Macbook Pro 13"

Hello,
I´m going to buy a new laptop soon, at once my choice was a Windows OS, but all my family persuaded me to buy a macbook, even if it´s much more expensive, they would pay the rest ( as they want me to have a laptop, that would last till i finish university... in 5 years time)

So I searched and almost declined for the Macbook Pro 13" with this specs:
2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
32 ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
NVIDIA GT 320m

My question, is... Will this macbook, be able to play, new games, such as GTA IV, or COD 4 ? (even if bootcamp is necessary)

Thanks

 

I played Call Of Duty Black Ops on my Macbook, same specs as yours except 2.4GHz CPU. It run coD BO at medium-high.

Oh, and it has an Nvidia GeForce 320m, not a Nvidia GeForce GT 320m.

 

Yah, i was mistaken, this one is a Geforce 320 aswell.. not GT

Do you think it will play GTA IV, at medium settings, then?

btw, thanks for your fast answer

 

I've never played GTA, but from what I've heard, it will probably on run on low-medium settings.

 

What if it heats too much?
I´ve heard people having problems, and being scared with that fact.

 

My CPU never went above 81C and GPU 89C. Here's my gaming review of the http://forum.notebookreview.com/apple-mac-os-x/527864-2010-macbook-pro-13-graphics.html

 

if you want it to last for 5 years.. I'd think about looking at a 15"er, but they do cost a bit more. The 13 is a bit behind the times in hardware performance, and while fine right now and probably for a couple of years... after about 3 you're going to be wanting a faster computer.

 

The only constant to consider here is the GPU. The HDD and the RAM could be upgraded down the road and that will help with longevity. The point to consider is that if you are playing most games @ medium to medium-low now, in 3 years there won't be many games, realistically speaking, that you can play above medium-low settings. I would concur with doh123 and say, if you plan to keep it for a number of years, go with the MBP15 that has the GT 330M.

 

get the i5 macbook pro 15.

 

Actually, I´ve been thinking, and came out with the conclusion, that by that time (3 years from now). I wont have time to play... So I´ll be playing this two following years.

Btw, is there many difference (difference that you can see while playing) between the core 2 duo 2.44ghz, and the 2.66 ghz?

 

I don't think it's a good idea to try to 'futureproof' by paying more for a computer now and expecting it to last 5 years (!). There's a very good chance in about two years you'll be extremely fed up with it with the speed mobile technology is advancing.

Your best bet is to pay less now and buy another one when this one is old. The 13" will not be good at gaming and will only get worse from here on. If you buy something cheaper right now you'll have the option of saving up for a better computer in the future.

Finally, GTA IV is an extremely hard game to run on any system because it's pretty poorly made. A lot of medium-ranged desktops can barely run it.

If you do settle for a 13" MBP I would recommend waiting for the next refresh that will hopefully feature the new processor architecture and a better graphics card.

 

How will making you buy a macbook mean your laptop will last 5yrs? Depending how its used I have many dead 3yr old MacBookPros in my IT storage room.

Sounds like your family is just Apple fanboys. The 13in Pro already has a 2 generation old CPU (now that Sandy Bridge is out) so technically its already well out dated CPU wise.

 

13" is 3+ gens behind ( reworked 9600 into an IGP) the 15" and 17" are 2+ gens behind now.

if gaming is that important and you want to continue to play newer games for 1-3 years im sorry but a MBP is not a good choice at all. many games will require to bootcamp as well, okay Doh and I disagree sometimes I say MOST games will need to be bootcamped to get a decent framerate on many games.

 

Macs are not an ideal gaming machine at all.

Just imagining the computer pegged at 90-100C for 5+ hours at a time lol...

 

Buy the MBP 13", even just the 2.4, you'll have plenty of horsepower for school chores, it'll be very portable for lugging around campus, etc.

Then pick up a nice 24" + monitor to dock with, for the occasions you want a little more screen real estate.

Finally, buy a PS3. You can use the same monitor (assuming you're short on space in college), have a DVD/BD player, media machine, and a terrific gaming console that won't require anything other than shoving in a disk and picking up a controller.

 

Please people, read my review. It does NOT get over 90C: http://forum.notebookreview.com/apple-mac-os-x/527864-2010-macbook-pro-13-graphics.html


*****STOP DRINKING UNCLE STEVE's COOL AID *****

 

yeah... my 13" pegs out playing games usually runs around 75º once the fan gets up around 5000rpm.... doesn't even need to hit the max 6200 though.

 

MBP's are NOT gaming rigs, but the OP stated that there would be moderate gaming involved and that his family would help him pay for the MBP. Consequently, the suggestions about which MBP to buy are what's important, not arguing about cost or the generation of the GPU compared to a PC.

If the OP wants a gaming rig, don't buy a MBP. If the OP wants a MBP that will last him a while then stick with the MBP 15". If cost is the issue, and the family is helping to pay, buy the MBP 13" and worry about all the fancy new games down the road when they are actually released. It is possible to have more than one machine

 

Yea says you, my Air goes to 80Cs easy just watching multiple videos at once (you know why you would do this )

 

The Air is a completely different laptop that we aren't even discussing.

 

Suddenly everybody thinks that they're a bloody engineer.

The point is that the unibody Apple laptops are not ideal for gaming, and maxing out the system for long periods of time will degrade the internal components. Given that the heat management of these machines can't keep up for long periods, its best to avoid playing stressful games when you can.

 

I am an engineer...

 

I don't think serious gaming is what Apple builds ANY of its sytems for. Sure it can play some games, but PC's are still the real gaming platforms. I still say heavy gaming on any laptop isn't a great idea...Alienware, etc..the heat and wear on the system is a lot...and to me, a laptop should last a good long time. Desktops seem to do much better gaming.

 

I haven't had any heat related component problems across several macbook pros, except the 8600m gt. And, that chip was known to be defective. Even running a variety of cpu intensive programs, gpu intensive 3d programs, games, all for extended periods of time.

Just my 2cents.

 

My daughter has the 13 inch white macbook and she plays world of warcraft on it, it does get warm, but stays around 81c with SMC fan control.

I bought a 15 inch new from Bestbuy the other night and it was running 90-92c WITH SMC fan control I promptly returned that.

I went to the apple store this past Saturday and bought the 17 inch MBP with the Core i5. It runs in the mid to high 50c while playing ANY game pretty much. If you want to do any gaming at all, get the 17 inch. As the others have stated, that heat will burn it up I don't care what anyone tells you.

 

The heat doesn't burn it up as fast as people assume it would... I have laptops I keep at high temps for long periods 80º - 90º C (sometimes 12+ hours a day) that are several years old and still running just fine.

 

it's ok, you don't need to care - based on my experience, the heat is fine.

obviously there exists a temperature where the machine will fail. i haven't run into anything like that using these machines for a few years.

 

I'll tell you this much, those of us with custom Desktops wouldn't touch a CPU that goes over 80Cs.

My 4.2ghz Quad Core i7 tops out at 75C with LinX/Prime95. Gaming is around 60Cs.

 

Possibly,

I bought a new macbook pro 13 inch June 2010. Played WOW on it for 12 days, dead video card. Coincidence? Doubtful, I had a cooling pad underneath it, SMC Fan control, and it was setting on a granite counter top the whole time.

Run those 90 degree temps at your own risk.

 

It is probably a coincidence. Call Apple and have them replace it since it's under warranty.

 

I'm sure he just returned it since it's well within 30 days.

 

Yes I returned it. I LOVE macs, but they were not made for gaming for sure. Now the 17 inch is heaven! Fabulous for the big 2 days I have owned it, lol.

 

you had a bad machine... SMCFancontrol putting my fans at 5000 rpm, pushing my MBP 13" to the limit it can go gaming still sits around 75ºC ... so if yours was 90º C or more, you had a screwed up machine. Even letting the smc control the fans on its own without intervention its never gotten over 85º, and cools back down under 80... so not sure how you got it that hot.

 

Maybe he used it on a bed, or something?

 

I think the bottom line is that a mac, especially the 13" one won't meet your requirements in a computer. Have your family subsidize another 13" machine. There are quite a few that are much more game ready.

As for suggestions to move upto a 15" computer... Those all depend on how you plan to use your laptop. In college, the only computers that really make their way out of the dorm room on a consistent basis are 14" and smaller. The larger laptops seem to stay in people's rooms the majority of the time for obvious reasons.

 

I always took my Asus g51 to my Bio, CCJ and Psych classes. I don't really care about lugging a "heavy" computer around tho.

 

Just looked up the g51, 7lbs and 9oz, yikes! I am sure that you enjoying the transition to the macbook especially for the weight savings.