So for SnGs I decided to see how far I could push my i5 last night. I'm not a programmer or anything, but I figure I may represent the average user or at least something close to it. Here's what I did:
1. I ripped an 8 GB DVD and let the computer begin to encode/compress it for burning onto a blank DVD;
2. I deleted my faces files from the iPhoto library (never really worked right anyway) and reopened the program so it would begin to rebuild the faces cache;
3. I opened Safari and went to a flash-intensive site;
4. I opened Google Earth, and started running the flight simulator over Africa;
5. I opened iTunes and synced my iPod while looking through the iTunes Store;
6. I opened the DVD player and began watching a movie in a reduced window;
7. I opened Picasa and let it do whatever the hell it does (what the hell is it doing all the time flipping through my photos?
);
8. I opened a document in Word, and Excel;
9. I started a time machine backup;
Then I checked the Activity Monitor and saw that I STILL had not used up the CPU or memory ("only" 4 GB). SO...
10. I booted up COD MW1 and started running through the game. The game ran beautifully as if nothing was going on in the background.


I didn't know how to check the frame rates or activity monitor while in COD, but the fact that I could still play this game was proof-positive enough for me that the i5 iMac is one tough beast and plenty suited for my needs. At least for the things I threw at it.
Anyone else put their i5 (or i7) up to a similar challenge?
1. I ripped an 8 GB DVD and let the computer begin to encode/compress it for burning onto a blank DVD;
2. I deleted my faces files from the iPhoto library (never really worked right anyway) and reopened the program so it would begin to rebuild the faces cache;
3. I opened Safari and went to a flash-intensive site;
4. I opened Google Earth, and started running the flight simulator over Africa;
5. I opened iTunes and synced my iPod while looking through the iTunes Store;
6. I opened the DVD player and began watching a movie in a reduced window;
7. I opened Picasa and let it do whatever the hell it does (what the hell is it doing all the time flipping through my photos?
8. I opened a document in Word, and Excel;
9. I started a time machine backup;
Then I checked the Activity Monitor and saw that I STILL had not used up the CPU or memory ("only" 4 GB). SO...
10. I booted up COD MW1 and started running through the game. The game ran beautifully as if nothing was going on in the background.
I didn't know how to check the frame rates or activity monitor while in COD, but the fact that I could still play this game was proof-positive enough for me that the i5 iMac is one tough beast and plenty suited for my needs. At least for the things I threw at it.
Anyone else put their i5 (or i7) up to a similar challenge?