New computer suggestions (mac)
Okay so for some reason this didn't post the first time so excuse me if I'm brief.
My custom built desktop pc died today and I have been having so much trouble with it since I got it that I'm just going to buy a new computer. I've decided to get a Mac. I know that it is sort of a bold move as a gamer but I feel like it doesn't matter as much anymore.
So I'm thinking about getting the iMac 27" 2.7 GHz. I originally was thinking about getting the Mac Pro but it just didn't seem worth it. I will have dual 26"+ monitors if I get an Imac and I will be saving money. The thing I'm worried about is the graphics card. It is an ATI Radeon HD 6770M with 512MB. I don't know anything about this card so that is why I'm posting here. I currently have an nVidia GTX 260 OC and it does what I want it to do. I don't need anything better. I really hope that this ATI does that job because I can't really afford the next step up in the 27" monitor size.
So what do people think? Let me know asap because I would like to buy this baby pretty soon.
Thanks in advanced. And please don't go on a mac hating spree.
Here is a link to the iMac page.
http://store.apple.com/us_edu_75916/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=MTcyMTgwNTQ
My custom built desktop pc died today and I have been having so much trouble with it since I got it that I'm just going to buy a new computer. I've decided to get a Mac. I know that it is sort of a bold move as a gamer but I feel like it doesn't matter as much anymore.
So I'm thinking about getting the iMac 27" 2.7 GHz. I originally was thinking about getting the Mac Pro but it just didn't seem worth it. I will have dual 26"+ monitors if I get an Imac and I will be saving money. The thing I'm worried about is the graphics card. It is an ATI Radeon HD 6770M with 512MB. I don't know anything about this card so that is why I'm posting here. I currently have an nVidia GTX 260 OC and it does what I want it to do. I don't need anything better. I really hope that this ATI does that job because I can't really afford the next step up in the 27" monitor size.
So what do people think? Let me know asap because I would like to buy this baby pretty soon.
Thanks in advanced. And please don't go on a mac hating spree.
Here is a link to the iMac page.
http://store.apple.com/us_edu_75916/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=MTcyMTgwNTQ
Replies
Did the whole old pc die? Is there any parts you can scrap?
The whole pc didn't die but I just don't want to deal with it. I bought it is 2007. Upgraded the graphics card a year or two later. Motherboard died last month but had basically no money. So I had to downgrade. I just don't want to have to deal with it anymore. I know that it can be done right. But I have wanted a mac for a long time.
I would get a mac pro but they start at like $2500 and I don't have that much money.
However, I never used bootcamp, so that might be the solution to those problems, I'll leave it to someone else confirm that!
Now, sorry, to the actual question. It seems to me like it should run quite well, it's roughly the spec's I'm using right now. Although, I'm going to upgrade in the near future.
So I wouldn't really expect to run new games on the highest graphics, but most of them should at least be playable. And as it comes to working with 3d, don't think that'll be a major problem either. Thus, imo, slightly outdated, but works
Cheers
Bootcamp works great. I have it running on a Macbook Air and a MB Pro. No problems, except the right-click-drag is weird. But that is a trackpad issue. Gaming and 3D apps work flawlessly. The integration with the apple hardware is in general very good.
The iMac is a nice machine but I read that you can not upgrade the HDD yourself any more with a 3rd party brand for mid 2011 imacs. Which sucks a lot because:
- you're limited to the brands and size Apple offers (bye bye SSD)
- you have to lug your imac to an apple service center (sucks if you're in the boonies)
- it costs much more!
I have been using a unibody 15 inch Macbook daily for about two years now. I made it my dedicated web and media machine, and keep my desktop PC dedicated to work and Steam games.
The laptop is really solid, I even gave CS4 a try on it back in the day and it performed surprisingly well. The OS is quite stable too, yet there's nothing magic about it either - it slows down under heavy apps, just like any OS would (Ableton with some plugins slows it down to a crawl for instance. Yet Mudbox 2009 runs great on it.)
However, there is one tiny thing worth mentioning. It's a detail, but it might have its importance : if you have been using PCs all your life, you will absolutely hate the mouse behavior on Macs. Now all Apple fanboys will tell you that it is actually better, that Steve Jobs wants it that way and you should just embrace it - truth is, it is bullshit. I tried fixing it every way possible (installing hacks, Intellipoint drivers, and so on), but nothing helped.
In essence, the mouse movement algorithm has some sort of weird mouse deceleration factor built in. Meaning that the closer you get to an icon, the slower it goes. It is fantastic for grandparents and graphic design emo kids, but if you are used to zipping around your desktop in a flash at the flick of your wrist, you will hate it.
Now on a laptop it does not bother me much since 99% of the time I need the touchpad. But if you consider working on a Mac in 2D and 3D, this one tiny detail can totally spoil your day. Make sure to give it a try first!
Sucks that the lower end version locks you into a 500GB HDD. Typical Apple.
Tell me about it. Removing or disabling features is more than just annoying. The new iMacs have thunderbolt ports, or I should say, only the 27" has thunderbolt ports. They have only one on the 22" so you can only use one external display. Lame.
bootcamp includes all the 64 bit drivers for current gen macs
Just run the bootcamp installer and blam, everything is installed! I wish I had this on my windows box
i got an ati 6950 card in my PC now. very happy with it, super stable both in maya and max. I just miss having CUDA though.
I'm also not a huge pc gamer. I usually just get games on the box now because it is simpler and all my friends use it. I'm going to try and get the step up. Quad 3.2 with the 1gb video card. I think that will get the job done.
Talbot, try to get the Mac that will keep you happy/productive for as long as possible. You can always get external... and that sexy ass Thunderbolt port.
I figured the newer versions came with 64bit drivers for Bootcamp with the iX series. I had to hunt that crap down for my Core2 Mini.
yeah that's right... Apple keeps forgetting about older machines when pushing updates
It's a funny situation - win 7 even runs on very old hardware which is way too slow for it, but getting the latest OS X to run on perfectly fine older Macs is sometimes almost impossible without resorting to hacks.
Yet Macs age much slower - I know plenty of people who're not into 3D or gaming who still use old PowerPC macs for their work and they're happy. Also Macs tend to retain more value than their PC counterparts when you try to sell them again. I wanted to buy an intel mac mini 2 years ago and those were still rather expensive, despite the outdated single core cpu...i settled for a G4 mini then which still works perfectly fine.
and im trying to be unbiased since i did used to own a mac pro and my work uses all mac pros.
and i find the argument about macs being better for certain things like media is broken i work doing post production and some music production and i don't care what platform, just as long as i have proper audio hardware and pro tools which runs just as good on both systems.
The machine is dead silent which is always nice.
As for upgradability the article linked above about hard drives is false. If you look on macrumors.com on the forums you will see many have already upgraded the hard drives to the brand new 2011 iMac.
Even the teardown by ifixit shows it is easier to add another drive than ever before.
For ram never buy from apple as they aree over priced.. My brother stuck with the 4gb and bought another 8 from Newegg for a total of 12gb for only 80 dollars.
With bootcamp you can run windows and it is like a tyical windows computer no difference.. so not much sacrifice there when you are forced to use a windows program.
Edit: pior, the mouse movement sucks but once you get used to it it is livable... apparently it is better in the next OS release LIon.
Oh one more thing I should mention, if you are getting a student discount wait until next week if you can. Apple will be starting their back to school program which gives a free iPod touch rebate.
Anyway. I love my computer!