Gaming on MacBook

Hi samuraisam89!

Unfortunately, the Macbook does not allow you to install an aftermarket graphics card. The Macbook features the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of available VRAM that is shared off your system RAM. The previous generation(s) of the Macbook featured the Intel GMA 950, which was also a shared "virtual" graphics processor with 64MB of available VRAM shared off the system RAM.

What sort of "advanced" gaming are you looking to play on your Macbook? I think you'd be surprised as to how well the Macbook can handle many of today's more modern games, as the card supports graphics acceleration and 3D animation just fine.

Regarding an external device, I have read on various technology sites that USB-based "external" adapters do exist. But due to the throughput limitations of USB, I can't imagine that anything out there would be better than the graphics engine on the Macbook. But, I personally have no experience with such a device so that's just idle speculation.

I own the Macbook 13' 1 gig 2 ghz. I recently installed leopard onto it. I also recently bought Battlefield 2142 on it, however, when I try to play it says my computers graphic specifications do not meet the requirements... I have the regular Intel GMA X1300 video card, what is wrong?

Hi bigmac12!

Unfortunately, Battlefield 2142 will not play on the Macbook. This game requires a dedicated graphics card of at least 128MB of VRAM. If you look on the product page for BF 2142 you'll see a small line item under system requirements that states:

+Note: This game does not support the GMA950 integrated graphics card.+

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=7E4 EB91E&nplm=TL730LL/A

Matter of fact, all the popular EA Games that were recently made available for OS X all require pretty much a Macbook Pro or faster machine to play.

There are a few games I have played on my MacBook which seem to work quite well.

Call of Duty 2 is available for Mac and runs on average to good settings.

World of Warcraft runs fine on a MacBook and again is available as Mac compatible,

Counterstrike:Source can run using the Steam online gaming software and an application called 'Crossover' for Mac which is a program designed to run Windows applications in OS X. Not every Windows application will work under Crossover but Steam is fully supported. I cant remember all the games that are on Steam but I know Half-Life 2, Counterstrike, and Counterstrike:Source definately are.

For Crossover:

http://www.codeweavers.com/products/

And Steam:

http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php

Also there is a section of the Apple online store dedicated to games for Mac and there are a lot available!

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=B60 586C4&node=home/shopmac/software/actiongames

Hope that helps!

I have just wasted $1300 on a new MacBook for my 10 year old. He loves MS Flight simulator X and wanted a new computer to play it on. He was playing it on his dad's work pc. Well I searched for information, asked and asked at the store and on this site and was told it would run. I got boot camp running with windows installed, split the drive equally. I loaded FSX and updated with SP1 then installed FS acceleration and bam - video card error. As far as I can tell I can't fix this and I have a very dissapointed child with an expensive computer (paper weight). I am sick over this. How does the average person get the correct information. When looking at the specs it's like comparing apples to oranges. Any help out there?

Jodi,

While I don't have any great advice for getting accurate info (you are correct, it can be extremely difficult, unfortunately), before you lose hope, follow this link: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=N&ProductID=2800&DwnldID=14 388&strOSs=44&OSFullName=Windows*%20XP%20Professional&lang=eng

The link is to the most recent Win XP driver for the graphics hardware in the current MacBooks. Looking at the specs for Flight Simulator, it would seem that the current MacBooks should be more than capable of running the game. I, too, had trouble launching a game with Apple's Windows driver for the graphics hardware (the game wouldn't launch at all), and when I installed Intel's Windows driver the game came right up.

Good luck!

Here are the system specs for Microsoft Flight Simulator X:

System Requirements

Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2 / Vista
PC with 1 GHz equivalent or higher processor
256 MB of system RAM for Windows XP SP2 / 512 MB Vista
14 GB available hard disk space
DVD-ROM drive
32 MB DirectX 9 compatible video card required
Sound card, speakers or headphones required for audio
Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
56.6 Kbps or better modem for online play

It certainly sounds like that your MacBook meets all of those system requirements. Furthermore, if you go to Intel's website and search under the list of compatible games for the new MacBooks it lists Flight Simulator X Deluxe Edition.

http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intelgm965/sb/CS-026146.htm

I unfortunately, have not attempted Flight Simulator X over Boot Camp on my MacBook "SR" but I'll happily give it a go this weekend and report my findings to see if they're similar.

Thanks for the help. I wonder if the problem started when I loaded the Acceleration expansion pack. It's new. The specs for it on the video card 128 MB video RAM or higher Shader 1.1 or higher. I tried to uninstall the Acceleration portion of the game but it makes me uninstall the whole game. I thought it was just an extension of the MS FSX game but it must have a lot more to it. I'll keep trying.

I have seen ExpressCard video adapters that would plug into an ExpressCard slot. This is an option for the MacBook Pro as it has an ExpressCard slot... but not the MacBook. I can't imagine processing video via a USB device would be very useful at all considering the throughput of USB. Regardless... the problem with any of these devices is that they will not improve the performance of the display in your notebook. They only allow you to connect an external display to them. There is no way for them to communicate with your internal notebook display.

Well I downloaded the Intel driver and got the same message (needs geForce3/Radeon 8500). I then uninstalled the new FS Acceleration software and now the Flight simulator X runs great. No problems using Bootcamp. I can't return the Acceleration software because it's open, but I sure will complain about the specs not being clear. We are going to look into X-plane which I hear is a Mac program. Anyone have input on that software? Thanks for all the input, now on to installing Leopard on my MacBook Pro and my daughters older iBook!

i have a MacBook that is 2.2 ghz with 2 gigs of ram and the Intel GMA X3100 graphics card. I also have a 20 inch apple cinema display monitor. If I have Windows XP installed on it through Bootcamp, will it be possible for me to run Call of Duty 4 for PC? Thanks in advance.

Hi rugby!

Welcome to Apple Discussions!

I attempted to install CoD4 on my MacBook (via XP/BootCamp) as another member of the Discussions asked the same question. Unfortunately, I was unable to install the game as it prompted me that my graphics controller was not supported. I had pretty much assumed this, but I wanted visible confirmation to be safe.

Having played CoD4 at a Cyber Cafe on a PC, I must say that the graphics on the game are absolutely incredible. Even on a graphics card with 600MB of VRAM there times that I'd still get FPS loss during smoke and explosions. I can't imagine the X3100 processor, which is shared, could adequately handle the shaders that CoD4 requires. Now the MacBook Pro on the other hand, definitely but that's not what we're talking about... so I digress.

If a Macbook can run CS:S, does that mean it could run Team Fortress 2? I simply intend to set up a Windows partition instead of trying Crossover, which has been very hit-and-miss with me.

Message was edited by: Silhana