Mac or PC??

[chopsuiy]

Hi guys im in the process of purchasing a new computer for gaming/work(gaming will mostly consist of WoW raiding and CSgop) and i am very interested in the new 27" imac range. I was just curious if they are any good for what i have specified, also money isnt the issue i just want a reliable system.

Thanks for your time

Regards
Chopsuiy

[noteworthynerd]

What kind of work will you be doing? Even for mild gaming, Windows-based PCs are almost always the better choice.

[kyraka]

Stay away from mac shit!

Infracted

[Furtim]

The iMacs work very well for WoW raiding - running on an older first gen 27" now, but you'll get the same performance from an equivalent PC setup. You will pay a bit extra for the iMac, but perhaps not as much as you think when you go for similar component specs and with Boot Camp, you can always play your PC only games if needed (the modern Mac is the same architecture as a PC, so just throw a copy of Windows on, and it's the same thing if needed).

I went for the Macs because I was thoroughly bored with building PCs, and wanted to try something different - I've no regrets, just don't fall foul of the one is better than the other argument; they are just different, and if you're bored with Windows try OS X (read Unix), or Linux if you fancy a change.

The *only* show stopper may be the lack of user serviceability on the Mac. I think they look neat, but that comes at a cost - try upgrading the hard disk and you're stumped. You can quite easily run the iMac of an external disk (I do), but I suppose that kind of defeats the 'looks great' point at the end of the day!

[vesseblah]

If your work is semipro or professional level audio engineering or recording choose Mac.

For every other mixed gaming/work stuff PC gives better value for money.

The iMacs work very well for WoW raiding - running on an older first gen 27" now

Older first gen 27" iMacs had actually desktop GPU which makes those run games faster than current 27" built out of laptop parts unless you pick the most expensive GPU upgrade to go with it.

[chopsuiy]

Hi and thanks for the fast reply, mostly college projects etc. Kinda bummed that they arent any good for gaming though ALso not too fuss about the pricing as im interested in reliablity more than anything. Thanks for the feedback guys

[Deleted]

Macs look like they are designed for girls to cart about with them in their pink bag with their little dogs. Almost like something you would keep fanny pads in.

Also the iMac is a glorified laptop bolted to a stand, crap laptop gpu and hairdresser looks.

Go with pc and get something for 1/2 the price with 2x the specs and looks...

[Deleted]

I'd take a windows 7 (yes, 7.) PC. Those games will run on a mac, but iMacs these days have laptop GPU's. They are pretty bad, to say the least.

[Hanto]

Hi and thanks for the fast reply, mostly college projects etc. Kinda bummed that they arent any good for gaming though

It's not really that they aren't any good for gaming, it's just PCs are way better for it. If you're only in college the demands shouldn't be that great. A PC will probably be the way to go since you'll get better performance on a cheaper tab.

[Deleted]

If money isn't issue buy mac and virtualbox windows, so you have both systems.

[chopsuiy]

Cheers for the fast replies guys. Looks like the imac will take the backseat this time around , also i read that the new 680gt mx graphics card in the imac was the best one out atm? Am i wrong in this assumption?

[Furtim]

Older first gen 27" iMacs had actually desktop GPU which makes those run games faster than current 27" built out of laptop parts unless you pick the most expensive GPU upgrade to go with it.

Gah - just looked at the apple site and you're right. No doubt they are 'good' mobile graphics cards, but that's not really the point! Silly buggers. If I wanted a notebook I'd buy a notebook. Really sad to say it, but this may well be my last iMac ('tis my forth, had one all the way back since the 'anglepoise' one).

Based on the above, if gaming is important, it looks like it has to be a PC now.

[asb]

A Mac isn't exactly cost-effective and you could run into some hardware limitations when it comes to gaming, but if that's all your playing I'd think a new Mac should be able to handle it. I mean, you can get them with an i7-3770 and a GTX680M, which I really can't imagine having problems with those games even at 2550x1440. You may have to turn some settings down a little to smooth it out, but I very much doubt it'll be unplayable.

The one thing I'd be concerned about is heat. The new line iMac line looks paper-thin, which seems a little scary for potential overheating. I haven't found any reviews describing their cooling efficiency, and I assume it would be a hard thing to come across since Apple's demographic isn't generally gamers. I don't know what to advise here, but I have a hard time imagining it would do much better than every notebook computer in existence.

Cheers for the fast replies guys. Looks like the imac will take the backseat this time around , also i read that the new 680gt mx graphics card in the imac was the best one out atm? Am i wrong in this assumption?

According to PassMark, the GTX680M has similar performance to a GTX660, which should be plenty good enough for WoW or CSGO. And yes, it's the highest-performing mobile gpu on the list.

[Wromthrax]

PC always, Mac is overpriced and over-hyped.

[Vinho]

If money is no issue, have a gaming desktop that is PC based, and a luxury Mac laptop for all other computing needs.

I love my Mac OSX and MacBook Pro laptop, it's just a 13 inch but it's phenomenal and it's honestly a pleasure to use, I'll never go back to anything PC-based that isn't for gaming needs.

[lordmatthias]

It really depends on how much you want to get into gaming and what setting you want your games to run at. Even the NICEST imac with the GeForce GTX 670MX scores a 2050 on GPU benchmark (http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php). For reference even if you get a fairly middle of the road GTX 660, it scores a 3991 or a 660Ti at 4650. This is a HUGE performance difference in graphics power. The biggest problem is that they have to stick laptop components in these system because they are getting so small and thin (makes them look REALLY nice though). I have used both Mac and Windows PC's, I have a early 2012 Macbook Pro (which I use as a browsing/travel PC), a dell precision M4600 that I got through work, and a self built gaming desktop. I ended up deciding to build an enthusiast PC because for the price you really just get a LOT of performance.

On a side note I am surprised that Apple went away from AMD for their Imacs as currently AMD makes the highest performance Laptop GPU's on the market.

[chopsuiy]

well there goes the plans for the imac then, lol got shot down pretty fast . Thanks for the input guys

[Deleted]

If money is no issue, have a gaming desktop that is PC based, and a luxury Mac laptop for all other computing needs.

I love my Mac OSX and MacBook Pro laptop, it's just a 13 inch but it's phenomenal and it's honestly a pleasure to use, I'll never go back to anything PC-based that isn't for gaming needs.

^ this more or less.

I have a macbook pro laptop as well, which I run bootcamp on for a few reasons, I also have a iMac 27" (the older version) and I've been able to play both WoW and GW2 (the beta version) and Sims 3 on it with all the maximum settings. And it works. I had a lot of issues with my old PC, so I switched and I haven't looked back once.

Mac, in my opinion, is a lot nicer to work with when it comes to "user-friendlyness" (or something). It's fast to start up, it's easy to navigate, the programs run smoothly and over all the only downside to a mac os is that not you can't play all the games that comes out for PC on it (yet).

[chopsuiy]

^ this more or less.

I have a macbook pro laptop as well, which I run bootcamp on for a few reasons, I also have a iMac 27" (the older version) and I've been able to play both WoW and GW2 (the beta version) and Sims 3 on it with all the maximum settings. And it works. I had a lot of issues with my old PC, so I switched and I haven't looked back once.

Mac, in my opinion, is a lot nicer to work with when it comes to "user-friendlyness" (or something). It's fast to start up, it's easy to navigate, the programs run smoothly and over all the only downside to a mac os is that not you can't play all the games that comes out for PC on it (yet).

Hmmm now this sounds interesting , id rather have one computer than 2 seperate ones , so in your opinion the imac is much more reliable?

---------- Post added 2012-12-18 at 09:20 AM ----------

ok guys after many hours on countless forums ive decided to purchase the new imac 27" with the 1gb fusion drive ,8gb ram,3.4ghz i7 and gtx 680mx gpu . Wish me luck :s

[Vinho]

I think that in terms of reliability, for a basic or inexperienced user, even right up to your entry level or higher enthusiast... a Mac is far easier to use and more stable than a PC. I'm probably going to get flamed for that but it's just true... A Mac is so much easier to use, configure, and enjoy without having to worry about all the crap that is associated with Windows.

I believe Windows requires a lot more competency to be on the same level as Mac OSX.