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MacBook Pro for Gaming?

post #1 of 13
4/18/06 at 4:51pm
Thread Starter 
Anyone here a gamer that has a MacBook Pro? Currently I'm planning to get the $1999 version. I've been reading about this baby for a while and I've fallen in love with it. I also love the fact that I can run Linux, Windows and Mac OS on one computer! This being my first laptop and Mac purchase, I'm still doing my research and would like to ask a few questions to users who already own one:

1) Has anyone here tried playing WoW on this machine? I'm curious as how it handles on the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory video card.

2) Does anyone know if they are releasing a 17" version of the MacBook Pro?

3) Has anyone tried running games and apps through Boot Camp and can report back on performance? From what I've heard they run great.
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post #2 of 13
4/18/06 at 5:04pm
Hey,

I got the same MacBookPro you're looking at, except I added 1 gig of RAM.
Personally it runs CS:Source perfectly, I turn off HDR though, cuz I don't need/want it, lol.
I haven't ran WoW on it, since I dont' play it, but I cannot see any reason why it wouldn't play it.

I use the MBP for everything now, except I have a server for files, etc, but it replaced 3 machines for me. It was well worth the money, even the buzzing noise, and it does get hot.

If I were you I would get the MBP and get more RAM for it, but if you can wait a few months, not sure when, but I'm almost 100 percent they will release the 17" version this year yet.
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post #3 of 13
4/18/06 at 5:17pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reply!

I was actually looking at getting a Dell Inspiron E1705 (lol) for about $1300 but this thing is beautiful. The heat issues and noises do bother me as $2000 dollars is a lot of money. I am also worried about that video card. As for the memory, I would definietly order an extra 1GB of memory. The thing that is currently selling me is that I can run any OS on it! Do you experience any ghosting?

And as a follow up...does anyone in these forums play WoW on this thing?
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post #4 of 13
4/18/06 at 7:13pm
Tonight I will be posting results from games. I am installing boot camp tonight, so hopefully I will run some benchmarks and such on a 1.83ghz yonah dual core with the 128mb x1600 video card. I hope it lives up to my expectations!
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post #5 of 13
4/18/06 at 11:30pm
Hey,

I haven't experienced any ghosting. I had some from my old Dell 9300 though, but none from the MBP.

also, if you are daring enough, they found out that the ati x1600 in the MacBookPro are underclocked quite a bit.....

but I don't plan on overclocking anytime soon, since it'd be super hot and prolly void the applecare
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post #6 of 13
4/19/06 at 12:39am
there are almost no warranties out there that actually allow for overclocking.... as for gaming, using bootcamp you should be okay to game and enjoy yourself. if the card is underclocked then it wont live up to what one with more normal clocks will do in terms of 3dmark.
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post #7 of 13
4/20/06 at 1:03am
I have the 2.0 ghz version with the 256mb x1600 and have been running Oblivion on it at all high settings easily. I haven't overclocked the gpu and probably won't because the machine runs a bit warm already. I haven't done anythine thing else to graphic intensive besides Oblivion. I've used photoshop and illustrator but not to much else. Great machine though! The whine is a bit annoying but I can deal with it.
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post #8 of 13
4/20/06 at 11:01am
You aren't running oblivion on high settings unless you have it running at 640x480. I have it on my macbookpro with medium to low settings and 1280 x 768 with HDR (gets around 15fps outside and 20fps in cities) and without HDR with 2aa I get 20fps outside and 25fps in the city. There is no way you are running it all the settings maxed unless you like a slideshow.

If I knew that the GPU was so heavily underclocked (it runs a tad faster than a standard clocked x1400) I would have possibly rethought my purchase. But after installing bootcamp and overclocking the video card, it lives up to more of my expectations.
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post #9 of 13
4/20/06 at 12:11pm
I have the 2.16ghz 100 g 7200 hd 256mb X1600 version, I have added 1g ram for total of 2gigs, with XP Pro via Boot Camp.
I can run HL2, Q4 and UT2004 at 1024x768 with medium settings and very playable frame rates, XP Pro runs blazing fast as does OS X.
I was disappointed to find the gpu 33% underclocked. I am also disappointed with the amount of heat generated and honestly afraid to overclock the gpu.
Now I understand the principle of a metal case pulling heat and helping to keep the internal hardware cool but after running all day I found the heat very uncomfortable, so much so in fact that I am giving serious consideration to returning it today.
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post #10 of 13
4/20/06 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by francodanco
I was disappointed to find the gpu 33% underclocked. I am also disappointed with the amount of heat generated and honestly afraid to overclock the gpu.
Now, since it is underclocked, putting it 33% up technically wouldn't be overclocking it, would it?

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post #11 of 13
4/20/06 at 1:43pm
I would def get a 256MB video card though. I think its worth it especially if you are going to keep the laptop for a while. I am getting one too in june and I decided that I was going to opt for the 256MB card.
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post #12 of 13
4/20/06 at 1:54pm
You'll want to run XP in Bootcamp if you do it.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2006/04/19
I’m running WOW at 1440 x 900 with all my graphic settings jacked all the way up. I’ve got spell effects and textures and all that good stuff up as high as it can go. With these settings under OS X I hovered between 15 and 20 FPS. It was just barley playable but for raids and stuff I’d drop down to a lower resolution and take off a few of the fancy effects. Now on the same laptop, but running under Windows with the same crazy settings I averaged between 35 and 40 FPS. That’s a pretty f*cking big difference in my book. It was even able to maintain that frame rate in major cities and in a raid out in SS.
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post #13 of 13
4/21/06 at 5:51pm
I've noticed the MBP's in the local Apple store are hot just sitting their idle running the demo screens. I have also heard that Apple is replacing parts on some of the first MBP lots due to overheating. That worries me a bit.

Any midrange GPU is going to run about 75-90 deg under load, and thats a lot of heat to manage in a thin chassis with one low noise fan. My 8104 has similar heat issues (none that actually cause problems, but it gets VERY hot gaming).
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