Gaming

Here are some things to consider...

I own a Mac Pro 2.66. I love to game FPS, with games like HL2, UT2004, CS:S and Red Orchestra. I use boot camp to play all these games and it works fine. However I really did not buy a MAC Pro for this reason. So what I have learned is if gaming is "going" to be a big part of why you want a new computer I would say stick with a PC. Most games are developed with the PC in mind and not MAC. One thing that is not great about gaming on a MAC is the lack of Video Cards. The PC has a so many more options for Video cards and after all, it is all about the Video Performance. So to play games like the one's listed above the video cards for the MAC Pro at this time sucks... The Price for the ATI on mac is 399.99. For the ATI version of the PC you can find it for 225.00. Not to mention a separate HD for Boot Camp (I Recommend it). So after it is all said and done the PC is a better option, and easier on the pocket book...

BTW there is nothing wrong with a PC. I still love Windows XP/Vista both OS's have their advantages.

Hey, I own a 2.66 Mac Pro, which I bought purely for work - gotta admit, I was tempted by the option of running WindowsXP on it (I'm a PC guy). To tell you the truth, Windows runs so smoothly and is so stable, that after a while sticked to it and forgot about OSX.

Now I'm planning to buy another 2.66 for work AND GAMING at home. I gave a long thought to this and the reasons behind it are as follow:
1. Mac is excellent machine, made of great materials. I enjoy it even when it's turned off.
2. Mac, despite having a few coolers, is so much more silent than any PC machine I've ever owned. A few words from a PC guy: this IS IMPOSSIBLE to build any PC as silent as IMAC or MAC MINI (I got these, too) and if you wanted to build a PC with similar power to MAC PRO and as silent, you'd have to pump in so much money, that it would supposedly be much much more expensive.
3. It is not true that Mac's are more expensive in general. I took my time and configured a Dell PC with similar power and options to Mac Pro (it had 1 QuadCPU 2.66, 1GB RAM, 256MBGeForece card - supposedly better than MAC's, 8600 instead of 7300), BUT the price for Dell summed up to $2,958, while MAC stayed at $2,499. I suppose Dell, overall, is a bit faster, but nevertheless I think saying that MAC's are more expensive than PC's (factory-built) is a myth. I can be pretty sure, that Dell would'nt be as silent as MAC PRO.
4. I tested my old MAC PRO with 7300 card and compared it to 9 months old PC, which was built for me on order and at the time of buing was a top-shelf system. MAC PRO wasn't really slower in games. Now that you take a look at performance of MAC's native 7300 and X1900 you'll notice, that for as little as $250 you get double performance. The only thing that worries me is if X1900 card would be as silent as 7300. Cool and quiet system is my priority.
5. I hadn't have any trouble playing games on MAC. I can only say, that now I look at MAC as gaming platform, and wouldn't go as far as saying that buying MAC for games is an overkill. You get excellent, well manufactured system, silent and reliable and free of all typical PC ballpark full of LED-diodes, plastic, innervating hissing of cooling and such.

What is more to say, huh?

When are they going to come out with a Direct X 10 graphics card for the Mac Pro? I am planning on getting a Mac Pro and my ultimate plan is to only boot to windows if i want to play a game that can only be purchased for windows.

I don't play FPS's but I do play games like Morrowind/Oblivion, and I know the next set of Elder Scrolls games will probably be ridiculous and require Direct X 10 for best settings. I don't want to buy a PC, so should I just wait till the next Mac Pro update?

Speaking of updates, does anyone know that site that has the theoretical times for the next update of apple hardware? I know its out there but I can't find it. I think it estimates, in days, how long it will be until the next update.

Thanks.

jdgaines said:

When are they going to come out with a Direct X 10 graphics card for the Mac Pro? I am planning on getting a Mac Pro and my ultimate plan is to only boot to windows if i want to play a game that can only be purchased for windows.

I don't play FPS's but I do play games like Morrowind/Oblivion, and I know the next set of Elder Scrolls games will probably be ridiculous and require Direct X 10 for best settings. I don't want to buy a PC, so should I just wait till the next Mac Pro update?

Speaking of updates, does anyone know that site that has the theoretical times for the next update of apple hardware? I know its out there but I can't find it. I think it estimates, in days, how long it will be until the next update.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

well leopard comes out in oct...
With it no doubt they will bring out a next generation of imac, mac pro's, macbooks maybe even a new mac mini???

I think the ammount of cash u lot are speaking about shelling out for gaming is crazy.. fair enough u like quality with ur gaming but is it really worth that much money!?!?!?!
so what if every blade of grass shows if it's been stepped on or not!!!

but... i really think apple should attack the game console market...
I think they r more then capable of muscling into the top 3 with xbox 360 and PS3...

Sony have let me down so many times I have grown to hate them... and I think we know who we would pick in a choice out of apple and microsoft...
apple have the upper hand at the momment with a great reputation they can easily get the sales...
lets hope the iphone doesn't flop and knock apples credability..

GO APPLE GAMES CONSOLE!!!!!

(It should at least b considered)

Finx_1 said:

GO APPLE GAMES CONSOLE!!!!!

Click to expand...

*virtual high five*

Finx_1 said:

GO APPLE GAMES CONSOLE!!!!!

(It should at least b considered)

Click to expand...

Apple Pippin - Google it

Stretch said:

Apple Pippin - Google it

Click to expand...

Yeah, I know about that. Kind of a joke right? I think this was before Apple was really good at marketing and had the mindset to organize their products around what people wanted instead of what they thought was cool.

Stretch said:

Apple Pippin - Google it

Click to expand...

Wikipedia:
"Apple never intended to release its own Pippin. Instead it intended to license the technology to third parties"

Apple should stand and be heard in the console market!!!!
They have the ideas and the design power behind them, I think they could obliterate the competition and retake there rightful place as a leader in creating gaming machines!!!

jdgaines: *virtual high five*

reiceved... with thanks...