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Best iMac Build for Gaming

D

davebot

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 5, 2011
5
0
Hello,
First time poster. Interested in getting my first iMac, the only thing nagging me is the ability of the iMac to play games.

If you were buying a new iMac right now..... what config would you get to make it good for gaming?

Budget around $2000-2200.

Any advice would be great!
 
Um i7 with the 2gb upgraded graphics card. I'm going to be getting the i7 for gaming and such but I'm going to pass on the upgraded card. I don't think it'll make much of any difference and I can't buy the 2gb chip in store.
 
treebark7182 said:
Um i7 with the 2gb upgraded graphics card. I'm going to be getting the i7 for gaming and such but I'm going to pass on the upgraded card. I don't think it'll make much of any difference and I can't buy the 2gb chip in store.
Click to expand...

I've heard the i5 might actually be better for gaming because it does not have Hyper Threading. Any truth to this?
 
To quote the esteemed Hellhammer from another thread:

Hellhammer said:
Hyper-Threading may even slow down some games so for gaming, just go with the i5.
Click to expand...

I am inclined to agree with him, although the difference may be negligible ( I'll be getting the i7 anyway). However I would also invest in the 2GB upgrade for the GPU as it should help out with the textures and such like filling that 27" screen and may be useful for future game releases. Also, it's not the most expensive upgrade cost and once you've committed to the 1GB you can't go back.
 
i'll be getting the 27 inch basemodel anytime soon now, i will test all sorts of games on it:

Left 4 Dead 2
Half-Life 2
Team Fortress 2
World of Warcraft

i will test them on OS X

sub my Youtube channel if you wanna watch em :)

www.youtube.com/MikeyZeov
 
spcdust said:
To quote the esteemed Hellhammer from another thread:



I am inclined to agree with him, although the difference may be negligible ( I'll be getting the i7 anyway). However I would also invest in the 2GB upgrade for the GPU as it should help out with the textures and such like filling that 27" screen and may be useful for future game releases. Also, it's not the most expensive upgrade cost and once you've committed to the 1GB you can't go back.
Click to expand...

I know. I can't order online as I simply live far too close to NH to justify it. It would make it a pretty expensive upgrade. The graphics card is a beast either way.
 
davebot said:
I've heard the i5 might actually be better for gaming because it does not have Hyper Threading. Any truth to this?
Click to expand...

There's all sorts of debate about that. From what I can see its really negligible either way. The higher clock would def compensate and would still out perform the i5 I think
 
The i7 does perform better in games. Just google an old 2600k i7 review and it'll compare the i5. The i7 is a lot better.
 
t2.png


http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-975-950_7.html#sect0

The clock speed benefit in i7 might eat up the difference but in any case, the i7 is not worth it if gaming is the only CPU intensive task. If it will be used for things like video editing, rendering etc as well, then the i7 is definitely worth it.
 
Think you need to investigate some more. The i5 does better then the i7 many times.

So your info is wrong.

This was a answer to reclusive46, not hellhammer.

35041.png

35047.png


Even in wow the i5 does better. Event though its cpu intensive

35049.png

35050.png
 
treebark7182 said:
I know. I can't order online as I simply live far too close to NH to justify it. It would make it a pretty expensive upgrade. The graphics card is a beast either way.
Click to expand...

No kidding right...I moved from NH to Southern Maine last year and sales tax is just.........

This does indeed raise questions...I was going to go decked out BTO but it may make more sense to hit the Apple store in Salem.
 
So....
from what I am hearing... go with the i7 with the 2GB GPU for best gaming results?

This is what I thought from the beginning, but I just wanted to hear from the "experts."

Thanks!
 
davebot said:
So....
from what I am hearing... go with the i7 with the 2GB GPU for best gaming results?

This is what I thought from the beginning, but I just wanted to hear from the "experts."

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Like you can see above, the i5 actually beats the i7 in some games. While the i5 in iMac is slightly slower, there should not be any major difference. The i7 might give you an FPS more but it is not worth the 200$ price tag if gaming is your only heavy task.
 
davebot said:
So....
from what I am hearing... go with the i7 with the 2GB GPU for best gaming results?

This is what I thought from the beginning, but I just wanted to hear from the "experts."

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Thats the opposite, but suits yourself.
 
davebot said:
So....
from what I am hearing... go with the i7 with the 2GB GPU for best gaming results?

This is what I thought from the beginning, but I just wanted to hear from the "experts."

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I picked up the i5 and 1GB model yesterday.

My only CPU intensive task, generally, is gaming- so the i7 didn't make any sense. You're going to suffer a bit in the gaming department with that option.

The 2GB will be great for multiple displays, but that isn't a focus for me either. Nothing out there, gaming wise, is going to get much of an advantage out of an extra gig of VRAM. Save yourself a few hundred and get the base i5 + 6970 1GB.
 
henrikrox said:
Think you need to investigate some more. The i5 does better then the i7 many times.

So your info is wrong.

This was a answer to reclusive46, not hellhammer.

Image
Image

Even in wow the i5 does better. Event though its cpu intensive

Image
Image
Click to expand...

The 27 Inch has a 2400 i5 at 3.1GHZ not a 2500 at 3.3GHZ. The i7 at 3.4GHZ is 300MHZ better. That would close the gap easily.
 
Last edited:
henrikrox said:
Think you need to investigate some more. The i5 does better then the i7 many times.

So your info is wrong.

This was a answer to reclusive46, not hellhammer.

Image
Image

Even in wow the i5 does better. Event though its cpu intensive

Image
Image
Click to expand...

it beats it by like 1 fps and they're both clocked at 3.3ghz. the i5 is a 3.1 and the i7 is a 3.4. I think that the i7 will beat it at anything. the difference might not be huge but it'll def be better in the long run. We may see more and more things utilizing hyperthreading and for 200 bucks its a nice upgrade imho.
 
TheUndertow said:
No kidding right...I moved from NH to Southern Maine last year and sales tax is just.........

This does indeed raise questions...I was going to go decked out BTO but it may make more sense to hit the Apple store in Salem.
Click to expand...

ahhh just dont take mine!!!! I called yesterday and salem didnt have any but said they would be getting them soon, nashua has them but said hurry because they've gotten a lot of calls. I'm going to be up there this weekend anyway so I figure I'd give it a shot then.
 
Dute said:
I picked up the i5 and 1GB model yesterday.

My only CPU intensive task, generally, is gaming- so the i7 didn't make any sense. You're going to suffer a bit in the gaming department with that option.

The 2GB will be great for multiple displays, but that isn't a focus for me either. Nothing out there, gaming wise, is going to get much of an advantage out of an extra gig of VRAM. Save yourself a few hundred and get the base i5 + 6970 1GB.
Click to expand...

Such false information...
 
Zen0Jin said:
Such false information...
Click to expand...

Its not really, HT wont make a difference if you are just going to play games.

Also the 2GB isnt needed. Hell even the gtx 580 which is the fastest single gpu card uses 1535 mb or something.

the added vram wont help because of the core clocks of the thing.

sorry but thats a fact.
 
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