StarCraft II.

[TheEvilZeppelin]

I just recently received my new Mac Pro just yesterday and I installed Starcraft II and it recommended the graphic settings to be set at medium...

I don't understand how this could be because I upgraded from a 27" iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, ATI RADEON HD 4670 and 4GB RAM.

The Pro has a 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, ATI Radeon HD 5870 and 3GB RAM.

the iMac could do higher settings?

Any ideas?

 

[haiggy]

I just recently received my new Mac Pro just yesterday and I installed Starcraft II and it recommended the graphic settings to be set at medium...

I don't understand how this could be because I upgraded from a 27" iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, ATI RADEON HD 4670 and 4GB RAM.

The Pro has a 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, ATI Radeon HD 5870 and 3GB RAM.

the iMac could do higher settings?

Any ideas?

Just 'cause it is recommended by the game doesn't mean you will get worse performance than your iMac.

Try playing on a higher setting anyways and seeing how it does. I have a 460 GTX 1GB overclocked a little bit in Windows 7 and it says my recommended graphics setting is Medium. I can play Ultra with 80 fps etc

 

[TheEvilZeppelin]

Just 'cause it is recommended by the game doesn't mean you will get worse performance than your iMac.

Try playing on a higher setting anyways and seeing how it does. I have a 460 GTX 1GB overclocked a little bit in Windows 7 and it says my recommended graphics setting is Medium. I can play Ultra with 80 fps etc

I've been told to use Bootcamp but I don't really want to take that route yet... I've also thought about upgrading the RAM but from what I've read there is issues with the Mac version...

 

[elmateo487]

You should be able to play higher than that. I can play Ultra on a radeon 4890, then next best radeon card compared to yours, and get around 30-50 frames a second. Not the best so i usually drop some settings. This is through bootcamp.

Edit: Oh and I have a Mac Pro 1,1 with 12gb ram

 

[TheEvilZeppelin]

You should be able to play higher than that. I can play Ultra on a radeon 4890, then next best radeon card compared to yours, and get around 30-50 frames a second. Not the best so i usually drop some settings. This is through bootcamp.

Edit: Oh and I have a Mac Pro 1,1 with 12gb ram

How do I go about Bootcamp?

 

[aki]

Just to add:

Bootcamp/Windows performance in SC2 is better; but not by a spectacular amount (after the most recent Graphics Update from Apple). I myself wouldn't bother setting up Bootcamp just to install SC2 on it. (Well actually, maybe I would, but because of the mouse acceleration issue not the graphics performance - another story).

As regards the SC2 assessment of appropriate graphics settings - it's a rough guess, you don't have to follow the advice. With your configuration you should be fine running High or more at native resolution. Play with it and see what you like.

Final note, I suggest if you haven't already you should enable v-sync under Options. This will prevent your FPS from blowing out.

Enjoy!

 

[elmateo487]

agreed,

but once you have bootcamp installed... Your gaming opportunity and ability opens up significantly.

 

[anriqueroy]

I play the MacBook Pro and I have to play half-year, while I play lots of multilayer game. But i think mac is not the best for games. Ideally you need a team that revolves around the graphics card and, of course, an operating system for gaming.

 

[JollyRogers]

Not sure what the above poster is saying...

Anyways Evil, I am on an 08 Mac Pro w/ 8G and an ATI4870. The game runs very well in max settings for me. I see no need to install windows (though I do have a win7 setup) to play SCII. Sure it may play just a little better (probably not noticeable) and will open up other games, but between this and Dragon Ages and w/ Diablo III coming... I don't ever boot windows anymore.

 

[milbournosphere]

I have the same box but with the 5770. Yes, it recommended the medium settings, but the game runs like a breeze on ultra, both in os x and bootcamp. I wouldn't sweat it. Just go change your settings

 

[0009382]

I just recently received my new Mac Pro just yesterday and I installed Starcraft II and it recommended the graphic settings to be set at medium...

I don't understand how this could be because I upgraded from a 27" iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, ATI RADEON HD 4670 and 4GB RAM.

The Pro has a 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, ATI Radeon HD 5870 and 3GB RAM.

the iMac could do higher settings?

Any ideas?

You can easily run at ultra settings. Just max everything out and if you don't like the speed the game runs take one or two of them down.

 

[capple]

recommended settings by these games never are accurate and often quite wrong( like in your case). Your Mac pro should easily be able to handle ultra.

I still think any game including SC2 run a lot faster on windows but if I had mac pro with 5870, I wouldnt bother installing windows just to see SC2 run better. Rather, the real problem is the OSX mouse acceleration. Makes it nearly impossible to play the game at a 'competitivel' level. OSX cursor handling is fit for image editing and such, not games that require fast reacting abilities.

 

[Mackilroy]

Rather, the real problem is the OSX mouse acceleration. Makes it nearly impossible to play the game at a 'competitivel' level. OSX cursor handling is fit for image editing and such, not games that require fast reacting abilities.

If you can't react quickly that's your fault, not OS X's. I play games under both Windows and OS X and have absolutely no problems with the mouse acceleration under either operating system.

 

[Ihaveissues]

OS 10.6.4 had graphical problems. Most of which have been addressed in the :The Snow Leopard Graphics Update. Go to the support site : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4286, it mentions problems it had with SC2.

I personally saw an increase in performance after the update. Make sure you have the graphics update installed. Also, some specific settings increase performance significantly , i believe shaders is one of them. So set to ultra, and lower specific stuff and check how its running.

I've been playing around for graphical settings also for sc2... but to be honest the game is addictive and immersive enough that i forget that the settings aren't maxed out, not worth running in bootcamp . Although i have issues... this is a not a concern when im trying to save my drones from a zealot rush a few minutes into the game lol.

 

[turpentine22]

I would really love it if someone could enlighten me on this one: I noticed a lot of people are comparing how SC2 runs on OSX vs Win7. This means you need to install both the mac and pc versions of the game. Did all of you buy both versions? Or is it that if you buy one version through Steam, you can also download the other one for free later on? Sorry for what may seem like a silly question, but I've never used Steam.

Thanks

Just to add:

Bootcamp/Windows performance in SC2 is better; but not by a spectacular amount (after the most recent Graphics Update from Apple). I myself wouldn't bother setting up Bootcamp just to install SC2 on it. (Well actually, maybe I would, but because of the mouse acceleration issue not the graphics performance - another story).

As regards the SC2 assessment of appropriate graphics settings - it's a rough guess, you don't have to follow the advice. With your configuration you should be fine running High or more at native resolution. Play with it and see what you like.

Final note, I suggest if you haven't already you should enable v-sync under Options. This will prevent your FPS from blowing out.

Enjoy!

 

[turpentine22]

I would really love it if someone could enlighten me on this one: I noticed a lot of people are comparing how SC2 runs on OSX vs Win7. This means you need to install both the mac and pc versions of the game. Did all of you buy both versions? Or is it that if you buy one version through Steam, you can also download the other one for free later on? Sorry for what may seem like a silly question, but I've never used Steam.

Thanks

Just realized SC2 is not on Steam, so I'm even more confused...

 

[Ihaveissues]

If you buy the game you have access to download starcraft 2 as many times as you want.. and for both platforms if you please from the battle net account.

 

[milbournosphere]

If you buy the game you have access to download starcraft 2 as many times as you want.. and for both platforms if you please from the battle net account.

Also, the disk comes with both versions of the game on it. Blizzard is really cool that way. You can actually download the clients for all of their classic games (starcraft, warcraft, etc.) as well if you have your original key.

 

[capple]

If you can't react quickly that's your fault, not OS X's. I play games under both Windows and OS X and have absolutely no problems with the mouse acceleration under either operating system.

Claim that you have 'absolutely no problem' does not explain anything. Mouse handling of the two operating system is noticeably different. I dont know whether you are just insensitive or somehow you are a special person who can do equally well under two different settings. But either way, mouse acceralation of osx is a well known issue when it comes to competitive gaming and I think you are just ignorant to react as if I am making this up.

 

[Mackilroy]

Claim that you have 'absolutely no problem' does not explain anything. Mouse handling of the two operating system is noticeably different. I dont know whether you are just insensitive or somehow you are a special person who can do equally well under two different settings. But either way, mouse acceralation of osx is a well known issue when it comes to competitive gaming and I think you are just ignorant to react as if I am making this up.

Of course it's different, and I never said you were making it up. I said it didn't affect me.

Your statement reminds me of people who go from console to PC (or the other way around) and complain about the controls. Perhaps it's because I played games under OS X first before Windows that I have no trouble with either.

 

[fcpeditor113]

I'm using a Mid-2010 MacBook Pro 15inch i7 and I can run Starcraft II in it at max setting with no problem at all. It gets to about 160F and thats about it. It runs smooth for me.