RMBP Mid '15 & Intel Iris Pro Graphics - Basic Gaming?

[VNJ85]

How's gaming on the new RMBP 15‑inch with just the Intel Iris Pro Graphics?

I'm not talking about hardcore gaming with ultra settings turned on. Just some casual play on some of the recent games that have come out in the last few years.

Can these RMBP's handle basic or casual gaming?

I'm currently using an old 2010 17" MBP. I mostly do non-graphic intensive tasks, however, I enjoy playing games once in a while and was wondering if the RMBP 15" could handle it.

My concern is that the Intel Iris Pro Graphics is an integrated card and may not work well for this sort of thing.

I'm hoping someone with more expertise and experience can talk to this issue and provide some guidance.

 

[leman]

Here is Iris Pro running GTA V: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vbqya6ZWFg

It will do perfectly fine unless you expect unreasonable stuff from it.You will run any modern game at lower settings and low resolutions (but still reasonable for a 15" screen).

 

[dusk007]

Compared to your 2010 17" Iris Pro is a mighty GPU. The 330M is really weak in comparison.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Compared to your 2010 17" Iris Pro is a mighty GPU. The 330M is really weak in comparison.

This....

If it'll play on your current set up the IRIS pro will blow it out of the water.

 

[Ovedius]

What do you define as "recent" games?
I mean, how recent is "recent", last year, last five years?
And what sort of recent games, Pillars of Eternity or Witcher 3?

Games like Pillars of Eternity and Wasteland 2 will probably run fine on the IGPU
Witcher 2-3 will hardly run at all


Personally:
I don't think I would be satisfied with the IGPU for gaming.

I probably spend about 4-8 hours a week playing computer games.
-quite a lot more on my 3DS.
But I really can't stand anything less than medium graphics and 30 frames per second.

 

[Ovedius]

This....

If it'll play on your current set up the IRIS pro will blow it out of the water.

Definitely!

 

[VNJ85]

What do you define as "recent" games?
I mean, how recent is "recent", last year, last five years?
And what sort of recent games, Pillars of Eternity or Witcher 3?...

...Personally:
I don't think I would be satisfied with the IGPU for gaming.

I probably spend about 4-8 hours a week playing computer games.
-quite a lot more on my 3DS.
But I really can't stand anything less than medium graphics and 30 frames per second.

@Ovedius, you have a very good point about what is "recent" in my opinion. Additionally, you're right, IGPU is no good for someone gaming 4-8 hours a week and wants a good experience.

I play, maybe, 1-3 hours a week... often going weeks without playing. However, I too, can't stand anything less than medium graphics and 30+fps as a minimum.

Someone sent me this link to help me understand the power of the Intel Iris Pro: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Iris-Pro-Graphics-5200.90965.0.html

In short, don't expect to play top notch quality games... go buy yourself a gaming rig for that. However, you can absolutely play most older games at a decent quality/fps.

I'm still wondering if Day-Z would work... I suspect it might. Either way, the IGPU should suffice for my casual play experience that I am looking for.

 

[dusk007]

And now compare it to the 330M
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-330M.22437.0.html

If you can get any use out of a 330M you should be fine with a GPU that is more than 4 times faster.

 

[loon3y]

can't match my gaming rig, but I'm happy with playing BF4 on it

 

[NateEssex]

And now compare it to the 330M
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-330M.22437.0.html

If you can get any use out of a 330M you should be fine with a GPU that is more than 4 times faster.

How would the Iris Pro compare with a 650M? Any first-hand experience?

 

[TechZeke]

How would the Iris Pro compare with a 650M? Any first-hand experience?

I had a 650M cMBP before I got an Iris Pro rMBP.

The 650M was faster but not by as much as the dGPU apologists make it out to be. As long as you aren't trying to run the Witcher 3 or Crysis, the Iris Pro is enough. Source engine games, Killing Floor, Civilization V, Borderlands, MOBAs, Torchlight II, Diablo 3, etc will run fine on an Iris Pro. It will definitely struggle on newer demanding games though. Haven't tested the windows version, but it definitely struggled on Cities Skylines Mac version, even on lowest settings.

If you want to play BF4, The Witcher 3, etc and new demanding games in the future, the dGPU is recommended.

 

[john0011]

Like so many have already said, it depends on what you think is basic gaming. Diablo 3 plays just fine on my 2015 12" MacBook and @ native 1440p res, but I wouldn't recommend it

That game will run great on the iris, let alone the iris pro.

Further, World of Warcraft played just fine on my 2010 11" MBA, but you're not doing any massive raids or anything. Solo questing, craft gathering on this old MBA np. Get the idea? iGPUs have come a LONG way, but they are not perfect/reliable if you're doing any "serious" gaming.