Source Games on MacBook Pro

[yehgermeister]

I recently purchased a Macbook Pro with the new Penryn chips. it's the low end model (2.4 ghz, 2gb ram, 256 mb 8600gt, 200 gb 7200 rpm hd). I installed Boot Camp to play CS: Source, DOD: Source, and Team Fortress 2. I get very respectable framerates. My CS: Source Video Stress Test results were 116.13 fps (1440x900, Everything on High, no HDR, No Antialising, Filtering mode - billinear, Vertical sync - disabled. All three games have same settings). However, when playing a live game, it dips a lot to low 20s and 30s. sometimes my fps dips to as low as 14 fps. And my fps in DOD:Source isn't that high, in fact, they're lower than TF2's, which is odd.That is what irritates me.

Who else has a MBP, and what settings are you using? Which nVidia driver is recommended? Any other tips? I'd like to have consistent framerates.

btw, would upgrading my RAM to 4gb help?

 

[chiefroastbeef]

I have the exact same configuration as you on my one month old MBP.

However, I use Codeweaver's crossover program, and I play CS source with it. Most of the times it works, but other times, the game will freeze up right after the server is loaded and I can see the map on my screen. Do you get that with windows in bootcamp?

I'm also thinking about upgrading my ram is for the heck of it, $74 bucks shipped at newegg isn't bag at all.

 

[alphaod]

My CS:S test is 58 FPS running at 1920x1200 with AA @ 4x and Ani @ 8x

And no RAM doesn't help; Steam uses like 1GB of RAM max.

 

[brian doherty]

I'm running the older x1600 MPB. I noticed that my performance in TF2 is also better than CSS or DOD.

Have you tried downloading the new DOD Source Beta they just put out? It updates Source engine to the Orange Box version. I'm wondering if the Orange Box engine is just more optimized than the older versions that CSS and DOD currently run on (though is doesn't sound likely).