How's the Mac Mini for gaming? I was thinking about building a gaming PC but the idea of a mini desktop is quite appealing because it means I can store it easily.
Thanks in advance.
R.
Thanks in advance.
R.
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Mac Mini for gaming?
- Thread starter rekhyt
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thejadedmonkey
macrumors G3
The mac mini only has Intel integrated 4000 graphics, so it would make a pretty poor gaming machine.
Luap
macrumors 65816
My 2012 2.6 i7 Mini plays a surprisingly good game of Unreal Tournament 3 (In Win 7) It is a game from 2007 though..
Unreal 2004 also plays well on it in OS X. Thats really old now so hardly classed as a demanding game these days, but I was surprised 10.8.3 would even run it now.
Those are about all I've played on it.
I expect most, if not all the new iMacs would run rings around the Mini in terms of gaming performance though. Fortunately games are not my main use for the Mini, so for me it is plenty good enough 🙂
Unreal 2004 also plays well on it in OS X. Thats really old now so hardly classed as a demanding game these days, but I was surprised 10.8.3 would even run it now.
Those are about all I've played on it.
I expect most, if not all the new iMacs would run rings around the Mini in terms of gaming performance though. Fortunately games are not my main use for the Mini, so for me it is plenty good enough 🙂
Ice Dragon
macrumors 6502a
What games are you looking to play first off? Second, wait for the 2013 minis to come out before you consider your purchase.
Right now, the Intel HD 4000 I wouldn't say is poor though you are not going to get the best gaming experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc5FXiPUcFk <--- Diablo III on a MacBook Air.
Right now, the Intel HD 4000 I wouldn't say is poor though you are not going to get the best gaming experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc5FXiPUcFk <--- Diablo III on a MacBook Air.
The HD4000 is a poor gaming gpu indeed.
But older games like portal 2 or some other 3-4 year old games should work on low/medium settings and on low resolution
Newer games are no option, it lacks the power.
Other things like HD movies and some photoshop does the mini just fine.
Like already said , wait for the mac mini with hasswell cpu , and the newer intel GPU added to it. (HD4600 or HD5200)
But older games like portal 2 or some other 3-4 year old games should work on low/medium settings and on low resolution
Newer games are no option, it lacks the power.
Other things like HD movies and some photoshop does the mini just fine.
Like already said , wait for the mac mini with hasswell cpu , and the newer intel GPU added to it. (HD4600 or HD5200)
There won't be 2013 mini's, unless it is a minor speed bump.
Architecture changes on Mini's take 500 days on average, so early 2014 is the first chance of seeing a Haswell mini.
Fried_Gold
macrumors 68040
I play LoL and other games such as Portal 1/2 and Left for Dead perfectly fine on my 2012 mac mini 🙂
Ice Dragon
macrumors 6502a
fatlardo
macrumors 6502
Im playing Diablo 3 and Dota 2 on my mac mini 2012 i5 model. Not the best graphics but it can play at lower resolutions with most settings on low. Its playable but I can get use to the detail. Looks a little better than Diablo 2. 🙁 But it is playable with no lag with those settings.
IMHO, when it comes to serious gaming on Macs, unless you are moneyed enough to buy a top range 27" iMac, preferably with the powerful GTX 680M GPU for nearly £2K (in the US, well over $2K), don't bother. I'd say the same for almost any AIO or other non-upgradable desktops, Mac or PC. Build yourself that dream PC instead, which you can upgrade according to changing needs over time.
However, if gaming at medium rates for most games, some modern ones at lower settings, is acceptable to you, the Mini may be fine. It's a great computer for most things. I have the 2011 with discrete 6630M GPU. Unfortunately, gaming isn't one of them.
Now if Apple had an upgradable, consumer-priced, desktop 🙄... but it'll never happen.
RoastingPig
macrumors 68000
ive played fifa 12 and nba 2k13 as well as some dolphin emulator gamecube games fine on intel 4000 and black ops 1 from app store they all played well but i tried bf3 and boy that was a slideshow
Treq
macrumors 65816
I've played Bioshock infinite all the way through, twice, on my late 2012 mini (via bootcamp). It did fine, although it was at 720p with the setting all at medium. Don't know the actual frame rates, but it seemed fine to me. I'm not what you would call a "gamer" but I have played a few games on this since I got it. So far I haven't found a game that was unplayable. Although, if you are serious about gaming, and like to always have the latest and greatest gaming hardware, the mini isn't for you. There is simply no way to upgrade the GPU. Macs are more reliable, more secure, easier to use, and have a better over all OS, but windows has LOTS of gaming support and constant tweaks to optimize gaming performance. Macs are catching up though. If only they could get more game developers on board...