What video card did you end up choosing, and how smoothly is the game running for you?
I am very, very interested in getting a top end 24" as soon as WWDC is over (hoping that either the iMacs are updated or at least Snow Leopard will start coming with it), pending financing of course (:(), and want to make sure that it's worth my money to do so (I already own a Macbook so no need selling me on Apple, I'm already devoted!)
Basically, I want to be able to run the Sims 3 at max graphics and still have it NOT LAG! Is there such a possibility?
If you want the strongest iMac for gaming definitely go for
Processor
* 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
L2 cache
* 6MB shared at full processor speed
System (frontside) bus
* 1066MHz
Memory
* 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500); two SO-DIMM slots support up to 8GB1
Hard drive
* 1TB Serial ATA - 7200 rpm
Slot-loading optical drive
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
o Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
o Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
o Writes DVD-RW discs at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
o Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
o Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
o Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
o Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
Graphics
* ATI Radeon HD 4850* graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
Video
* Built-in iSight camera
* Mini DisplayPort output port with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (via adapters, sold separately)
* Support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes
* Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display (1920 by 1200) and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display
Display
* Built-in 24-inch (viewable) glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix liquid crystal display, resolution 1920 by 1200 pixels, millions of colors
* Typical viewing angle:
o 178° horizontal
o 178° vertical
* Typical brightness: 385 cd/m2
* Typical contrast ratio: 750:1
Connections and expansion
* One FireWire 800 port; 7 watts
* Total of six USB 2.0 ports: four ports on computer, two ports on wired keyboard
Audio
* Built-in stereo speakers
* Internal 24-watt digital amplifier
* Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)
* Audio line in/optical digital audio input (minijack)
* Built-in microphone
* Support for Apple Stereo Headset with microphone
What video card did you end up choosing, and how smoothly is the game running for you?
I am very, very interested in getting a top end 24" as soon as WWDC is over (hoping that either the iMacs are updated or at least Snow Leopard will start coming with it), pending financing of course (:(), and want to make sure that it's worth my money to do so (I already own a Macbook so no need selling me on Apple, I'm already devoted!)
Basically, I want to be able to run the Sims 3 at max graphics and still have it NOT LAG! Is there such a possibility?
After much research online and with apple reps I got the top iMac 3.06 GHz and I upgraded the video card to the ATI 4850 512. Even though the computer is the priciest it was only $50 to upgrade the video card. I was told by apple that the video card cannot be updated in the iMac so I went with the highest one available so I wouldn't get caught later on with future EPs and not a strong enough graphics card. It only has leopard so eventually I will have to update to snow leopard but leopard is all TS3 takes. I bet the 1st EP will require snow leopard though.
My game won't cost me that much, but I am going to have to pay alot more than what I had planned. I pre ordered the game and when I received I was SOOO excited. However, my computer did not meet the minimum requirements for the game to work. I have an iMac with 1.5 GB of RAM. So guess what, I have to add more memory. I'm so disappointed. I have been itching to play this game for so long and now I have to wait even longer. I am so jealous of those that are getting to play and are enjoying it. Hopefully, it won't be much longer and I too can be marveling at the wonders in the SIms 3 :XD:
If you want the strongest iMac for gaming definitely go for
Processor
...
Trust me, I am well aware of what's out there, I have been on the Apple store site many times!!! I just want to know that it's actually running smoothly!
And to SIMCOOKIE: I sincerely doubt that any of the EPs will require upgrading to Snow Leopard. While it may end up being de facto necessary to make the gaming process smoother, perhaps even on older machines like my last gen blackbook, it would not make any practical sense to out right require the upgrade.
And to SIMCOOKIE: I sincerely doubt that any of the EPs will require upgrading to Snow Leopard. While it may end up being de facto necessary to make the gaming process smoother, perhaps even on older machines like my last gen blackbook, it would not make any practical sense to out right require the upgrade.
Exactly, and especially since Snow Leopard isn't out yet, nor is it scheduled to be out for another year. Usually if a game requires the newest OS, it's a completely new game, not just the expansions. I've never heard of that happening with expansions, that would just be stupid.
I am near the same amount...$650! I had a PC that didn't have a good enough video card, so I "tried" to update it, and I ended up breaking the computer. Never fear though, we ordered a Mac Mini to replace it, I WILL play the Sims!!!! Any idea on how the Sims works on a Mac Mini?
Ummm the mac mini is NOT for gaming, it may run, but probably not vary good.
Glad you bought a Mac. OS X is an amazing operating system, and the whole day-to-day experience on a Mac is second to none . . .
Unless we're talking about gaming on a Mac. A few smaller operations are keeping it alive, but the big names like EA and others are forever half-🐸🐸🐸🐸 it. when it comes to Mac versions.
I hope you bought your Mac for more than just The Sims. I also hope you have a coy of Windows XP SP2 or higher lying around, because that's what you'll need to play The Sims 3 properly (install via Bootcamp.) The Mac version of the game is horrible. Horrible graphics and horrible performance. It's a Windows port, and a typically poor one. EA has said it will address the issue. Don't hold your breath, though.
There are a few companies out there that DO make games exclusively for OS X, although most of the development in terms of Mac gaming is going into the iPhone.
Check out Ambrosia Software on the web. Good stuff.
Otherwise, just install Windows via Bootcamp and enjoy the best of both worlds. And the next time you see a "Mac version" of a game, keep your expectations nice and low.
I am near the same amount...$650! I had a PC that didn't have a good enough video card, so I "tried" to update it, and I ended up breaking the computer. Never fear though, we ordered a Mac Mini to replace it, I WILL play the Sims!!!! Any idea on how the Sims works on a Mac Mini?
Probably not very well. The Sims 3 likes to run with a dedicated video card, not something built-in. Sure, some dedicated cards will run the Sims, but probably not very well. Check the system requirements page.
And if I were you I'd play it on Windows, so try to install Windows via Bootcamp and then the Windows version of The Sims 3. The Mac version is pretty bad, and judging by the performance hit the Mac takes to even run it in the first place (due to it being a port, therefore, emulation), I think you'll be disappointed.
Quite frankly, I don't even think it's a good idea to play TS3 on a Mini, regardless of the operating system. Not enough power.
The problem is that the Mac version of TS3 is not a native version. It's a port of the Windows version that relies on emulation. TS3 is not designed to run on the Mac from the ground up, which is the way it SHOULD have been designed in the first place. But that takes time and money, and EA was looking to cash in big on the first-day release for both platforms.
Even if EA does fix the very basic but glaring issues with the Mac version, it will never run as well or look as good as the Windows version. It'll still be an emulation and require all the extra baggage to run alongside it (i.e., Wine.) And really, there's no compelling reason for EA to hurry. The OS X gaming market isn't worth the trouble, especially in light of the popularity of gaming on the iPhone. Hell, I'm willing to bet that EA will make far more money off the iPhone version of the game than from the entire OS X market.
I am near the same amount...$650! I had a PC that didn't have a good enough video card, so I "tried" to update it, and I ended up breaking the computer. Never fear though, we ordered a Mac Mini to replace it, I WILL play the Sims!!!! Any idea on how the Sims works on a Mac Mini?
Ummm the mac mini is NOT for gaming, it may run, but probably not vary good.
Actually, part of Apple's promotion of the mini is the ability to game. Three things to think about with the mini... First, the integrated graphics card means your processor is working harder, therefore you'd want the 2.26 mini if at all possible. Second, the RAM. The mini maxes out at 4G, so maxing out the RAM is also recommended since Sims 3 minimum specs require 2G. Third, the hard drive. The mini uses a 5400rpm mobile drive, which will also slow things down. You can give your mini a substantial performance boost by installing a good Solid State drive, but those are NOT cheap. You will also need a certified Apple tech to do it if you don't want to void your warranty. Still, if you were to do all these upgrades, at the end of the day you're left with RAM limits and graphics that can't be upgraded, all at the cost of an iMac or even more.
Sims 3 may run fine on a new mini, if you don't run anything else, but if you want it to keep up with future expansion packs and install custom content, it's probably not a great choice.
Never back to pc never. I have Windows XP installed via bootcamp but I seldomly pay a visit
Me too... the only reason I installed XP in bootcamp at all was to play Sims 2! (which it ran better than it did on my actual windows box.)
i swear to you, I have said this exact same thing for the last six months, word for word!
Same here!
To the OP: You will love your Mac! You can install Windows on it too... but like others have said, it's pretty pointless because you'll find that you don't want to use Windows ever again
I play the sims on a white Macbook with 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo & 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, and it runs great. Sure saving the game is a little slow but you're going to get that with any game that has fantastic graphics and takes up 6 GB of memory. :P
You really shouldn't have to upgrade your RAM... If you don't clutter your white macbook with apps or something then it will run fine.
Also, I didn't install the Sims 3 directly onto my macbook either, I installed it onto my external hard drive that has about 80 GB of memory.
I absolutely love my mac book pro, I just got it in the mail this past wednesday. I've always wanted a mac book but I had never really used one, but I knew that I was going to purchase one for college. It takes getting used to but now that I know what I'm doing for the most part I love it, and I dont think I'll ever go back to a pc.
I got mine in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! I felt like either dancing or hugging the Fed Ex guy when I went to sign for it.
I won't go back, either, if I can help it. I've not had a lick of trouble with this computer yet (*knock on wood*), and I've learned how to do everything on a Mac that I used to do on my Windows-based desktop. Including Simming.
Comments
If you want the strongest iMac for gaming definitely go for
Processor
* 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
L2 cache
* 6MB shared at full processor speed
System (frontside) bus
* 1066MHz
Memory
* 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500); two SO-DIMM slots support up to 8GB1
Hard drive
* 1TB Serial ATA - 7200 rpm
Slot-loading optical drive
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
o Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
o Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
o Writes DVD-RW discs at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
o Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
o Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
o Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
o Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
Graphics
* ATI Radeon HD 4850* graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
Video
* Built-in iSight camera
* Mini DisplayPort output port with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (via adapters, sold separately)
* Support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes
* Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display (1920 by 1200) and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display
Display
* Built-in 24-inch (viewable) glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix liquid crystal display, resolution 1920 by 1200 pixels, millions of colors
* Typical viewing angle:
o 178° horizontal
o 178° vertical
* Typical brightness: 385 cd/m2
* Typical contrast ratio: 750:1
Connections and expansion
* One FireWire 800 port; 7 watts
* Total of six USB 2.0 ports: four ports on computer, two ports on wired keyboard
Audio
* Built-in stereo speakers
* Internal 24-watt digital amplifier
* Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)
* Audio line in/optical digital audio input (minijack)
* Built-in microphone
* Support for Apple Stereo Headset with microphone
Ethernet
* Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Wireless
* Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification), IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
* Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module
After much research online and with apple reps I got the top iMac 3.06 GHz and I upgraded the video card to the ATI 4850 512. Even though the computer is the priciest it was only $50 to upgrade the video card. I was told by apple that the video card cannot be updated in the iMac so I went with the highest one available so I wouldn't get caught later on with future EPs and not a strong enough graphics card. It only has leopard so eventually I will have to update to snow leopard but leopard is all TS3 takes. I bet the 1st EP will require snow leopard though.
Trust me, I am well aware of what's out there, I have been on the Apple store site many times!!! I just want to know that it's actually running smoothly!
And to SIMCOOKIE: I sincerely doubt that any of the EPs will require upgrading to Snow Leopard. While it may end up being de facto necessary to make the gaming process smoother, perhaps even on older machines like my last gen blackbook, it would not make any practical sense to out right require the upgrade.
Exactly, and especially since Snow Leopard isn't out yet, nor is it scheduled to be out for another year. Usually if a game requires the newest OS, it's a completely new game, not just the expansions. I've never heard of that happening with expansions, that would just be stupid.
Ummm the mac mini is NOT for gaming, it may run, but probably not vary good.
Unless we're talking about gaming on a Mac. A few smaller operations are keeping it alive, but the big names like EA and others are forever half-🐸🐸🐸🐸 it. when it comes to Mac versions.
I hope you bought your Mac for more than just The Sims. I also hope you have a coy of Windows XP SP2 or higher lying around, because that's what you'll need to play The Sims 3 properly (install via Bootcamp.) The Mac version of the game is horrible. Horrible graphics and horrible performance. It's a Windows port, and a typically poor one. EA has said it will address the issue. Don't hold your breath, though.
There are a few companies out there that DO make games exclusively for OS X, although most of the development in terms of Mac gaming is going into the iPhone.
Check out Ambrosia Software on the web. Good stuff.
Otherwise, just install Windows via Bootcamp and enjoy the best of both worlds. And the next time you see a "Mac version" of a game, keep your expectations nice and low.
Anyway, enjoy your Mac. Smart purchase.
Probably not very well. The Sims 3 likes to run with a dedicated video card, not something built-in. Sure, some dedicated cards will run the Sims, but probably not very well. Check the system requirements page.
And if I were you I'd play it on Windows, so try to install Windows via Bootcamp and then the Windows version of The Sims 3. The Mac version is pretty bad, and judging by the performance hit the Mac takes to even run it in the first place (due to it being a port, therefore, emulation), I think you'll be disappointed.
Quite frankly, I don't even think it's a good idea to play TS3 on a Mini, regardless of the operating system. Not enough power.
The problem is that the Mac version of TS3 is not a native version. It's a port of the Windows version that relies on emulation. TS3 is not designed to run on the Mac from the ground up, which is the way it SHOULD have been designed in the first place. But that takes time and money, and EA was looking to cash in big on the first-day release for both platforms.
Even if EA does fix the very basic but glaring issues with the Mac version, it will never run as well or look as good as the Windows version. It'll still be an emulation and require all the extra baggage to run alongside it (i.e., Wine.) And really, there's no compelling reason for EA to hurry. The OS X gaming market isn't worth the trouble, especially in light of the popularity of gaming on the iPhone. Hell, I'm willing to bet that EA will make far more money off the iPhone version of the game than from the entire OS X market.
High five?
Me too... the only reason I installed XP in bootcamp at all was to play Sims 2! (which it ran better than it did on my actual windows box.)
Actually, part of Apple's promotion of the mini is the ability to game. Three things to think about with the mini... First, the integrated graphics card means your processor is working harder, therefore you'd want the 2.26 mini if at all possible. Second, the RAM. The mini maxes out at 4G, so maxing out the RAM is also recommended since Sims 3 minimum specs require 2G. Third, the hard drive. The mini uses a 5400rpm mobile drive, which will also slow things down. You can give your mini a substantial performance boost by installing a good Solid State drive, but those are NOT cheap. You will also need a certified Apple tech to do it if you don't want to void your warranty. Still, if you were to do all these upgrades, at the end of the day you're left with RAM limits and graphics that can't be upgraded, all at the cost of an iMac or even more.
Sims 3 may run fine on a new mini, if you don't run anything else, but if you want it to keep up with future expansion packs and install custom content, it's probably not a great choice.
Same here!
To the OP: You will love your Mac! You can install Windows on it too... but like others have said, it's pretty pointless because you'll find that you don't want to use Windows ever again
I play the sims on a white Macbook with 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo & 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, and it runs great. Sure saving the game is a little slow but you're going to get that with any game that has fantastic graphics and takes up 6 GB of memory. :P
You really shouldn't have to upgrade your RAM... If you don't clutter your white macbook with apps or something then it will run fine.
Also, I didn't install the Sims 3 directly onto my macbook either, I installed it onto my external hard drive that has about 80 GB of memory.
I got mine in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! I felt like either dancing or hugging the Fed Ex guy when I went to sign for it.
I won't go back, either, if I can help it. I've not had a lick of trouble with this computer yet (*knock on wood*), and I've learned how to do everything on a Mac that I used to do on my Windows-based desktop. Including Simming.