Macbook Pro with 128Mb video card and gaming

Everyone is saying that the Macbook is no good for gaming. Ok, I can see that. But how does the base model Macbook Pro do with games ? I'm in the market for a new notebook and it's either going to be a black macbook with 2Gb or a macbook pro 2.16Ghz with 128Mb video and 2Gb RAM. I can't afford a more expensive macbook pro with 256Mb of video ram since I'll already be stretching my budget with the 2.16 pro. I'm not a hardcore gamer (used to be, though) but I definitely enjoy gaming from time to time. I don't want to be able to play the lastest games at super high resolutions but I would expect a 2006/2007 computer to be able to run a two year old game like c&c generals without a hitch (which the macbook doesn't, even with the universal binary patch). Anyone have the baseline macbook pro ? How does it do with games (OS X, I'm not planning on forking out for a copy of Windows XP).

I'll second blamb327. I am playing World of Warcraft on my MBP C2D, 128MB video ram, 1.5GB ram. It runs extremely well, in full screen or windowed mode. I prefer to use windowed mode so I can see IMs coming in or email notifications. But it runs really well. It certainly heats up though, usually the high 140s, sometimes into 150. The fans run constantly at about 4000-6000rpm. It still runs cooler than it does when ripping cds or making iMovies. I may put a small desk fan on it for really long sessions, just to keep things running nice and cool.

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How good is a Macbook Pro with dual video cards for gaming?

I've been a PC guy my whole life (aside from my iPhone which I love). My gf has been pushing me to try out a mac and considering how my PC laptops have a pretty good track record of dying on me or encountering some other problems after a year or two, I can't help but consider making the investment. The only thing is, I'm a big gamer and usually get the latest games. I'm not super tech savvy though I do my research and get a sense of what kind of specs are better and worse.
In terms of gaming, I always assumed that more ram = better. In that sense, I'm a little put off that even the most expensive MacBook Pro only comes with 4 gigs of ram (which is what my year and a half old laptop has now) especially when it seems most newer laptops have 8 gigs minimum for a fraction of the price (and 16 gigs if you're willing to spend as much as you would on the most expensive macbook pro). Does RAM somehow work differently on a Mac or is it truly that little?
Also, how does the whole dual video card thing work, does that mean I'd be having the power of those two cards put together?
Personally, I've been leaning towards the Asus G53SX-NH71 because I can buy it for less than the cost of the cheapest macbook pro and as far as gaming purposes go it seems to have more power than even the most expensive Macbook which costs over double the price.
Am I missing something here? Do the dual video cards really bring that much to the table or for gaming purposes am I better off with a PC?
Thanks.

I've been watching this forum for years, and I'll have to say that gamers are not a big group around here. A few things. First, getting 8GB of RAM for the MacBook Pro is cheap. Most people either don't care, pay Apple to do it, or, like me, DIY. The max you put in a MBP is 8GB, so no 16GB, unless you were looking at the iMac or MacPro.
Second, there is no dual video card in a MacBook Pro. There is an integrated video card, an Intel HD3000, which shares RAM with the CPU, or a discrete video card, an AMD, various versions on different MBP's. The Intel is for low battery usage. The AMD is more powerful, and it's to be used when you've got power. The video card has more applications than just gaming, but also in video and photo editing.
No one here is going to talk you into one platform or another. If you are only going to game in Windows, then it's a waste to get a Mac. If you're going to game in Windows but want the Mac side to do everything else, the build quality and elegance of the Mac will far exceed most products out there. You can run Windows in Boot Camp natively, and as I understand, gamers love it, because the Mac is actually a better Windows machine than most Windows machines. But I don't play games, so I have no proof.
So the choice is yours. And we could argue all day long about the side by side comparison of a cheap Windows machine vs. the Mac. You are using the price vs. price comparison that is a false dichotomy, ignoring how one values various features. For example, the trackpad on a MacBook Pro far exceeds (and I mean light year exceeds) anything on any other laptop out there.
I spent 10 minutes answering your question. I'm not debating you on x vs. y. The choice is totally on what you're going to do. Most of us are trying to contribute to the world, so gaming is low on the needs list.

I have a mid 2007 MacBook Pro with 2GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 8600M graphics. Is it possible to upgrade the RAM and the graphics card?

I have a mid 2007 MacBook Pro with 2GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 8600M graphics card. Is it possible to upgrade the RAM and the graphics card?

The RAM can be upgraded as indicated below. The Graphics card can not be upgraded.
Maximum Memory
6.0 GB (Actual) 4.0 GB (Apple)
Memory Slots
2 - 200-pin PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM

I have a new MacBook Pro with OS10.8.2 and cannot get Contacts to print a list of addresses with pictures showing. There is a check box selecting "picture" which has been checked - but no picture. This worked fine on OS10.7.5. Problem??

I have a new MacBook Pro with OS10.8.2 and cannot get Contacts to print a list of addresses with pictures showing. There is a check box selecting "picture" which has been checked - but no picture. This worked fine on OS10.7.5. Problem??

First, back up all data immediately, as your boot drive might be failing.
There are a few other possible causes of generalized slow performance that you can rule out easily.
Reset the System Management Controller.
If you have many image or video files on the Desktop with preview icons, move them to another folder.
If applicable, uncheck all boxes in the iCloud preference pane.
Disconnect all non-essential wired peripherals and remove aftermarket expansion cards, if any.
Check your keychains in Keychain Access for excessively duplicated items.
If you have more than one user account, you must be logged in as an administrator to carry out this step.
Launch the Console application in the same way you launched Activity Monitor. Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar.
Select the 50 or so most recent entries in the log. Copy them to the Clipboard (command-C). Paste into a reply to this message (command-V). You're looking for entries at the end of the log, not at the beginning.
When posting a log extract, be selective. Don't post more than is requested.
Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
Important: Some personal information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting. That should be easy to do if your extract is not too long.

So I'm thinking about buying a Macbook pro with 512 gb harddrive and 8gb of ram. But I don't know whether to get a 2.4 ghz or 2.7 ghz processor? I mainly use my computer for a lot of music, internet, and other teenage things

So I'm thinking about buying a Macbook pro with 512 gb harddrive and 8gb of ram. But I don't know whether to get a 2.4 ghz or 2.7 ghz processor? I mainly use my computer for a lot of music, internet, and other teenage things

2.4ghz is plenty of processing, if it means you'll save money over the 2.7ghz. I'd have suggested 2.7 if you also do heavy video editing/rendering using FCP, etc... but the spec you have is plenty

I have an Apple MacBook Pro with 2 USB ports and a MiniDisplay Port. I also have an HDTV with a HDMI port. How can I use the TV as a display without any tethering wires between my computer and the TV?

I have an Apple MacBook Pro with 2 USB ports and a MiniDisplay Port. I also have an HDTV with a HDMI port. How can I use the TV as a display without any tethering wires between my computer and the TV? I have a MiniDisplay Port to VGA adapter, but there are two issues with it: The new display doesn't have a VGA port, and even if it did, I wouldn't want to have my mac constantly attached to the display by a cable. I was looking for a way to use the TV as a display without any wires. Is there some type of bluetooth setup I could use? Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

As I wrote above, I think you should look into the Apple TV yourself. The best place to find information about what it can and can't do and to ask your own specific questions is probably in the Apple TV forum, here:
https://discussions.apple.com/community/appletv/appletv

I have an older Macbook pro with a dvi output and I want to watch movies on my tv. I have a dvi to hdmi cable but the only image I get on my TV is my desktop background. None of my movie players with appear on the TV screen. What am I doing wrong?

I have an older Macbook pro with a dvi output and I want to watch movies on my tv. I have a dvi to hdmi cable but the only image I get on my TV is my desktop background. None of my movie players with appear on the TV screen. What am I doing wrong?

Hi Maryan,
Open System Preferences > Displays > select the window for you external monitor > click on the Arrangement tab and check the box next to Mirror Displays. It may be slightly different in Lion, but the idea is the same.

Hi. I have a MacBook Pro with OS10.6.8 and cannot get net pages to load on my network at home. I can connect to the internet in work and on other networks. However, some other networks are now starting to fail. Can anyone suggets how I can fix it??

Hi. I have a MacBook Pro with OS10.6.8 and cannot get internet pages to load on my WiFi network at home. My iMac, iPhone and iPad all work on this network. It is connected to the net as dropbox registers a connection and so does skype. I can connect to the WiFi in work and on other networks when travelling. However, some other networks are now starting to fail. Can anyone suggets how I can fix it, as the MBP appears to be fine, its updated with all the latest versions of software and the WiFi network is also fine....just not with my MBP??

Hi. I have a MacBook Pro with OS10.6.8 and cannot get internet pages to load on my WiFi network at home. My iMac, iPhone and iPad all work on this network. It is connected to the net as dropbox registers a connection and so does skype. I can connect to the WiFi in work and on other networks when travelling. However, some other networks are now starting to fail. Can anyone suggets how I can fix it, as the MBP appears to be fine, its updated with all the latest versions of software and the WiFi network is also fine....just not with my MBP??

I have a 2006 15" Macbook Pro with a broken Superdrive and my external USB one just quit working

Why can my LG Portable Super Multi Drive (GP08NU6B) burn discs, but not read them? Right after I burn a DVD successfully, I stick it back in the drive and it says "The disk you have inserted is not readable by this computer" I have a 2006 15" Macbook Pro with a broken Superdrive, and this external disk drive is the only optical drive that worked via USB. This external drive was bought in 2010 and worked fine up until a month ago. This is supposed to be a Plug and Play device, and LG assures me the drivers are already included in Mac OSX, yet it seems somehow my Macbook lost the drivers and it won't let me watch DVDs now or recognize any discs at all!
How can I find and somehow reinstall the firmware for this optical drive?

Sounds more like a hardware issue to me.

I have a MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo and Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Want to upgrade to Lion to take advantage of icloud. Is there anything I can do without getting a new MacPro?

I have a MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo and Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Would like to upgrade to Lion but it requires a minimum of Intel Core 2 Duo. Can I get what I need or do I have to buy new MacBok Pro?

I also have a core duo MBP with Snow Leopard and it runs perfectly. There are very few things it cannot do as compared to the faster, newer MBPs, but that is attributable to the CPU, not the OS. There are some who view Lion as downgrade rather than as an improvement. If there are important applications that reqire a fast CPU or Lion features that you find essential, by all means get a new MBP.
I have an aphorism: Obsolescence is more often a perception rather than a reality. Besides the silver keys look much classier than the black ones.
Ciao.

Should I buy a macbook air wid i7 and 8gb ram or macbook pro with 2.4ghz i5 and 8gb ram

Hii.i am planning 2 buy a macbook and i am confused between pro and air so should I buy a macbook air wid i7 and 8gb ram or macbook pro with 2.4ghz i5 and 8gb ram..I want it to be fast and my use is onli web surfing , word & excel, watching movies and loading photos....plss help its urgent

I have a 2 year old Air with 1.8 GHz i5 4 GB that is more than adequate and extremely fast for the uses you describe.
Is battery life a factor in your decision? If so, knowing that may help someone else give you some more input.

I am running a MacBook Pro with 10.7.5 and I downloaded the OS X 10.10.2 Update Combo, however when I try and open the package the error message "This volume is used for TimeMachine-backups". Which is not true. I´m using TimeCapsule.

I am running a MacBook Pro with 10.7.5 and I downloaded the OS X 10.10.2 Update Combo.
When I try and open the package after accepting the lincence-agreement and upon choosing the install-volume the error message appears: "This volume is used for TimeMachine-backups".
Which is not true. I´m using a timecapsule for backups.
How can I proceed?

I am using a MacBook Pro (2010) with 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB, 1067 MHz, DDR3, Startvolume Macintosh HD.
After downloading the package and starting upgrading it asks acceptance of the license-agreement. After that it asks for the volume were to install. And when I click on the Startvolume Macintosh HD (which is the only available on the machine) it says: "The volume is already being used for Time Machine-Backups".
It doesn´t offer to skip that point or to reconfigure the Time Machine settings.
The point is that my Time machine is not and has never used the Mac HD for Backups. In the past I have used an external drive and since 05/2014 I am using a Time Capsule which is appropriately addressed in the Time Machine settings.

Looking to purchase a new 13" MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD memory and 8GB ram. Main purpose is to run Final Cut Prowithout being at my desk. Is there's need to upgrade to the 16GB to make Final Cut Prorun more smoothly?

I was planning on buying a new 13 inch MacBook Pro with 512 GB memory and 8GB RAM. The main purpose for this purchase Is to be able to run Final Cut Pro anywhere I want to. Should I upgrade to 16 GB of RAM with the added expense and wait time or is that overkill?

8GB should be plenty . . . though as with most things in life, it all depends on exactly what you are doing. If you intend to edit long, highly complex projects loaded with effects and multicam clips you can't get enough RAM.
For over 3 years, I and many others, have been using 4GB with no problems.

Macbook Pro for HD video -memory and external hard drive questions?

Hi!
I am a Macbook user, but I plan to purchase a Macbook Pro since I am now doing a lot of HD (not HDV) video editing. I live outside of the U.S. and cannot call the Apple Store, so was wondering if anyone can provide advice on the forum.
I'm interested in either the 15-inch: 2.53GHz or 15-inch: 2.66GHz. is there a big difference in speed between these?
-Is the 4GB memory the MBP comes with enough for HD video editing purposes, or would I opt for the 8GB? (here prices becomes a bit of an issue)
- Is the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm sufficient or would I upgrade to the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $50.00]
-I want to purchase an external firewire drive to store my media on-does anyone know if the G-Raid 500 would be good? Portability is a big issue for me since I travel very often.
Thank you all so much for your help!!

I looked at the 15inch and 17inch but chose the 17inch - and I am a filmmaker. I too travel on location extensively and usually carry a 15inch due to size-weight - but the 17inch is much better for HD. The video card and screen resolution in the 17inch is much better than than the 15inch but what clinched it for me was the 17inch has a CF reader and the 15inch only has a small SD card reader.
Most video HD cams are shooting straight to CF cards now.
I also upgraded to the 7200 rpm drive - a wise choice for $50 extra.
Yes 4G ram will run Final Cut OK - but if you go from FCP to motion a lot then you will need 8G.

13" MacBook Pro with Retina 256gb SSD and 16gb ram?

So I have decided to go with a 13" MacBook Pro with Retina.
I am now deciding on how to customize it...
My uses are:
Primary -> Writing. I am an aspiring writer/ future published author, and this unit will serve as a primary storage unit for on-the-go writing. The SSD will help in this capacity, tremendously, as well as battery life, as inspiration to write can happen anywhere. I found he typability to be easier on the MacBook Pro as well, rather than the Air.
Secondary -> Music, videos, gaming.
Basically, I am aware that the crispness of the rPro is apparent. I am not worried so much by the music, or videos, or even browsing part, as I'm sure its quite speedy.
What I am thinking is the might of the 4gb ram, 128gb SSD storage.
Would it be more worthwhile, since I plan to use this for 5+ years, to go for the little bit extra and get the 8gb ram, 256gb SSD storage unit, for only $200 extra. This seems a minor fee considering the length at which I plan to use and keep this.
That being said, I still play some older games and whatnot, with the possibility of playing World of Warcraft in the future... That being said, and knowing that Macs are not gaming powerhouses (unless you wish to go 15"+), would it be worthwhile to splurge another $200 for the 16GB ram? What major differences would doubling the 8 to 16 do for me and the performance of this MacBook?
Thanks in advance!
Nick

Since it is not possible to upgrade the RAM after purchase (it is soldered to the logicboard), I would definitely opt for 8GB. The same goes for the SSD- I would opt for double the storage. Though it is possible to upgrade your drive in the future, it comes at the cost of installing it yourself and potentially voiding any Apple warranty.
It would not be worthwhile to spend another 200$ on 16gb of RAM, IMO for your purposes. The lack of a discrete GPU and a duel core processor is what will limit gaming performance. 8GB of RAM is enough, in itself.
Rather than spending an additional $400 dollars, either spend the extra $200 for the 8gb 256GB model, or consider the 15'' entry level model for $700 extra dollars-which would be plently powerful enough for your purposes.

Macbook Pro with 128Mb video card and gaming

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