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here's a frankenpc

desktop-studio-xps-435.jpg


Pentium Core 2 Duo 2,93 GHz
24'' screen
1.5 TB Hard Disk Drive
12GB of RAM
ATI Radeon 4870
Blu-ray writer/reader + CD/DVD
The Studio XPS is a better deal in my eyes since you get i7. That's just me though.
 
Gaming rigs? They are in the eyes of the beholder.

I play games a lot, specifically WoW on a Mac Pro. My "Gaming PC" is an incredibly over specified Mac Pro which is also used for video streaming, editing, Photoshop work, jewelry design and other web duties. It doesn't need to do all these things at once all the time but it can if I happen to need to.
Such a machine is only set like that because I want it that way.
It wouldn't suit someone else if they want to use console games or play many Windows OS based games.
Some might want an easy to use simple format and inexpensive console to plug into a 50" Plasma screen in their living room, others want laptops with high spec GFX cards and 17" screens with wifi and mobility. These are all "gaming PCs" in their own way but will only suit the person who wants what they offer and can afford the price.
You might not need 2 quad core server chips and 16 gb of ram to allow video rendering in the background of your WoW raid.....
PS3s do email and web functions too now, some could use that and dispense with a "proper" computer all together.
You choose what you need and can't really judge other's choices by your own requirments and budgets. Enjoy your games. :)
 
here's a frankenpc

desktop-studio-xps-435.jpg


Pentium Core 2 Duo 2,93 GHz
24'' screen
1.5 TB Hard Disk Drive
12GB of RAM
ATI Radeon 4870
Blu-ray writer/reader + CD/DVD
That doesnt really define anything. What does the term "frankenPC" mean? That pic doesnt really explain anything...
Define "casual gamer".
I consider myself a casual gamer. I buy only a few games a year depending on what is available; i dont really play online at all because i dont enjoy how competitive it is; i keep my computer updated to whatever has the best price/performance ratio (ie im not looking to buy a 48xx any time soon; i have a 3870 that works great for me); i have a standard keyboard, mouse, and speaker setup, nothing outrageous, the longest i've ever played a single game was a 2 hour Little Big Planet session.
I would consider myself to be a pretty average casual gamer except that i know more about the software/hardware stuff than most others, but im not obsessive about it.
 
That doesnt really define anything. What does the term "frankenPC" mean? That pic doesnt really explain anything...

heya bro, well ever heard of a picture paints a thousand words? :D

I'm just curious, do I smell sacrcasm or stupidity? :)
 
imac, 2.93, 4gb @ 1066mhz, 4850 with 512mb
+
windows for more gaming options

i'm sorry but.... exactly what games can't this run? and run well?

and who in their right mind can say they wouldn't spend a bit more for the best of both worlds on a fast and attractive computer?

it eats cod, it poops on WoW and it laughs at things like C&C3 or AOE3. youtube shows us much less powerful imacs already run Crysis well.

the "hardcore" gaming bull$h%t can stay out cause this isn't about dudes who have liquid cooling pipes running from their three graphics cards to their quad in their massive box... all so they can spend days staring at frozen windows and searching for drivers and MAYBE EVENTUALLY run crysis and go wow i'm using AAx12
 
From what I've seen, the iMac is a very capable for casual gamers. I've seen the 4850 run Red Alert 3 at max perfect, Left 4 Dead on max perfect, Crysis at high very well, and Bioshock at high great. If you're getting an iMac, and you want to play games, $50 to upgrade is a no brainer. Plus, judging by the 4850's performance, it will also run the mac native Blizzard titles that are coming up.

RA3 running at max perfect? Can you define perfect? When I run it at max settings, the system bogs down and the men run in slow motion, and scrolling isn't nearly as smooth as "medium" settings. Is there something wrong with my 4850?

Is there a way to test my 4850 to make sure it's running alright?
 
I'm only going off of what I've seen on Youtube, and I've seen around half a dozen recent games running very well on the iMac. Are you running the mac version of RA3? The one I saw was in boot camp.
 
No way in hell it'll be a good idea for Apple to compete against PC in terms of power, but they have to be able to play popular games with reasonable to good (or great) performance.

Saying that, I never play games on my iMac, I use my 'work' PC (used for CAD most of the time) for gaming.

Saying that, I only use PC if I have to.
 
If mac wants a gaming pc will need this

- Gamepad with full support from developers (xbox 360 game pad exaple)
- API (Directx like)
- MID RANGE mac between iMac and Mac Pro
- Game Exclusives
 
Onlive is far from proven. It might work well in a demo, but how well is it going to work when there are 100,000 players chewing the hell out of that thing, dealing with Internet lag, server farm slowdowns, etc?

They claim they have well prepared for that. Should be nice to see. Still, I don't see why my game console that hooks up to a far bigger TV and works with any game that sports it's logo can't be good enough. I could rant on this but I'll leave it at my point that consoles are better all around than computers for gaming.
 
I'm only going off of what I've seen on Youtube, and I've seen around half a dozen recent games running very well on the iMac. Are you running the mac version of RA3? The one I saw was in boot camp.

I'm playing the MAC version. Are you suggesting that running RA3 through bootcamp on a MAC is more efficient than a MAC port?
 
here's a frankenpc

desktop-studio-xps-435.jpg


Pentium Core 2 Duo 2,93 GHz
24'' screen
1.5 TB Hard Disk Drive
12GB of RAM
ATI Radeon 4870
Blu-ray writer/reader + CD/DVD


Thats not a FrankenPC. A FrankenPC is one that you build completely yourself, meaning you choose ALL the components and piece it together yourself, often resulting in a hideous monstrosity.
I have one...:).
 
That doesnt really define anything. What does the term "frankenPC" mean? That pic doesnt really explain anything...

I consider myself a casual gamer. I buy only a few games a year depending on what is available; i dont really play online at all because i dont enjoy how competitive it is; i keep my computer updated to whatever has the best price/performance ratio (ie im not looking to buy a 48xx any time soon; i have a 3870 that works great for me); i have a standard keyboard, mouse, and speaker setup, nothing outrageous, the longest i've ever played a single game was a 2 hour Little Big Planet session.
I would consider myself to be a pretty average casual gamer except that i know more about the software/hardware stuff than most others, but im not obsessive about it.
Try Left 4 Dead online, it matches yo up with people of close skill. Its fantastic, very noncompetitive unless you REALLY suck.
 
They claim they have well prepared for that. Should be nice to see. Still, I don't see why my game console that hooks up to a far bigger TV and works with any game that sports it's logo can't be good enough. I could rant on this but I'll leave it at my point that consoles are better all around than computers for gaming.

Consoles are fine but really aren't good for some games. There are very poor choices for RTS for consoles and it's also very difficult for many old skool FPS guys (like me) to transition from a keyboard and mouse to the gamepad.

I have a PS3, Xbox 360 and a Wii. I still find that playing games like Fallout 3, Crysis, etc, are far more enjoyable on a computer than on a console.

I also agree with sgtbilko. The iMac with faster graphics is more than capable of running these games under Boot Camp and only the real serious gaming freaks will find the performance unacceptable.
 
I have a PS3, Xbox 360 and a Wii. I still find that playing games like Fallout 3, Crysis, etc, are far more enjoyable on a computer than on a console.
That is because PC's are able to be upgraded and the components, when investing a comparable amount to the consoles, are either in line or markedly better than consoles.
 
What? You are playing the Media Access Control version? C00l! Hax0r!

lol. I don't even know what that is but I get the joke you're playing.

I'm playing the RA3 port to OS X...haha is that better? I find it slows down quite a bit when I set the rez to 1600 x 1000 with settings on ultra or even high.

Example, game states it takes 10 secs to build a reactor...when I build it, it takes 15 seconds. Which to me, means it's running slow!
 
heya bro, well ever heard of a picture paints a thousand words? :D

I'm just curious, do I smell sacrcasm or stupidity? :)
I'm just going to assume that the term "frankenPC" is just another apple fanboy term for anything that doesnt have the apple logo stamped on the side. Since im not getting an actual answer and such...

They claim they have well prepared for that.
And i claim that i climbed mount everest this morning, but nobody believes me either....
Try Left 4 Dead online, it matches yo up with people of close skill. Its fantastic, very noncompetitive unless you REALLY suck.
L4D bored the crap outta me. Turn the corner, flood of zombies, turn the corner, flood of zombies... repeat 20 times and you are done. I was angry at Valve for making that mindless game instead of focusing on HL3 or something good.
I'ave actually been playing a bit of KZ2 online. Its class system keeps it very balanced and (unless its a clan match or you get on a team with a douche) it seems like everyone is just playing to have a good time. KZ2 is the only game i have ever played online more than just 2-3 times.
 
I'm just going to assume that the term "frankenPC" is just another apple fanboy term for anything that doesnt have the apple logo stamped on the side. Since im not getting an actual answer and such...
I think it has something to do with building your own computer. Like I wouldn't pick the best parts for my computer...

You know just like Apple picks the "best" parts?
 
@NoSmokingBandit

Well you're partly right, think of Frankenstein + PC = FrankenPC. Probably something hideous? Hence, the picture I posted. ;)
 
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