Mac Mini Gaming?

[Gryfon19]

Hello, I am planning to purchase a Mac in order to replace a home built Windows based PC. I am by no means a heavy gamer, but would to still be able to play a couple of not especially graphics intensive games such as Counter Strike: Source and Guild Wars. If I were to add 1 GB of RAM to the 1.66 GHz Mac Mini would the games play smoothly?

Also, would I need to purchase Parallels and/or Boot Camp (w/ Windows) or something I read about before called Crossover?

Thanks for the help!

 

[gillilandboy]

Hello, I am planning to purchase a Mac in order to replace a home built Windows based PC. I am by no means a heavy gamer, but would to still be able to play a couple of not especially graphics intensive games such as Counter Strike: Source and Guild Wars. If I were to add 1 GB of RAM to the 1.66 GHz Mac Mini would the games play smoothly?

Also, would I need to purchase Parallels and/or Boot Camp (w/ Windows) or something I read about before called Crossover?

Thanks for the help!

You would not be able to do Counter Strike: Source. You do not have enough power a 1.66 GHz it no where never enough when I had a PC I had an HP with 2.3 GHz and it was very choppy.

If your going to want to run windows and your on a mac mini. You should go with bootcamp because it is not a ram hog. Parallels is I would not run Parallels unless you have 2 gigs of RAM




If you do now know what Paralles and bootcamp is....

Paralles - Allows you to run windows inside os x
Bootcamp - You have to reboot your Mac then choose to boot in to windows. Making your computer a windows box.




Let me know if I can help you out anymore.

 

[Gryfon19]

Have you tried playing CS:S on a Mac Mini, or any Macs? It seems that with the Core Duo, and based on some threads I have read, that it might work. I'm hoping to hear from someone who might have done this. Anyone?

Also, I agree that BootCamp looks like the way to go as it will allow me to play games in Windows. Parallels doesn't support 3D, which pretty much limits me to just about nothing Thanks!

 

[gillilandboy]

Have you tried playing CS:S on a Mac Mini, or any Macs? It seems that with the Core Duo, and based on some threads I have read, that it might work. I'm hoping to hear from someone who might have done this. Anyone?

Also, I agree that BootCamp looks like the way to go as it will allow me to play games in Windows. Parallels doesn't support 3D, which pretty much limits me to just about nothing Thanks!

I have never played cs:s on a mac. So maybe some will post that has.



Parallels can do 3d gfx they just came out with a new verson of parallels thats does 3d but I would still do bootcamp.

 

[Umbongo]

Guild Wars apparently is playable, CS:S not so much. You might want to ask or search for reviews of these games on macbooks also, the difference in processor speeds between a mini and any macbook shouldn't make much difference to those experiences.

 

[X1Lightning]

i play Warcraft III on my mini and it runs great, with all the video options cranked

 

[iW00t]

Yeap! Warcraft III is very playable.

The Mini is such a great gaming machine.

I expect it to handle Starcraft just as well really, and most likely Starcraft II due out next year.

 

[Genghis Khan]

i play w3 on my macbook...and the only times it lags is in my custom 3c map where each side has 1000 food worth of units at the end