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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > how bad is the intel graphics chip?

how bad is the intel graphics chip?
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jonicherry
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May 20, 2006, 09:25 AM
 
I love the look of the new macbook, im currently on an ibook g4 1.2ghz and im thinking of upgrading.
Im worried about the intel graphics though, will running the macbook on a 23" apple display affect perfromance? could you play doom 3 on one of these?
     
b11051973
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May 20, 2006, 09:47 AM
 
You could play Doom 3, but it would look terrible. I would say that if you're interested in playing videogames, the MB is not for you. I have a Windows gaming PC, so the MB was perfect for me.
     
jreniew
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May 20, 2006, 09:49 AM
 
I think you will be fine with the 23" display... now the games is definally a no... but is not like you can play doom3 on your ibook too good either...
     
b11051973
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May 20, 2006, 10:10 AM
 
Oh yeah, displaying on an external display works fine. I've connected mine to a 20" Dell LCD and it worked great. That was actually doing the dual monitor thing. I had the Dell setup as my secondary monitor.
     
Star-Fire
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May 20, 2006, 02:45 PM
 
It's not that it's bad, it's just not designed for gamming, for any 2d work it will be fine.
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May 20, 2006, 02:54 PM
 
Anyone know if Half Life 2 will be at all playable under Windows? I'm probably going to get a MacBook anyway, but I switched to Mac after HL1 came out and never got a chance to play 2. I guess all I'd really be looking for is 25fps...think it's possible?
     
Star-Fire
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May 20, 2006, 03:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by
Anyone know if Half Life 2 will be at all playable under Windows? I'm probably going to get a MacBook anyway, but I switched to Mac after HL1 came out and never got a chance to play 2. I guess all I'd really be looking for is 25fps...think it's possible?

I imagine on the lowest setting it will be playable, all I know is it flys on the new imacs.
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jonicherry  (op)
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May 20, 2006, 03:48 PM
 
anyonwe know if it's core image/video ready?
     
harrisjamieh
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May 20, 2006, 03:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by jonicherry
anyonwe know if it's core image/video ready?
Yes it is
iMac Core Duo 1.83 Ghz | 1.25GB RAM | 160HD, MacBook Core Duo 1.83 Ghz | 13.3" | 60HD | 1.0GB RAM
     
Wiskedjak
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May 20, 2006, 03:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by jonicherry
how bad is the intel graphics chip?
Let's just say one of Apple's biggest selling points for the iBook was that it used an actual video card rather than an integrated intel graphics chip like most other low end laptops ...
     
donovan
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May 20, 2006, 04:11 PM
 
Here's a small compilation of playable and nonplayable games for the GMA 950 courtesy of Intel;

http://support.intel.com/support/gra.../CS-021400.htm

Though with using BootCamp, I wouldn't be surprised if you had slightly worse results due to any possible conflicts, however, your results should be similar.
     
harrisjamieh
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May 20, 2006, 04:17 PM
 
Originally Posted by Intel
Quake 4* game is not playable due to low frame rates (frames per second or FPS).

Intel is not aware of a fix or workaround for this issue.
Loving the second part of that caption
iMac Core Duo 1.83 Ghz | 1.25GB RAM | 160HD, MacBook Core Duo 1.83 Ghz | 13.3" | 60HD | 1.0GB RAM
     
donovan
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May 20, 2006, 04:24 PM
 
Well, they're not omniscient. ^^;

Running new(er) FPS games wasn't what the GMA 950 was designed for, just basic use and old stuff, though it can handle some of the newer stuff on very low settings.
     
TheoCryst
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May 20, 2006, 06:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by Reize
Though with using BootCamp, I wouldn't be surprised if you had slightly worse results due to any possible conflicts, however, your results should be similar.
I kinda doubt that there would be any conflicts with Boot Camp. After all, BC is nothing more than a bootloader/partition manager.

Any ramblings are entirely my own, and do not represent those of my employers, coworkers, friends, or species
     
donovan
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May 20, 2006, 06:56 PM
 
Stranger things have happened.. I just added it as a precaution to look into, I wouldn't want him going by that chart and then it not working while he expected it would, I'd be rather dissapointed myself.
     
ghporter
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May 20, 2006, 09:08 PM
 
Boot Camp video performance depends ENTIRELY on the quality and completeness of the Windows graphics system driver. That said, it looked an awful lot like the Intel list is for Windows games. For example, Doom 3 should play "fine" but not with the expansion pack.

I thought the list on the Intel site was a lot more hopeful than it might have been...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
   
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