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The new imacs

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Aug 08, 2007 macguy link
Question for the devs.

Will vendetta run on the new imacs.
Here are the specs of the one I'll be getting.

2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor

1GB (one SO-DIMM) of PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 memory

ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory

24-inch: 1920 by 1200 pixels
Can vendetta run in that resolution since it's wide screen?

Ok, I guess a better question for this thread would be how well will vendetta run on this imac? :D
I'll finally be able to use shaders and full screen glow!
Aug 08, 2007 FatStrat85 link
I just tested VO on the new 20" 2.4 GHz iMac with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO GPU with 256 MB memory and 1 GB of RAM at the Apple Store. It was the standard $1,499 model.

I set everything at maximum settings and it ran beautifully (at least to my eyes). I recorded some average fps readings in different locations and with different "Full Scene Glow" settings. Again, all settings were as high as they would go. Both the computer and game were set to the maximum resolution supported by the monitor, 1680x1050. These are approximate average fps readings that I gathered after playing for about 20 minutes.

Flying around Sedina B8
Full Scene Glow Hi: 90 fps
Full Scene Glow On: 150 fps
Full Scene Glow Off: 300 fps

Flying around Sedina D14 Station
Full Scene Glow Hi: 50 fps
Full Scene Glow On: 70 fps
Full Scene Glow Off: 100 fps

Flying through an Ion Storm
Full Scene Glow Hi: 25 fps
Full Scene Glow On: 35 fps
Full Scene Glow Off: 50 fps

I'm not sure how these compare to what other people typically get on other computers. Is that pretty good? Average? Poor? Like I said, it looked very nice to my eyes. The wide screen was a bit weird. Things weren't stretched, but they just looked bizarre to me. I'm sure it was just because I'm used to playing on non-wide monitors. I was very impressed with the computer overall and am definitely considering buying one soon.
Aug 08, 2007 macguy link
Just order myself a 24 inch one. Although, I may not be able to play vendetta on it for awhile. It depends on how busy I am in the coming weeks

Although I am seriously considering getting a 1 month subscription just to fly around and see VO with pretty graphics.

Those frame rates are pretty good.
Aug 08, 2007 FatStrat85 link
For comparison, the computer I currently have is a 17" 1 GHz G4 eMac with the ATI Radeon 7500 GPU with 32 MB memory and 768 MB of RAM. It does not support "Full Scene Glow" and has 1280x960 resolution. At maximum settings, it ran VO with the following fps.

Flying around Sedina B8
Full Scene Glow Off: 50 fps (iMac had 300 fps)

Flying around Sedina D14 Station
Full Scene Glow Off: 5 fps (iMac had 100 fps)

Flying through an Ion Storm
Full Scene Glow Off: 8 fps (iMac had 50 fps)

Performance on the 4-5 year old eMac was obviously much lower than the new iMac. It was barely usable just flying around the station at those settings. These readings are very approximate because they fluctuated quite a bit.

I posted an abridged report of this test on the MacRumors forums:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=339355
Aug 16, 2007 Jakob LeMort link
I just ordered a new mini with the Core 2 Duo. I'm expecting great things compared to my PPC mini.
Aug 26, 2007 ananzi link
They let you play video games at the mac store?

They just opened one here. when i went in and tried to look up some fun websites i was surrounded by green shirted nazis (i can't help but think they are related to the National Socialist Green Party http://www.nazi.org/), surrounded me with iPhones and told me they were sorry but they had to ask me to leave.

I tried to explain to them. It was just a game website! They weren't listening. One of them poked me with the iPhone and I got a distrubing jolt. That was when I noticed that all the iphones were glowing green, on some sort of secret iphone screen I'd never seen before. It hurt like the devil... I doubled over in pain, hitting my head on one of those ridiculous wooden desks they have.

I could feel the blood come down, running into my eyes, as my body slumped to the floor. One of the fat skeevy hippy apple drones was coming towards me for a second jolt, when this flame haired surfer girl stopped him. I was in love at first sight... unfortunately I didn't get her number because I passed out soon after.

When I came to, I was handcuffed to the hospital bed. A dour man with an insensitive and impersonal demeanor started asking me a bunch of questions about websites I had visited at the apple store.

He wanted to know what my 'vendetta' was against 'georgewbush'. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. He said 'who do you know in Europe', I said 'I don't know anybody in Europe'. He said that was a lie, that I talked to them every day. He wanted to know about my interest in 'capital ships' and 'purchasing weapons'. I told him, that was a game. What game? Vendetta.

He told me that having a vendetta against the president of the united states is not a game.

I told him no, a computer game. A computer game! On the computer!

'He said, really? There is a computer game about having a vendetta against the President? '

That was when he tapped back into his iphone. For a second I thought he was going to zap me, but instead he just called someone named 'Jack'. He said Jack would be there in a few minutes, and to sit tight. He would get to the bottom of this 'vendetta' organization, whether I wanted to tell him anything about it or not.

After that I don't remember much....

But I do remember one thing.

Don't ever try to visit any 'unusual' websites when you are in the damn apple store.
Aug 26, 2007 FatStrat85 link
heh
Aug 30, 2007 davejohn link
hehe... nice
Sep 09, 2007 mdaniel link
So how does that glossy glass screen work out for someone who needs to work graphics on it?
Sep 09, 2007 FatStrat85 link
There is no definitive answer to that. There have been endless debates over how usable the glossy screen is for various tasks. I don't do any real graphic work, but I'm perfectly fine with the gloss. Also, most people don't know that it is ridiculously easy to remove the glass off the screen (using any old suction cups) and you're basically left with a non-glossy matte screen.

You really just have to take a look for yourself. Keep in mind that it will probably look very different in the strangely lit Apple Store than it will in your home.

I would suggest upgrading to the 24" for any serious graphic work because the 20" uses a TN screen. The 24" uses a IPS screen. Basically, the 20" will have serious color-shifting when you view it from different angles. There will also be a shift in color between the top and bottom of the screen even if you are sitting directly in front of it. The IPS screen will have consistent colors from any angle and will be much more precise if you are trying to get print accurate color and whatnot.

For me, the glossy 20" is perfectly fine and I am very happy with it (except for one stupid dead sup-pixel). For people doing serious graphic work, I would suggest at least going for the 24", and even then making sure you try it out in the store to see how the glossy screen makes you feel.
Sep 10, 2007 mdaniel link
I just read horrible things about the 20 incher, that it doesnt display full 24bit color and I have seen some photos of it looking nasty with gradients etc. I will definitely go and look at it myself, but I am sure I will only buy the 24 incher. I might even pick up a previous model 24 inch iMac without the glossy screen. Considering I am using a 24 month old iMac G5 (iSight) either way is new and fast for me compared to this one I have right now.
Sep 12, 2007 davejohn link
I had a play with the 24 " iMac at a local retailer. The shop is glass fronted and it was a fairly sunny day . I soon found the reflections on the glossy screen of people walking past rather distracting , though the overall luminance and wide viewing angle are very impressive .
Just as a test I put the macs cardboard box between the mac and the window , and things improved drastically . So as Strat suggests its a case of choosing the right location and ambient lighting .

I want one ...
Sep 13, 2007 mdaniel link
I am torn between a macbook pro and an imac 24... I will wait until I can look at that glass in a store.
Sep 13, 2007 FatStrat85 link
The 24" iMac will certainly be much better for graphic work than the MBP...
Sep 14, 2007 mdaniel link
I am not sure I believe that... I hear bad things about the graphics card that comes in that iMac as well. I know lots of people in my business who use their mbp as their main machine, with a huge monitor attached.
Sep 14, 2007 FatStrat85 link
The HD 2600 Pro/XT GPU in the new iMac is mediocre for gaming. The MBP (8600M GT) will beat it there. However, the new iMac is superior for everything else, like graphic work.

http://barefeats.com/imacal2.html
http://barefeats.com/imacal4.html

Also, even the less than stellar gaming performance on the new iMac may be because the GPU is fairly new and has primitive drivers. In other words, it is likely to improve quite a bit, especially with new games that utilize DX10.

Sure, the MBP will be good if you have an external monitor, but that brings you into a whole other price range (assuming you don't already have one).
Sep 14, 2007 mdaniel link
I see, thanks for the links. Yes, I do not already have one... thats the thing.. but I could live with the 1440x900, thats what my imac 17 has. at least for a few months.
Sep 16, 2007 macguy link
Just so you all know, the LCD screen isn't matte. It's also glossy. Somebody on macrumors posted pictures of themselves installing a new hard drive in one of the new 24 inch imacs.
Sep 17, 2007 mdaniel link
Ok I looked at the iMac 20 at the store and can confirm the dithering and banding in gradients is really very visibile. Not a computer I can work with and do graphics work on. I need to still see the 24, but almost prefer now to get a portable with a huge monitor as a base when working at home.
Sep 17, 2007 mdaniel link
you mean under the glass it is glossy, the screen itself?