Macbook Games (What I've tried)

[Kwub]

Previously, I've attempted to run CS:Source on my Macbook (2.0 GHz, 2 GB Ram) via Bootcamp with horrific results, the framerate usually averaging out at 2-4 FPS and rendering the game absolutely unplayable. This always struck me as rather odd, given that I am able to run Half-Life 2 at high settings and achieve a respectably impressive frame rate (typically in the 30s).

Today, however, out of idle curiosity, I was testing Steam games via Tiger instead of Bootcamp, having just acquired the program Crossover Mac. To my shock, running Steam through Crossover, I was not only able to run the entire Half-Life 2 line of games, but I was able to play Counterstrike Source with average frame rates exceeding 25 FPS on fairly high settings.

As a die-hard CS:S fan, I am obviously overjoyed, and I hope this knowledge will lend itself to others here looking for a good bit of classic counter-terroristic fun on the go with their Macbooks, at long last.

 

[EthanNixon]

Hello,

I do not have a MacBook, but I am looking into buying one for a viable source to play Counter-Strike: Source on. I play this game competativly in various leagues. (CAL, CEVO, various LANs) I am not sure how familiar the MAC community is with FPS Configs, but I have made one of the best ones to date for bad computer specs when it comes to gaming. Again, I don't know how to do this with CrossOver, but it is relativly easy on Windows. First you have to go to my ESEA page and download my config, I will include the link at the bottom of my post.

Outline for FPS Config:
Download my config file.
Save file as autoexec.cfg.
Place autoexec.cfg in your Steam\steamapps\username\counter-strike source\cstrike\cfg.
You should now be running my FPS config for Counter-Strike: Source.

Launch Options:
Open up Steam.exe.
Right-Click on Counter-Strike: Source.
Find "Properties".
Select "Launch Options".
Paste the following, word for word: -heapsize 512000 -dxlevel 81 -width 1024 -height 768 -novid -noforcemspd -noforcemaccel -noforcemparms
Change the the -width -height commands for whatever resolution you prefer to play on.

I hope this helps, and I really hope someone tries this and gets back. I want to buy a Macbook, but only if I can get good FPS. I would prefer to see results from the x3100 MacBook, since that is the one I will be getting.

FPS Config

 

[Kwub]

CS:Source simply will not run on Bootcamp decently under any settings, at least not on an ordinary Macbook. The highest framerate you will get will still be well under 10fps. Again, the game works perfectly in Crossover, and for the moment that seems to be the solution for CS:S on Macbook.

 

[EthanNixon]

I am pretty sure if you use my config you will get more than 30 FPS. I have personally played on computers worst then the MacBook and gotten atleast 30 FPS. I am talking Sempron 2500, NVidia 440MX, 128MB Ram. I still got 30 FPS with that computer. Running a game with a default config when the system doesn't meet the minimum requirements, I wouldn't expect much either. Someone give my method a shot and see what happens. Make sure you use the lowest resolution, since the lower the resolution, the lower the GPU is needed.

 

[Kwub]

I am pretty sure if you use my config you will get more than 30 FPS. I have personally played on computers worst then the MacBook and gotten atleast 30 FPS. I am talking Sempron 2500, NVidia 440MX, 128MB Ram. I still got 30 FPS with that computer. Running a game with a default config when the system doesn't meet the minimum requirements, I wouldn't expect much either. Someone give my method a shot and see what happens. Make sure you use the lowest resolution, since the lower the resolution, the lower the GPU is needed.

I can practically guarantee that it will not work. I am no stranger to graphical compatibility configurations of the Half-Life 2 line, including CS:S, and I can assure you that I have tried virtually everything possible, including the settings you've suggested (along with a great deal of others). There is simply some manner of incompatibility with XP Bootcamp and CS:S, whatever the issue may be, and no amount of settings changes to the game itself will prove successful. I spent almost four hours testing CS:S in this manner, with nothing even remotely close to success.
Again, it has nothing to do with the game settings itself. Dark Messiah is a much more graphically-intensive and system-demanding Source title than CS:S, and yet through a few simple tweaks will run perfectly on Windows XP via Bootcamp on a Macbook. The same goes for a number of other games vastly more demanding than CS:S, including even Oblivion.
The simple truth of the matter is that, for one reason or another, it is simply not possible to run CS:S on Bootcamp on a Macbook at the moment, at least not through simple editing of settings.

But, as I've said, the game runs perfectly via Crossover Mac, and you get the benefit of not being forced to reboot your Macbook every time you wish to play the game.

 

[EthanNixon]

Have you tried updating ALL of your drivers in windows? I can personally vouch that you can get more than 10 FPS via BootCamp from my friends MacBook on Vista. I sure as hell know you will get a little more on XP, especially with an FPS config of my magnitude. He averaged around 7-10. Sometimes it shot up to 20ish, sometimes it dropped to 2.

 

[AppleNinja]

Anyone tried "lord of the rings battle for middle earth 2"? it is my favorite game besides CS:S ...


Feedback please

 

[RZetlin]

Flyff: A free MMORPG.

Parallels: Games installs but does not run.

Bootcamp: Game installs and runs okay. Remember to disable the F1-12 control keys when using the ingame shortcut keys.

 

[Red Sox]

I can practically guarantee that it will not work. I am no stranger to graphical compatibility configurations of the Half-Life 2 line, including CS:S, and I can assure you that I have tried virtually everything possible, including the settings you've suggested (along with a great deal of others). There is simply some manner of incompatibility with XP Bootcamp and CS:S, whatever the issue may be, and no amount of settings changes to the game itself will prove successful. I spent almost four hours testing CS:S in this manner, with nothing even remotely close to success.
Again, it has nothing to do with the game settings itself. Dark Messiah is a much more graphically-intensive and system-demanding Source title than CS:S, and yet through a few simple tweaks will run perfectly on Windows XP via Bootcamp on a Macbook. The same goes for a number of other games vastly more demanding than CS:S, including even Oblivion.
The simple truth of the matter is that, for one reason or another, it is simply not possible to run CS:S on Bootcamp on a Macbook at the moment, at least not through simple editing of settings.

But, as I've said, the game runs perfectly via Crossover Mac, and you get the benefit of not being forced to reboot your Macbook every time you wish to play the game.

Hey Kwub, are you running it on the old GMA 950 or the updated GMA X3100? Because I've got the X3100 and CS:S gets around 47.5 FPS. I'm running it on XP via BootCamp, at 1280x800 with lowest graphics settings, and also running DX8.1, not DX9.

 

[Kwub]

Hey Kwub, are you running it on the old GMA 950 or the updated GMA X3100? Because I've got the X3100 and CS:S gets around 47.5 FPS. I'm running it on XP via BootCamp, at 1280x800 with lowest graphics settings, and also running DX8.1, not DX9.

GMA 950, which is probably the reason, in all likelihood.

 

[thekeeper]

Fahrenheit/ Indigo prophecy

Has anyone been able to install Fahrenheit (or indogo Prophecy for our American friends) on their macbook?
I installed it on my 1.83 core duo 2gig macbook , it starts up ok, but after login the game stops and xp gives un 'unexpected error' window. Anyone been able to run it? Cause i vaguely remember someone saying it ran well on their mac but I don't seem to find any info on the web.
edit; i run it via bootcamp, no crossover stuff or parallels

edit2; apparently, it was just a matter of installing a patch fopr the game, fahrenheit runs very well on my macbook now. Very nice game by the way.

 

[RZetlin]

Macbook with GMA 950.

Unreal Tournament 3

Bootcamp: The game installs, but refuses to run. The game takes a memory dump. It seems the GMA 950 card is too puny for the UT3 uber shaders.

Parallels: You're kidding right?

 

[Kwub]

Macbook with GMA 950.

Unreal Tournament 3

Bootcamp: The game installs, but refuses to run. The game takes a memory dump. It seems the GMA 950 card is too puny for the UT3 uber shaders.

Parallels: You're kidding right?

Hah, given the Macbook performance (or lack thereof) of games using the now-dated Quake IV engine, I'd be surprised beyond all reason if UT3 managed to run at above 5fps anyway.

 

[Sp3shl K]

far cry?

has anyone tried playing far cry on the macbook? i have a 2.16ghz 2gig white macbook and was wondering how well it would work.

 

[Whitesnake]

I've tried Far Cry on the Santa Rosa MacBook and it runs very well until you go outside which completely kills the performance.

One thing I've noticed about the GMA X3100 on games is whenever the view distance on a game gets long and large the performance just drops right down.

When playing it seems like a bug as it always happens under the same circumstances in different types of games.

This problem has happened to me in Half Life 2/UT2004/Far Cry/Battlefront.

Each of these games will run very smooth until you hit a big enviroment.

I'm using the latest drivers for the X3100 and XP with 1gb ram.

 

[eXan]

I've tried Far Cry on the Santa Rosa MacBook and it runs very well until you go outside which completely kills the performance.

One thing I've noticed about the GMA X3100 on games is whenever the view distance on a game gets long and large the performance just drops right down.

When playing it seems like a bug as it always happens under the same circumstances in different types of games.

This problem has happened to me in Half Life 2/UT2004/Far Cry/Battlefront.

Each of these games will run very smooth until you hit a big enviroment.

I'm using the latest drivers for the X3100 and XP with 1gb ram.

Large open areas put heavy stress on the GPU, thus a huge drop in performance.

 

[Soab]

Hello,

I do not have a MacBook, but I am looking into buying one for a viable source to play Counter-Strike: Source on. I play this game competativly in various leagues. (CAL, CEVO, various LANs) I am not sure how familiar the MAC community is with FPS Configs, but I have made one of the best ones to date for bad computer specs when it comes to gaming. Again, I don't know how to do this with CrossOver, but it is relativly easy on Windows. First you have to go to my ESEA page and download my config, I will include the link at the bottom of my post.

Outline for FPS Config:
Download my config file.
Save file as autoexec.cfg.
Place autoexec.cfg in your Steam\steamapps\username\counter-strike source\cstrike\cfg.
You should now be running my FPS config for Counter-Strike: Source.

Launch Options:
Open up Steam.exe.
Right-Click on Counter-Strike: Source.
Find "Properties".
Select "Launch Options".
Paste the following, word for word: -heapsize 512000 -dxlevel 81 -width 1024 -height 768 -novid -noforcemspd -noforcemaccel -noforcemparms
Change the the -width -height commands for whatever resolution you prefer to play on.

I hope this helps, and I really hope someone tries this and gets back. I want to buy a Macbook, but only if I can get good FPS. I would prefer to see results from the x3100 MacBook, since that is the one I will be getting.

FPS Config

Hey i have tested a couple of steam games trough bootcamp on my SR macbook, 2ghz C2D, 1gb ram, GMA X3100 NEWEST GPU DRIVER FOR WINDOWS

CS:S
Totally laggy without some tweaking, 2-5 fps. Easily fixed with -dxlevel 81. Steady fps at 40 on de_cbble, at all settings at low or off, 1024x768 resolution. With EthanNixon's launch settings and cmd-file, pretty steady 60 fps at de_cbble, all setting at low or off, 1024x768 resolution. 47,98 FPS in the stress test at these settings.

HL2
Didnt work at all without the newest driver, so get it! its under 965 express family on the intel site. Plays nice even without using -dxlevel 81, but i have just played for a couple of minutes. The settings are mostly at high. totally playable!

Team Fortress 2
Not playable at all under dx 9.0, but is playable with -dxlevel 81 in the launch options. Fps drop at high distances.

Portal
Choppy when you enter a portal, game hangs for a couple of seconds(under dx 9.0) With -dxlevel 81, the game is playable fps-wise, but the portals look they are closed/have no exit. Prolly because dx 8.1 dont support that kind of effect. Im sure this game will work with some twaking, but i havent spent any time on it yet.

Conclusion: A really pleasent surprise for a casual gamer like me, who didnt really buy this notebook for gaming. Im not so sure about you, if you are playing CS:Source at a high level. I assume that you want a macbook because of the great OS and stuff. If you just need a laptop for gaming, dont buy a macbook! Its not built for gaming at all and the graphics card is actually made to get better performance watching movies and stuff. It preforms surprisingly well for beeing a non-gaming machine, but dont expect this to run any new game on high quality settings. Alltho, if you are gonna use it for more then gaming, i totally recommend it! Leopard is great, and the whole computer (both hardware/case and software is so well thought trough) Its my first mac, and i didnt really buy it for games but im gonna play alot on it now that i see how well it works! To me you seemed like a hardcore gamer who needs a machine that runs CS:S perfectly, but its really up to you and you needs

 

[hiohokaybye]

does ntfs carbon and flight simulator x and battlefield 2142 work on a macbook with 2 gb of ram, and 2.0ghz? i have the older mac with the gma 950

 

[Soab]

Wrong results

Hey i just noticed that the autoexec.cfg-file got saved as autoexec.cfg.txt, and therefore wasn't loaded when i tested the fps. Im sorry for this, and i will hopefully be able to test it with your settings tomorrow.

-Soab

 

[ClassicMac247]

those are all pretty good games.

 

[macdim]

Santa Rosa MacBook 2.2. Half-Life 2 -> 30fps indoors at 1280x800 everything on high except anti-aliasing, filtering (trilinear), and reflections set to "world". Gets massively choppy outdoors, but changing the texture quality to medium and model quality to medium (or low?) results in pretty amazing performance in DX8.1. CS:Source -> at least 30 fps in DX8.1, medium texture quality on de_dust2. Haven't tried other maps, but most are more demanding and would probably results in lower fps. Changing the resolution to 1024x768 results in silky smooth performance at max detail. On the OSX side, Call of Duty 2 plays extremely smoothly for me at mid-high settings at native resolution.

That's all for now.

 

[Farani]

Hah, given the Macbook performance (or lack thereof) of games using the now-dated Quake IV engine, I'd be surprised beyond all reason if UT3 managed to run at above 5fps anyway.

Anyone think Gears of War will run on a SR Macbook using Bootcamp?

 

[TSE]

MacBook, GMA 950, 512 MB RAM, EverQuest: Mac Edition runs fine.

MacBook, GMA X3100, 2 GBs RAM, EverQuest: Mac Edition runs AWESOME.

Anyone know if I can play the very old and outdated computer game, Age of Empires 2 over Windows Vista on VMWare Fusion with a new MacBook with the specs below?

 

[spriter]

Anyone think Gears of War will run on a SR Macbook using Bootcamp?

I think Gears running anything near smoothly on a maxed out MacBook is wildly optimistic, although I haven't tried. Expansive outdoor areas have time and again been the achilles heel of which, Gears has many.

The last game I tried was BF2142 and it couldn't even draw the world properly (no objects, vehicles, etc) due to the shaders. I'd love to be proved wrong, though

 

[Stridder44]

MacBook, GMA 950, 512 MB RAM, EverQuest: Mac Edition runs fine.

MacBook, GMA X3100, 2 GBs RAM, EverQuest: Mac Edition runs AWESOME.

Anyone know if I can play the very old and outdated computer game, Age of Empires 2 over Windows Vista on VMWare Fusion with a new MacBook with the specs below?

Define "awesome". Medium settings does not = "awesome" (not saying it can't run it High settings, just want details instead of opinions).