. (This was a CompUSA not an Apple store)... 🙂

 

[aethier]

my mother has a maxed out 1.8 17incher. if anygames go well it is more due to the g5 then the 5200, as when i ran cinebench all the gpu dependant tasks it did pretty bad in, yet the cpu based ones go well,. my sugestion: don't expect to much in the gaming area with the iMac, sure ut2k3 and 4, are decent on it, but when games like doom3 finally arrive and all the other games based on its engine, you will then learn what a crappy card the 5200 is

aethier

 

[jadam]

I predict apple will upgrade the iMac line sometime in january with a better video card and slightly fast processor.

 

[cluthz]

my mother has a maxed out 1.8 17incher. if anygames go well it is more due to the g5 then the 5200, as when i ran cinebench all the gpu dependant tasks it did pretty bad in, yet the cpu based ones go well,. my sugestion: don't expect to much in the gaming area with the iMac, sure ut2k3 and 4, are decent on it, but when games like doom3 finally arrive and all the other games based on its engine, you will then learn what a crappy card the 5200 is

aethier

iMac is decent for gaming. Tossing in $1000 extra to get a powermac with a better GPU is a waste of money. Get the iMac and it will run ut2004 and WOW ok. If you aren't satisfied with it, get a $1000 pc. The $1000 pc will run rings around a $5000 PM G5 in WOW anyway.

I'm doing some light gaming, and I find UT2004 running good on both my Powerbook and my iMac (both has fx5200 card).

I didn't bought those machines because of gaming, but I like to have the opportunety to run a few games.