Bootcamp, Crossover, other considerations for MacBook Games

[Buschmaster]

Hi guys,
I'm going to be formatting my Windows side either way I think, and right now it has XP but I also own Vista, so I could install that as well. Here are the games I'll mostly be playing:
-Command and Conquer (All the way from Red Alert 2 to CNC 3)
-Counter-Strike (Condition Zero and Source if possible)
-Day of Defeat (Original from CS Mod)

And I have a white MacBook with the following:
2.16 Core 2 Duo
GMA 940
2GB RAM

Now, I have Crossover, Crossover Games, and XP and Vista all as possibilities and I want to know if anyone has any ideas for what I should use on this MacBook for those games. Settings will probably be all the way down, I just want to play them.

This summer I'll be getting the new white MacBook through the school (No choice on aluminum) and then the following summer probably a really nice iMac but I'd like to be able to play these games before then

Thanks for any help

 

[LtRammstein]

Bootcamp it!

The main reason is there's a lot of overhead (and I mean... A LOT) with Crossover. What Crossover does is emulate the Window's environment and architecture.

Don't use a Virtual Machine (Parallels or VMWare). That will cut all of your resources in half, and it will make it impossible to play games.

If you Bootcamp it, you will get all the resources to use for playing games. And we all know the higher the FPS the better the win.

 

[Buschmaster]

Would you suggest just reinstalling XP or going the Vista route with my particular machine?

 

[Stridder44]

Would you suggest just reinstalling XP or going the Vista route with my particular machine?

Boot Camp for gaming. No question there.

As far as Vista, what version do you have? Home Premium? 32-bit? 64-bit? I'd say give Vista a shot. Can't remember how much RAM your machine can take, but if it can take 4GB, definitely upgrade to that. 4GB of RAM is dirt cheap and well worth it.

 

[Buschmaster]

Boot Camp for gaming. No question there.

As far as Vista, what version do you have? Home Premium? 32-bit? 64-bit? I'd say give Vista a shot. Can't remember how much RAM your machine can take, but if it can take 4GB, definitely upgrade to that. 4GB of RAM is dirt cheap and well worth it.

I would, but I'm a part of a laptop program at our school, so it wouldn't really be worth it and I'm not sure they want us to do that. However, my next machine will have 4GB.

I think I'm going to try XP again just because I'm much more familiar with it and in my experiences Vista hasn't seemed real... Efficient?

 

[Stridder44]

I would, but I'm a part of a laptop program at our school, so it wouldn't really be worth it and I'm not sure they want us to do that. However, my next machine will have 4GB.

I think I'm going to try XP again just because I'm much more familiar with it and in my experiences Vista hasn't seemed real... Efficient?

Ah, then yeah stick with XP for now. Windows 7 is slated to be released soon anyway, and whether you're running XP or Vista, it is worth upgrading to.

 

[SHADO]

Yea at this point I would just stick with XP (that's what I'm doing until Windows 7 comes out because Vista has so many annoying bugs). It's perfectly adequate for the games you are playing. But don't expect incredible graphics from a GMA950 lol. Boot Camp with XP. Go for it.