Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Gaming > WoW on new iMac

WoW on new iMac
Thread Tools
wolfen
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: On this side of there
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 11, 2007, 12:53 AM
 
If WoW is the main game you play, this machine is perfectly fine.

I have a 24" iMac (2.4/2gb). I have been running around in WSG and AB tonite. Most of my video settings are on high. I replaced a 1ghz Ti Powerbook, which had to have all the settings Low and I eeked out about 10-15 fps.

FPS Performance on the new iMac swayed from 30's to 90's in the BG's and in Scarlet Monastery. Strangely enough this had nothing to do with how much activity was going on. I would have to test to see if there's anything in particular that makes it drop. But so far it seems nearly random. And there really is nothing like 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor. It's beautiful in the bg's when terrain distance is set high.

Anyway, It is more than acceptable. The machine is silent. The speakers are not awesome, but they are certainly loud enough. I prefer headphones for gaming anyway.

I'm sure the next expansion pack will come at a cost to fps, but I'm also sure this machine will do fine for the next 3-4 years. Leopard should improve things a bit, as well.
Do you want forgiveness or respect?
     
highstakes
Senior User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Illinois
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 11, 2007, 01:23 AM
 
were you running full screen or windowed mode? I get good FPS while in window mode, but in full screen, i lose about 10 fps for some reason. I got a MBP CD by the way.
_________________
- highstakes
     
wolfen  (op)
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: On this side of there
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 11, 2007, 02:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by highstakes View Post
were you running full screen or windowed mode? I get good FPS while in window mode, but in full screen, i lose about 10 fps for some reason. I got a MBP CD by the way.
Windowed mode does give a little better fps, for some reason....but I was reporting from full screen.

But even windowed mode on this screen is still, what, 23"?
Do you want forgiveness or respect?
     
Randman
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MacNN database error. Please refresh your browser.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 11, 2007, 02:24 PM
 
Make sure your wow screen settings match your display settings. I have a MPB 17 and used to try and play the game with some reduced screen settings, thinking it would give me more fps. After reading up on it, I went to the full settings and my fps actually improved, especially in windowed mode.

This is a computer-generated message and needs no signature.
     
imacman
Baninated
Join Date: Aug 2007
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 13, 2007, 04:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by wolfen View Post
If WoW is the main game you play, this machine is perfectly fine.

I have a 24" iMac (2.4/2gb). I have been running around in WSG and AB tonite. Most of my video settings are on high. I replaced a 1ghz Ti Powerbook, which had to have all the settings Low and I eeked out about 10-15 fps.

FPS Performance on the new iMac swayed from 30's to 90's in the BG's and in Scarlet Monastery. Strangely enough this had nothing to do with how much activity was going on. I would have to test to see if there's anything in particular that makes it drop. But so far it seems nearly random. And there really is nothing like 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor. It's beautiful in the bg's when terrain distance is set high.

Anyway, It is more than acceptable. The machine is silent. The speakers are not awesome, but they are certainly loud enough. I prefer headphones for gaming anyway.

I'm sure the next expansion pack will come at a cost to fps, but I'm also sure this machine will do fine for the next 3-4 years. Leopard should improve things a bit, as well.
So basically, compared to a completely outdated system, it is fast. Gee, no way. Now go compare it to an older iMac with a 7600GT.
     
wolfen  (op)
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: On this side of there
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 13, 2007, 04:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by imacman View Post
So basically, compared to a completely outdated system, it is fast. Gee, no way. Now go compare it to an older iMac with a 7600GT.
Why? I'm not buying an older iMac with a 7600GT.

Do you want forgiveness or respect?
     
buffswin
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 14, 2007, 02:32 PM
 
Has anybody run it on the low end iMac to see what kind of fps they can get, and the settings they used?

I would love to buy an iMac, but I can't afford (in either cost or desktop space) to get the 24inc model. So I am thinking that I'd like the low end 20" -- but again, I'd like to see some WoW results.
     
D.O.G.S. CEO
Baninated
Join Date: Aug 2007
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 14, 2007, 02:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by wolfen View Post
Why? I'm not buying an older iMac with a 7600GT.

Because it's a LOT faster:

     
sek929
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 14, 2007, 02:40 PM
 
So the old iMac can muster 40 FPS better than the new one?

Congrats Apple, you lost an iMac sale.
     
Faust
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: hamburg, germany
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 14, 2007, 03:08 PM
 
What surprises me more is how much faster the Mac Pro with a Radeon 1900 fares compared to the Mac Pro with a G7300. I am glad I chose the former on purchase.
     
buffswin
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 14, 2007, 03:08 PM
 
I did find some comments about the new 20 inch iMac and the HD2600 PRO card. (That is the UPGRADED card, fyi)

"For WoW, the card is great. 40-70fps with fairly high quality settings. And I'm sure the drivers still need optimization."

Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 8/14/07


So still no confirmation re: the low end 20" iMac.
     
wolfen  (op)
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: On this side of there
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 15, 2007, 12:56 AM
 
Originally Posted by D.O.G.S. CEO View Post
Because it's a LOT faster:
You make absolutely no sense. I could compare it to MANY cards and MANY machines that are faster -- all of which I'm not interested in getting. So who cares? Only you. Enjoy your iMac. I'll enjoy mine. You can lather up with baby oil and relish your faster gpu, and I'll enjoy my faster bus, cpu, larger HD, blah blah blah blah. .... nobody cares. For games and video the saturated colors are more enjoyable. I'm not worried about image-to-print perfection. I don't print images.

I edited video today with no problems whatsoever. So how is a faster GPU a concern? How do you get "faster is betterer" when I'm experiencing absolutely no shortcomings? Perfect is perfect. FCE will easily fulfill all my needs for the next 3-4 years. I have Firewire 800 in case anybody ever uses it in future, and i've got plenty of HD space. I'm not concerned about the stupid 3D graphics.
Do you want forgiveness or respect?
     
voodoo
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Salamanca, EspaƱa
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 22, 2007, 10:04 PM
 
Apple hates good graphic cards. Long history of hatred there. The weaker the better and downgrading the GPU when upgrading the Mac is a favorite with Apple.

So what else is new?

V
I could take Sean Connery in a fight... I could definitely take him.
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:59 AM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,