Which Mac for me?

[h9826790]

Hmm. So would I be better buying a 2009 4,1 or going with a later release Mac Mini?

If you already has a 7950, it is possible to get a 4,1, flash it to 5,1, and install a X5677 to make it a decent gaming machine for $500.

However, I am not sure if you can really benefit from it, if the low FPS of your game is software / setting issue.

 

[AidenShaw]

Well... I do see your point. But alas it "goes". I switched to Mac after I kept getting the latest "download for windows" on my old windows machine. If i was a business I would have gone broke waiting for it to download then configure, etc. I don't like machines that make me "wait", so I'll stick with the Mac. At least with this machine if I want to download and instal an OS upgrade, it is done when I want.

It's a simple setting to change Windows to do it on request instead of automatically.

 

[Kipsley]

Actually Aidenshaw, It isn't. On Windows 10 you can turn off automatic upgrades, but then you tend to run into issues. Then you turn on automatic updates to fix the issue by downloading the latest "fix", and you get 200 of them. My Windows machine once downloaded for the whole day... then had an issue with one of the downloads... did a roll back... got stuck in a loop as it tried to download again. That is when it became my new door stop. I will not be dictated to by a machine nor will I be held to ransom by Microsoft. I will die a Mac user.

 

[IowaLynn]

I clone Windows just as I would a Mac with Samsung tool though you have to have their SSD as target; also, invest in Paragon HDM 15 backup / clone. Both make bootable clone on new drive.

I used all Win10 previews and the new ISO posted.

Isn't Apple pushing updates too? No real control there.

 

[Kipsley]

I have no idea what you just said. Non at all.

 

[owbp]

@Kipsley , I've never seen Win10 offering more than 4-5 updates in a single run. Fresh Win7 install would offer you about 200 updates if you'd install it now.

Btw, don't get me wrong, I'm on OS X for a reason - for me it's much superior OS with better stability and workflow.
Head and shoulders above Win in every possible way except for games. Most games are just ported to OpenGL and you can see the difference (and the big one) if you install them on the same hardware on both Win and OS X.
But, same thing applies to Avid's Pro Tools for instance, i would never install that again on Win - much more stable and optimized for OS X.

 

[Kipsley]

Jeepers! Have you seen the costs of a Mac pro 4,1 on EBay? Shudders. I may have to save.
[doublepost=1461905482][/doublepost]Okies. Just spent sometime on a SecondLife forum chatting to some of the people there, and the results were not what I was expecting. Seems many users in SL have poor FPS issues, especially in places where there are more than 4 avatars present. The problem is not just for Mac users but effects people with some pretty high end windows machines as well. All say they get great frame rates on games like Halo and such, but will get less than 20 fps in SL, and even drop to 1 or 2 in populated areas. Most agree it's an issue with SL itself and not so much hardware related. Bottom line.... Upgrading to a 4,1 Mac Pro probably would do little to fix my crashing issues. Everyone on the SL forum runs their in-game graphics setting at the lowest. That was all the advice they could give. That and to change to the Singularity Viewer rather than using the Firestorm one.

 

[Kipsley]

Gak! Now this I can't figure out (Giggles). If I am in SL and I have my graphics settings to their lowest (so as to improve FPS) I tend to have rotten graphics and I crash. So I thought "Sod it" and just left my setting on ultra and just left them there. Lol. My Mac seems to like the ultra setting as I'm not crashing even in heavy SL traffic. I guess some cars just need to be driven fast.

Hugs her Mac.

 

[Ultracyclist]

Okies... first off. My "stats" are clearly given below. Please look. I don't want Windows on my Mac as it's the reason I went Mac in the first place. Who wants to turn their machine on only to be told "Come back in an hour. I'm downloading the latest upgrade". And my Graphics card ran great in my old Windows machine, not so much in this Mac. I had a flashed 3 GB HD 7950 before this one. Ran real hot and frame rate was blah.

As to what amazingly graphically challenging game I want to run.... Second life.

If a new GPU card is all I need, please suggest one. But I do feel my Mac is not even using the full capacity of the one it has at the moment.

When on a iPhone you signature isn't visible.