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I feel like a made a HUGE mistake with purchase... (didnt upgrade the video card)

Z

zarley

macrumors member
Original poster
May 14, 2008
55
0
San Diego, CA
I got the iMAc 24", 2.8Ghz but didnt upgrade the video card to Nvidia 8800...Am I screwed as far as gaming? I like Wow, EVE, some EA sports golf games...

I just bought it this week...can I return it and upgrade it without the restocking fee??
 
zarley said:
I got the iMAc 24", 2.8Ghz but didnt upgrade the video card to Nvidia 8800...Am I screwed as far as gaming? I like Wow, EVE, some EA sports golf games...

I just bought it this week...can I return it and upgrade it without the restocking fee??
Click to expand...

Ask Apple if you want--sometimes they can bend rules. But don't hold your breath. Instead, find a resolution and detail setting that works well on the machine you DO have, enjoy the money saved, and have fun :)

Plenty of games (WoW being one I'm sure of) can run on less GPU power than you have. Sure, if you had the higher card you could run higher quality levels--and for some games you might even notice. And games will come along that you can't run at all, someday. But those things will always come true no matter what you buy.

There's something to be said for buying lower-end and replacing more often. Total lifetime computing cost can be the same, and at some points in the cycle you'll end up with MORE power.
 
Restocking fee? It depends on the store, but unfortunately like nagromme said don't hold your breath.

As far as everything else it really depends on how you use your mac and how deep your wallet is. If you are not a hard core gamer (its how you spend all your free time) or don't need to play the latest high end 3D shooter (like crysis) or play at the highest settings you are probably ok.

If you tend to replace your computers pretty quickly because you can afford to, then within 2 years the next iMac will have a more powerful GPU. If you hold onto your computers for 4-5 years and see yourself continuing to game then you want to have the best GPU that you can afford especially since you can't upgrade the iMac's GPU. The 2600 is a decent low end GPU, the 8800 is significantly better. I know some people who only play Indy games and the 2600 is more than enough for them.

Again it all depends on what your needs are and what you can afford. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck! :)
 
They might let go of the re-stoking free if you tell them you want to return it because you wanted to buy a better video card. It equals more money to them so I don't see why they wouldn't. In any case, it doesn't hurt to ask.
 
And just because the other card is better, doesn't mean the current card won't ALSO play certain games you desire (like WoW) and play them very well. For example, is 80 fps vs. 40 fps vital for your gaming habits, when many games are capped at 30 and look fine? For me that kind of difference would be nice, but not vital. A bigger hard disk, 30" screen, quad processors or 8GB RAM would be "better" too, but if what you have does what you need... then it does what you need.

I would guess (no Mac tests are out yet) that Unreal Engine 3 games like Gears of War would be the most likely to rely on the higher card. Current games may need to be set to less detail, but should still play just fine when you've figured out what settings affect spedd the most. And they can still look good too, just not AS good. (Depending what PC you're coming from, EITHER card may feel like an upgrade in speed and quality.)
 
If I were you, I'd go to the store or call Apple and say that you were told the machine came with the 8800GTS. I'll be you can get them to swap it out for the difference in cost.
 
Take a look at barefeats to get an idea of what kind of graphics performance you will get with a 2600 versus an 8800. They have listed a much newer game like ET: Quake Wars. Also notice that at this time the 2600 does better in core image pro apps.

http://barefeats.com/imp01.html
 
Usually managers will be lenient and waive the restocking fee if you let them know that you intend to use the money to buy something else that is more expensive in their store. They gain a satisfied customer for only minimal loss (being forced to sell the machine as refurbished), compared to someone who is returning the machine to spend the money somewhere else.
 
I purchased a MacBook for the wife and found out they had just released the Santa Rosa version of the MacBook. It has only been about a week. Apple was willing to make the exchange for a $100 restocking fee, which I felt was worth it.
 
Give it a shot. I just returned a 2.5Ghz/5400RPM MBP to upgrade to the 2.6Ghz/7200RPM and they waived the fee for me. Never hurts to try. Just be nice when you do it, and don't be pushy (just optimistically persistent) :)
 
Upgrade Complete

Went to the apple store and they let me upgrade the iMac so now I have, on order, the iMac 24", 2.8GHz with Nvidia 8800 card :)

They were VERY nice...
 
Great news! Congrats man.

Let us know when you get it how well it plays your games.:)
 
yes, congratulations.

now you won't have to spend the rest of your life brooding over the horrible mistake you made with the iMac... the mistake that almost RUINED YOUR LIFE


almost....
 
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