is the ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM in the 20" iMac good enough to run final cut studio well... what about games run under windows (EA sports NHL 2007 type) 
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ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM
- Thread starter puckhead193
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incase it matters i plan on upgrading the HD and the processor....
edit, mods please merge with first post then delete this.
edit, mods please merge with first post then delete this.
The x1600 will run final cut pro pretty well. It is not great for new games but to give you a sense of what its like, I run BF2 on high with 2x AA and I'm getting at the lowest, 45fps. But i also have 1.5 gb of RAM which helps. Why not get the 24" with the 7600?
Well if you can absolutley not fit the 24" get the 20". It is a great computer, especially now that they have C2D. I just have Core Duo and it is the best computer I've ever had. Whether you are going to be gaming or using final cut, the iMac would be excellent.
The C2D 2.33 Ghz 20 inch iMac with 2GB RAM, 250gb HD and the x1600 256mb comes to 1999. But you can get a student discount since your in college. This would be a beast of a computer.
The only bad thing about the 20" that you can do in the 24" (correct me if I'm wrong) is upgrade the gfx card.
The C2D 2.33 Ghz 20 inch iMac with 2GB RAM, 250gb HD and the x1600 256mb comes to 1999. But you can get a student discount since your in college. This would be a beast of a computer.
The only bad thing about the 20" that you can do in the 24" (correct me if I'm wrong) is upgrade the gfx card.
i order my 20" this evening. I maxed out everything.... RAM, VRAM HD, and upgrade to the 2.33I'mAMac said:
Smart choice. You won't regret it. It will last you a while. The new iMacs might be able to compete with the mac pro...puckhead193 said:i order my 20" this evening. I maxed out everything.... RAM, VRAM HD, and upgrade to the 2.33
puckhead193 said:is the ATI Radeon X1600/256MB VRAM in the 20" iMac good enough to run final cut studio well... what about games run under windows (EA sports NHL 2007 type)
Thanks
Games, yes. The upgraded video card will make no difference for FCS over the 128mb version.
I'mAMac said:
EXCELLENT CHOICE!
As a matter of fact, for Games... the way you've configured this will beat the CRAP out of a Mac Pro with the 7300GT Card.
And... as people are seeing, the Mac Pro with ATI X1900 card, while better then the 7600GT, is having SERIOUS issues with BootCamp and running Windows XP.
So, for now... this is the best Mac system for gaming... IMHO.
Obviously, when they (Apple) fix the Windows issues on the Mac Pro, this won't be the case... but I for one have been Euphoric re: the performace vs. my expectations.... for the price, I think it's a no brainer!
Congrats!
As a matter of fact, I just priced out a pair of machines... from the Apple Store:
iMac 24", 2.33Ghz, 2GB, 500GB, 7600GT = $2,749.
MacPro 2.66Ghz, 2GB, 500GB, X1900, 23" Cinema Display = $4,387.
Obviously, the MacPro is the powerhouse, and more fit for serious Pro work requiring LOTS of multi-threaded work...
However, for even the Power User, the iMac is a great bargain. You MUST equip the MacPro with the ATI upgrade to be able to eek better game performance out of the stock config than the upgraded iMac, and once you add the monitor, there is a SERIOUS price difference. I had the MacPro w/ 7300 & 1GB Ram for about 2 weeks, and with a 30" Cinema Display (now on my desk at Work connected to a Dual 2.3GHZ G5 for Photoshop work)... World of Warcraft was getting 3 or 4 FPS at the Native Resolution of the monitor... with all goodies turned on.... lol... and I've posted screen shots of this iMac @ 200+ FPS.... so... you make the call
$1,600 will buy lots of other toys... and I'm telling you, this damn thing is faaaast. And I am a HARD guy to please... Plus, runs Parallels and Boot Camp flawlessly right now...
Just thought I'd point that out to make your decision that much easier
iMac 24", 2.33Ghz, 2GB, 500GB, 7600GT = $2,749.
MacPro 2.66Ghz, 2GB, 500GB, X1900, 23" Cinema Display = $4,387.
Obviously, the MacPro is the powerhouse, and more fit for serious Pro work requiring LOTS of multi-threaded work...
However, for even the Power User, the iMac is a great bargain. You MUST equip the MacPro with the ATI upgrade to be able to eek better game performance out of the stock config than the upgraded iMac, and once you add the monitor, there is a SERIOUS price difference. I had the MacPro w/ 7300 & 1GB Ram for about 2 weeks, and with a 30" Cinema Display (now on my desk at Work connected to a Dual 2.3GHZ G5 for Photoshop work)... World of Warcraft was getting 3 or 4 FPS at the Native Resolution of the monitor... with all goodies turned on.... lol... and I've posted screen shots of this iMac @ 200+ FPS.... so... you make the call
$1,600 will buy lots of other toys... and I'm telling you, this damn thing is faaaast. And I am a HARD guy to please... Plus, runs Parallels and Boot Camp flawlessly right now...
Just thought I'd point that out to make your decision that much easier