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Vaneshi SnowCrash
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Posted - 2010.03.17 01:58:00 -
[1]
My current WinTel laptop is on its last legs and I've been eyeing up a Mac Mini as a replacement, budget won't stretch to an iMac. From the specs it's got a similar processor and a similar or slightly better GFX unit (7900GS vs 9400M).
So I wondering if anyone has any experience of EVE on this machine, either the TG client, Darwined or Boot Camped?
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Equipment Warehouse
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Posted - 2010.03.18 11:21:00 -
[2]
Edited by: Equipment Warehouse on 18/03/2010 11:23:10 First bit of advice I'd give you personally is
Evelopedia
and Quote: Minimal system requirements
The client does not run on a PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) based Macintosh Machines (PowerMac). MacBook laptops are also not supported nor the Mac Mini. Supported hardware is MacBook Pro laptops, Mac Pro machines and iMacs. All these machines have to meet the following minimum requirements below: Intel based computer with CPU speed equal or greater than 1.8GHz OS: OS X 10.5.6 or later. Video: ATI X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT or higher with 128 MB of Video RAM RAM: 1024 MB or more HD space: 6 GB Network: 56k or better Internet connection
Irrespective of whether they meet the hardware requirements for the Mac client, I think the bigger issue is one of cooling.
EVE stresses your system no matter which version you are running, and if your hardware is unable to keep up with keeping cool, that translates to reduced performance and potential client crashes.
You may very well get it running and be happy with it, especially if you ramp down the GFx settings etc, but I wouldn't expect to be getting involved in major fleet battles and PvP reliably. Hell, I run my EVE client on both a Macbook Pro and a Macbook Air. The Air does fine, but FPS is sitting in the mid teens to low 20's, and the fan sounds like it will take off. SMC tells me that it's running at about 70 oC and 6000 rpm.
Under bootcamp it's much better, and cooler, but again, I could see heating being an issue if I stressed my Air.
It's got the same 9400M that's in the Mini.
My wife had an old G4 mini, and whilst it couldn't run Eve as non-intel CPU, it was a very solid machine, and we loved it.
If you plan to run Eve on one, make sure you can keep it cool, as it is essentially a compact laptop without a screen, and the cooling solution isn't much better than that of a laptop either.
Good luck.
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Alt Nearing
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Posted - 2010.03.20 09:48:00 -
[3]
Don't do it. It will just suck. Even my Macbook Pro has bad framerates and gets pretty hot with the eve client. A mac mini will not be any fun. I can't even fight in bigger battles with a 2000 dollar laptop so .... save for the iMac. It has a much higher value for what it costs.
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Solbright
Advanced Security And Asset Protection
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Posted - 2010.03.20 11:13:00 -
[4]
Heat shouldn't be a problem. Assuming the Mac Mini has some decent venting then it'll handle running at 100% correctly.
----- The Eve Client - A Love Story - The single biggest fix CCP ever did to Eve. Keep it up! |
Nentecular
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Posted - 2010.03.20 22:56:00 -
[5]
Those specs are well out of date, the model of the Mini the Evelopedia is talking about is an old one. My Mac Mini has the same graphics card and a faster CPU than my Macbook Pro and both play Eve perfectly well.
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SPACE L0RD
Gallente
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Posted - 2010.03.20 23:20:00 -
[6]
Mini too slow for eve unless you are really willing overlook detail and FPS. Heat might be an issue.
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Equipment Warehouse
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Posted - 2010.03.21 10:12:00 -
[7]
Originally by: Nentecular Those specs are well out of date, the model of the Mini the Evelopedia is talking about is an old one. My Mac Mini has the same graphics card and a faster CPU than my Macbook Pro and both play Eve perfectly well.
I agree completely.
It's not the CPU, memory, of GFX specs I think will be the issue. It's the cooling.
Unless they completely overhauled it, the mini is not geared up to running at max performance, and does have a habit of getting hot, just as the Macbooks do. This, I think is why they are not recommended.
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Tiska Drak
Gallente Dreddit
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Posted - 2010.03.21 15:46:00 -
[8]
It should do fine running Windows 7 on Bootcamp. I tried it on my wife's MacBook (9400M graphics) and the heat was quite manageable. I would definitely crank the settings way down if you're going anywhere near fleet fights.
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Ravenstain
Caldari
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Posted - 2010.03.25 15:15:00 -
[9]
I'm runnign EVE on my white MacBook. With the effects turned down the FPS isnt that bad and I can participate in big fleet battles with it. I have to say that cooling is working quite hard, but I have actually managed to run 2 clients and still my MB is fine.
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Vaneshi SnowCrash
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Posted - 2010.04.04 11:30:00 -
[10]
Thanks for all the advice. In the end had to get some flavour of laptop; so went with a 13" MBP. To be honest the only difference between it and the old XPS is I've lost 5fps in station (20vs25) but gained shadows; impressive but will be turned off shortly.
Unlike the Dell it's not tried to burn through my jeans either.
I hear you on fleet fights, but then turning it all off and flying on instruments is SOP for me anyway :(
I suck at EVE :D
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Equipment Warehouse
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Posted - 2010.04.05 11:48:00 -
[11]
Good choice with the MBP imho.
Might want to try seeing of you can shoehorn your Dell XPS license onto your MBP via bootcamp; ok not strictly legit, but if you have the install disks and the license key lets you do it, stranger things have happened.
Point is, my Macbook Air runs EVE under boot camp extremely well.
EW
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The Geoman
Gallente Anarchos Syndicate
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Posted - 2010.04.06 14:25:00 -
[12]
Those who claim that Eve runs "perfectly well" on a Mac Mini or a MBP (13", primarily) are not telling you that they had to turn the settings down to make that happen. High settings will turn the game into a slide show. The 9400M is not a high-performance GPU.
Heat is manageable if you crank the fan up with a third party app, otherwise, expect it to get into the 80s or 90s (Celsius).
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Vaneshi SnowCrash
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Posted - 2010.04.07 22:20:00 -
[13]
Originally by: The Geoman Those who claim that Eve runs "perfectly well" on a Mac Mini or a MBP (13", primarily) are not telling you that they had to turn the settings down to make that happen. High settings will turn the game into a slide show. The 9400M is not a high-performance GPU.
Heat is manageable if you crank the fan up with a third party app, otherwise, expect it to get into the 80s or 90s (Celsius).
The lack of performance from the 9400M in OS X is a pain I'll admit. EVE requires me to turn stuff down from what I'm used to, but in Windows (yeah... I BootCamp'd the old Dell XP install) SupCom2 absolutely whizzes along.
Considering 10.6.3 didn't ask for my password during install I wonder if the performance hit is this weird OGL regression. I might reinstall just to see.
But regardless of turning the graphics down I'm really quite happy with my ikkle laptop :)
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BlackPine
Vanguard.
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Posted - 2010.06.03 16:43:00 -
[14]
I have a mac mini server at home and I hooked it up to a 42 inch HDTV for movies and internet and such.
So after reading this topic, I tried it out, just for fun.
I have to say it is very stable, no heat issues (running for about 2-3 hours), at 1920x resolution, settings on high, no bloom. It gives about 50-60fps, even in fleets. If you turn everything on, it pulls between 10-20 fps, sometimes slide show when trying to rotate around the ship quickly.
I play on it from time to time, but its not easy with a table between you and the screen. Tiny letters and such get annoying with squinty eyes looking at it.
It is awesome looking though
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