EddM Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 My desktop PC is getting pretty outdated now. It runs Windows, and all I really use it for is playing games. I know little about hardware, so my question is this: Is the graphics card supplied with the 24" iMac (ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 256MB) better or worse than the card I have in my machine right now? (ATi X850 XT?) If it's a step down in any way then it's probably not worth it. I'm not the most hardcore of gamers - at least not on the PC - so graphics power isn't the top of my priorities. I'd really like to use a Mac for a desktop machine as well, but not if I'm sacrificing any power. Thanks everyone! Edit: Oh, and I should also ask: Does anyone experience any less of performance running any games under Bootcamp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lessew Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Found this on Tom's Hardware forums... it's regarding the 2600XT, but that's an almost identical card anyway. Supposedly you'll see a slight performance boost if you switch to the 2600xt. Also, you'll be running everything native under BootCamp, so you won't see performance hits. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247850-3...600-radeon-x850 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U.C. Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Frankly here are some realworld scenarios with my Mac (All with no AA, you dont need it at 1680x1050 ) BioShock 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth GameplayNFS ProStreet 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth Gameplay Gears of War 1680x1050 - Medium-High Settings - Smooth Gameplay (I need more RAM, 1GB just doesn't cut it) Medal Of Honor Airborne 1680x1050 - Medium-High Settings - Smooth Gameplay (I need more RAM, 1GB just doesn't cut it) COD 4 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth Gameplay Company Of Heroes 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth Gameplay Thats all I remember playing. If you want I can test a specific game for you tooo BTW High = 99% Settings to High/Max Med-High = 80% Settings to High/Max, Rest on Medium I dont go by FPS's. I just try to ensure the game runs smooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacX Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Myself never saw me owning a imac. Intill i bought one for real cheap ( check sig ) i always was a ibook/macbook PowerMac kinda guy. i always owned a G4/G5. But now i have my imac i love it to pieces. it is so well done and i love it extremely well since it is truely a piece of art on your desk. Plus they are very fast. Like all the macs =] Get a imac dude. you wont regret it at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddM Posted February 16, 2008 Author Share Posted February 16, 2008 BioShock 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth GameplayNFS ProStreet 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth Gameplay Gears of War 1680x1050 - Medium-High Settings - Smooth Gameplay (I need more RAM, 1GB just doesn't cut it) Medal Of Honor Airborne 1680x1050 - Medium-High Settings - Smooth Gameplay (I need more RAM, 1GB just doesn't cut it) COD 4 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth Gameplay Company Of Heroes 1680x1050 - High Settings - Smooth Gameplay Now that is good, precise information. Thanks a lot for all your comments guys. Looks like I'll be getting a 24" iMac in a month or two! Feel free to keep the comments coming in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U.C. Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 IMHO, I found that 24" is way too huge. My friend has one and its like my TV, in front of my eyes. I love my 20". I would recommend you go check it at an Apple Store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddM Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 I have a 42" TV and a 20" monitor as it is, so I'm used to big things (take that however you want ). There's an Apple retailer very close to me so I'll pop in and compare the sizes for myself tomorrow. Good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 IMHO, I found that 24" is way too huge. My friend has one and its like my TV, in front of my eyes.For me this is never a problem! I guess I'm a "more is more" person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddM Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 I'm heading out to buy my iMac tomorrow, so can anyone else verify that what's been said above is true? Not that I think you're lying (obviously), but it's always great to get as much input as possible! To reiterate: I've decided on a 2.4ghz, 20" iMac with 4GB of RAM. How does this fare against the Windows machine I have now? Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrupted Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 The new imac is a lot faster than your AMD in terms of CPU power, and in GPU power, I'm not really sure, but I bet you would see pretty significant gains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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