Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Hardware, Software, MacBook
Putting the MacBook through the paces with Warhammer Online
Since the new MacBooks were released earlier this week, everyone's been talking a good bit about gaming on the thing, but our friend (and TUAW alum) C.K. Sample III decided to actually load up a game and make the new Nvidia chips put up or shut up. And as you can see above, put up they did: he loaded up XP in Boot Camp, installed Warhammer Online (not a small task, with a 13GB install and all the patching it took about two hours), and entered the Age of Reckoning with all the graphics turned up. The verdict: it worked. And pretty well -- while there was a tiny bit of slowdown on the highest settings (and YouTube compression makes it look worse than it is), the game was clearly playable and actually looked really good. The trackpad wasn't too easy to use, but you already know that for any substantial games, you've got to plug a mouse in anyway.
This was the 9400M running in the new MacBook, with the 2.4 GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. You have to think the MBP would run even better, too. Seems like Apple's done it -- even on the low end machines, gamers should have no problem (assuming they're willing to load up Boot Camp and deal with a permissions error or two) running even the latest PC games. Now if we could only convince game companies to all make Mac-specific versions...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Lincoln Log said 12:22PM on 10-17-2008
Tripod.
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DavidW. said 11:19AM on 10-16-2008
This really isn't a good game to test with...my 2 year old laptop can run the game at full specs.
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Darren said 10:33AM on 10-16-2008
The MacBook might just be the greatest laptop ever made.
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michas_pi said 10:50AM on 10-16-2008
If it had FireWire, I would agree.
Kyle Derouen said 3:36PM on 10-17-2008
It does have firewire..
you just have to plug in an adaptor. Is that really that big of a deal?
Look said 11:07AM on 10-16-2008
FireWire = Macbook Pro! Get use to it!
*A message to all Geeks **please stop nagging us**
eric f. said 11:26AM on 10-16-2008
@Kyle Derouen, can you provide a link to this adapter?
michas_pi said 12:36PM on 10-16-2008
@eric f.:
This is for the new MacBook Pro: http://www.sonnettech.com/product/fw_adapter.html
puhsitch said 6:47PM on 10-16-2008
Kyle: USB-to-FireWire adapters are 1) really expensive, and 2) currently only available with Windows drivers. Although it would really be nice if both of those points would change very soon...
Loopback said 10:43AM on 10-16-2008
But will it blend?
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dagamer34 said 10:48AM on 10-16-2008
Probably not, it's not a thin sheet of aluminum.
Truegod said 11:09AM on 10-16-2008
Maybe not, but it will shred: http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en.htm
Quix said 11:26AM on 10-16-2008
"Now if we could only convince game companies to all make Mac-specific versions..."
They don't make Mac-specific games because we don't buy them. And why don't we buy them? Because they aren't released until a year after the Windows versions. And by then nobody cares. I really wanted Unreal Tournament 3 for Mac. But now UT3 is old news. And the Mac version still has yet to show its face. Will I buy it when it's released? Nope. Because I just don't care anymore.
At least we still have Blizzard, with their simultaneous Windows/Mac game releases. Bring on Starcraft 2!
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quandmeme said 11:20AM on 10-16-2008
Exactly because gamers are willing to deal with boot camp and a few permission errors--mac specific (i.e. not even exclusive) games will be long in coming. Why spend the development costs if the marginal revenue is so low.
Give it another generation.
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mrsteveman1 said 11:27AM on 10-16-2008
holy shit, $1299 is a low end machine now? Man, i love my apple stuff but you seriously are drinking the kool-aid if you believe that.
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eric f. said 11:29AM on 10-16-2008
No, $999 is the low end Macbook.
mrsteveman1 said 12:25PM on 10-16-2008
The story is about the nvidia version, referring to it as low end while praising apple for it's game performance. The 999 one isn't low end either despite it's anemic gfx chip
TMM said 1:47PM on 10-16-2008
Well, the 999$ really is a the low end now.
And it's not a 100$ price drop on it, when you consider CPU and SuperDrive belong to the FORMER 1299 model.
So, they add an awesome aluminum case, REAL FRIGGING GLASS, a real nice new GLASS touchpad, A NICE GPU, that is about as fast as the x1600 from the old PROs ... but they keep the price of 1299 - and over a better equiped, lower end model.
Yes, keep the price of 1299 - it is the mid range model. And they give you A LOT MORE for 1299, now ... it's the best frigging consumer notebook.
It is the new 12" Powerbook. Only better.
And everybody is still bitching? Come on ...
Mystic said 11:50AM on 10-16-2008
THANK YOU C.K. Sample for doing this! I've been wondering this exact thing. Currently I'm playing Warhammer Online on a 2.4ghz iMac with 4GB RAM and it runs pretty well. I can play solo on highest settings and usually turn the settings down for large RvR. I thought it would be nice to get the new macbook with the 24" external monitor if it could play WAR anywhere near how it runs on my iMac, and it looks like it can!!!
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Alex said 11:58AM on 10-16-2008
Great stuff, thanks!
Any chance of a Crysis, or Bioshock video?
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