New useful thread for riMac

[forg0t]

Since all other threads are filled with everyone crapping on Apple's gpu choice, and just tons of meaningless benchmarks here is one that will hopefully pick up and be much more useful.

To start, I've seen many people request GPU-Z stats of the 295, so here you go. The sensors are at while the Mac is at rest.

Currently I'm downloading Payday 2 to run, but if you guys have any request on the Windows side let me know. I am running Windows off of an external thunderbolt HDD, but it's running smoothly. Once I send in and get my replacement drive from the failed Patriot SSD I have I will be recloning Windows onto the SSD.


Games | Resolution + Settings | FPS

Payday 2 | 4k, maxed out | 35-50 fps, never spiked
L4D2 | 4k, maxed out | 70-120 fps

 

[Mydrivec]

Open Question

I posted elsewhere and got nothing....

I'm replacing my late 2007 24" Imac (256mb vcard) with the new 5K Imac. It is on order now. I upgraded the processor and the vcard.

I'm a geek but I've never particularly become adapt at trying to understand much beyond framerate and lag.
Thoughts on where I'll find the best gaming experience?

Typically any game I can run on my existing mac runs better using windows in bootcamp. Will this still hold true?

Oh, and is there a game out today that the 5K will NOT play well at all?

 

[forg0t]

I posted elsewhere and got nothing....

I'm replacing my late 2007 24" Imac (256mb vcard) with the new 5K Imac. It is on order now. I upgraded the processor and the vcard.

I'm a geek but I've never particularly become adapt at trying to understand much beyond framerate and lag.
Thoughts on where I'll find the best gaming experience?

Typically any game I can run on my existing mac runs better using windows in bootcamp. Will this still hold true?

Oh, and is there a game out today that the 5K will NOT play well at all?

Honestly, the new iMac is well worth the upgrade for you since you've held out for 7 years.

As for gaming, the best experience will be on Bootcamp, the drivers are just better. Now I'm not entirely sure what the case will be with this new card since, so far, it's an OS X exclusive. There are windows drivers but only through Bootcamp. I'm not sure if it indicates anything or not but I'm just putting that out there.

If you do insist on gaming on OS X, stick to Valve and Blizzard. From past experiences, they're the only two who can give nearly an identical gaming experience. Still, Windows does do better but the gap is narrowing.

I can't think of any game that you absolutely wouldn't be able to run, but I doubt most games can be played on ultra in something past 2k resolution. Any game in particular you want me to try?

 

[forg0t]

Just ran Payday 2 in 4k, 16x AA, everything on max. The FPS never dipped under 35 but averaged around 40 with no spiking. GPU did get quite warm, 106 degrees C @ 100% load.




So, 4k didn't look blurry exactly. The game looked great, better than on my previous R9 290 in my desktop. But the HUD text did look slightly pixelated. Nothing too bad, and the HUD can be turned off in Payday so there's always that.

 

[w00tini]

the new riMac is a very capable gaming rig. I have no desire for a PC, so the choice was easy.

as you said, synthetic benchmarks do not necessarily represent real world gameplay ability.

 

[Mydrivec]

Honestly, the new iMac is well worth the upgrade for you since you've held out for 7 years.

As for gaming, the best experience will be on Bootcamp, the drivers are just better. Now I'm not entirely sure what the case will be with this new card since, so far, it's an OS X exclusive. There are windows drivers but only through Bootcamp. I'm not sure if it indicates anything or not but I'm just putting that out there.

If you do insist on gaming on OS X, stick to Valve and Blizzard. From past experiences, they're the only two who can give nearly an identical gaming experience. Still, Windows does do better but the gap is narrowing.

I can't think of any game that you absolutely wouldn't be able to run, but I doubt most games can be played on ultra in something past 2k resolution. Any game in particular you want me to try?

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm really looking forward to the new machine. I still prefer a desk and have a nice one so I enjoy the whole experience.

I rarely game on OSX unless it is some minor game...think FTL for example.

I can't think of any game I'd ask for you to try...I used to play a lot of TF2 but over the last 6 months especially, my stats declined fast. I checked my framerate last night and found 15-18 consistantly with a cut scene at 70. I had a friend confirm that he returned to his former TF2 glory with his new windows machine. My only guess is that the game has gotten more graphic intense over the years. I recall getting 30-45 frame rates when it came out and shortly after.

 

[netkas]

Could you press that small black-green button right of "BIOS Version" in gpu-z and upload result?
Doubt it will have what I want, but trying wont hurt.

 

[forg0t]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm really looking forward to the new machine. I still prefer a desk and have a nice one so I enjoy the whole experience.

I rarely game on OSX unless it is some minor game...think FTL for example.

I can't think of any game I'd ask for you to try...I used to play a lot of TF2 but over the last 6 months especially, my stats declined fast. I checked my framerate last night and found 15-18 consistantly with a cut scene at 70. I had a friend confirm that he returned to his former TF2 glory with his new windows machine. My only guess is that the game has gotten more graphic intense over the years. I recall getting 30-45 frame rates when it came out and shortly after.

Actually the game doesn't get more graphic intensive. If you look at CS:GO it runs just like source did but looks a ton better. They use the same engine in all their games so everything runs equally well. I do have TF2 installed on the Mac side but I haven't ran it yet.




@netkas, I'll upload it when I get home from work but it won't be for another 9 hours.

 

[netkas]

And quick thing in osx please, in terminal.app, paste it there, press return and copy here the result

ioreg -x -l -w0 -p IODeviceTree | grep -4 fv-main-address

 

[pasadena]

And quick thing in osx please, in terminal.app, paste it there, press return and copy here the result

ioreg -l -w0 -p IODeviceTree | grep -4 fv-main-address

Not sure what that tells you but since OP is away from his machine, here's mine :

| "vendor" = <"Apple Inc.">
| "fv-main-size" = 1703936
| "release-date" = <"09/29/2014">
| "rom-size" = 8388608
| "fv-main-address" = 18446744073702801408
| "apple-rom-info" = <4170706c6520524f4d2056657273696f6e0a202042494f532049443a202020202020494d3135310a20204275696c742062793a2020202020726f6f74407361756d6f6e0a2020446174653a2020202020202020204d6f6e205365702032392031393a32393a30382050445420323031340a20205265766973696f6e3a20202020203230372e302e307e312028422649290a20204275696c64636176652049443a203931350a2020524f4d2056657273696f6e3a2020303230375f4230300a2020436f6d70696c65723a20202020204170706c6520636c616e672076657273696f6e20332e302028746167732f4170706c652f636c616e672d3231312e31302e312920286261736564206f6e204c4c564d20332e3073766e290a00>
| "version" = <"IM151.88Z.0207.B00.1409291931">
| }

 

[netkas]

Not sure what that tells you but since OP is away from his machine, here's mine :

| "vendor" = <"Apple Inc.">
| "fv-main-size" = 1703936
| "release-date" = <"09/29/2014">
| "rom-size" = 8388608
| "fv-main-address" = 18446744073702801408
| "apple-rom-info" = <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>
| "version" = <"IM151.88Z.0207.B00.1409291931">
| }

Thanks a lot, now I know firmware load address, and can create firmware dumper, could you please join us here? https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=20259106#post20259106

 

[forg0t]

Could you press that small black-green button right of "BIOS Version" in gpu-z and upload result?
Doubt it will have what I want, but trying wont hurt.

It says "BIOS reading not supported on this device."

Sorry, anything else I could help with?

 

[forg0t]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm really looking forward to the new machine. I still prefer a desk and have a nice one so I enjoy the whole experience.

I rarely game on OSX unless it is some minor game...think FTL for example.

I can't think of any game I'd ask for you to try...I used to play a lot of TF2 but over the last 6 months especially, my stats declined fast. I checked my framerate last night and found 15-18 consistantly with a cut scene at 70. I had a friend confirm that he returned to his former TF2 glory with his new windows machine. My only guess is that the game has gotten more graphic intense over the years. I recall getting 30-45 frame rates when it came out and shortly after.

TF2 on 3200x1800 at max settings runs at 60-100 fps nicely on OS X.

 

[Mydrivec]

TF2 on 3200x1800 at max settings runs at 60-100 fps nicely on OS X.

ha!! I can hardly wait! Thanks again!