Macbook vs gaming

How are macbooks when it comes to light gaming such as half life 2, warcraft, bioshock.. etc

right now I planned on getting an HP dv2000 series however the ipod touch deal seems pretty sweet and also macs are really reliable. or so ive been told. All my friends love macs but the problem is i can only afford the cheapest 1, the base configureation and i was planning on upgrading ram and what not on my own. I know for HPs i can get a decent computer that can play decent games for around 800 or less after coupons and what not. I might be able to get a 30% discount on the mac actually but does the macbook cut it for gaming?

 

Frankly, good luck gaming on a macbook with integrated graphics. Oh, and without XP/Vista your screwed by default.

 

Yeah, I would have to agree.

 

Mac book isn't meant for gaming.

 

Wow the macbooks are waging a war on gaming now?

 

Wanna play games,then buy MacBook PRO

 

If you're playing older games, or less demanding games, integrated graphics aren't bad.
However I have no experience with HL2, bioshock or warcraft, so I honestly couldn't say about them.
As long as you don't expect to get 300fps in high, you might be ok.

 

If your talking about WOW, then the macbook could handle i, but not great (and you'll brobably want to put xp on there too)

HL2 scales down very well. so it will be playable, just don't expect miracles.

IDK about bioshock thought.

Honestly if you want to do any gaming it would be much better to get a windows based machine, and just get a refurb touch or something similar if you really want that.

 

I currently have a MacBook and an HP.

The MacBook is the mid-2007 white MacBook with the SuperDrive. 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo, 2.5GB of RAM, Intel GMA 950 (better performer than the X3100 in most real world situations).

I have an HP dv6500t with a Core 2 Duo 2GHz, GeForce 8400M GS, 2GB of RAM, etc.

Honestly, for games, you are MUCH better off with the HP. Much. Some people say Half-Life 2 runs good on the Intel GPUs? No way. I tried it. I had to turn everything down to low and it still barely choked out 30fps at 800x600.

Plus, if you have that GeForce 8400M GS (it has HDCP certified HDMI output) and a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, you can pick up an external blu-ray drive and watch blu-ray discs on your PC or an HDTV.

As far as reliability goes.. well, I'm on my second MacBook now due to a repair that got botched on the first one. On both systems I've had random 90s style lockups. OS X likes to crash randomly while doing random things (such as clicking burn in a burn folder to burn data to a disc) or while emptying the trash of things like picture files.

I've also had issues with 10.5.3 (with a fresh install too!) having problems NOT shutting down when using optical audio output, not ejecting discs, and Mail not wanting to close.

Ironically, my dv6500t running Vista has been 100% rock solid (as has Windows running on the MacBook). OS X doesn't have the same problems as Windows. It has a whole slew of DIFFERENT problems.

Plus you can get a good deal on the dv2700t at HP right now. $1,163.99 gets you Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Core 2 Duo at 2.4GHz, 2GB of RAM, 250GB HDD, Webcam/mic/fingerprint reader, GeForce 8400M GS, 4 hours of real world battery life.

 

I have a macbook and warcraft III and I can say it runs Warcraft III no problem it can run it with ichat itunes and safari open too so it's all good. I don't think Bioshock is considered "light gaming" that's a pretty demanding game I've heard. I think you'd be better of getting the macbook pro since it has dedicated graphics and it's just a more beautiful computer in general. So get the pro, if your budget permits that is.

 

OP said that he can only afford the entry level MacBook. So a machine that costs nearly twice the price is out of the question.

You also have to consider that the MacBook Pro is a $2,000 machine with a mid-level GPU. Anyone who wants to buy a machine for gaming should avoid Macs in general, as they don't come with what they should for their price.

To the OP: head over to ibuypower.com. They build custom machines. They've been around forever and have won countless awards for their stuff. For $999 you get a 15.4" system, 3 hours of battery life, 2.4GHz C2D (Penryn), 2GB of RAM, 120GB HDD, 512MB GeForce 8600M GT, DVD writer, etc. Better deal than the HP or especially the MacBook/MacBook Pro.

 

yeah for bioshock your out of luck, rest is okay on reduction of effects, resolution

 

I wouldn't suggest buying from ibuypower.com. One of the reasons apple products tend to cost more than similarly-spec notebooks is because of their quality and OS X. I've had some friends who have purchased from ibuypower and their computers didn't last all that long. Sure, they might have stronger components for a smaller price tag, but what good is a computer that doesn't work? I understand that the OP might not be able to afford a Macbook Pro but he/she is gonna have to understand budget gaming. It's like trying to find a computer for $1000 that plays Crysis well, that's just not possible. So to the OP, it is indeed possible to find a computer that plays games decently but you might be hard-pressed to find a notebook that performs the way you want it to. Of course, this is all referring to playing Bioshock, as mentioned above, the other games should be fine.

 

You're talking to the wrong person if you're trying to bring "quality" into the argument for Apple's higher prices.

My first MacBook had a bad SuperDrive out of the box. It couldn't burn discs right. Sent it in for repair and it was made worse. It was also discoloring and had a squeaky spacebar.

System was replaced with the one I have now. That was in September. In Feb of this year the bottom right side of the top case started to come apart. It started separating and lifting up. Sent it in for repair and it took two trips before they fixed it properly so the case wasn't "squishy" and to fix the massive scratching the repair facility caused.

Now it has a squeaky spacebar and the "Delete" key is a little sticky.

That's just my problems. Head over to MacRumors and you'll find hundreds of posts about yellowing screens on the MBPs.

Let's not forget this http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,131548-pg,1/article.html

Don't get me started on the heat issues either. Even the current Macs get uncomfortably hot because of a poorly designed cooling system. The MacBook's plastic case can even crack in numerous places because of the heat.

We can also discuss how easy the MacBook Pro will dent.

As for OS X.. well, I can go on and on about that too. I've had OS X lock up my entire system probably 10 times now in the year I've owned the Mac. Windows on my Mac doesn't lock up at all. In fact, Windows on my Mac is rock solid. But OS X? Crashes randomly. One time I was in a Skype video call. Middle of the call, not even touching the computer and it locked up. Another time? Clicked "Burn" in a "Burn Folder" to burn data to a disc. System locked up. Another time I had pictures in the trash. Hit Empty Trash and it locked up.

Another problem that I enjoy, 10.5.3 is unstable with optical audio output. I plugged in an optical cable and after I was finished using the system, DVDs wouldn't eject and the system wouldn't shut down. Same activities went fine without the optical cable plugged in.

While Vista on my HP has been rock solid. Not a single issue.

Plus Apple's computers are generally priced twice as high as similar hardware. ibuypower has the same power as the MacBook Pro for half the cost. You'd be hard pressed to find a notebook PC with an Intel integrated GPU for more than $800. You won't find an AMD system with a GPU as bad as any Intel GPU at any price.

I have friends who have 4 year old ibuypower systems. Pentium M 2GHz, upgraded to 2GB of RAM, Radeon 9700s. They're still good systems.

The problem with most notebooks is that the DC jack is soldered on to the motherboard. With the switch to MagSafe/Intel (HP and a small number of others do this as well), Apple made the power input a separate board. But, apparently, most (including ibuypower) still soldered the DC jack on to the motherboard. What does this mean? That most people are dumb and will move the system while its plugged in and this puts a large amount of stress on the DC jack. If used regularly and as intended, nearly all of these failures wouldn't occur and I guarantee you that your friend's systems would still be working.

It is very possible to find a LARGE number of systems with the same "power" as the MBP in the $1,000 price range.

The MacBook Pro is literally priced at twice what it should be.

The OP will have no problem finding a $1,000 system that can run Crysis, Bioshock, etc.

The 8600M GT is more than capable of playing Bioshock. And considering you can get a 2.4GHz Penryn with a GeForce 8600M GT w/512MB of memory in the ~$1000 range, theres no reason the OP can't find a good system cheap.

Just because Apple charges outrageous prices for their systems doesn't mean its not possible to get a good and equally as powerful system for as little as half the cost.

And yes, I typed this all out on my MacBook.

 

haha it just seems like u are one of the few who aren't suffering from "Vista woes" I have to agree that you did make some valid points. But I still think that macs are better in that they don't get viruses (as often) and TEND to be of better quality.

 

I found it a bit off putting playing pretty basic on the MB as the fans would get really quite loud as soon as i started playing a game. It put me of from playing actually and it also seemed like the MB was really being stretched and this concerned me a little as well. You can google Macbook gaming fans and I am sure you will find some stuff on this on google.

I have owned a MBP also and the fans were not as noisy as they were with the MB that i owned so i don't think that this is just a problem with Mac OSX.
I didn't have this problem with an M1330 using an 8400GS either or a SZ in speed mode either.

 

One of the few? Nah. I honestly hear of a lot more positive Vista experiences than negative. Ironically, I hear less about people having issues with Vista than with Leopard. Leopard's gotten to the point with some people that they're wondering if they could sue Apple for false advertisements over all of the "Stable OS" remarks made in their commercials.

It's also pretty difficult for Vista to get viruses. If you leave UAC on then its next to impossible for a virus/malware of any kind to get admin access.

When it comes to build quality as well, my HP is leaps and bounds better than my Mac. Hard plastic on the bottom and no material that can separate and lift like the top case. Or crack because of pressure like the top case. Or crack because of heat like various spots on the MacBook. It certainly won't dent like the MacBook Pro either.

Plus most notebook PCs are upgradeable to an extent. There are standard height blu-ray notebook drives popping up in stores. Funny that I can swap it out on my $900 HP and watch blu-ray movies on my HDTV thanks to the GeForce and HDCP certified HDMI output. But my $1400 (after taxes) MacBook can't have that upgrade nor does it have the graphics horsepower (or HDCP certification) to play those movies. Plus my HP has a TV tuner and a fingerprint reader.

I like the design of my MacBook. My only problem with it is that you spend $1100 for no DVD writer and no dedicated GPU. $1300 before taxes for a DVD writer but no dedicated GPU. OS X is nice, but it has its own share of problems. It's not nearly as problem free as Apple would have you believe.

 

Macbook + Starcraft = Gold

 

This is all anecdotal, and if you asked any different person on this forum their experiences, it would be different, and likely skewed toward whatever brand they prefer. By default, there will be more Vista users experiencing problems with their OS, simply because there are vastly more of them. It proves little.

That's not quite true. At this point, there are plenty of viruses/malware that can be acquired even with UAC. And I think anyone whose used Vista will agree that the constant "are you sure you want to do this?" messaging gets old and is the main reason people switch UAC off. It's not like people are saying.."Oh, well, I like viruses!"

Again, anecdotal - this may be true for you, but isn't true for everyone. I had an HP not too long ago and the hinge cracked badly from minimal, babied usage. My sister just had to send her DV6000 in because the wireless/motherboard failed. Does that mean HP is crap? No. Neither does it mean all Apples are crappy because of your experience. My youngest sister has had her ibook G4 forever, treats it like total junk, and it still functions perfectly, with minor scratching despite it all. Again, you can find any number of stories to contradict your generalizing statements.

I don't think anyone on this planet would argue that Macs are inexpensive or even represent the best value for the dollar. They're expensive. People that decide to buy them know this, and do so anyway because of a number of different reasons. I don't understand why people feel the need to campaign against another person's preference. I've had Vaios, HPs, and now a MBP, and can honestly say all three were good for their own reasons.

To the OP: The entry-level macbook is not a machine build for gaming. You can play older games decently, but if you plan to do any reasonable amount of gaming, I'd take a look at HP. They're making some really nice machines right now. Especially if money is a concern, and it seems to be.

Good luck.

 

I couldn't read through all of your complaining, but I did find one thing that i would like to comment upon.

"We can also discuss how easy the MacBook Pro will dent."

I would just like to note that I dropped my macbook pro (once, about a year ago) some 3 1/2 feet onto a hardwood floor. Not only did it NOT dent, but it didn't even leave a scratch. I was pretty amazed at the time. Still am.

But not everyone can have a good experience, even with a good product.

i got a macbook for my mom, which she loves and it has had no problems. works with pretty much any printer (a massive library of printer drivers is built into osx) and does her photos out of the box (iphoto). i can also do screen sharing through ichat to help her if there is something she doesn't know how to do. all this functionality is out of the box, which is nice. no discolouration on the palm area or anywhere on the case (that was an issue from a long time ago).

i have also had a similarly good experience with my macbook pro. it runs my games while still retaining a solid amount of portability. a large amount of the price tag comes from the form factor / performance of the macbook pro. it doesn't have the most powerful graphics solution in existence (that title is obviously reserved for desktops, or render farms, technically), but it fares very well against other 15" laptops (the alienware m15x has an 8800m gtx, but that laptop is definitely not for everyone). the macbook pro can still handle any game very fluently, minus crysis, which it can only run at medium/high settings at 1024x640 and still retain 30fps (overclocked)

of course the best solution to that problem is to uninstall crysis and install CoD4.

now, thats for the macbook pro. this doesn't change the fact that the macbook is not designed for 3d gaming. you might be able to get away with css on low settings. maybe.

 

But for the most part, only a fraction of Vista users are experiencing any kind of issues. Most of those were driver issues early on which have been solved now.

But even during Vista's infancy, I never had it lock up the way OS X likes to randomly crash.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...s_despised_uac_nails_rootkits_tests_find.html "The results for Vista products were harder to assess because only six rootkits could run on the OS, but the testers had to turn off UAC to get even this far. Vista's UAC itself spotted everything thrown in front of it."

Also, UAC isn't "constant". You see it pop up a lot when you're first setting your system up because you're installing software. But once you get passed that point you see it as rarely as you see a password prompt in OS X.

I've had 3 HPs and none of them have ever had any cosmetic issues like that. Not like the MacBook, with it's known issues with cracking due to heat and on the "top case" wrist rest because of pressure from the magnetic "latch". Both of my MacBooks have had numerous cosmetic issues.

That was a known issue that HP issued a recall on. How known issues has Apple ever issued a recall for? Hell, they've had to lose class action lawsuits to finally fix issues with computers in the past. Or like the iBook G4, have governments get involved and order Apple to do repairs.

Well, if you browse various forums, you'll see far more complaints of hardware and build quality issues with Apple products than with any other brand. Most PC problems are Windows/user related, while the vast majority of Apple problems are build quality issues.

Like this one? http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/04/danes-claim-to-have-proven-ibook-g4-logic-board-defect/

Theres no "campaigning" going on here. Just pointing out the facts. And the fact that Apple greatly overcharges for their computers. I realized this too long after the return window for my MacBook had closed.

Well, you're the exception to the rule. Just google "macbook pro dent" and check out the results. MacBook Pros seem to be so flimsy that they'll warp, dent, or scratch if you look at it the wrong way.

Yeah, I know OS X has a massive printer driver library built-in. I've had to deselect it every time I've re-installed OS X. I just need the HP drivers, nothing else. Oh, and Vista works with just about any printer too. I connected my 3 year old HP All-in-One and my 2 year old HP Photosmart compact photo printer and Vista recognized both and was even able to scan from my all-in-one. I can't get scanning on OS X without going through a ridiculous driver install that makes even hardened Windows fans scratch their head.

Windows Photo Gallery is very close to iPhoto. And built-in.

Remote assistance has been in Windows since 2001.

Funny how my MacBook purchased in 2007 (March) had this problem. The plastic on the hinge also turned yellow due to heat, as well as the plastic vents covering the exhaust.

But it costs the same!

Also, there are (much) cheaper notebooks that have better versions of the 8600M GT, even some costing hundreds less than the entry model that sport dual 8600M GTs running in SLI. The 8700M can be found in several cheaper notebooks as well, even dual setups of it.

You can get a notebook as powerful as the mid-range MacBook Pro for about $1400 less