imac 24" or Mac Pro

ringo747

ringo747

ringo747

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Joined
1 Feb 2006
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Hey guys, this is just another one of those 'spec me a mac' type threads. Was in an apple reseller store in Dublin at the weekend and spotted the new 24" imacs. Totally gorgeous piece of kit! I had planned to hold off for an updated Mac Pro in January (hopefully). What I want to know is how good the Mac Pro would be for gaming (I only want to be able to run Flight Sim X) compared to the imac? I do bits of video work now and again and possible be doing bits of HiDef editing but not on a large scale. What would people recommend.. Settle for iMac or fork out for the Mac Pro (if it will do my job on the gaming thing).
Thanks in advance for opinions!
 
Do you already have a decent monitor for Mac Pro to plug in?

Also, the Mac Pro's graphics card are expensive, even for a 1900XT, so you might want to be looking for a flashed version to work on the Mac Pro - much much cheaper.

But I'd honestly go for the iMac 24" for the price and what it'll offer - according to what you're doing. Flight Sim X don't need *that* much graphics power, does it?
 
Scythe said:
i thought it did? looks quite flashy i thought? i maybe wrong.
Click to expand...

Flashy graphics might have a low texture (yet good rendering), plus, I often thought these Sim games require more CPU / Memory than raw GPU power say a 1900XT can throw at it...

The ATi 2600 HD? isn't all that weak as reviewers said, just not as good as what the 8800 can offer.
 
Yeah apparently it is very hard to run so thats why im not really sure which option is best! I think they are releasing a SP which enables it to use multicores. Originally I had been planning on running the Mac Pro along with my 2 x Belinea 22" widescreens but when I saw the imac it just looked amazing! I have a MBP at the moment but I have just recently been given work laptop so i guess no point in having two laptops (even though the new one isn't a mac!) What exactly do you mean by flashed version of gfx card? Cheers
 
Apparently the normal 1900XT you buy off e.g. retailers for windows don't work in a Mac Pro unless you flash it (errm, change the card's start up setting?) - I didn't know that till I read it off this forum somewhere by chance...

Hmm, since you've already got 2 monitors can spare the money, you can stretch for the Mac Pro... would you? I personally would settle for the iMac 24" (saw it and thought it's amazing) IF the graphics card would run what you want (or better)
 
I know you might like Macs, but really buying one for gaming is a daft idea. The difference in price between an iMac and Mac Pro that can run Flight Sim X is the cost of a PC, so get both.
 
Use the MBP as a desktop plugged into one of your 22" monitors. Sell the other one. You've just made money instead of spending it.

Then go on holiday.

:)

This assumes your MBP is a recent model that can run Flightsim X

Panzer
 
Hmm, theres no way on Earth I'd stretch to a Mac Pro to run GAMES nevermind ONE game.

As someone said above, get the iMac and if you still want to game then spend the change on a PC. You can get yourself a wicked gaming PC very cheaply these days (which is annoying as a Mac user - not that I'm a gamer, but more folding powah!)
 
yeah i can see where your all coming from - i wouldnt call myself a big gamer at all but if i was getting a mac id like to have the option of flight sim x running on bootcamp. Also the Hidef video editing makes me think of mac pro but again the imac would probably do this (albeit a bit slower for rendering perhaps?). I am not a big fan of windows so I don't think I could let myself buy a dedicated windows gaming box! O yes, my current MBP wont run FSX!
 
yeah I got mine last January - it is the older 2.33Ghz model with the ATI x1600 card (i think thats the card).

What do you think it would be like for HiDef video editing? It would only be for personal use - not doing video editing for a living or anything so it doesnt have to be the best performance
 
Be fine for video editing. It'll get there in the end just take longer but to be honest if you're not working to a deadline does it really matter if something takes 2 hours instead of an hour? Not really. You won't be editing videos every day. Just set them off and you can still use the computer for other things. :)
 
yeah i don't know much about the required specs for HiDef video really but I just want to have that option there. Sounds like imac is what I'm after then. Mac Pro be nice but I'd happily go for the cheaper option!

Anyone wanna buy an 11-month old MBP??
 
Depending on the condition and pricing...

stick it on MM and ebay, see where offers you the highest and then Ka ching!

I do however, not mind if you're willing to sell me that for £100 :D
 
I dont think the iMacs GPU can handle FSX at 1920x1200 with nice settings and a decent frame rate. Most people who game at that resolution use 8800GTX's.
 
back to square one again by the looks of things then! Surely if I went for the 2.8 version of the imac it should be able to cope ok even though it was running at lower detail levels?
 
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