Gaming performance; 21.5" vs 27"

[winclip]

Based on the standard configurations, how will the 21.5" with the Radeon 5670 perform vs the 27" imac with Radeon 5750?

Sure, the 27" has a better graphics chipset, however it has more than 35% more pixels to run.

Games that will be played are Starcraft2 and Fallout 3. If i buy a 27" one, I do sure want to play stuff at the resolution it's designed for.

So, whats best?

 

[blomma]

I have a 27" i7 with the 5850, i overclocked the card to 750/1075 and i'm running starcraft 2 on ultra settings at native res without a hint of lag in windows. Haven't had a chance to try it in osx yet tho.

Fallout 3 i haven' tried. But i've played fallen earth in native res with all settings cranked to max and it's running as smooth as silk.

If you want to game, i would go for the 5850 (or as apple calls it 7550), the gfx card is the thing that will hold you back when you game, not the cpu at these speeds.

 

[winclip]

I have a 27" i7 with the 5850, i overclocked the card to 750/1075 and i'm running starcraft 2 on ultra settings at native res without a hint of lag in windows. Haven't had a chance to try it in osx yet tho.

Fallout 3 i haven' tried. But i've played fallen earth in native res with all settings cranked to max and it's running as smooth as silk.

If you want to game, i would go for the 5850 (or as apple calls it 7550), the gfx card is the thing that will hold you back when you game, not the cpu at these speeds.

Thanks for your reply. Smooth as silk sounds good, but can you translate it to FPS-wise? Tend that I don't need to play the game in Ultra, will it go ever better?

Also, if I play Starcraft 2 and Fallout 3, or some other games, at 1920x1080, will it look like "crap"?

Would be highly appreciated if you could come back with some number crunches.

Regards,
Andy
Sweden

 

[diegobgr]

I think that the problem of the 27" is the screen size, and the space in your desk.

If you have the space, then go for 27".But if you are too close, go for 21,5". It run games very well, according to Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MisekqMerEw That is Mafia 2 on old 21,5" iMac, with 4670 and Core 2 Duo, maxed out at Full HD.

http://mattgadient.com/2010/08/01/imac-21-5-i3-3-2ghz-with-the-radeon-5670-mid-2010-in-gaming/ Here, you have numbers for Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2...both are fully playable maxed out at Full HD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm8NnCzj9aA And this is Fallout 3 on 2 GB and 8800GS iMac, played maxed out and native res.

 

[TMRaven]

Do not think for a second that 2560x1440 resolution plays any major role in hindering gaming performance vs the 21.5 inch iMac. The mobility 5850 model (5750) is considerably better than mobility 5730 model (5670)

 

[blomma]

Thanks for your reply. Smooth as silk sounds good, but can you translate it to FPS-wise? Tend that I don't need to play the game in Ultra, will it go ever better?

Also, if I play Starcraft 2 and Fallout 3, or some other games, at 1920x1080, will it look like "crap"?

Would be highly appreciated if you could come back with some number crunches.

Regards,
Andy
Sweden

Rightio, did some number crunching with my trusty cup of tea.
Latest ATI Mobility drivers, 10.7 if im not mistaken.
OC 750/1075

windows - sc2
2560x1440 ultra settings, fps: 55-60 altho i have my fps capped at 60, gpu temp: ~71c
1920x1080 ultra settings, fps: 60+, it looked a little bit less sharp, but not to the point of annoyance, gpu temp: ~71c

windows - fallen earth
2560x1440 max settings, fps: 38-40, gpu temp: ~75c

*edit* Fans are not noticeable, which makes me guess you can crank them up a bit to get even lower temps if the need should arise.