I am about to buy a new entry level macbook and I am curious if it is able to play games like upcoming Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3.Have checked most videos in youtube.com on games like COD4, Crysis, Team Fortress 2 and Red Alert. They all seem to run above 30fps and only Crysis at 25fps. I am not a hardcore gamer like i used to anymore but just gonna play medium quality graphics with starcraft 2 which i dont think will take a lot of computer popular (starcraft and diablo require very low quality for slower comps). Please advice as I am going to be buying one this weekend! CanT wait !

This post has been edited by mojoza: Nov 24 2008, 05:01 PM

I went from Alienware to Apple Macbook. If you're talking 8600m GT that is acceptable for gaming on MacBook. Heck u could install XP or Vista to play games (or actually must to play games that aren't available for Macs) but think again. If you're think gaming why Mac? Give me at least one solid reason why you choose Mac over PC if you're thinking gaming?

plus 2.0 just won't cut it. It will run definitely but yeah I was one of those who cares about 3dmarks and stuff but to be practical, if gaming is in my checklist, Mac wouldn't be on the top of the list.

Macs are never meant for gaming. NEVER. Even if you force it to, you'll end up busting your laptop as it generates too much heat. If you want to game on a laptop, go for alienware.

Coincidentally, my boyfriend tried to install Crysis on his sis's laptop (2.4GHz new alu mb)...and he got this message:

- Crysis does not support integrated graphics cards -

...ROFL

This post has been edited by Criollo: Nov 12 2008, 05:30 PM

Entry level macbook? as in the macbook white?

For gaming you're better of with desktop, seriously.

Please check youtube.com and type "macbook games" and you will see the performances.

Well I have PC and Mac, and i only play games once awhile so no need super strong computer.I guess i am getting old now hehe.

Why I prefer Mac is the build quality of macbook and OS X (HATE VISTA !! ALWAYS HANG!) .

PC laptops are ugly and cheap quality.....I was looking at BenQ S42 and Acer 5930G but ugly....and you know the feeling of buying another laptop which has the "same" feeling and looks?Its like why buy the same shiit again?

We are talking about the New Aluminium macbook not the white Macbook

Aluminium or not, the 9400M is not cut out to run games satisfactorily in my books. I have accepted that fact when I moved to a Mac. Nobody knows what the minimum requirements are to to run these two games you mentioned, and even if they are revealed, you dont want to be running them AT minimum requirement with details turned down and resolutions dropped way low. The enjoyment of a game diminishes , to me at least, when the eye-candy gratification is chipped away little by little, to make the game run acceptably.

mojozo,

we are talking the new Aluminium MacBook. Aluminium or not wouldn't make the GPU any better. It's 9400M for god sake it's not even mid-range GPU. So the answer is NO it wouldn't run on MEDIUM. You should be glad if it runs on LOW.

Please check notebookcheck.net and tell me how in this world a low-end GPU could run 10 most demanding graphic games of 2007.

Acer ugly is understandable, they target at low income buyers. But saying that BenQ S42 is ugly, you have very high standard, and you're not a Malaysian at heart. I find that some Sony and Toshiba notebooks can be uglier than Acer, especially the lower end models, but again, those are targeted at the same crowd as Acer. As to whether a notebook is shit, it is all in the glorious feeling you get when you're using it. I've been on Macs, desktop and notebook, for a good while now, and friend, I don't get that. Some may be enticed by Apple design, but to me it just looks a little bland. It's basically still the same boring design since the iBook days. Where's the innovation in this MacBook you speak of? Of course, the Nvidia 9400M video chip. Is it faster than notebooks with 8600M, such as BenQ S41 that's selling for 2699? No. Is it even close? Hardly. So, have fun with 5-20FPS Crysis framerate. And remember, this is at low to medium setting--mostly low actually, and at a screen size of 800x600.

You can't even install Crysis on a macbook .... @@

I am not planning to play any of those games anyway. I am just a strategy game player.I rather play with my PS3

yea.. if u want to play games, u really shouldnt choose Mac... that's what i thought too..

Actually i thought of having laptop for work and desktop for gaming another alternative is to buy Macbook Pro so i dont have to buy a desktop

macbook only good for light gaming... and none of it is in your list

if you want a decent gaming, get the new macbook pro, 9600 able to play at reasonable framerate

The Team Fortress 2 play very nicely in Macbook leh, check youtube

yea.

TS, u need to know that 9400M is still integrated card, just that it is much better if comparing to the intel GMA. As you mention those games, those games consider GPU intensive, especially 'Crysis' and you think any mobile can play smoothly le? You need 'Desktop' machine ok? lulz.

Well if you really already set your mind to get it, no one will stop you since its your money . I'd rather stick with desktop for gaming and laptop for work stuff since its mobile.

Also starcarft 2 and diablo 3 wont be out anytime soon. Starcraft 2 maybe sometime next year and diablo 3 will be in 2010 if we're lucky enough

Mac for gaming?
adui...

haha...got money buy desktop n mac lo....

my guess tat Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 wont be arriving within these few years, considering how Blizzard takes time to produce quality games in their history, Warcraft 3 as best example of how long they take their time

considering those new thing like DDR3 and 9400M, new MacBook will be suitable only for light gaming, games from older times or current lighter games will be able to perform nicely, playing NFS ProStreet or Carbon shud not be an issue...

but the games now will be able to play nicely, in the future when new game come out it wont be able to catch up, not to mention u dun have the option to upgrade ur Macbook "internal organ"

if ur rig were really meant for gaming, then i will really suggest tat get a desktop,
1. it is customisable
2. it is upgradable
both are important considering current and future requirement for gaming

9400M wont really be good for gaming, and it even share the ram with the system.
it is better to have a dedicated ram for the gpu itself rather than sharing it

if really wan to have portable gaming, get a PSP , or ipod touch

but still it is good that at least now MacBook has a better gpu than it predecessor, at least the new gpu can optimize HD video decoding, and prepare for the next release of OSX

This post has been edited by elico: Nov 13 2008, 01:02 AM