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SmokeyRobinson

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 11, 2010
108
0
How will the new 13" MBP handle things like Dead Space 2, Civ 5, etc in Windows? I have an Envy 14 right now that handles games great with the 1GB ATI 5650, but I am debating making the switch for what I consider nicer hardware (Besides the weak screen on the 13" MBP as I have the 1600x900 400nit Radiance screen Envy)

I am a Windows user and generally prefer it to OS X besides the benefits of OS X power management on the go and the sub par Windows trackpad experience.

So can anyone shed some light on the screen and the gaming situation?
 
I wouldn't expect too much from the 13" IGP HD 3000. Upgrading to the 15" with the 6750M would produce better performance, but probably not as good as you currently have.
 
Do not give up your Envy 14" - especially if you own the radiance screen.

The 15" w/1gb is no joke - consider that before ever, ever considering the 13" - especially if you are a windows gamer; as intel integrated drivers in the past have not been good in windows.
 
I'd stick with the envy, its better then the 13in and base 15in GPU. Unles syou want to spend money on the 15in with the better GPU.
 
Also, the power management isn't any better on OS X... your envy just has much, much, more powerful hardware. It'll naturally drain the battery faster.
 
Thanks for the comments. I think I'll stick with the envy for now. Its a beautiful machine, but it has its issues. I have to send it in for a fan repair which will take a while which pissed me off and made me consider the switch. I guess what I really wanted to gain in the switch was a nicer track pad which isn't heaps better if I were to run windows anyways.

I think I'll sick with the envy and watch the windows pc world for a while and hope synaptics gets its stuff together and puts out the decent trackpad.

15 is out of the question because of the size and price to performance versus my current machine
 
I already made some experiences with the new MPB 13" i5. WC3 is perfectly smooth, even sc2 on mid settings is fine!
I'm no big gamer but this is absolutely sufficient for me. The only thing I would blame is that my notebook sounds like a vacuum, when i'm playing sc2 !!!
 
Thanks for the comments. I think I'll stick with the envy for now. Its a beautiful machine, but it has its issues. I have to send it in for a fan repair which will take a while which pissed me off and made me consider the switch. I guess what I really wanted to gain in the switch was a nicer track pad which isn't heaps better if I were to run windows anyways.

I think I'll sick with the envy and watch the windows pc world for a while and hope synaptics gets its stuff together and puts out the decent trackpad.

15 is out of the question because of the size and price to performance versus my current machine

Don't sweat the repairs, my 13" has gone through 2 fans. It just happens, manufacturing process isn't perfect for any company.

I already made some experiences with the new MPB 13" i5. WC3 is perfectly smooth, even sc2 on mid settings is fine!
I'm no big gamer but this is absolutely sufficient for me. The only thing I would blame is that my notebook sounds like a vacuum, when i'm playing sc2 !!!

WC3, lol. I think my microwave can probably play that game smoothly.
 
Sounds like you've already decided but I think I may have some insight for you. While waiting for my hp envy 15: last gen, 1080p screen, a REAL i7, 5830, WITHOUT A LIT KEYBOARD ARE YOU KIDDING to get back from hp for repairs I decided to pick up the new 13mbp to try out the os, first time mac buyer. I've played dead space, as well as many other games, on my envy and it ran very well on, almost, MAX settings. The 13mbp is NOT for gaming AT ALL; you will not be satisfied coming from your envy 14. Unless you're okay with running on extremely low settings and still only getting ~30fps on newer games. I use to have a custom built pc and anything below 40fps, at any time during gameplay, is just not acceptable IMO.

HOWEVER

My envy battery life is like 1.5hrs while the mbp is about 5 hrs, with NORMAL use. I've been able to pull 6.5hrs but that was with abnormal usage to maximize battery life. And I do like the mbp design better. It feels more solid and, in my case, quiet a bit smaller. Also under non-intensive usage the mbp stays cool and is very quite. After 3hrs of use the base of the laptop gets warm, but this is not a biggie even though I generally have it sitting on my lap. My envy gets *&@*^&$# HOT; like dont let the children near for sake of possible burns. It's also so loud, if gaming, that, when I using team speak/skype, I need to use headphones with a separate mic so we can hear each other. Also I do like the screen on the 13, while I'm not planning on watching hi-def movies or image editing on it, it's pleasant to use. It's also an led while the envy is lcd so its a little more vibrant IMO

In summation, the envy is a WICKED portable desktop while the MBP 13 is a sexy LAPTOP. In terms of OS its just a trade off there are pros and cons to both IMO; it just depends on what you'll be doing.


I'll be selling the HP (in its defense its partially because I want to avoid spending time gaming)
 
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can you give me simple word
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:):):)

Wut?
 
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