20 replies to this topic

[PacerGH]

This topic is for fellow MacBook Pro users, whether 13, 15, or 17-inch, and whether retina or non-retina.

Looking at the experiences of others using MacBook Pros to play MWO, and the hate hurled their way by PC folk, leads me to believe there is room for a Mac-specific post. (iMac users welcome to, although they are different beasts.)

Will this game work on a MacBook Pro?

Yes. I run mine on a 15-inch MacBook Pro, early 2011 model. This was the last line before Retina was introduced. I have the top of the line as far as resolution, speed, and graphics for that model.

The game runs in Bootcamp. It runs fine. It runs smooth. The only hiccup I have is I must plug my headphones in prior to launching the game or the game sound will not play through them. Interestingly, if I plug them in and load the game, then unplug them, then the headphones work just fine.

Can I run TeamSpeak/Ventrilo/Etc with this as well?

Yes. I run TeamSpeak. I have not run Vent since my WoW days, although that also ran fine (at least with WoW) and did not create performance problems.

Will this run on Parallels/VMWare Fusion?

I don't know. Maybe. But it would be worthless. Not recommended. (Probably not, too, since neither, last I checked, had good 3D rendering abilities. Plus . . . why? Just reboot.)

Can I run with multiple monitors?

Yes. I have not tried using Thunderbolt to daisy-chain multiple monitors together. However, I am running my MacBook Pro monitor at 1680 x 1050 and a Dell ST2410 24-inch 1080p monitor.

I began running just the Dell external for performance reasons. However, I saw little to no drop off in performance by running the MacBook screen as well. Plus, I can put TeamSpeak there and see who is speaking.

What peripherals work on your machine?

Anything, frankly. Remember, you are booting into Windows (Windows 7 for me) so things like the nice Windows Razer drivers will work fine.

I do not recommend the Mighty Mouse. But that is my preference.

I use a Razer Naga. My Razer Lachesis works fine.

I use a standard issue corded Mac Keyboard with numpad. Good action. Not much ghosting. It has some extra keys as well. (Goes to F19.)

I use headphones typically when dropping in a team. I use my built-in MacBook mike. This works well as the built-in mike has excellent noise cancelling, and headphones reduces reverb. (This is one of the benefits of the MacBook Pro--a great noise-cancelling microphone!)

What performance do you get?

I have my setting put on max. My resolution is at 1080p. I experience no lag. Frame rates do drop at very busy times. (I.E. a ton of missiles on screen in a fight with multiple machines; my machine being a Machine Gun boat going against another MG boat head on with all the flashes and flares; anything causing lots of 3D rendering.)

My standard framerate is: 34 with medium settings. This varies depending on the action. This framerate is acceptable to me. 24 on high settings. This rate is acceptable for me, too.

Some folks are more particular. If you are, buy a desktop. (Although a high-end Mac Pro or iMac could do just as well as most Desktops.)

What are your MacBook Pro's complete specs?

You can find them here:
https://www.everymac...bolt-specs.html

But to sum up the juicy bits:

• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of dedicated GDDR5
  
• 2.2 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (2720QM), with four independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip, a 6 MB shared level 3 cache
  
• 16 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600)
  
• "High-resolution antiglare" 1680x1050 display

What is your Windows Base Score?


Total is 5.9. That is because my Disk data transfer rate is only 5.9.

Total Breakdown:
Processor 7.5
Memory 7.7
Graphics 6.9
Game GFX 6.9
Dsk Data Rt 5.9

Why would you buy a MacBook Pro to game with?

I did not buy a MacBook Pro to game with. I bought it for work. However, I knew I would potentially want to game, so I bought the highest-end one I could.

Could I have gotten a faster gaming rig for the money? Absolutely. But it wouldn't be as durable.

I am a mobile worker. I spend as much time drafting documents in Starbucks as I do in my office. A PC would not give my the battery life plus the durability plus the Mac OS X operating system, which is far superior to Windows in many, many ways--including those crucial to my work.

If it makes the PC guys feel better, I do have the ability to buy a dedicated gaming rig. And put it together from scratch. But I don't need to--this works fine.

Don't be ashamed my fellow Mac fiends. Anyone who says your MacBook Pro is not worth the money doesn't know what they're talking about, and trying to argue with folly is folly in and of itself.

Finally, the Razer gaming laptop. Yes, it is faster. No, it is not as durable. No, its battery life is not as good. Yes, it is heavier. Yes, it is more fragile. No, I would not buy one. I would build a rig if I bought a dedicated gaming machine.

Will a Retina display work?

I do not know. Others indicate it will. I don't see why not.

The NVDIA GeForce 750M used in the high-end Retina MacBook Pros are faster than my AMD Radeon 6750M. This indicates it should work fine.

The difference is screen resolution. The Retina displays are pushing more pixels.

I recommend using an external monitor like I am. A nice 24-inch 1080p monitor being the only display drawn by the 750M should be easy as pie. You'd probably get better framerates than me because (1) faster processor and (2) faster video card.

Provide your experiences fellow Mac owners!

Post your results here. You can find your framerate by hitting F9 (or fn-F9 for my keyboard unless I want to skip my track).

And remember, MWO is not as intensive as some games.

[Esarai]

Hehe, I'm running MW:O on a MacBook from 2010.
Base framerate during mission start is 30-32, drops to 20-24 during intense combat using an Nvidia GeForce 320M, a card not supported by CryEngine 3 and with only 256 MB shared VRAM. I'm playing on low settings, but this game looks infinitely better than MW4:M, so I don't care.

The only issue I have is actually with TeamSpeak--for some reason my voice is slowed down 50% through TS regardless of what I have running. There are no filters or plugins installed. I can voice chat over Skype and Ventrilo just fine.

Those {Richard Cameron} at the apple store said it had 1 GB dedicated VRAM when they sold it to me. Apple might have a nicer user interface, but my experience with their sales scheme was riddled with gross (and borderline criminal) misinformation. This may have changed in the four years since, but selling me chrome-plated **** is not something I'm going to forgive any time soon. When I do buy a new computer, it will definitely NOT be a Mac.

And yes, four years means this computer is effectively dead to the industry, I know that. It's just hard to justify buying a new computer when the one I have works perfectly for what I need it to do and I'm a poor-*** college student.

Edited by Esarai, 19 November 2013 - 07:16 PM.

[Jarl Dane]

I've been running MWO on my iMac since February.
My computer now overheats a lot and will engage some sort of super fan mode that is really load. I think MWO might be doing serious damage to the innards of my computer.

[PacerGH]

Mech The Dane, on 19 November 2013 - 07:54 PM, said:

I've been running MWO on my iMac since February.
My computer now overheats a lot and will engage some sort of super fan mode that is really load. I think MWO might be doing serious damage to the innards of my computer.

Mech the Dane--the heat should be bearable by the computer. You can run some programs that track it. Make sure the vents are cleared. (I once played WoW on my laptop while sitting cross legged on a bed. My laptop was sitting on a pillow. The back vents were blocked. Caused a heat shutdown. Kind of like a 'Mech, lol.)

Also, make sure you're not playing in a hot room. Played WoW outside in the sun once. Same result as the pillow above.

For the iMac, I don't see how your vents could not be clear. Make sure it's not up against a wall directly, or surrounded by too much stuff which might reduce airflow.

Esarai, on 19 November 2013 - 07:12 PM, said:

Hehe, I'm running MW:O on a MacBook from 2010.
Base framerate during mission start is 30-32, drops to 20-24 during intense combat using an Nvidia GeForce 320M, a card not supported by CryEngine 3 and with only 256 MB shared VRAM. I'm playing on low settings, but this game looks infinitely better than MW4:M, so I don't care.

The only issue I have is actually with TeamSpeak--for some reason my voice is slowed down 50% through TS regardless of what I have running. There are no filters or plugins installed. I can voice chat over Skype and Ventrilo just fine.

Those {Richard Cameron} at the apple store said it had 1 GB dedicated VRAM when they sold it to me. Apple might have a nicer user interface, but my experience with their sales scheme was riddled with gross (and borderline criminal) misinformation. This may have changed in the four years since, but selling me chrome-plated **** is not something I'm going to forgive any time soon. When I do buy a new computer, it will definitely NOT be a Mac.

And yes, four years means this computer is effectively dead to the industry, I know that. It's just hard to justify buying a new computer when the one I have works perfectly for what I need it to do and I'm a poor-*** college student.

Sorry to hear about your shopping experience. When it comes to computer specs, it's always best to check things online first and confirm in the store. If they give you the wrong machine, return it.

I made sure with both of my MacBooks to get the fastest GPU available. That's the key, and that will be the Bottleneck. Luckily, MWO is not too intensive (and it looks better than the most recent MPBT or MechWarrior even at low settings).

I have a 2008 I am curious to try with a GeForce GT 256 MB card. (2.2 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM.) I need to get a Windows install on it first. I accidentally wiped its boot drive.

Benefits of Bootcamp

One major benefit I find of Bootcamp is that all my regular programs are on Mac OS X. So when I boot into Windows 7 it runs really, really fast because it is uncluttered.

Keeping bloatware down by only running games on a gaming rig—whether a Mac in Bootcamp or a PC—can really help the system run fast and smooth.

[Guchion]

Well I can only speak for my 2011 macbook pro 13", but...

If your mac has a intel HD3000 graphics, it isn't going to cut it. Did everything I could do and it just wasn't smooth enough to get anywhere.

Irritatingly enough, its "nearly" playable, I think with the newer Iris models it should be okay as long as you accept 720p is probably top res for it.

as for HD4000, I have no idea.

Im planning on getting either a 13" macbook air or a 13 retina i'll let you know how I get on!

Edited by Guchion, 20 November 2013 - 06:16 AM.

[Sen]

Not this again /facepalm.

For those looking to buy a Macbook to game on, they make a version for you. It's called the Razer Blade/Razer Blade Pro.

No, it doesn't run OS X.. but you wanna run MwO, so you're gonna need Windows anyway. You can always dual boot Linux...

For those already on the Mac platform. . if you can actually make the game run, congratulations. We're all EXTREMELY happy that you've managed to justify your purchase. Seriously, Good job ^^. Here's your cookie and a sippie cup of juice.


[note: I have nothing against the Mac platform. I like them, and I use a 2012 mac mini for a media server. It's a GREAT machine. There is, however, an old addage that applies in this situation. "Use the right tool for the job". You can use a screwdriver or an adjustable wrench as a hammer, but it's just a lot simpler to get a hammer. yes, you *CAN* game on a macbook. . . .]

Edited by Sen, 20 November 2013 - 07:33 AM.

[Guchion]

Its not a case of I want to buy a macbook to play games. Nobody does that, at least Not anyone sane.

Its a case of I've got a macbook / im going to get a macbook is it worth the time installing windows to play X.

People tend to buy a Mac Because of Mac OS, maybe they prefer it or maybe their favourite app is only available or is better on Mac OS. The Razer won't do that, not without Hackintoshing it, and then your not really getting the point of the machine.

For me I have a gaming PC, but it would be nice to know that X Macbook which im going to get for a completely different reason can run it when im out and about.

And I definately can say that:

Quote

[color=#959595]For those already on the Mac platform. . if you can actually make the game run, congratulations. We're all EXTREMELY happy that you've managed to justify your purchase. Seriously, Good job ^^. Here's your cookie and a sippie cup of juice.[/color]

makes you sound like your bitter about it.

This thread is information for those who are curious about its ability to play MWO. Its not OMG BUY A MAC THEY ARE SO AWESOME !!!1111one one. Note that everyone one who posted before you already has a Mac, I bet they didn't buy it for games. I know I didn't.

[PacerGH]

Sen, you clearly know little about laptops and gaming.

The Razer Blade/Blade Pro is a piece of garbage. Why? Build quality. Review after review will point out how poor the build quality is, especially on the vaunted Switchblade bit. Keys literally fall off kind of build quality bad. Add to that Razer's poor response time to fix it, and the Razer Blade is more of a gimmick for folks who can just drop dough on whatever.

(I like Razer, but will stick to their KBs and mice. Naga FTW.)

On top of that, it's not much faster than my MacBook Pro. It runs hotter, though, and its battery life is less than half of mine. And it costs more.

All of this shows how ignorant you are. No one who knows gaming and computers buys a MacBook Pro to be their primary gaming machine. Similarly, no one who knows gaming and computers buys a Razer Blade as their primary gaming rig.

If you're serious, you build your own. I've done it in the past. Frankly, I don't have the time or desire to do it currently. On top of that, MWO is not so top of the line that I need to do so.

I don't have to justify my purchase of the most durable, well-made laptop money can buy. It gets justified daily during my job.

But hey, if I ever did want to get serious about MWO, I could always plop $1200 or so on parts and build a rig that would blow both the MacBook Pro I have and the Razer Blade Pro out of the water. But, you know, I have that whole job thing, and a family, and what do you know? MWO works just fine on my MacBook Pro.

But hey, keep trolling like an ignorant script kiddie. Enjoy your Windows 8. I hear it's super neato.

Oh, and if I wanted to buy an iMac or Mac Pro, I could buy one that would run MWO without a sweat. Because Macs may be expensive, but that's because they have the hardware to back it up.

Sen, on 20 November 2013 - 07:31 AM, said:

Not this again /facepalm.

For those looking to buy a Macbook to game on, they make a version for you. It's called the Razer Blade/Razer Blade Pro.

No, it doesn't run OS X.. but you wanna run MwO, so you're gonna need Windows anyway. You can always dual boot Linux...

For those already on the Mac platform. . if you can actually make the game run, congratulations. We're all EXTREMELY happy that you've managed to justify your purchase. Seriously, Good job ^^. Here's your cookie and a sippie cup of juice.


[note: I have nothing against the Mac platform. I like them, and I use a 2012 mac mini for a media server. It's a GREAT machine. There is, however, an old addage that applies in this situation. "Use the right tool for the job". You can use a screwdriver or an adjustable wrench as a hammer, but it's just a lot simpler to get a hammer. yes, you *CAN* game on a macbook. . . .]

[Sen]

Quote

makes you sound like your bitter about it.

Meh. . not really. I've just had a lot of exposure to the typical Apple fanboy crowd. It's that type of fanbase that sets my teeth on edge.

Quote

I don't have to justify my purchase of the most durable, well-made laptop money can buy. It gets justified daily during my job.

Perfect example of Apple fanboy comment. Translates out to: "It's the best because I say so, because *I* bought one". Thank you for illustrating my point so well

Quote

Sen, you clearly know little about laptops and gaming.

Troll bait.

Quote

The Razer Blade/Blade Pro is a piece of garbage. Why? Build quality. Review after review will point out how poor the build quality is, especially on the vaunted Switchblade bit. Keys literally fall off kind of build quality bad. Add to that Razer's poor response time to fix it, and the Razer Blade is more of a gimmick for folks who can just drop dough on whatever.

The quote above is completely innacurate. I speak from personal experience.

http://mwomercs.com/...21#entry2772321

While the notebook WAS defective, it was a GPU specific defect that even *I* missed the first time around. I missed it, Newegg missed it, and if it weren't for Razer's excellent customer service and technical knowledge of their product, I'd have been stuck with it.

The build quality on the thing was as good as any macbook pro, the heat stayed around 82-84c under heavy gaming conditions in an 80f room, and ran MwO on max settings at 40-55 FPS 1920 x 1080.

Quote

But hey, if I ever did want to get serious about MWO, I could always plop $1200 or so on parts and build a rig that would blow both the MacBook Pro I have and the Razer Blade Pro out of the water. But, you know, I have that whole job thing, and a family, and what do you know? MWO works just fine on my MacBook Pro.

I did it for $650, though admittedly I had a GPU and PSU already. Haswell i7 and Asus Maximus VI impact m-itx build with a 7950, all wrapped up in a cooler master elite 130 case. Happily married father of 2 living paycheck to paycheck. Also picked up a Dell 29" ultra wide monitor, and though it's descending to troll level I gotta say it: AND I STILL PAID LESS THAN YOU DID FOR YOUR MACBOOK. Translation: extra money to pay the bills, my friend ^^ [I could've shaved $200 off by going with the ASrock board and an i5, but I had to at least get to $500 to get one year no interest no payments. . and the wife told me to get what I wanted so she didn't have to listen to me complain ]

Lastly:

Quote

People tend to buy a Mac Because of Mac OS, maybe they prefer it or maybe their favourite app is only available or is better on Mac OS. The Razer won't do that, not without Hackintoshing it, and then your not really getting the point of the machine.

I'm not arguing this point really. I like OS X as a general rule. By the same extension, to paraphrase your last sentence and put it in the context of running Windows based games:

"The mac won't do that, not without dual booting windows, and then you're not really getting the point of the machine"

FWIW, I think you're discounting Linux a bit though. 98% of what OS X can do, Linux can do [they're both Unix based] Granted, OS X simplifies the user experience greatly, and that's what appeals to a lot of people. After a little bit of experience with it, however, linux doesn't really feel all THAT different ^^

Edited by Sen, 21 November 2013 - 07:49 AM.

[Jarl Dane]

Sen, on 21 November 2013 - 07:39 AM, said:

Perfect example of Apple fanboy comment. Translates out to: "It's the best because I say so, because *I* bought one". Thank you for illustrating my point so well

Sen, Trolls a topic about Macs for people who use Macs.
Go away Sen.
No one here was doing any fanboy shenanigans until you showed up. I don't care what you use and I don't care what is better or worse for w/e. Because of circumstance I use a Mac to play this game, and because of other people's circumstances they use a Mac to play this game.
And we're talking about it.

So get out and let us talk about it in peace. No one here is going to see your comment about using a that razer thing and run out and buy it. Wasting your time and our time.

This is your chance to be a person and walk away. Let's see if you have it in you.

[chrislocho]

Dear op, how are you getting yours to work?! I'm using the first retina model ( with the top configuration ) http://www.everymac....play-specs.html

But it hardly runs 'fine' :/ I m playing on lowest settings and still sometimes the frame rate will be down to 20!

[Sen]

Quote

So get out and let us talk about it in peace

Quote

This is your chance to be a person and walk away

You have a right to your opinion. I have a right to mine. We both have a right to express them. Walking away is forfeiting my right to an opinion. You may not care, you may not WANT to hear it, but I am going to continue to express it. I'm sorry you confuse someone having an alternative view as "trolling" [translation: failing to 100% agree with your point of view].

I'm not here to argue that you can't or shouldn't game on your mac. I'm here to offer a counter argument to the masses looking to get into this (or any) game that run across a thread like this, figure it's ok, and then come to someone like *ME* when they can't get the performance they're looking for out of their product, and looking for way to fix the D*** thing.

Case in point:

Quote

But it hardly runs 'fine' :/ I m playing on lowest settings and still sometimes the frame rate will be down to 20!

I would suggest dropping the resolution to 1024 x 768 and seeing if your in combat frames still drop to around 20. if they do, then you're CPU bottlenecked. if they don't, it's a GPU issue and you're going to have to turn down your graphics/rez.

It's also theoretically possible to download something like MSI Afterburner and try to overclock your GPU, but macs push it so far to the ragged edge on heat I'm not sure how far you'd get. It USED to be if you set a fan profile on OS X using SMC fan control and then a restart into windows [not a full shutdown] the fan profile would stay fixed. I don't know if that still works, since I haven't done it since 10.6, but if it did you could crank the fans up, restart, and attempt to push the GPU harder.

Again, that won't work if your CPU bound, only GPU bound.

Edit: Thought about it a bit. If you're CPU bound, you can always attempt Core un-parking in Windows. Some people say it helps, some say no effect. There's not much you can do with the macbook pros on the CPU side, unfortunately, since they're LEV/ULEV processors, they're typically already tuned close to the edge.

http://allisterb.blo...re-parking.html

article has embedded links to software that will auto disable/enable core parking in windows.

Edited by Sen, 21 November 2013 - 11:03 AM.

[Clit Beastwood]

PacerGH, on 19 November 2013 - 06:22 PM, said:

This topic is for fellow MacBook Pro users, whether 13, 15, or 17-inch, and whether retina or non-retina.

Looking at the experiences of others using MacBook Pros to play MWO, and the hate hurled their way by PC folk, leads me to believe there is room for a Mac-specific post. (iMac users welcome to, although they are different beasts.)

Will this game work on a MacBook Pro?

Yes. I run mine on a 15-inch MacBook Pro, early 2011 model. This was the last line before Retina was introduced. I have the top of the line as far as resolution, speed, and graphics for that model.

The game runs in Bootcamp. It runs fine. It runs smooth. The only hiccup I have is I must plug my headphones in prior to launching the game or the game sound will not play through them. Interestingly, if I plug them in and load the game, then unplug them, then the headphones work just fine.

Can I run TeamSpeak/Ventrilo/Etc with this as well?

Yes. I run TeamSpeak. I have not run Vent since my WoW days, although that also ran fine (at least with WoW) and did not create performance problems.

Will this run on Parallels/VMWare Fusion?

I don't know. Maybe. But it would be worthless. Not recommended. (Probably not, too, since neither, last I checked, had good 3D rendering abilities. Plus . . . why? Just reboot.)

Can I run with multiple monitors?

Yes. I have not tried using Thunderbolt to daisy-chain multiple monitors together. However, I am running my MacBook Pro monitor at 1680 x 1050 and a Dell ST2410 24-inch 1080p monitor.

I began running just the Dell external for performance reasons. However, I saw little to no drop off in performance by running the MacBook screen as well. Plus, I can put TeamSpeak there and see who is speaking.

What peripherals work on your machine?

Anything, frankly. Remember, you are booting into Windows (Windows 7 for me) so things like the nice Windows Razer drivers will work fine.

I do not recommend the Mighty Mouse. But that is my preference.

I use a Razer Naga. My Razer Lachesis works fine.

I use a standard issue corded Mac Keyboard with numpad. Good action. Not much ghosting. It has some extra keys as well. (Goes to F19.)

I use headphones typically when dropping in a team. I use my built-in MacBook mike. This works well as the built-in mike has excellent noise cancelling, and headphones reduces reverb. (This is one of the benefits of the MacBook Pro--a great noise-cancelling microphone!)

What performance do you get?

I have my setting put on max. My resolution is at 1080p. I experience no lag. Frame rates do drop at very busy times. (I.E. a ton of missiles on screen in a fight with multiple machines; my machine being a Machine Gun boat going against another MG boat head on with all the flashes and flares; anything causing lots of 3D rendering.)

My standard framerate is: 34 with medium settings. This varies depending on the action. This framerate is acceptable to me. 24 on high settings. This rate is acceptable for me, too.

Some folks are more particular. If you are, buy a desktop. (Although a high-end Mac Pro or iMac could do just as well as most Desktops.)

What are your MacBook Pro's complete specs?

You can find them here:
https://www.everymac...bolt-specs.html

But to sum up the juicy bits:

• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of dedicated GDDR5
  
• 2.2 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (2720QM), with four independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip, a 6 MB shared level 3 cache
  
• 16 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600)
  
• "High-resolution antiglare" 1680x1050 display

What is your Windows Base Score?



Total is 5.9. That is because my Disk data transfer rate is only 5.9.

Total Breakdown:
Processor 7.5
Memory 7.7
Graphics 6.9
Game GFX 6.9
Dsk Data Rt 5.9

Why would you buy a MacBook Pro to game with?

I did not buy a MacBook Pro to game with. I bought it for work. However, I knew I would potentially want to game, so I bought the highest-end one I could.

Could I have gotten a faster gaming rig for the money? Absolutely. But it wouldn't be as durable.

I am a mobile worker. I spend as much time drafting documents in Starbucks as I do in my office. A PC would not give my the battery life plus the durability plus the Mac OS X operating system, which is far superior to Windows in many, many ways--including those crucial to my work.

If it makes the PC guys feel better, I do have the ability to buy a dedicated gaming rig. And put it together from scratch. But I don't need to--this works fine.

Don't be ashamed my fellow Mac fiends. Anyone who says your MacBook Pro is not worth the money doesn't know what they're talking about, and trying to argue with folly is folly in and of itself.

Finally, the Razer gaming laptop. Yes, it is faster. No, it is not as durable. No, its battery life is not as good. Yes, it is heavier. Yes, it is more fragile. No, I would not buy one. I would build a rig if I bought a dedicated gaming machine.

Will a Retina display work?

I do not know. Others indicate it will. I don't see why not.

The NVDIA GeForce 750M used in the high-end Retina MacBook Pros are faster than my AMD Radeon 6750M. This indicates it should work fine.

The difference is screen resolution. The Retina displays are pushing more pixels.

I recommend using an external monitor like I am. A nice 24-inch 1080p monitor being the only display drawn by the 750M should be easy as pie. You'd probably get better framerates than me because (1) faster processor and (2) faster video card.

Provide your experiences fellow Mac owners!

Post your results here. You can find your framerate by hitting F9 (or fn-F9 for my keyboard unless I want to skip my track).

And remember, MWO is not as intensive as some games.

If you click the search button you can just read the couple previous threads about this. You'll probably find your info faster.

[Sen]

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I built a custom gaming computer for MWO running AMD radeon 6900 series so as not to reduce my Mac to a gaming platform.

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and opinions do not matter in the face of hardware

My original statement, which is the opinion I was defending, is that one should always use the right tool for the job, and that while you CAN game on the mac, your performance will not be up to the level of a higher end gaming machine. It would appear you agree with me, as you built a gaming "PC" in order to. . ."use the right tool for the job" as it were.

Quote

I have a Macbook Pro because it is an infinitely more capable tool for most modern creative endeavors.

I'm not going here. I've read threads where creative professionals have ripped each other to shreds over which platform is better for it. I'm not a creative professional, however, so I really couldn't say one way or another.

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Hacking games

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If you want to go hack some Batman games...

First response: "You keep using this word, I do not think it means what you think it means"

There's a heck of a lot more to "hacking" than just messing with game files. .or even computers.

https://en.wikipedia...ki/Life_hacking

Yeah, I know. . it's Wiki. . Websters is still a little behind the curve yet tho

Second response: Who said ANYTHING about HACKING anything in the first place???? O.o

If you are implying that I, sir, am a hacker. . well Thank you, I appreciate the compliment I don't know if I'd call MYSELF one, though I do follow Mr. Scrooge McDuck's advice to "Work smarter, not harder" ^^

Edited by Sen, 21 November 2013 - 02:41 PM.

[PacerGH]

Sen, on 21 November 2013 - 02:40 PM, said:

My original statement, which is the opinion I was defending, is that one should always use the right tool for the job, and that while you CAN game on the mac, your performance will not be up to the level of a higher end gaming machine. It would appear you agree with me, as you built a gaming "PC" in order to. . ."use the right tool for the job" as it were.

Sen, I think you are confusing people who are calling you a Hack with someone calling you a Hacker. You're a hack.

Stop trolling. You're either ignorant of computers or bitter you can't afford well-made machines.

As for whether I was fanboying about the durability of MacBook Pros, I was not. They are very well regarded in the industry. Few other laptop models are considered so highly for durability. There is a reason Razer looked at the MacBook Pro design and mimicked it for their own.

As for the Razer Edge Pro—they are not as well made or durable as MacBook Pros. Period. Numerous complaints have come down about keyboard issues and issues with the Switchblade hardware. There have also been issues with the screen.

Perhaps the next series of Razer Edge Pros will improve more, who knows? But as of their current line, it is not as durable as a MacBook Pro. Then again, Razer is just starting out. I don't doubt they will improve if they keep with it. (Although folks who buy their headsets and some other non-mouse peripherals may disagree.)

But your focus on the Razer Edge Pro highlights how ridiculously trollish your statements are. You chastise MacBook Pro users for "not using the right tool." You mock Mac users for spending too much on machines when a PC could cost less. Then you say "if you want a gaming laptop, buy a Razer."

The Razer is also not the right tool. It costs more than a comparably outfitted MacBook Pro. If you were serious about a pure gaming rig then you would not go with either a Razer Edge Pro or MacBook Pro.

But some of us are not serious enough about gaming to build their own rig, even though we can. So we choose to have fun with what we have.

Get over it. Go troll somewhere else. Take your bitterness over not having a reason or the means to buy a Mac elsewhere. We don't care.

[PacerGH]

chrislocho, on 21 November 2013 - 08:23 AM, said:

Dear op, how are you getting yours to work?! I'm using the first retina model ( with the top configuration ) http://www.everymac....play-specs.html

But it hardly runs 'fine' :/ I m playing on lowest settings and still sometimes the frame rate will be down to 20!

The Retina screen is probably the problem. Sen, in a trollish post which he had actual moments of helpful statements, discusses dropping resolution. That may help. He is right that the bottleneck is probably the GPU—especially trying to push that big Retina screen. Later retina models have better GPUs to handle all those pixels, but the earlier ones were not as good at it. (This is one reason why I have not upgraded my MacBook—I don't think the GPUs are where I want them to be for that number of pixels.)

I recommend using an external monitor. Frankly, for gaming of this type, I prefer an external KB and Mouse anyway. Add a monitor on.

By using an external monitor you do two things. First, you have your GPU dealing with a smaller number of pixels than your Retina screen. (Even with a 1080P monitor your pushing fewer pixels.) Second, you're not losing quality because of downscaling.

I recommend closing the MacBook Pro so you only have the external monitor in use. Try it this way and let me know.

The worry I have is that the early Retinas had newer GPU and screen technology and it may not handle it as well as my model did (which was a more mature GPU setup as far as working out kinks in the system).

I would be somewhat surprised if newer Retina models could not push some good pixels onto an external monitor in this way.

Oh, and I use Windows 7. I have no idea how Windows 8 works. Windows 7 works great, however.

Fierostetz, on 21 November 2013 - 01:39 PM, said:

If you click the search button you can just read the couple previous threads about this. You'll probably find your info faster.

You're right. And folks should do said searches. However, each of those threads have trolls like Sen shutting them down with their trolling.

I'm not going to let unhelpful trolls shut this one down in the same way.

[Clit Beastwood]

K. In one of the older threads about this there were driver suggestions, etc. I know because I've posted in 3 of the threads before I gave up

[PacerGH]

Fierostetz, on 22 November 2013 - 07:13 AM, said:

K. In one of the older threads about this there were driver suggestions, etc. I know because I've posted in 3 of the threads before I gave up

My experience has been the Apple Bootcamp drivers work pretty well. However, my drivers are more settled. Newer MacBooks probably have newer drivers which may be accessible from the GPU's device maker. You can also sometimes get tools to overclock those cards. (But be careful doing this with a mobile GPU! They are not as capable of handling this as a dekstop GPU!)

Some of the recommendations Sen has about Core-unparking are worth looking into. This was not a problem for me, however, and Sen is probably right that this will not be as relevant for MacBook Pro processors. Further, Sen is absolutely right that the bottleneck is the GPU. (The bottleneck for performance for ANY laptop will be the GPU.)

Then again, if you're interested in 50+ FPS then you need to go desktop. If you're diehard Mac, you can absolutely build out an iMac or Mac Pro capable of this. However, you will be able to do so dramatically cheaper with a dedicated PC machine.

Frankly, you could probably get that performance with full settings on a 1080p monitor for a build costing about $500 inclusive of everything minus the monitor. (I haven't actually priced it, but my experience in the past leads me to believe this.)

In the coming weeks I am going to try my hand at getting the game running on my 2008 MacBook Pro. Should be interesting. I have to find an OEM Windows 7 first . . .

[Clit Beastwood]

PacerGH, on 22 November 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

My experience has been the Apple Bootcamp drivers work pretty well. However, my drivers are more settled. Newer MacBooks probably have newer drivers which may be accessible from the GPU's device maker. You can also sometimes get tools to overclock those cards. (But be careful doing this with a mobile GPU! They are not as capable of handling this as a dekstop GPU!)

Some of the recommendations Sen has about Core-unparking are worth looking into. This was not a problem for me, however, and Sen is probably right that this will not be as relevant for MacBook Pro processors. Further, Sen is absolutely right that the bottleneck is the GPU. (The bottleneck for performance for ANY laptop will be the GPU.)

Then again, if you're interested in 50+ FPS then you need to go desktop. If you're diehard Mac, you can absolutely build out an iMac or Mac Pro capable of this. However, you will be able to do so dramatically cheaper with a dedicated PC machine.

Frankly, you could probably get that performance with full settings on a 1080p monitor for a build costing about $500 inclusive of everything minus the monitor. (I haven't actually priced it, but my experience in the past leads me to believe this.)

In the coming weeks I am going to try my hand at getting the game running on my 2008 MacBook Pro. Should be interesting. I have to find an OEM Windows 7 first . . .

i sometimes play on a 27" imac - core i7 3770 32gb ram geforce 680mx. exceeds 60fps on very high, very playable.

[Sen]

Quote

Sen, I think you are confusing people who are calling you a Hack with someone calling you a Hacker. You're a hack.

Stop trolling. You're either ignorant of computers or bitter you can't afford well-made machines.

Quote

Sen, in a trollish post which he had actual moments of helpful statements,

WTF is it with Mac users that anytime someone offers useful, insightful WELL MEANING comments, they have to sit there and verbally abuse/insult people? How is offering solid, practical advice and a counterpoint to a few people's OPINION on Macs "trolling"? TBH, isn't making insulting and degrading comments about people kinda "trolling"? [I'm asking, not to be confused with actually trolling, which I can see how it could initially be construed to be, hence this huge run on sentence of explanation]

As far as my rig, not that anyone cares, bottom of the following thread.

http://mwomercs.com/...up/page__st__60

I can take the slings and arrows thrown at me, but don't diss the rig, I put a lot of time and effort into her and she runs like a dream.

Quote

Frankly, you could probably get that performance with full settings on a 1080p monitor for a build costing about $500 inclusive of everything minus the monitor.

Anyone looking to go this direction should ABSOLUTELY check out Vulpesveritas' PC build threads. I haven't been a huge fan of AMD since Thuban, but if ANYONE can give you a parts list for an epically performing low cost machine, it's Vulpes.

Quote

i sometimes play on a 27" imac - core i7 3770 32gb ram geforce 680mx. exceeds 60fps on very high, very playable.

Just out of curiosity, are you pushing that at 2560 x 1440 or 1920 x 1080? Is that in combat FPS??
What version of windows are you using for dual boot?

I don't doubt the 680 at all, I'm just kinda curious.

OH, and before I forget. . .

Quote

As for the Razer Edge Pro

Why are we comparing tablets [razer edge pro] to notebooks? If you meant the Razer BLADE pro, have you OWNED one? I have [albeit briefly]. I can speak from first hand experience that the quality is every bit as good as any macbook, and the keyboard is actually better [a little bit firmer]. You can cite forum posts left and right, I've actually USED the thing.

Full disclosure: The GPU was defective. After an hour or so of gaming, it would start BSOD with "Video_TDR_ failure". it would ONLY do it on discreet graphics, and this is an issue that used to happen with older nvidia drivers. Furmark ran fine for hours, and Newegg even rejected RMA once because their testing process didn't actually stress the GPU. FOR THE RECORD, it was Razer who insisted I run 3dmark [which I should've done in the first place but mistakenly thought Furmark would stress similarly].

It was also Razer who, after being able to consistently reproduce the problem, contacted newegg DIRECTLY about my RMA and insisted the unit was defective on my behalf.

If you call that bad customer support, there's nothing I can do for ya.

Oh, and the switchblade UI? A lot of people say the same things about IT that they say about macs: overpriced and under-performing. And you know what? When it comes to price, they're 100% correct. The functionality on the switchblade is completely in "overkill" territory, but it's absolutely PHENOMENAL to have! Being able to call up youtube without tabbing out, having ten programmable keys that you can set custom images on for game profiles. . . it's awesome. I liked it so much i went out and grabbed a deathstalker ultimate to retain that functionality [No, I did NOT pay their asking price. I'm crazy, but not THAT crazy]

I've had it for 6 months or so, and it works perfectly for ME, so I don't know what you mean by "poor quality"


Now if you'd said all razer devices suck because they have to use Razer Synapse. . . well. . even *I* would have a hard time arguing that one. I've learned to work with it, but I'm still not overly fond of it.

Edited by Sen, 23 November 2013 - 01:26 PM.