Afterthoughts on performance

I bought the $699 2.6GHz Core i5 Mac Mini with 8GB RAM and 1TB 5400RPM and have been using it the past few days. I really like OS X. I have paired the system with a 27" 1920x1080 monitor. So my question is, do you think this will be powerful enough to play games like 2013 Tomb Raider, one of the few demanding games I'm interested in even though I'm a casual gamer, and also develop software on? I just want to make absolutely sure that I made the right purchase. I did not realize that the $999 model had a Fusion Drive when making my purchase. I thought you were paying $300 more for just 200MHz more speed.

Anyway, I actually have the money to get something more powerful, but this was "cheap" enough, I am really considering not doing so.

Thoughts?

Xegaman said:

So my question is, do you think this will be powerful enough to play games like 2013 Tomb Raider, one of the few demanding games I'm interested in even though I'm a casual gamer, and also develop software on?

Thoughts?

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Have you looked up the systems specs for this game (or games) you want to play? This is really the first thing to do in this situation. Sometimes sites will provide minimum specs & recommended specs. Then compare this to your Mac-Mini.

- Nick

And imho the Mini is made cheap to compete against low end PC machines.

Hi harryb2448,

I am sure every owner of a Mac Mini is aware of the limitations but on my account there are certain things the need to be addressed. First I am a retired person of some 82 years, second I am a wheelchair bound person and third as a result of my disability I need mobility with my computer in case of malfunction. Lastly it is a case of needs must when the devil drives! I cannot put in any overtime for more cash in the bank and I do NOT like laptops. I am not an action gamer of any sort and those few facts make the Mac Mini an ideal choice, it does all I ask of it admirably. Do not knock it, it is a super little machine and very good value for money. An iMac like the one you own is only a pipe dream for me but, should it go wrong I wonder how I would transport it for repair?
Very best regards from Keith in Derby England.

sllewk said:

I am sure every owner of a Mac Mini is aware of the limitations but on my account there are certain things the need to be addressed. First I am a retired person of some 82 years, second I am a wheelchair bound person and third as a result of my disability I need mobility with my computer in case of malfunction. Lastly it is a case of needs must when the devil drives! I cannot put in any overtime for more cash in the bank and I do NOT like laptops. I am not an action gamer of any sort and those few facts make the Mac Mini an ideal choice, it does all I ask of it admirably. Do not knock it, it is a super little machine and very good value for money. An iMac like the one you own is only a pipe dream for me but, should it go wrong I wonder how I would transport it for repair?

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Mac-Mini's since they were introduced in 2005 (11 years ago)…were meant to be a low-priced entry-level computer…plain & simple.

Yes you have some personal needs that the Mac-Mini fills nicely.

Harryb was simply commenting to the OP of the thread that when you purchase a low-end entry-level computer…you cannot expect "monster computer" gaming performance.

- Nick

Hi Xegaman, I should imagine that the CPU and memory are more than adequate for your gaming, but the stumbling block may well be the graphics card. Is it onboard graphics and how much memory allocated ?

Tomb Raider used to be playable on early Windoze machines with single core Pentium 3/4 800Mhz/2Ghz, a couple of Gb of memory and 64Mb graphics card, albeit the less demanding versions of these games at the time ... ... I remember mine had a fair to middling result on the "3D mark" test ... you could perhaps download and run the up to date version. ... http://download.cnet.com/3DMark-2013/3000-2086_4-75872473.html (this version of 3D Mark would be appropriate to check if your machine may run the 2013 version of Tomb Raider)

I used to edit video on a Pentium 3 Win 98se machine and the far more efficient and superior Mac was just a pipe dream for me... Anyone remember "Simply DV", I was a moderator on that early intro to digital video filming, capture and editing website and forum, and helped advise members on the setup of Windows to best edit and render video during the end of the
last Millennium into the early noughties... if only I owned my new/old mid 2012 Macbook Pro back then ...

Alan.