Ok so I want a Mac desktop

[Tom84]

I've had my MBP now for around a year and love it so much so I only ever use my Windows rig (which I spent well over 1k assembling) if there's stuff I want to download or to play the odd game

I've wanted a iMac for a while now as I just love the look of them but am obviously tempted by the Mac Pro due to the spec so considering what I use my main Windows rig for....

A- Can a Mac Pro be used for a gaming rig if I ran a virtualised Windows setup? And can things like the graphics card be upgraded from the standard ATI cards provided to one of Nvidia's cards?

B- If it's a no to above should I just spend my money on the less expensive iMac to fill my Mac desktop needs?

 

[Feek]

A - Not in a virtualised environment, you'd need to reboot into a Bootcamp partition. The technology for a good virtual windows gaming experience isn't quite there yet. But bootcamped with an Nvidia 8800 I get 5.9 across the board in the Vista performance thingie on my Mac Pro, it's faster than the Windows box I previously built (and I built that specifically for Vista)

B - Depends. Do you have a decent screen already because if not then you're going to have to factor that into the cost of a Mac Pro.

 

[mdjmcnally]

Don't get a Mac Pro for a Games Rig running Windows.

If you want a Windows Rig for gaming then buy / build a Windows box, not an Apple.

At the moment the top Mac Pro card is an 8800GT, upgradeability / expandability of the Mac Pro is vastly overrated IMO. A Mac runs EFI not BIOS so don't buy a normal card and expect it to work without hacking the card.

What are your desktop Mac needs, if you can do it on a MBPro at the moment then an iMac would be fine. Wait for the next refresh though if you can.

Although what do you want an iMac for, that your MBPro doesn't / can't do.

 

[Tom84]

Although what do you want an iMac for, that your MBPro doesn't / can't do.

The situation I'm in that is I'm wanting to replace my current gaming rig certainly by the end of the year and have been wanted to get either a iMac and or Mac Pro for a while. Obviously though I would only get either if it could function the same as my current gaming rig albeit with it booting into Windows either via VMWare or by Bootcamp

There's certainly no argument to be had for me having a Mac desktop as well as a Windows based desktop machine so if it really isn't advisable to use a Mac Pro as a gaming rig to be honest I'd probably just get a new MBP when Snow Leopard is released and just build a new gaming rig

Just have to wait till I move out and have more than one room before I can justify getting an iMac or Mac Pro then

 

[sidethink]

Sounds like a good idea to consolidate and get the benefits of both - you will have more advantages on the Mac side of things and as long as you accept the drawbacks of the the Apple hardware lock in and Bootcamp then you're set.

 

[Tom84]

Sounds like a good idea to consolidate and get the benefits of both - you will have more advantages on the Mac side of things and as long as you accept the drawbacks of the the Apple hardware lock in and Bootcamp then you're set.

Am I though as from what has been said previously it doesn't sound like it's a good idea

 

[FreeStream]

The Mac Pros will be updated around April time, in which a 4850/4870 or a gtx260 will be joining the mac lineup.

The 4870 has already been announced that its coming to the mac lineup...

 

[onering]

The Mac Pros will be updated around April time, in which a 4850/4870 or a gtx260 will be joining the mac lineup.

The 4870 has already been announced that its coming to the mac lineup...

Where did you get this information exactly? AFAIK that's all conjecture...

Not that I wouldn't mind an upgrade to the Mac Pro specs, but I think its a bit brazen to make statements about when and what will come out right now.

 

[tem07]

Well there's been rumors and stuff, just have a look on the internet, I'm sure you'll find something.
And also it's been a while since the Mac Pro's have been upgraded, www.macrumors.com is a good source.

Tbh you can't really use a Mac Pro as a virtualised Windows gaming rig because it will just be pointless, you won't get the best out of it etc.
Better off for you to get an iMac as you already have a pretty decent PC. I have a Mac Pro and play COD4 on it fine, but if I want to play GTA IV for instance I would use KVM with my old PC

 

[FreeStream]

Where did you get this information exactly? AFAIK that's all conjecture...

Not that I wouldn't mind an upgrade to the Mac Pro specs, but I think its a bit brazen to make statements about when and what will come out right now.

Last August a French site said ATi confirmed that the 4870 was coming to the mac lineup.

However after reading more nothing else has happened!

Although a GTX260/280 is more than certain to join the apple lineup.

 

[craptakular]

Tom I think your best bet is to build a traditional PC and go down the hackintosh route, with a windows partition for Xtr3m3 g4m1ng

OR

turn your favourite linux distribution & "pimp" it MAC OS X style, you can get it to look spot on!!!

IT seems u still wanna game a lot, so buying a MAC isnt your best option, keep you MBP and do one of my two options.

 

[LordSplodge]

turn your favourite linux distribution & "pimp" it MAC OS X style, you can get it to look spot on!!!.

Yes because running KDE or Gnome with an OS X style theme on top is really going to simulate using an Apple product running Apple software.

The same goes for a Hackintosh.

If the OP wants a Mac desktop and wants to game then I think he should either get an imac and keep his "Gaming" PC or sell the PC and get a console and an iMac.

I don't think a Mac Pro is appropriate but if the OP has the cash..

 

[craptakular]

Yes because running KDE or Gnome with an OS X style theme on top is really going to simulate using an Apple product running Apple software.

The same goes for a Hackintosh.

If the OP wants a Mac desktop and wants to game then I think he should either get an imac and keep his "Gaming" PC or sell the PC and get a console and an iMac.

I don't think a Mac Pro is appropriate but if the OP has the cash..

I have a macbook, I ran a hack before that to test OSX, my hackintosh ran flawlessly. Can't tell the difference in performance between the two.

Anyway buying a mac for gaming is retarded. Just keep the MBP, buy a gaming pc and simply either hackintosh it, or pimp gnome to OSX style. Alternatively just leave windows on your new pc & use your MBP for all the apple "experience".

 

[Dave85]

Does it not depend what he wants to game on though, if hes running css and tf2 surely that would run fine on a mac with a 8800 and windows/

 

[LordSplodge]

I have a macbook, I ran a hack before that to test OSX, my hackintosh ran flawlessly. Can't tell the difference in performance between the two.
.

It's not just about software though is it? Why did you buy a MacBook if your Hackintosh was so good?

 

[Adrianr]

Last August a French site said ATi confirmed that the 4870 was coming to the mac lineup.

However after reading more nothing else has happened!

Although a GTX260/280 is more than certain to join the apple lineup.

Proves how utterly useless all the rumours are really.

Just as ATI and Nvidia are due to bring our there new cards.. Good ol Apple, will you ever be ahead of the graphics curve?

To the OP, an iMac is just your MBP in a much bigger shell, give or take, so that would be a very unwise purchase. The case for the Mac pro doesn't look good either unfortunately, unless you have a reason for all the CPU horsepower.. Eitherway, it wouldn't touch a windows box half the price for gaming.. So that also seems unwise.

What about a cinema display and dock/keyboard etc for your MBP?

 

[Wicksta]

It's not just about software though is it? Why did you buy a MacBook if your Hackintosh was so good?

For me it's just about the software. If I could get a Hackintosh that didn't require any fiddling about and that I was confident could be upgraded easily in the future then I'd certainly prefer one. My Macbook only has 2 USB ports, no SD card reader, I prefer a PC keyboard by a long way with regards to my work and I could get a better specced laptop for much cheaper than the £600 I paid, especially a refurbed one like my Macbook was. My Macbook is also white which not only looks very feminine but it gets really dirty quickly too.