Unofficial Gaming MacBook Thread: Post Results Here

[bobber205]

Since I know I have gotten tired of looking for gaming results on the macbook, I've decided it would be appropriate to collect one thread to host them all.

Here's how it should be done. (MacBooks Only!!)

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First in bold, type the name of your game.
Second, post your macbook specs (RAM & Processor)
Thirdy, post your framerates. Just general ones.
Lastly, post any comments about performance you might have.
[EDIT] Please post whether your game was on XP (native only) or Mac OS X.

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This should help prospective macbook buyers. And for owners that are waiting to find out a certain game will perform before buying (like me).

Thanks for your participation.

 

[spriter]

Counter-Strike: Source XP / Boot Camp
- MacBook 2GHz, 2GB RAM
- ~10-15fps with low settings (de_dust map)
- Choppy and practically unplayable. Worse when you let off a smoke grenade or run around a corner to a large area.

Battlefield 2 XP / Boot Camp
- MacBook 2GHz, 2GB RAM
- 0 (see below)
- Installed and patched to 1.3 but when I ran it, it shows splash screen and then flickers to desktop. Didn't run at all.

Call of Duty 2 OSX / Universal Binary
- MacBook 2GHz, 2GB RAM
- 30fps+ on auto settings (640 res for me)
- Game detects best settings but if you up the res and detail it inevitably gets choppy and jumpy, especially in large and/or smoke filled areas. Leaving on default settings gets you a perfectly playable game and looks fine since the MacBook screen isn't massive.

Football Manager 2006 OSX / Rosetta
- MacBook 2GHz, 2GB RAM
- Framerate not an issue as it's mostly text on still images
- Runs fine and better than my old iBook G4 1.2GHz. It's more a CPU and RAM hog than anything to do with the GPU. Expect FM2007 (UB) to run really well on the Dual Core without Rosetta.


Others have reported CS Source and BF2 running OK so I will try again at the weekend. I don't know why BF2 didn't even load up as I installed all the Boot Camp drivers and XP reported I had a 128MB GPU.

 

[bobber205]

WoW tests would be a very good thing to have on this thread.

 

[Mackilroy]

None of the games I have right now are particularly processor- or ram-intensive, and two of them aren't even out of beta yet, but I'll go rustle up some other games and see what I find (as well as post stats for the games I already have if people want).

 

[Cantab]

yellow, how much memory does your x1600 have?

 

[Roads0]

Is this thread for Macbooks, Macbooks Pros, or both. Just wondering cause I thought it was just Macbooks and I was trying to figure out how Yellow has that graphics card...

 

[bobber205]

This topic is for MacBooks ONLY!

The video cards in the Pro model don't cause nearly the same amount of worry.

 

[patseguin]

WoW tests would be a very good thing to have on this thread.

I have a 2GHz Core Duo, 1GB RAM, 80GB 7200 rpm hard drive. I installed WoW shortly after getting it and ran around IronForge a bit and ran suprising well. However, none of the shader effects are enabled. I ran it last night and updated to 1.11 and logged onto a character who was in Moonbrook and performance was AWFUL. I was getting 6-7fps with no people around and only a mob or 2. I'm going to install XP and re-test and see what the deal is.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

-Halo - OS X (Rosetta)
-MacBook 1.83 - 2GB
-average 10.16 fsp in Time Demo mode
-i ran the Time Demo, which gave me a more detailed view on what was happening. Im pretty sure it gets higher than 10 fps during gameplay, except for when there are heaps of enemys. It's gonna be much better when the UB comes out, or if you played it on XP.

haha... I grammer the bad... lol ah well, im tired.

 

[patseguin]

I have a 2GHz Core Duo, 1GB RAM, 80GB 7200 rpm hard drive. I installed WoW shortly after getting it and ran around IronForge a bit and ran suprising well. However, none of the shader effects are enabled. I ran it last night and updated to 1.11 and logged onto a character who was in Moonbrook and performance was AWFUL. I was getting 6-7fps with no people around and only a mob or 2. I'm going to install XP and re-test and see what the deal is.

Update on my observation. I read that Apple is re-releasing the 10.4.7 update for Intel because some crucial files for OpenGL performance were not included. This certainly sounds like the reason form y single-digit performance numbers. More to come as soon as they release that...

 

[bobber205]

I have one results to add to the list:

World of Warcraft
Macbook 1.83
512 RAM
Notes: Runs very well. At least for me. Outdoor areas are smooth, more than enough to play and enjoy. I notice a increase in framerate if I set my macbook batter to "Better Performace". Indoor areas runs VERY smooth, silky smooth. With 2 gigs of RAM, I suspect this will become more common.

 

[eXan]

Call of Duty 2 OSX / Universal Binary
- MacBook 2GHz, 2GB RAM
- 30fps+ on auto settings (640 res for me)
- Game detects best settings but if you up the res and detail it inevitably gets choppy and jumpy, especially in large and/or smoke filled areas. Leaving on default settings gets you a perfectly playable game and looks fine since the MacBook screen isn't massive

I still cannot understand why COD2 runs so well on any machine other than mine?!

I get 35-60 fps indoors (closed corridors etc), average of 20-25 outdoors (no people in sight), 12-18 - medium fights and 5-8 huge fights (Normandy landing mission, Hill 400, etc)

Am I missing something?

Oh, BTW, I run this game at the following settings:

1440x900
Textures at Extra
Rendering Mode - Normal
Triliniar filtering
Number of bodies - Small
16:10 (obviously)

Note that this game runs at the same if not better frame rate on my iMac at the above listed setting than on those automatically set by the game (800x600, everything on low).

 

[risc]

I still cannot understand why COD2 runs so well on any machine other than mine?! :confused

The machine you quoted above yours is running it at 640x480.

 

[eXan]

The machine you quoted above yours is running it at 640x480.

As I said in my post, there's NO difference in frame rates if I set to lowest or highest graphics settings. Well except of course the Render Quality option

 

[supremedesigner]

Here are the games that I was wondering if you tried testing with:

PC Sim City 4, PC Half Life and PC Halo. Thanks!

 

[faintember]

WoW
2GHz Macbook, 2MB Ram, 100GB 7200 Hitachi HD, OS 10.4.7
Min FPS 4/Max FPS 40/Average FPS 17-19FPS

WoW runs great, depending on where you are (i am not talking about open areas vs. the mailbox at IF). For instance, in ZF, the hallways drop my FPS to 4-5. In Gadgetztan, just in town, i get around 10FPS. I didnt have these problems until my character was high enough level to go to Gadgetztan and ZF (which also happened around the time the 1.11 patch went live). BTW, all my video settings are set to the lowest, running WoW fullscreen, with nothing else running in the background in OSX.

So pre Gadgetztan average FPS 22-25, average FPS in Gadgetztan, ZF, Mara 17-19. Using the stock UI, or using the Insonmiax compilation makes no difference in FPS.

 

[mattcube64]

Call of Duty 2 DEMO / Mac OSX
White Macbook, 2GHz, 512MB RAM
FPS: 5-25 ish

I have COD2 on my Xbox 360, and so I know how this game CAN look and play. I was expecting the demo for Mac to be like utter crap. When you first get in the game, it is really choppy for about 3 seconds, with sound cutting in and out, and a few graphical hiccups. However, once you're moving around and whatnot, the game runs rather smooth. The demo is very action packed, and I know the full game doesn't throw much more on the screen. With my stock 512MB of Ram, I'm sure there is room for improvement. Also, it would probably run even better on Windoze. HOWEVER, if all the settings are low, and the res is low (automatic settings), the game is quite playable. And I'm used to the X360 version!

 

[King Wali]

I have the highest upgraded MacBook, and yet when I try to run CS:S in BootCamp, I can see the loading thing, and then it goes straight to a black screen. (?!) Help!!

 

[bobber205]

I'm glad to hear WoW will run better once I get more RAM....

 

[pourkay20]

Macbook CS 1.6

How would halo run on macbook

 

[pourkay20]

Macbook CS 1.6

Macbook 1.83Ghz 512mb 60 gig hd

how would cs 1.6 run on macbook. fps?

 

[Scarlet Fever]

How would halo run on macbook

see my above post, #9

 

[pourkay20]

Cs

installed windows xp... steam is uploaded and i let cs download... it wont run every time and when it does it doesnt respond...

help plz
thx

 

[WannabeMacUser]

I would like to see the 'Guild Wars: Factions' Framerates on a macbook.

 

[mpacsam]

the games which i try tried on my macbook 2ghz 1gb ram on windows:
Civilization3:worked gr8
AOE3:worked good
WOW: worked gr8
Spell force 2: didnt work
Halo:worked good
Titan quest:didnt work