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::maroma:: · Nov 22, 2005, 03:30 PM

Hey guys, I'm on the verge of getting a 20" iMac and was wondering if anyone has any real world experience with the new iMacs and WoW? I'm just looking for decent frame rates, not terribly concerned about pumping up the graphics and such. I have all the graphics turned down to minimum on my current setup and I don't mind it. But I still get pretty crappy frame rates in most areas.

Anyone have a new iMac and has played WoW on it? Please post your opinions if you have.

(sorry if this has been posted before, I used the Search function but didn't find anything)

greenamp · Nov 22, 2005, 04:28 PM

Even though it's got a g5 the iMac is still not a very effective gaming rig.

That being said, if you have all the settings turned to low, have all shaders turned off, and have your terrain render distance as low as it will go, then there really isn't much else you can do.

Upgrading from 512 to 1g of ram would help some, but not much.

::maroma:: · Nov 22, 2005, 04:59 PM

Well I'm not looking for a gaming rig per se, but just something that will play WoW fairly smoothly. Actually, as long as it plays it better than my current rig (massively upgraded G4 Sawtooth) then its fine with me. WoW is the only game I play these days so that's the reason why I ask.

AKcrab · Nov 22, 2005, 06:44 PM

I used to play on a G4 867, 32MB vid... I am now on a 20" 2GHz G5 iMac, 128MB vid...
The difference is night and day. I've not done MC, but the Alterac Valley battlegrounds are completely playable. Most of my settings are still "lowish", but I run at native resolution, so things look pretty good.

::maroma:: · Nov 22, 2005, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by AKcrab

I used to play on a G4 867, 32MB vid... I am now on a 20" 2GHz G5 iMac, 128MB vid...
The difference is night and day. I've not done MC, but the Alterac Valley battlegrounds are completely playable. Most of my settings are still "lowish", but I run at native resolution, so things look pretty good.

Great, that sounds good to me. I'm mainly concerned with frame rate strictly for pvp. My frame rate in MC can tank, that doesn't bother me too much. As long as it stays playable. I do AB mostly now and while my current machine does OK usually, sometimes it gets so bad that it becomes unplayable. So the iMac sounds like it will do me just fine.

Thanks for the info!

AKcrab · Nov 22, 2005, 09:54 PM

You're welcome. Please roll an alt on Crushridge, alliance side.

::maroma:: · Nov 22, 2005, 09:58 PM

Hehe, oh the pesky alliance! My horde brethren would be appalled!

- - e r i k - - · Nov 23, 2005, 04:22 AM

I have absolutely no problems running it native res on my 20" iMac (pretty identical to the recently released one apart from the 100 Mhz

). I have the graphics pumped up too. It lags if I use the death effect (full screen glow) and in IF. But everyone lags in IF, so that's not anything new.

Oh, and whisperwind is where all the mac peeps are at.

11011001 · Nov 23, 2005, 06:00 AM

Actually, I would like to stress the RAM upgrade. The bottom RAM slot on my laptop is dead, so I'm down to 512 MB. I have noticed a huge amount of swapping, that turns the game into a slideshow at places like the AH (with 1 GB, it's choppy, but playable). In short, there is a very large difference on this machine between 512 MB and 1 GB. Though the iMac doesn't have a slow laptop drive, swapping will still lower the performance.

goMac · Nov 23, 2005, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by 11011001

Actually, I would like to stress the RAM upgrade. The bottom RAM slot on my laptop is dead, so I'm down to 512 MB. I have noticed a huge amount of swapping, that turns the game into a slideshow at places like the AH (with 1 GB, it's choppy, but playable). In short, there is a very large difference on this machine between 512 MB and 1 GB. Though the iMac doesn't have a slow laptop drive, swapping will still lower the performance.

Yep. If you load up on enough RAM you can kill IF lag this way.

jhogarty · Nov 23, 2005, 02:02 PM

Runs greated on my 20" iMac (May 06 release). I have a gig of ram. I swear I posted recently on this very same topic. Deja vu?

Oh, and roll Horde, Cenarius.

J.

- - e r i k - - · Nov 23, 2005, 09:50 PM

I have two gigs of RAM, still doesn't kill IF-lag. But it does help.

Amplus · Nov 29, 2005, 02:36 PM

Just got a 17" on the weekend. Stock it runs but lag is a bit of a problem. Installed an extra gig of ram last night and runs smooth everywhere but IF so far. Linked auction houses should kill that problem in the next patch though.

Forgot to add, Crushridge Alliance FTW

SuvsareRetarded · Nov 29, 2005, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by jhogarty

Runs greated on my 20" iMac (May 06 release). I have a gig of ram. I swear I posted recently on this very same topic. Deja vu?

You mean you posted an identical topic dealing with WOW? NO WAY!

jhogarty · Nov 29, 2005, 05:58 PM

No lag in Horde towns. Re-Roll to Horde. Kind of like leaving Windows for the Mac, you will wonder what took you so long. :-)

I don't mind reading and posting on threads involving WoW. I do mind the idiot trolls that seem to love to bash WoW. :-)

J.

jhogarty · Nov 29, 2005, 06:00 PM

{edit}

Gaarh, stupid browser. :-(

J.

Chuckit · Nov 29, 2005, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by jhogarty

No lag in Horde towns.

I could have sworn Orgrimmar was a Horde town…

bookofjames · Nov 29, 2005, 10:10 PM

I've just started on WoW for a week or so. Playing on my PB 12" 1GHz w/ 1.25GB RAM.

It's cool game. I've got a lvl 24 NE hunter on Alleria server but created a new one (now lvl 12) at Dreanor cos Alleria was so full I had to wait in queue to log on.

btw, it seems there's a lot of -ve vibe on WoW in this forum. so many threads ended in flames.... kinda scary

jhogarty · Nov 29, 2005, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I could have sworn Orgrimmar was a Horde town…

Yes, I know. Just trying to get a few good men (and women) to join the Horde. Seems 9/10 are Alliance. Perhaps I'm the only Horde player here.

J.

Chuckit · Nov 30, 2005, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by jhogarty

Yes, I know. Just trying to get a few good men (and women) to join the Horde. Seems 9/10 are Alliance. Perhaps I'm the only Horde player here.

Most people roll Alliance first, for whatever reason. I was between gnome and undead for my warlock, and I wound up going gnome, so I'm one of them. Can't tell you why everybody winds up choosing that faction, though.

By the way, I don't know if you're on a PvP server or PvE, but PvP tends to be much more balanced. PvE servers are basically Alliance servers.

jhogarty · Nov 30, 2005, 12:28 PM

I have an account on a PvP, alliance toon, with my friends from SWG. I rolled the toon and it sits at the starter town.

I play on Cenarius (PvE). I like the option of doing PvP when I want. Not have to worry about it all the time. I'm a casual gamer. Don't have all the uber gear.

On Cenarius I have found a majority of the Alli are nice. Maybe 1/4 really annoying people. But hey, that happens everywhere, right?

We seem to be outnumbered all the time, but we hold our own and win ALOT.

J.