I have been reading about the new iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro and the Pro looks incredible! Has anyone gotten one? If so the which one? Does it play games great(FPS on high settings etc.)?
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So, is the new Mac Pro great for gaming?
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you know the specs now research them online......
i dont know why people post questions on forums that are readily found by using google
i dont know why people post questions on forums that are readily found by using google
If you're getting a Mac Pro just for gaming, you are making a BAD choice. You can build your own Mac Pro for a fraction of the price. However, if you're just planning on gaming on the side, while using the MP for work, the Mac Pro is a great option, and will play most games on high.
Obviously yes. On high a vast majority
Not to sound flamer or anything, but Google is your friend.
If you don't know why then google it and find out. Here's an idea... Why don't we have the administrators ban anyone from asking a question since anything that can be asked can be googled.
Good idea!... Let's close all the Foruns immediately !...
Then, you tell me how Google can find the Q&A...
Now, to answer the question (partially).
The MacBook Pro (I have one, 15.4", customized with the 2.93GHz processor, 4 GB RAM and 7,200 RPM Hard disk) can indeed play games in a good manner.
To know if the game you are interested in will run well, just investigate if a NVidia 9600 will run it. Even if it says that you need a 9700 minimum, chances are that the 512 nMB GDDR3 version will still run it well (read more).
Some games say they won't run on a 9600, but you can consider this one almost like a 9700, because it is the Mobile one (bad) but the GT version (good) with 256 (bad) or 512 MB (good) of GDDR3 memory, shared with the main DDR3 memory that runs at 1,066 MHz (good!).
For gaming, go for the versions with 512 Mb GDDR3, of course. The less sharing with the main memory, the better you are.
I use mine to game and work. It's shared 50/50 between Mac OSX and Windows Vista Home Premium using boot camp. I play most games in Windows. It holds very well - for example, I get a very high setting in Far Cry 2.
Hope this is all you wanted to know.
The MacBook Pro (I have one, 15.4", customized with the 2.93GHz processor, 4 GB RAM and 7,200 RPM Hard disk) can indeed play games in a good manner.
To know if the game you are interested in will run well, just investigate if a NVidia 9600 will run it. Even if it says that you need a 9700 minimum, chances are that the 512 nMB GDDR3 version will still run it well (read more).
Some games say they won't run on a 9600, but you can consider this one almost like a 9700, because it is the Mobile one (bad) but the GT version (good) with 256 (bad) or 512 MB (good) of GDDR3 memory, shared with the main DDR3 memory that runs at 1,066 MHz (good!).
For gaming, go for the versions with 512 Mb GDDR3, of course. The less sharing with the main memory, the better you are.
I use mine to game and work. It's shared 50/50 between Mac OSX and Windows Vista Home Premium using boot camp. I play most games in Windows. It holds very well - for example, I get a very high setting in Far Cry 2.
Hope this is all you wanted to know.
You mean a great over priced gaming machine.. YOu can build a gaming computer at a fraction of the cost. If it is only for gaming there really is no need for a macpro...
There is no need for many things in life. The usual speed limit in the states is 65 MPH but people buy cars that can do twice that speed. Rather then telling the person that he doesn't need a new Mac Pro for gaming, maybe you should let him do what he wants with HIS MONEY and answer his question instead (would the Mac Pro be a good gaming machine).
That's how the world got where it is financially. There are people who know what to do with your money better than you do. It's on the individual to humble themselves and ask others what would be the best way to manage their funds, just as the OP has done.
And to that, OP, if you're only going to be gaming, build a Core i7 rig.
the mac pro with 4870 will perform great for games. Equipped with 120 or 130, performance will be average at best. the only thing hindering the mac pro from being a quality gaming rig is the gpu... that 120 and 130 will create a huge bottleneck for the standard mac pro cpu and memory.
now if apple and ati would step up their game... they'd know that offering 4870 x2 would be the best setup for hardcore gaming enthusiasts and would be taking a quite a stab at the pc gaming market.
now if apple and ati would step up their game... they'd know that offering 4870 x2 would be the best setup for hardcore gaming enthusiasts and would be taking a quite a stab at the pc gaming market.
As far as the Mac Pro is concerned, and wether it is a good choice for gaming...
It is true that it is expensive. But not overpriced. You will buy a Mac Pro to play games, if you like the Mac OS more than anything else, but you want expandability on hardware. I don't see why he shouldn't buy a Mac Pro since he wants a Mac and wants to play games.
It is true that it is expensive. But not overpriced. You will buy a Mac Pro to play games, if you like the Mac OS more than anything else, but you want expandability on hardware. I don't see why he shouldn't buy a Mac Pro since he wants a Mac and wants to play games.
Good idea!... Let's close all the Foruns immediately !...
Then, you tell me how Google can find the Q&A...
Whenever I google something and I get a link to a forum (and not a parked domain with a bunch of links to nowhere) the answer I am looking for usually isn't on the page that I click to and is sometimes buried in a 30 page thread. Maybe we can have the administrators keep the threads from going over 2 pages. yeah let's do that.
Maccy Pro
To the OP
Sounds like you're new to the Mac world - if so, welcome
As for whether the Mac Pro makes a great gaming machine? I'd say yes, as long as you upgrade the graphics card from the bog standard one. And in four or five years time, you'll still have a very good gaming machine, as well as a (more than) half decent computer to boot.
Steer clear of the iMac and Mac Mini, and all the portables if you require a decent future proof gaming machine.
Good luck in your choice
To the OP
Sounds like you're new to the Mac world - if so, welcome
As for whether the Mac Pro makes a great gaming machine? I'd say yes, as long as you upgrade the graphics card from the bog standard one. And in four or five years time, you'll still have a very good gaming machine, as well as a (more than) half decent computer to boot.
Steer clear of the iMac and Mac Mini, and all the portables if you require a decent future proof gaming machine.
Good luck in your choice
If its just for gaming, its a silly choice.
It will run games immense.
I would not bother buying if its just for gaming. If its you main computer and your using it for everything else as well then by all means go for it
It will run games immense.
I would not bother buying if its just for gaming. If its you main computer and your using it for everything else as well then by all means go for it
Simple.
Is the new Mac Pro good at gaming? If you get the ATI 4870, yes.
Is it a good idea to get a Mac Pro if you're ONLY going to be gaming on it? No.
You can build a PC just for gaming for much less than the cost of a Mac Pro, plus get better performance and the opportunity to actually upgrade the video card in the future if you want to keep current. Since you're going to be playing games in Windows anyway, no sense in getting a Mac.
On the other hand, if you want to use the Mac for other things AND gaming, then it might be a good buy.
Is the new Mac Pro good at gaming? If you get the ATI 4870, yes.
Is it a good idea to get a Mac Pro if you're ONLY going to be gaming on it? No.
You can build a PC just for gaming for much less than the cost of a Mac Pro, plus get better performance and the opportunity to actually upgrade the video card in the future if you want to keep current. Since you're going to be playing games in Windows anyway, no sense in getting a Mac.
On the other hand, if you want to use the Mac for other things AND gaming, then it might be a good buy.
I think it's a perfectly valid question. You could google it but you'd only be brought to a forum like this with the disadvantage that
A) The information would most likely be out of date (written before the latest Mac Pro release).
B) The op couldn't tailor the question to his exact situation (ok, he didn't but he has the opportunely to do so later).
I would echo the sentiments of the previous poster – if you want to game and work in on the same machine – in this machine you may have found a great solution. If you only want to game – save your self a lot of money a build a custom gaming PC.
Refurbished i7 XPS Studio is only US$759.00 and a better card is a drop in away.
Buying a Mac -- or a PC -- for gaming has become a waste of money. You are -always- better off with a console (Xbox 360 and/or PS3) for gaming, because you NEVER have to worry about the specs or if the next great FPS will run on it: They always will.
Apple's hardware is not very upgradeable and especially in the graphics department, it is always behind. It's nice that you can add tons of RAM, CPU power and hard disks to your Mac Pro, but you will never be able to use the newest generation of graphics cards. And for hard core gamers, that effectively ends the discussion.
The next killer argument for the consoles and against PCs/Macs for gaming is DRM. The only copy protection consoles use is verifying the original disc. On Windows, in most cases some horrible DRM driver will be installed, and those drivers come with many unwanted side-effects for the user. Sometimes, they prevent other games or software from being installed. In other cases, they work like trojan horses (remember Sony?). And in other cases, they could not be properly uninstalled without killing the operating system. Then those drivers and their activation mechanisms usually do not allow you to sell the game when you no longer want it. (And I might add that re-selling a game or software in general is perfectly legal in most countries on this planet.)
You won't have any of these problems with a console.
Winni, you're right.
A console for gaming + a PC (of any sort, maybe a portable is better for this) for all other activies.
Games for consoles are more expensive - but hey, its a no-brainer to use them!
As for the PC, I still recommend the MacBook Pro to anyone buying a Mac.
All the desktop Macs are very good (EXCEPT in the graphics department) but... why stay attached to a desk when you can have the power of a PC anywhere?...
The iMac with the 24" display (can it have an ATI 4870?) would work... and it is very sexy.
The MacBook Pro is just a box, like any PC box, worth whatever you put inside for graphics. ATI 4870 is OK, but I point out that I went back to Nvidia for gaming - I gave my 4870 to my son- that board is decent for gaming, but really what it is best suited for is BD/DVD play, where it is really good. Viewing movies is what ATI does best.
But, going back to the Mac Pro: Why a bulky box, fantastic for work (can even be a very competent Server), able to add tonloads of RAM and disk, the best processors and so on... and then only offer 2 graphics card options?...
If it is for gaming... well, Mac games are not so many and they are quite reasonable in hardware demands.
An then... there is the price... ouch!... (Oh, I almost forgot, this is Apple World, where money is in abundant supply!... )
A console for gaming + a PC (of any sort, maybe a portable is better for this) for all other activies.
Games for consoles are more expensive - but hey, its a no-brainer to use them!
As for the PC, I still recommend the MacBook Pro to anyone buying a Mac.
All the desktop Macs are very good (EXCEPT in the graphics department) but... why stay attached to a desk when you can have the power of a PC anywhere?...
The iMac with the 24" display (can it have an ATI 4870?) would work... and it is very sexy.
The MacBook Pro is just a box, like any PC box, worth whatever you put inside for graphics. ATI 4870 is OK, but I point out that I went back to Nvidia for gaming - I gave my 4870 to my son- that board is decent for gaming, but really what it is best suited for is BD/DVD play, where it is really good. Viewing movies is what ATI does best.
But, going back to the Mac Pro: Why a bulky box, fantastic for work (can even be a very competent Server), able to add tonloads of RAM and disk, the best processors and so on... and then only offer 2 graphics card options?...
If it is for gaming... well, Mac games are not so many and they are quite reasonable in hardware demands.
An then... there is the price... ouch!... (Oh, I almost forgot, this is Apple World, where money is in abundant supply!...
)