Macs, PCs, or Consoles For Gaming?

DT

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$59 Borderlands 3, currently free from Epic :cool:



And it's even available for both Windows and macOS!

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Huntn

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From another thread:
An M1 Pro or M1 Max machine? Hell yes.

(The "integrated graphics" aren't what you're thinking of in the older Intel context))

If you don’t mind, anyone educate me on Apple’s integrated graphics. I’m actually in a quandary about my next Mac purchase if there is one…I’ve got a 2016 MBP which is mostly useless for gaming and struggles working with Unreal Engine so I don’t, just take notes, surf, pay bills and manage images. Yes I‘ve always preferred the MacOS as a comfortable environment, and I just tolerate Windows because of gaming, and currently educating myself with UE.

For my next laptop update, I could update to $1999 14” MBP and face the same struggles that have always existed with gaming on a Mac or spend $800 (under a thousand) ASUS laptop and abandon the comfort of the MacOS and associated programs I use that are Mac only.

Now keep in mind, I used to travel frequently for work, and there was a time I was willing to pay $2400 for a MBR that ran Bootcamp, and a played most games (that I wanted to play) in a passable manner, (no not great or in some cases not good) but it was not that often I ran into this. For example ARK: Survival Evolved was close to being a slide show in 2016.

Also I have a home built PC laptop, built in 2013, upgraded in 2019, which for 99% of the time, fulfills both my gaming and working in Unreal Engine (building gaming environments) needs. I do like the MacOS, when I’m on vacation really I should have better things to do than play on my computer.. I might just say the hell with it, and go with a lesser MBP. But then it chaffs my butt that I have to spend $2000 to get 3 thunderbolt ports instead of 2 ($1200). My reference goes back to my 2012 MBP that had a dedicated graphics card and cost $2400.

Thoughts?



 

DT

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@Huntn

Integrated chipset graphics used to mean extremely low performance, not intended for gaming, really just for general purpose computing. When you wanted fast graphics performance, you went with a discrete GPU, like you're familiar on your Windows machine, or like the more recent Intel iMac, the Mac Pro, MBPs, using AMD/Radeon discrete GPUs.

Otherwise this is the sort of performance you experience:


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Those two bottom Minis are using UDH 630 which are pretty low iGPU (integrated), but even at double or triple that performance they're way behind discrete GPU powered machines.

With the M series / Apple Silicon SOCs, you've got "integrated graphics" in the sort of "packaging" sense, but they're performing like pretty stout discrete GPU setups - but a really important point: discrete GPUs are very power hungry and generate a ton of heat, but with the M1 GPUs, you've got outstanding performance and lower power, lower heat. In a notebook, that can be really critical.

It also depends on the specific use case, which libraries are being used, what graphics API, etc., but if you're just looking for a solid gaming experience vs. the cost, without factoring in: battery life, build materials, warranty/service channels, display quality, sound, even more subjective things like OS, trackpad feel - then it's really going to be hard to beat the FPS/$ ratio of a mid-ranged Windows machine.

It's also hard to say X Apple vs. Y Windows GPU performance, but I know people have taken a general SWAG at this, and tend to put an M1 Pro GPU (depending on exact flavor) like between a 3050 and 3060, but that's very -ish :D

BTW, this MSI machine:


Occasionally drops to $10xx, which is a pretty good bang-for-the-buck, it's an i7 / 16GB / 3060 in a slimmer chassis.

I've been occasionally shopping a Winders™ machine, and per a previous post, and I'll definitely go with an AMD Ryzen, probably the 9 (over an Intel option).

FWIW, this is the machine I configured, it's a Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Gen 6 AMD (15"):


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With 3 year Premier service including full accidental damage coverage.
 
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Colstan

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Another tidbit from WWDC, if you can tolerate five minutes of Gruber, Craig and Joz address gaming on the Mac. While not mentioning anything new that wasn't announced already, it's clear that Apple is high on the graphics potential of their "great gaming machines" and this is "an unprecedented time for gaming on the Mac". While we've seen Apple make a play for gaming before, they seem to be putting more effort into this, rather than just having an Electronic Arts executive on stage to announce a handful of half-assed token ports like they did at WWDC 2007.

In the past, Apple's executives always seemed coy about discussing gaming, perhaps giving the impression that they don't care about that market. From the tone and breadth of the Metal 3 and gaming presentation at WWDC, and the vigor with which Craig discusses the issue with Gruber, it feels like something has changed. @Cmaier has mentioned that he knows for a fact that Apple is making a hard push into gaming, and now that's coming straight from Apple's executive team.
 

Cmaier

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Another tidbit from WWDC, if you can tolerate five minutes of Gruber, Craig and Joz address gaming on the Mac. While not mentioning anything new that wasn't announced already, it's clear that Apple is high on the graphics potential of their "great gaming machines" and this is "an unprecedented time for gaming on the Mac". While we've seen Apple make a play for gaming before, they seem to be putting more effort into this, rather than just having an Electronic Arts executive on stage to announce a handful of half-assed token ports like they did at WWDC 2007.

In the past, Apple's executives always seemed coy about discussing gaming, perhaps giving the impression that they don't care about that market. From the tone and breadth of the Metal 3 and gaming presentation at WWDC, and the vigor with which Craig discusses the issue with Gruber, it feels like something has changed. @Cmaier has mentioned that he knows for a fact that Apple is making a hard push into gaming, and now that's coming straight from Apple's executive team.
My goal is to drop just enough inside information that MR has to start reporting on me after having banned me :)
 

DT

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Finally did the often discussed, but never actually followed-through, connect-the-PC-to-the-TV :D

I have an extra long HDMI cable on one of the inputs, really nothing to it, de-docked from my desk, plugged into the TV, pretty much done. Fired up the Epic Games launcher and had perfect XBOX controller input, stellar graphics, and the sound from the Sonos setup was awesome, and at times, super spooky o_O Didn't bother with the power supply at first, figured we'd be done (it was sort of late) before it crapped out, got really engaged and wound up grabbing the supply, might get another one I can leave in the TV room - it works on both the proprietary "high power /performance" PS (it's big ...), or USB-C, but I don't know that the latter supports enough power when it's in full tilt game mode.

We played (see horror games thread) :D
 

DT

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Oh, last night after I moved the machine back to the desk, I reconnected the XBOX to the network, I didn't realize it was offline, downloaded a big update (~4GB), but I also downloaded the XBOX Wireless Display app, it's basically a screen mirror/casting app for a Windows client, fired that up, Windows+K on the notebook and there was the XBOX, connected and wow, the refresh is very good. I fired up the same game, the controller was able to connect to the notebook and it looked very close to physically connecting it, so that might be even a simpler solution - will experiment with this more.
 

Huntn

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These days I’m strictly PC for gaming, and iOS when nothing else is available. The only time my Xbox gets turned on is for Grandkids. We played Borderlands on Xbox which was a lot of fun. :)
 

dysamoria

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I have given up on consoles. I don't get to play much, but if I have 15 minutes before the wife is ready to watch something, I would fire up the XBox and play something. Usually some driving game.

But it got to be where it had to update this or that then the game had an update and the 15 minutes I had came and went while waiting for it up update. Liked them better when they weren't connected to the internet.
Being connected to the internet has ruined SO MANY THINGS.
 

Nycturne

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There is a reason why I've built up a collection of older games and systems. There's something rather nice about being able to boot up a GameCube or an SNES and just play. And even with me replacing the optical drive in the GameCube with an SD Card based loader so I can have my whole collection ready to go, it takes less than a minute to be playing something.
 
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