Should Intel HD 3000 users upgrade from 10.6.8?

[DudeMartin]

Hello. While I was installing Diablo 3, I was looking up how the Intel HD 3000 graphics card (I have a 2011 13" MacBook Pro) performs. After a couple forum threads on the Blizzard website, I have found that some people recommend to upgrade to Lion if using the HD 3000 because of "bugs with the graphics drivers."

If I want to maximize my performance, should I upgrade from Snow Leopard (10.6.8) to Lion? Is it agreed that 10.6.8 has graphic driver bugs?

Thanks!

 

[larkost]

I think it is safe to say that every graphics driver has bugs (in all cases, on all platforms/OSs). It is possible that any particular program could work better under 10.6.x than 10.7.x. But you have two things working against this assumption:

a) Apple has undoutably fixed problems in the drivers since 10.6.x. That is not to say that they have fixed ones relevant to this game, or that they have decidly improved the driver for all cases (or this one), and that they have not introduced new problems (that are relevant in your case). But in general the quality improves.

b) We are talking about a brand new game, so the majority of the Mac testing was probably on the most recent version of MacOS. I would have expected them to test on some variety, but the biggest group (if I were running the testing) would be on the latest.

 

[DudeMartin]

Do you think that the difference in performance would be worth the upgrade?

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

If I want to maximize my performance, should I upgrade from Snow Leopard (10.6.8) to Lion?

Short answer: WTF? No.
Long answer:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=14905416#post14905416

 

[maflynn]

Do you think that the difference in performance would be worth the upgrade?

For 30 bucks, I see no reason not to upgrade. Be sure to back up your machine first (always a good idea). Right now apple is actively updating Lion where as Snow Leopard has not gotten any bug fixes so by being the current OS you receive those bug fixes which may help with the performance.