Should I Get A PC Or A Mac To Play World of Warcraft?
I am in the market looking for a new computer that is capable of running WoW. My old computer finally crapped out and the only other one I have is too old to play World of Warcraft on. I know that WoW can run on PCs as well as Macs but which one is better and would run smoother?
I am about ready to start looking for a new computer for myself as well. I’m sure my computer won’t last another month. Anyway, the age old question of PC vs Mac…
I have checked into this a little bit and I am going to be staying with a PC. A lot of people I have talked to find WoW runs better on a PC than a Mac. That is probably due to the fact that World of Warcraft was actually developed to be played on a PC. It will also run on a Mac computer and Blizzard is getting better at adding functionality in WoW for the Mac.
Some people say that WoW freezes up every once in awhile on a Mac and that has been something they didn’t really like about it. One thing you will want to stay away from since WoW is a pretty graphic intensive game is the Mini Macs as they don’t have a dedicated video card which is a must for either Mac or PC.
You will probably end up paying more for a Mac that will run WoW smoothly than a PC. That is probably the main reason I will stay with a PC. My 5 year old Dell Dimension still runs WoW pretty good (upgraded graphics card of course) although it is starting to show it’s age.
You might want to check around for prices but you can get a really nice Dell for under $1,000 that would play WoW nicely in my opinion. If you got the money to burn I would really go for a gaming PC machine such as Alienware if you really want top performance but you will probably end up playing around $3,000 for a top of the line gaming PC.
Anyway, that is my take on this subject and for me PC wins due to price and how well it will run WoW. If anyone else has a take on this I encourage you to leave a comment telling us what kind of system you run World of Warcraft on.
I have both a PC and a Mac, and run WoW on both. Both are powerful machines (gaming PC and MacBook Pro) and have found that WoW actually runs better on the Mac. I would not be posting this comment if i wasnt confident that both are great machines (the PC has a GeForce 6800XT) but combined with the great OS Mac is my primary choice. Also though, if you are used to a PC then this is a big decision to make, but OSX is a good thing to learn to use.
I use the mac mini to play WoW, and although I have to turn the graphics down, it runs perfectly, no freezes or lag at all except in main cities occasionally.
However; I haven’t seen WoW played at it’s full graphics potential.
If I ever get my PC upgraded I’ll hopefully see for myself.
Oh, and does anyone know if any mods are available for the mac os x for WoW?
or, if you really want to get a good system, you could build it. its waaaaaaaaaayy cheaper in everysingle way. i used a custom case ati X1600 pro and lots more stuff, as well as a few pieces from my old computer. totalling about 400$, but if you buy every part brand new expect to spend 700 for a good gaming pc. and if you dont know how to do it, someone you know probably does so see if they could do you a favor.
Best reason to use a Mac for WoW: getting out of the gate 10 yards in front of anyone in Arati Basin. I’m always first to cap the flag.
Also, yes, every mod also works on the Mac the same way as Windows.
The frame freezing issue sounds more like a memory problem. My computer did that until I stocked it with 2GBs of RAM. Now I can load anything and WoW doesn’t skip a beat.
Also, with an Intel Mac, you can always get Windows for it, run it on the same machine, and compare the speed difference for yourself.
I play on a Mac. There is no difference, really. I’ve played on both. Decide what you want to use based on what you need for other things, not just on the game. I like my Mac because it is better for the kind of work I do.
I run WoW on both PCs and Macs. Of the two I much prefer running it on the Mac.
Several reasons:
1) The mac always works. No 12AM virus scans or driver issues. Sit, click, play. I work on screwed up PC’s all day long. You have no idea how nice it is to come home to a computer that I know is just going to work.
2) The mac has a great built in microphone. I am in a guild that uses vent and it is such a joy to never have to screw with sound levels or drivers or any crap like that.
3) The screen. The iMac’s have a huge beautiful LCD screen. It’s just a joy to look at. With the 23″ you actually have to turn your head to see from one side of the screen to the other. Just… nice.
4) The mac’s keyboard has more keys for mapping functions. The mac keyboard also doesn’t have a “Windows” key that boots you out of the game when you fat finger it. Also, the ctrl and alt keys are located next to one another, making it easier to tap them with your pinky (as opposed to having the windows key between them). This gives you access to more ctrl and alt key combo’s. Always a good thing if you’re not big on the mouse.
Like the rest of those commenting above, I’m using a Mac and having a fantastic time. I’ve never had any problems with lockups/freezes, the graphics are awesome, and it runs very very smoothly even when I’m also downloading torrents in the background on my machine. I have a new Intel co-processor iMac with the 24″ LCD screen and it’s a beauty. I also use a PC all day long at work and HATE using it, there are always problems with the work PC but my Mac just goes and goes and goes. Yes, you pay more for a Mac. But you also pay more for a BMW than you would for a Ford.
Get the Mac.
Also running WoW on a Mac, basic of the basic Macbook 13″. I play with the default video settings and it works like a dream–I’ll get the occasional slowdown but that’s usually when there are a lot of objects on the screen. I’d recommend upgrading to 2gb RAM to get rid of the problem, which would probably do it.
Mac: It’s for the Horde!
I am currently using a 4-year old PPC G5 mac, and while it has its very smooth moments, there are times when it is virtually unplayable, and I have to restart the computer 4 or 5 times per DAY. On the other hand, my friend got a iMac, a 24″ and it was smooth.
I plan on getting a Macbook for WoW, but personally macs are the way to go if you want smooth gameplay + less computer problems in general. The only reason my mac sucks is because it is very old, it’s a PPC (no longer supported by blizzard or apple) and (i am embarrassed by this) it only has 768 MB of memory. How I can play WoW with that is amazing.
Anyways, Macbooks are the way to go.