Perfect Hardware for Gaming?

hi guys, i'm wanting to buy a new MacPro... to use for day-trading, but also for serious gaming (PC games via BootCamp).
Although I'm willing to spend whatever money it takes on hardware to get the best possible gaming experience, I don't want to waste money on any hardware that won't translate into a noticeable increase in gaming performance.
Also, i'll be using it with a seamless triple-monitor setup (each with 1600 x 1200 res).
questions:
1. Would a 12-core 2.93GHz processor give noticeably better gaming performance than, say, a 6-core 3.33GHz processor, or an 8-core 2.4GHz processor?
2. Would 64GB of RAM make a noticeable difference from 32GB?
3. Someone told me that a RAID card would benefit gaming performance, but i find this very hard to believe - is this true?
4. Twin ATI Radeon HD 7550 .... will these give good enough performance for gaming across triple monitors (with a TOTAL res of 4800 x 1200)?
Any advice is appreciated... bearing in mind that it needs to cope with today's games as well as games coming out in the next year or two (which will obviously be more demanding in terms of hardware)

Part of the answer is going to depend on how and when you game, as well as what type of games.
Are your games generally high stress, high demand video, or lower stress, with more static images and logic puzzles that fast action?
When you buy a new game, do you play every day until you finish, and never play again?
I don't have hours per day/week to play.
I may not play at all during any given week.
It may take me 6 months or longer to play through any given game.
If you tend to take time to play through a game, a regular computer may not be the best option.
I say that because f there is a security update, OS update, etc, it may break your game.
After a certain amount of time has passed, the developer is likely to tell you something like
"We wrote the game for 10.6.1, but you are running 10.6.7"
"The solution to your problem is to downgrade your OS."
Both of which I have heard from tech support of the game developer.
Enter the Playstation.
No longer have that problem. If so inclined, I can (and have) played 10 year old games, without issue.

Similar Messages

Hardware for gaming

Hello, I have a Macbook Pro 13 inch, early 2011 and I want to upgrade the hardware so it suits gaming better.
What should I buy?

Rimasu wrote:
Hello, I have a Macbook Pro 13 inch, early 2011 and I want to upgrade the hardware so it suits gaming better.
You can't and more RAM isn't going to help much.
See here for more details.
3D gaming on Mac's, what you need to know

Is iMac perfect for gaming ?

I want buy iMac 21.5-inch: 2.9GHz
It's perfect for gaming like BF3 , Far Cray 3 ,and Crysis 3 (any game have number 3 :P) in high quality ?
Note : I don't have much information about iMac
and thank you :)

Hi, I wouldn't call it ideal in any way, ideal iMac would be the 27" with Quad core & the MX680 graphic card with 2 GB VRAM. Sadly a PC would be cheaper/better for gaming.

Which Imac would be better for gaming?

So i've got a choice between these two models -
£1329.60
3.1GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz
TB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
8gb Ram
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 1GB GDDR5
Apple care
27 inch model
3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB (two 4GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M with 1GB video memory
Apple care
£1407.60
Basically, the decision is down to, do I want a slightly better graphics card and bigger screen, or a smaller screen and better processer?
I just want to gauge opinions, i'll be using it as my day to day computer as well, some video editing, but nothing too strenuous. How big is the difference in graphic and processing powers.
Thanks for your help

With all due respect the question was "which iMac would be better for gaming?". Key word here is 'better', not 'perfect', not 'ideal'; just 'better'. Unqualified answers and/or sweeping statements do very little to contribute to a discussion, let alone answer the question under consideration.

New Macbook Pro 2014 for Gaming / casual use

Hello there! I currently have a 2011 13" Macbook Pro with
Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB
16GB RAM
500GB Harddrive
and a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5
I really like to play video games but with this current setup ^ its very sluggish and I get very low FPS
I'm considering getting the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and with the 3.0GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
My questions:
Will this computer be able to handle a constant 60fps in most games? (Borderlands 2, portal 2, Bioshock Infinite)
And I've heard other places that this computer also has a Nividia graphics card that it switches over to when you play anything that requires more than the Intel 4000 that it comes with.
Thanks for the help!

Hi there!
No it wont.
Macbook Pro's hardware are mediocre for gaming. In your specific case, the 13" does not offer the possibility of a dedicated graphics card, only comes with Intel Iris. The 15" one does, the NVIDIA GT 750M with 2gb, yet it's weak for gaming above 40-50 fps, also dual-core processors are not very powerful these days either and you will most likely experience heating issues on intensive gaming sessions. If you like gaming Mac is not very efficient for it, unless you get a mac pro, but of course you would loose portability. The 27" iMac can be set with the GT 780m, it has 4gb but its still weak since its a mobile graphic chip as well, even the 5k iMac uses almost identical hardware setup than the regular iMac but with an AMD chip (also 4gb ram), while the 5k looks great with such hardware it is unable to handle smooth gaming on that resolution as well.
Dont get me wrong, I'm not here to trash Apple, at the office we work with around 8 to 10 macbook pros but none of them, not even high end ones are able to game smoothly, in fact, some games run better on windows via bootcamp than OS X.
Hope it helps.

Macbook Pro and 30" Cinema display for gaming?

Does anyone know if a Macbook Pro (17" i7 2010) would be powerful enough to drive the 30" Cinema display (or a Dell 30") specifically for gaming to a reasonable performance FPS with a game such as Call of Duty 4?
Would I have to knock down the resolution from the native 2560x1600 and if so is the image quality still acceptable or blurry? I realize I need either the dual link adaptor or the display port to achieve the max resolution but just wondering if it is asking too much of the graphics card?
Thanks in advance, any info much appreciated.
Rick.

Hi. The graphics card will be able to handle it. I would suggest using a Min Display Port to HDMI adapter. Most new adapters will even transfer the sound too so you can use the speakers built speakers on the TV.
I often use my 2008 model MacBook Pro with a Mini Display Port to HDMI on my 62'' Samsung DLP. Perfect 1080p quality.

Macbook Pro 15'' options for gaming and college

Hi there Apple Community!
I'm having trouble choosing the best cost benefit for a new Mac. I'm a college student and my main priority is to have a mobile unit to cary with me for classes. I'm also a gamer, and since this will be my main computer I'd like to have one that could also run games like Civ 5 and WoW smoothly. Therefore I believe the best option for me would be the cheapest 15'' MBP.
However, both the price and the extra weight scare me. I'm not confortable with walking around with a R$ 6,600.00 notebook (about US$ 3,300.00 - I'm in Brazil and thanks to taxes all the prices are overrated ).
I'm studying options to reduce the risk of walking with such a valuable piece of hardware around while giving me what I need where I need, and after some time I've matured the idea of having more than 1 device.
My first option would be to get me cheapest 13'' MBA along with a Mac Mini - the one with the Radeon 6630M videocard on it. They cost together about the same as the 15' MBP, and would give me both a lighter option to go to college and a dedicated videocard for games, though this card is weaker than the one in the MBP - and I'm not sure how well this card would handle the games I want to play.
Another option would be to get myself the both cheapest 21'' iMac (with the same videocard as the MBP) and the cheapest MBA. This would be a bit more expensive than the MBP, but no big deal, and I'd still have both a decent unit at home for games and the mobility I need for college.
My last option would be to get the 13'' MBA and use the rest of the money to assemble a gaming Windows 7 PC. This would be my last resort, though. I know I can assemble a terrible machine with this budget, but I believe I could have what I need - decent (not extreme) gaming experience at home - from a Mac, even if I have to use Bootcamp.
I'd like to know from you who own Macs what you think about these options. I intent to make my purchase this month or the next, as my classes begin in August. What would u think to be the best combination? Or is the MBP the best option? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Thanks for the reply, OGELTHORPE. Refurbished products were the 1st thing I thought when I saw the cost of a 15''MBP. Unfortunately there's not even a link for this store in Brazil's store. I'm not sure, but I believe this is because of the mistrurst we brazillians have upon refurbished equipments sold by many other companies that fail to meet quality specs - some companies even try to push them as 'new' to the customers... I know that US Apple follows refurbishing rules to the letter - not hard to find people around the web saying that they got a nice deal for buying a refurbished Apple and that they would do it again. I wish I could buy a refurbished unit from the american Apple Store and have it delivered to Brazil, but I believe this is way too much to ask for the 'free shipping' they offer...
As for gaming, I do like it, but I'm not looking for a gaming station - otherwise I'd look for a PS3, Xbox 360, etc. I do want a computer to complement my studies at home - this is my main focus after all, and it would be desirable if this new computer could also run some games for me to play when I can.
I'm just not satisfied with the Intel HD 3000's performance (some people say they are even weaker than the previous nVidia models they replace). This is why I'm trying to get my hands on one of those new Radeon videocards.
Anyway I've heard that Apple may show some new products on this week's presentation at WWDC.Let's hope something good is coming.

Optimize Mac for Gaming with Bootcamp?

Hi, I have a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro with Windows 7 installed using Bootcamp. Because I'm a student my parents aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of getting me a Gaming PC, but since I'm not a hardcore gamer I think I can make do with what I have. How would I be able to optimize my gaming experience with my Mac? In other words, whether it is with software, or upgrading some hardware, how can I make my Mac usable for gaming. And trust me, I'm not hoping for 60FPS having games on the highest setting kind of thing, something that is decent quality is all I want. I feel that my Mac's current specs and hardware is almost at where I want it, but some optimization to increase efficiency and performance would be really nice. Thanks in advance!

you are stuck with whatever graphics it has which is usually the main resource.
Did you buy with just base RAM? which processor? you can't change the cpu.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/index-macbookpro.html
RAM Upgrade Kits:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade/DDR3_160 0MHz_SDRAM
Some SSD tests http://www.barefeats.com/hard193.html
https://www.maxupgrades.com/istore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ ID=437&ParentCat=367
Windows can't be installed on an external drive but it can be cloned and booted off Thunderbolt interface.
Boot Camp
A PC with i7-4790 and 16GB + SSD (case, psu, copy of Windows) and X89 motherboard would of course give you freedom and not have to dual boot, plus you get to choose the GPU you need. Windows on Mac often run hot, hotter than they do already. And later you can upgrade just the parts you need to.

Macbook Pro 13" or 15" for gaming?

I'm going to be buying a macbook pro soon and wanted to know if the 13" or the 15" pro is better for gaming.
I know they aren't made for gaming but it's not my only use of a laptop and have had my heart set on one for a few years now.
I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I want a macbook that I can play games like Civ 5, age of empires and sims on for 3 or 4 hours a day,
without the fans going crazy. Any suggestions?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Buy a 15-inch MacBook Pro. It has got a quad-core processor and two GPUs, so games will run better than on a 13-inch MacBook Pro, that only has got an integrated GPU.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro has got powerful hardware, and in games, it will generate more heat. When temperatures increase, fans will be turned on automatically, so if you carry on playing games for a long time, fans will go crazy. I recommend you not to play games for a very long time, because high fan speeds may damage the MacBook Pro

What is the best Router for Gaming?

Alright, at the moment I have a "G" wireless router, which I bought it for pure gaming reasons, well I am thinking about upgrading 'cause I am having some lag and poor connections and I want to enhance my connection for online play. I won't lie I am a addicted hardcore gamer, so I need a good router! ^_^
Well I been looking at this WRT330N , which this one interests me a lot!
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1166859632665&...
I know it's about $200 but I am willing to spend the money if it's worth it! If anyone can share anything about this router or a cheaper and better router please do so!

I started shopping for a wired router to handle a claimed higher speed from my cable provider. I want something that runs at full incoming wire speed. I did not think I would care a lot about special gaming features. One of the techs at work uses the GamerLounge which is made by D-Link and he loves it for gaming. It runs a little over $100. It has a number of features to help automate the setup for gaming and to help debug gaming connection problems. I do not know if Linksys makes anything that is specifically targetted at gaming. You might want to read the various hardware reviews and decide which features you think will be important to you. Linksys has product documentation that describes the products but you will have to understand the terms used in the brochures to decide which device might be best for you. I have a Linksys for wireless support and it is rather slow compared to a wired connection because I run encrypted. If you want to run games on wireless, then published benchmark results may be the number one item on your list. Some routers may have much faster wireless performance than others. Cost will probably be a factor but more expensive does not always mean better. I have a WRT54G V5 and Tom's Hardware has a review discussing some of the serious limitations in V5. I stopped using it as a main router and went back to an old 10 Mbps wired router connected to the cable modem to get better performance. The WRT54G V5 sort of works when used as a wireless access point but Windows file and printer sharing do not work. So ... it all depends on which features are most important to you. Absolute best case is to talk with a friend who has a working setup that they like. Then you can decide if their priorities for choosing features match your priorities.

Is the 802.11 ac good for gaming?

we have 3 xboxes in my house and I was wondering if this device would be good for gaming?

If you are trying to run 3 xboxes at once to online games you will find it well neigh impossible without a router that is fully Microsoft Vista UPNP spec and above.. due to the nature of NAT routers each xbox will need the same ports opened .. this is not possible.. only using upnp can xbox negotiate a different port.. and apple did not include upnp in the apple router.. so I think you are going to run into big problems.. you cannot simply use port mapping..
I would strongly recommend a router on the xbox compatible list.
here is the comment about apple routers for mulitple xbox connection.
http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/xbox_support/networking-hardware/02-routers/a pple/f/3357/t/501507.aspx
Multiple Console Support
We have confirmed that this network device is unable to support more than one console with an Open NAT.

How can i boost my graphics for gaming?

I have a winter 2013 macbook pro with a 2.9GHZ i7, 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3 memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000 512 MB, running OS X 10.8.2 (12c3012) how can i boost this for gaming...is this good for gaming? could i play games like call of duty with this?

goose-hunter wrote:
so do you think runniong black ops 2 would be ok...this is not a gaming PC but i already dropped some coin to have a powerful macbook for work. i figure might as well be able to game a bit on it too..
The 13" is not a gaming computer, despite Apple packaging the 13" along with the other MacBook Pro's.
You'll have to check the specs of the games at the developers sites, however the minmal requirement is 99% of the time unsatisfactory as updates etc come out.
Apple used to have that 13" type of machine as a MacBook, then introduced the iPad and moved the MacBook onto the MacBook Pro's as a 13" model, then removed the 17" MacBook Pro.
So you see the shuffling around going on there as consumers in general are opting for the iPad instead than laptops.
Forget about 3D gaming on Mac's, it's future is very bleak indeed as more people are opting for the 3D less iPads with their "fake 3D" which is 2D images made to look like it's 3D.
3D GPU's generate a lot of heat, thus are unsuitable for iPads, and with the rise of dedicated consoles, makes them a better choice for 3 D gaming for most.
The hardcore 3D PC gamers are on Windows machines for it's longevity between OS cycles, hardware customizing and software tweaking ability.

The "Perfect" System for CS3?

Does anyone have a recipe for a workable or "perfect" hardware configuration to run CS3 Production Premium? I am thinking about building a new edit sys from the ground up that will be dedicated to CS3, emphasizing editing. My initial requirements are that it run a quad processor and be SLI compatible. Please be specific (qualitatively and quantitatively) for at least the following:
o EXACT PROCESSOR (which exact one):
o EXACT MOTHERBOARD (Intel or Asus):
o TYPE AND AMOUNT OF MEMORY:
o VIDEO CARDS Sufficient to extend the desktop over 3 monitors):
o I/O ANALOG/DIGITAL DEVICE (capture card or media converter):
o HARD DRIVES:
Thanks,
James Jaeger

Thanks for the below parts. I went to new egg and checked out each one.
I like to read the negative comments, such as the following about the
Intel motherboard (13-127-030 MB ABIT IP35 Pro 775) Any comments on the comment
"This board is a nightmare. I built a new system with a new 8800GTS, 4GB Patriot RAM, and 3.0 ghz Intel Core 2 Duo. Had problems all the way (see cons above) including blue screens. Initially thought it might be Windows Vista 64-bit so I tried XP Home. Same/similar problems. I suspected the graphics card and had it RMA'd - no luck. Then I thought perhaps my old 600W power supply was the problem so I got a 700W one. Same problems. I never suspected the motherboard because it seemed to work just fine with my old 6800GS graphics card (and old power supply). Bought a new motherboard with the 650i chipset instead, and magically everything worked 100% perfectly start to finish including dual booting both OS's. Unfortunately, due to the long RMA ship times and processing at newegg and the fact that I thought the video card was the problem, I sent in my motherboard rebate and voided any chance I have of returning this thing to newegg or getting a new replacement. I hate abi"
23-126-033 KB&MS LOGITECH|920-000264 RT
22-136-131 HD 750G|WD 7K 16M SATA2 WD7500AAKS
17-341-011 PSU|S75CF 750W RT
14-130-071 VGA EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR 8800GTS R
13-127-030 MB ABIT IP35 Pro 775
21-103-203 FD 1.44MB|SAMSUG SFD321B/LBL1 %
33-315-041 WRLSS LAN EDIMAX|EW-7128G PCI RTL
20-148-076 MEM 1Gx2|CRUCIA BL2KIT12864AL804 R
19-115-027 CPU INTEL|C2Q Q6700 2.66G 65N 8M R
35-186-134 CPUCOOLER|ARCTIC P4|ACFZ7-PRO R
22-136-011 HD 150G|WD 10K 16M SATA WD1500AHFD
35-185-004 FAN SCYTHE|S-FLEX SFF21D(800rmp) RT
11-129-154 CASE ANTEC|P180 SIL RT
12-186-012 CABLE SYBA|SD-DVIHDMI-MM-6 RTL
27-106-072 DVD BURN LITE-ON|LH-20A1L-06 LS RT
Subtotal $2,478.83
Tax $0.00
Shipping and Handling $51.39
Amount Paid $2,530.22

What is the best Mac for gaming?

Ok so as the title says, I was wondering what is the best Mac for gaming, I would like to play at least some old games which I have laying around the house when I'm at the airport or whatever. I read that macs are not that good at gaming but they do work at some degree :P
Also I was wondering, me and my friend were arguing why is a Mac not considered a PC. I my arguments where that a PC means it has all that nasty, heavy, big hardware, with all the cards and stuff and that a mac just has the slick monitor with some stuff in it :P and a keyboard/mouse. His arguments were that even if macs only have the stuff mentioned above, it should still be considered a PC since it is afterall a Personal Computer.
Thanks a lot and hopefully you'll settle my argument and aswear my question.

Best computer for gaming is always the one with the highest specs. But generally speaking, a base macbook does ok. The major piece you need to increase FPS on a mac is a video card though, so generally the Pros or iMacs will be a better choice.
Your friend is right, PC = Personal Computer. Mac's run the exact same hardware as a PC, just run different OS's. But its a term that got misplaced with windows in the flame wars of every forum post. P.S. Mac pros are a tower with no screen, just like the traditional windows ones.

Rebuilding my old MacBook Pro for gaming

Hello all!
I currently own an old out of use MacBook Pro. The harddrive is about to go and I'm
At no risk of voiding and warranty. My question is this.
I would like to build a powerful computer than can be run as a desktop designed for gaming. However i would like it to run Mac OS
I was thinking maybe if I just install a new gpu, graphics card, harddrive, and increase ram and cooling power. I could make it into a makeshift macbook gaming system.
Would this be an okay option, or am I better off just building a new one from scratch
And trying to install Mac OS Onto it.
Thanks for any advice,
Eric

Most laptops don't have upgradeable GPUs or cooling systems, and many don't have upgradeable CPUs either. So upgrading components to convert it into a gaming laptop is highly unlikely.
The EULA of Mac OS X only allows it to be installed on Apple hardware. Building your own "Hackintosh" is not within the terms of the agreement and not supported by Apple, and as such, I don't think it can be discussed here on these forums.

Perfect Hardware for Gaming?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for