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Mac Mini (2011) and gaming?

P

PikaBitca

Member
Searched and didn't find anything on the topic.

I am mostly a console gamer, but i still game on an alienware m11x (the first version), mostly for Starcraft II and Steam. I usually play the so called AAA games on console, so i don't really need cutting edge tech. At the same time, I used to own an old Mac mini that was attached to my home theatre system, but my sister destroyed it, and now i have an Apple TV instead. I was thinking of getting the base Mac mini as a new home theatre PC. Howeverm If i were to upgrade to the i7, 4GB RAM and Radeon HD6630M, what can I expect from a gaming point of view? Will i still be able to run my beloved Starcraft II and Steam indie games? And what performance can i expect for AAA games?

Thanks in advance.
 
D

dock

Member
Mac Mini with the i7 and the Radeon will run rings around the m11x, so you're fine! :)

I'm considering upgrading (!) to a mac mini from my current 2008 era iMac. I'm curious as to how good the gaming performance will be. If it's decent it would be fun to run PC games on my TV, especially if I can unplug it from my desk and easily move it downstairs with spare cables already setup there.
 
AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
New Mac Mini is sexy! Now with Steam on Mac and the Mac App Store also getting games, and given the fact that the Mac Mini works so seamlessly on a TV it could actually be considered a legit living room gaming platform.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Yeah, my brother games on his Mac Mini with no problem. As long as your not going to try and run The Witcher 2 at high settings or anything you should be fine.
 
D

Diablohead

Member
MrVargas said:
New Mac Mini is sexy! Now with Steam on Mac and the Mac App Store also getting games, and given the fact that the Mac Mini works so seamlessly on a TV it could actually be considered a legit living room gaming platform.
Click to expand...
I agree fully with that, should be really glorious and simple at the same time.
 
Chiggs

Chiggs

Gold Member
We're all referring to the iMac equipped with the 256mb Radeon card, right?

If so, how can we consider it a legit gaming platform?

MrVargas said:
Dirt 3 . . . 49 FPS
Crysis 2 ... 34 FPS
Black Ops ... 51 FPS
Mafia 2 . . . 39 FPS
Starcraft 2 . . . 48 FPS
Click to expand...

I gues that's not too awful. Not real great, either.

Ha!

VVVVVV
 
AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
To give you a general idea of what the The Radeon HD 6630M can do, these are numbers that notebookcheck.net got (all games on medium settings):

Dirt 3 . . . 49 FPS
Crysis 2 ... 34 FPS
Black Ops ... 51 FPS
Mafia 2 . . . 39 FPS
Starcraft 2 . . . 48 FPS
 
AppleBlade

AppleBlade

Member
Chiggs said:
We're all referring to the iMac equipped with the 256mb Radeon card, right?

If so, how can we consider it a legit gaming platform?



I gues that's not too awful. Not real great, either.

Ha!

VVVVVV
Click to expand...
You're right, it pales in comparison to a high-end gaming PC but considering that it is smaller than a Wii, and games will look comparable to PS3/360, it's not too bad.
 
D

dock

Member
I'm definitely planning to upgrade to a mac mini later this year. So far the hardest part is finding a nice non-apple monitor, because I'd prefer a monitor with more input options than the mac ones offer, and a lower price-tag too ideally.
 
C

Chris R

Member
MrVargas said:
To give you a general idea of what the The Radeon HD 6630M can do, these are numbers that notebookcheck.net got (all games on medium settings):

Dirt 3 . . . 49 FPS
Crysis 2 ... 34 FPS
Black Ops ... 51 FPS
Mafia 2 . . . 39 FPS
Starcraft 2 . . . 48 FPS
Click to expand...
What resolution though?

I wanted to buy a new mini, but the lack of a quad core + dedicated gpu option made me wait. A better gpu with a dual core i7 would have been nice as well.
 
C

CountAntonius

Member
Are these a good investment for their price? I have an absurdly old amd 64 3400+ with one gig of ram on its last legs. I need a new pc but I only play fighters on consoles so no need for a gaming pc. I just want something that can run stuff easy enough(my pc struggles with HD youtube videos) for a few years at the absolute cheapest price possible. Are these a good option?

Edit: Just seen the price I'm better of just buying a low level pc.
 
V

Villain

Neo Member
This might seem off topic, if so, I'm sorry. Anyways, I am also interested in buying a Mac Mini too, but when I saw the price I was wondering if I can make a computer like that (as in size and shape) for a lower price? If so, is there a shopping list around?
 
C

Craiji

Member
Have a link to that benchmark? I can't find it.

I am strongly thinking of getting a 2011 i7 with 8GB of ram, to upgrade from my 2010.
 
B

buhdeh

Member
Villain said:
This might seem off topic, if so, I'm sorry. Anyways, I am also interested in buying a Mac Mini too, but when I saw the price I was wondering if I can make a computer like that (as in size and shape) for a lower price? If so, is there a shopping list around?
Click to expand...

Similar specs? Or just to use as an HTPC?
 
DonMigs85

DonMigs85

Member
The Radeon 6630M is roughly equivalent to the Geforce 540M, which can run most modern games pretty well at medium and in some cases even high settings.
Is there still some performance overhead in OS X compared to Windows though?
 
D

dock

Member
Villain said:
To use as a HTPC. I want a computer that has a form factor like the Mac Mini. I found it sexy.
Click to expand...

You'll be lucky to find a HTPC sexier than the mac mini, especially considering how powerful, quiet and low-power it is. That said, I'm probably going to boot-camp mine so I have more options for emus and other flightless birds beneath my television.

Personally, I also need a mac for game development so it's the best of both worlds if it's small enough to relocate when I'm off the clock.
 
D

dock

Member
Always-honest said:
You can play some decent games on it.
Don't buy it for gaming though. If you really love pc gaming, buy a gaming pc.
Click to expand...
I'd like to play more PC games, but not enough that I'd want a system dedicated to it. I also prefer playing games on my TV these days, so it suits me that I could move this to the living room when I felt like playing.
 
K

Kilrogg

paid requisite penance
Since this thread is fairly recent I figured it's better to bump it than create a new one.

I am considering buying a Mac Mini. It would actually be my first Mac ever, so I have a buttload of questions for you guys.

Gaming:
Here are a few examples of games I'm expecting to run smoothly (around 60fps on medium settings) no matter how intense the action becomes: Team Fortress 2, Torchlight, Magicka, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3. As for video, as long as 720p fullscreen is smooth, I'm fine. Yes, I don't have higher needs for gaming and video.

With this in mind:
-Is the model with the Intel integrated graphics card enough, or do I want the one with the Radeon HD 6630M?
-Will I be fine with an i5, or is the i7 the way to go?
-Ram: 2GB or 4GB? Won't get 8GB, I know that's overkill for me.

Hard drive:
-How much of a difference does 7200rpm make (vs. 5400rpm)?
-Can external hard drives that have been used on Windows be used easily without formatting them?
-Can the included hard drive easily be replaced with any kind of HDD or SDD after purchase?

CD/DVD:
-Does CD/DVD sharing work well? It's wireless, right? If I'm to use it with a PC running on Windows XP without Bluetooth, will it work?
-Are all external players compatible?

Display:
-The description says an HMDI to DVI cable is included, but when I actually try to buy one there doesn't seem to be any mention of it (instead, I'm asked if I want a MiniDisplay Port to DVD cable). Is it actually in the box? If so, it obviously means I can directly use the thing with any computer DVI-enabled monitor, right?

Mouse/Keyboard:
-Can any USB kb/m be used? If so, what would you recommend I buy? Not looking for prog-gaming stuff or anything, but I like chiclet keyboards (if that's what they're called) like you would find on Macbooks and many netbooks. As for the mouse, I like physical buttons and mouse wheels.
-How do modern wireless kb/m connect to a computer? Mine are old POS that require some kind of USB dongle to be used as well as AA/AAA batteries. Basically, wireless would be interesting to me if it means I can free 2 USB ports.

Audio:
-How are the integrated speakers? Not expecting anything great, but how do they compare with, say, average netbook speakers in terms of volume and clarity? All I need is sound that is loud and clear enough that I never struggle to understand dialogue in videos.

Windows:
-How's Bootcamp? Are there any limitations that I should be aware of? How much memory does running both OSX and Windows at the same time take?

Warranty/Reliability:
-Would you strongly recommend AppleCare? I plan on keeping it for years (most of the components inside my current computer are more than 5 years old).
-How reliable are Mac Minis in general?
 
F

Figbash

Member
Kilrogg:

I have the $800 base Mac Mini with 8GB RAM and a 120GB OWC SSD I put in myself, so figured I'd answer these for you :)

Gaming:
You will be fine with these games on medium, most on high (obviously depending on your resolution)
It will also run 1080P Bluray rips without a sweat.

You absolutely need the Radeon, the integrated graphics are basically worthless for gaming and definitely worth the $200 jump. That also jumps your RAM to 4GB, believe me you will want more than 2.
The i5 is fine for your needs, there is not much difference between the 2.5 i5 and the 2.7 i7.
The server model has a quad i7 which is pretty sweet, but it puts you back to the terrible video, so I recommend just getting the base model $800 Mini with Radeon.

Hard drive:
HD:
I'm not sure on the RPM question, I assume it makes a difference but if it will be noticeable to you is questionable.
External drives can only be super easily used if they are FAT32. If they are NTFS, you can read them, but cannot write to them, unless you install MacFUSE or something similar.
Yes it's fairly easy to replace the HD. It took me about half an hour. You will need T6 and T8 screwdrivers, then you just pull out the fan, Wi-Fi grille, and plastic cover, and the HD will slide right out. You do have to be careful around the super thin cables inside though.

CD/DVD:
I don't know either of these, sorry. I have an external SuperDrive. I know DVD sharing works well with other macs :) I don't see why all externals wouldn't be compatible.

Display:
There is an HDMI to DVI cable in the box. You can use it with any DVI monitor. You can use it with 2 monitors if you get a mini display port to DVI as well.

Mouse/Keyboard:
Any keyboard will work technically, but Macs have different keys if you're going to use OS X.
Personally if you like chic let keyboards, the Apple one is the best anyway, so I recommend you get it. Any mouse will work, wired or bluetooth.
Modern stuff connects through bluetooth which is built into the mini.

Audio:
The integrated speakers suck. They are basically netbook speakers though if that's truly all you need :) You could get better sound out of $50 speakers though.

Windows:
Bootcamp is great, I run Windows 7 for games on a 30GB partition. Win 7 takes about 13 gigs, OS X takes around the same.

Warranty/Reliability:
AppleCare has always treated me right.
As far as I know Minis are very reliable.
 
K

Kilrogg

paid requisite penance
Figbash said:
(Helpful post)
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for all the impressions. I actually created a thread in the meantime since nobody replied until you did, but whatever :p.

Of all the people who've given me advice here and elsewhere, you're the only one who's actually got a Mac Mini :lol. And most people just recommended I get a Shuttle PC or an iMac. I guess Mac Minis really aren't that popular. Truth be told, I am/was on the fence because of the price and relative lack of customizability, but I find myself leaning once again towards the Mac Mini. I'd probably get the 800€ model without the HDD upgrade (150€ is a ripoff).

About the HDD: did you replace it with or added an SSD? There's room for two drives, right? Also, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZy0wPniqqo
Makes the process look kinda dangerous to be honest. Are you used to this stuff? Granted, this is the 2010 model, but I assume the process is almost identical.

People have told me that CD/DVD sharing works fine with PCs too, so yay. I might get an external drive anyway. Is there any advantage to the SuperDrive that would justify the high price? Some Samsung drives seem functionally identical, minus the slot drive plus Windows compatibility, for half the price.

So there were actually speakers, good to know. Too bad they suck. I don't demand much in that area, but netbook quality is too low. Oh well.

What about noise and heat when playing a graphics-intensive game?

I'll probably pass on AppleCare, the thing seems really robust. One question though, just in case: does AppleCare cover the Mini if I manually add a hard drive?
 
F

Figbash

Member
Oh, sorry I didn't notice your other thread.

I replaced the HD with the SSD, as the cables aren't for sale anywhere yet to add a second HD. There is definitely room in there for 2. The 2011 model was way easier than 2010, do a search for the ifixit teardown on the 2011. It was pretty simple IMO, you don't have to take out the logic board now. I don't think I'd have done it on the 2010, that did look scary.

I just happened to get a superdrive with my laptop, there's no real advantage. They do have Windows compatibility on Bootcamp, they just require more power than the average USB port so they don't always work on PCs. Probably the only advantage is they go with the Mini aesthetically, my Superdrive is sitting on top.

Honestly I'd just try the sound in the store and see if it's good enough. I don't personally have my Mini under my monitor, it's quite a ways away, so they may be alright. I don't even see the speakers in there when I replaced the HD though, so they can't be too large.

It's very quiet, the only time I've heard much noise out of it was ripping DVDs for an hour and when emulating PS2 games. I would say it's much quieter than the quad core tower it replaced, I don't think computers get much quieter. It seems to be more CPU stress that engages the high fan speed than GPU, but I haven't tried Crysis on it or anything. It's fairly warm.

I'm not sure if apple care would cover it after replacing the HD, probably not. I didn't see anything that would make it obvious you were in there though, one could probably put the old HD back in without anyone being the wiser.

I really like my Mini, but I'm an artist running on a Cintiq monitor so the iMac wasn't an option for me. The iMacs are definitely faster, especially the 27 with the fancier video card if you can afford it, and they do probably have better sound. The shuttle makes sense if you don't want OS X or are sick of running Hackintosh like me, but the build quality and size of the Mini is great and I feel like it will last me a long time.
 
F

Figbash

Member
PS2 runs OK, it's not really powerful enough to play fancy games at much higher than native res. It plays Gradius V really great though, that's all I need it for.
I haven't tried Wii yet, there's not any games I'm dying to play for it.
 
C

carbonbased

Member
Villain said:
This might seem off topic, if so, I'm sorry. Anyways, I am also interested in buying a Mac Mini too, but when I saw the price I was wondering if I can make a computer like that (as in size and shape) for a lower price? If so, is there a shopping list around?
Click to expand...
the Sudhian forums are a great resource if you decide to build one yourself. it's a site that specializes in small form factor/home theater PCs (especially Shuttle brand ones). i built my previous rig in a Shuttle barebones and the members there proved invaluable.

http://www.sudhian.com
 
M

markatisu

Member
Always get the Apple Care, I have gotten it since 2004 on every device from them and never regretted it. They have even replaced hardware out of warranty just because I had AppleCare on it (the AppleCare was expired but the Apple Store said fix it anyway for free)

And whatever you do put Bootcamp on there, games run much better via that than in OSX
 
S

SneakyStephan

Banned
smh 1000 dollar mac to run games at medium settings no AA low res.


Just get an i5 2500k, hd6850 and micro atx mobo and put them in a htpc case and you get thrice the performance for half the money.
 
K

Kilrogg

paid requisite penance
SneakyStephan said:
smh 1000 dollar mac to run games at medium settings no AA low res.


Just get an i5 2500k, hd6850 and micro atx mobo and put them in a htpc case and you get thrice the performance for half the money.
Click to expand...

More like 750-800. I won't get the 750GB 7200rpm HDD in the end, way too expensive. When I replace the HDD or add a new one I'll put a 7200rpm or an SSD if they're cheap enough by then. Not only that, but games are only one thing I intend to do among others, and I don't care much for graphics performance as long as it's smooth.

Markatisu, is there a huge difference between TF2 OSX and TF2 Windows, for instance?
 
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