A 21.5" model that I got about a year an a half ago...
It has 4 GB of memory but only 256 MB of ATI graphics, I'm afraid.
It has 4 GB of memory but only 256 MB of ATI graphics, I'm afraid.
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Is my iMac good for any gaming...?
- Thread starter ivanhoe888
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I've got the same model; Valve games seem to work great, as I've had Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source running at 60FPS at full settings, and TF2 and Portal 2 running at medium-high settings at around 30FPS-40FPS.
I wouldn't try running games like BF3 and Crysis on it, but it does fine for the games mentioned above and most of the App Store games.
I wouldn't try running games like BF3 and Crysis on it, but it does fine for the games mentioned above and most of the App Store games.
So let me get this straight : A machine that's about two and a half years younger than my iMac (early 2008 2.8Ghz core2duo, 4Gb RAM, ATI Radeon 2600HD PRo w/256Mb) is not better for gaming ?
Ouch !
I guess I'd better think twice before I buy a new iMac then...
I can understand that the 256Mb of video ram doesn't do the TS' machine any favors, but the video card just HAS to be quite a bit more powerful than mine, and seeing that the 21.5 inch iMac's run at the same resolution as the old 24-inchers...
4000 series AMD card so you should be able to run most games out now just not at the highest settings. The 2006 comment is way off
Edwin
I've got a 3.06 i3 as well, it plays Starcraft 2 in Lion at 1920x1080 just fine, I've even played a bit of Crysis on it. The i3 is actually a very fast chip for gaming, and while the CPU is fairly wimpy it will play most anything if you dial down the effects a bit. Yeah, my Pro with the 5770 stomps it, but there's plenty of very playable games for it.
And yes, the 4670 is WAY more powerful than the 2600. The new machines with the 6770 are significantly better than the 4670. The new 6970 machines will whip my Pro. Nothing wrong with a new iMac.
And yes, the 4670 is WAY more powerful than the 2600. The new machines with the 6770 are significantly better than the 4670. The new 6970 machines will whip my Pro. Nothing wrong with a new iMac.
Thanks, guys...
I doubt I'll be trying heavy hitters BF3 or Crysis. Also, medium level of detail is fine with me.
I assume you're all playing on Boot Camp? can anyone refer me to a detailed guide on how to do it?
Thanks
I doubt I'll be trying heavy hitters BF3 or Crysis. Also, medium level of detail is fine with me.
I assume you're all playing on Boot Camp? can anyone refer me to a detailed guide on how to do it?
Thanks
I have basically the same iMac; I bought it with the higher-end graphics. I just upgraded the RAM to 8GB in order to help with Final Cut.
My sons play StarCraft 2 (on Boot Camp with Windows 7) and WoW (on Mac). There's some other game they play too, but I don't recall what it is. Most of the games they play are on PS/3, DS, or Wii.
Depending on the game, there is often a Mac version, especially if it's from Steam (I think I only have Civ V and Portal from Steam).
Information on Boot Camp can be found on Apple's site, or most other Mac related sites.
Update: I just realized all my Macs listed below have been updated to 8GB, except the older 24", which can only be upgraded to 6GB (and might cause a slowdown due to mismatched memory)?
I really consider 8GB the minimum.
My sons play StarCraft 2 (on Boot Camp with Windows 7) and WoW (on Mac). There's some other game they play too, but I don't recall what it is. Most of the games they play are on PS/3, DS, or Wii.
Depending on the game, there is often a Mac version, especially if it's from Steam (I think I only have Civ V and Portal from Steam).
Information on Boot Camp can be found on Apple's site, or most other Mac related sites.
Update: I just realized all my Macs listed below have been updated to 8GB, except the older 24", which can only be upgraded to 6GB (and might cause a slowdown due to mismatched memory)?
I really consider 8GB the minimum.
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8Gb the minimum for gaming ? You must be joking.
Btw, you forgot 2Gb of video RAM, 10Tb HD for all those save games and 30" display at the very least (you don't want to be staring at a tiny screen, do you now...)
Somebody in Youtube demonstrated that you could play Crysis on MacBook Air 11.6" at lower setting. It looks playable. Surely you could play these games with higher setting on 3Ghz iMac.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbdVLofFahQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mMP3Cm7k8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GesDd7VpHfw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbdVLofFahQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mMP3Cm7k8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GesDd7VpHfw
I recommend 8GB as the recommended minimum for using a Mac to my friends and family, RAM is so cheap and it makes a huge difference. Everything from games to having loads of tabs open it is amazing how many times your RAM usage is well over 4GB.
As you can get 8GB for under $40 why not upgrade?
4GB is acceptable but 2GB is plain silly once you open 2 tabs in Lion your Mac slows to a crawl (even if your Mac is a MacPro).
Edwin