Will this computer run CoH?

[HyperAi]

My friend is selling his old Mac for pretty cheap and I was wondering if it would be good enough to run the game for my daughter to play. Not looking to max out graphics or anything but something mid range that can run the game smoothly.

 

Apple iMac 21.5" Mid 2010

Processor: Intel Core i3

Speed: 3.20 GHz

Memory: 8 GB DDR3

Storage:1 TB HDD

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 512 MB

[Hyperstrike]

Without knowing exactly which Mac it is, I'd just stamp this a "Hell No" and move on.

[biostem]

4 hours ago, HyperAi said:

My friend is selling his old Mac for pretty cheap and I was wondering if it would be good enough to run the game for my daughter to play. Not looking to max out graphics or anything but something mid range that can run the game smoothly.

 

Apple iMac 21.5" Mid 2010

Processor: Intel Core i3

Speed: 3.20 GHz

Memory: 8 GB DDR3

Storage:1 TB HDD

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 512 MB

I ran CoH on a single-core P4 when it first came out, (though that had a dedicated graphics card).  Still, you *should* be able to run the game at least at the lowest settings.  If there's an issue, use the below command in the launcher options, to enable simpler rendering:

 

-usetexenvcombine

[WanderingAries]

Realistically speaking, yes, it'll likely run it fine, but on the low-mid GFX range. You can't upgrade to Catalina Anyway, so there's that out of the way. You Could install Win10 via Bootcamp as well if you wanted increased compatibility (less headache) and most of the 3rd party apps are Windows based. With a 1Tb drive, you could even Rebuild the system to run 1 copy of MacOS for non-gaming stuff and 1 copy for just CoX. Mac enthusiasts (the ones who know how to do it) are known for having a system running multiple copies of the OS. It takes learning, external drives, and patience, but it keeps your files separate from the gaming and allows you to wipe that partition whenever you want. No, I don't have a walkthrough. :/

 

Also...*smacks HS' hand* Bad, BAD @Hyperstrike:p

[Hyperstrike]

1 hour ago, WanderingAries said:

Realistically speaking, yes, it'll likely run it fine, but on the low-mid GFX range. You can't upgrade to Catalina Anyway, so there's that out of the way. You Could install Win10 via Bootcamp as well if you wanted increased compatibility (less headache) and most of the 3rd party apps are Windows based. With a 1Tb drive, you could even Rebuild the system to run 1 copy of MacOS for non-gaming stuff and 1 copy for just CoX. Mac enthusiasts (the ones who know how to do it) are known for having a system running multiple copies of the OS. It takes learning, external drives, and patience, but it keeps your files separate from the gaming and allows you to wipe that partition whenever you want. No, I don't have a walkthrough. 😕

 

Also...*smacks HS' hand* Bad, BAD @Hyperstrike😛

Sorry, but I stand behind my answer.

Without knowing the specifics of any given system, my default answer is ""Hell No" and move on.
Because you throw money at a machine of dubious ability.  Then spend time spelunking whether or not it'll actually do what you want.  Then, possibly MORE money getting it to do what you want.

Not to mention that I'm about as far from the Mac's targeted customer base as it's possible to be and still occupy the same universe.

[Tock]

My qualms are less about using a Mac, and a fairly underpowered graphics card specifically.  Radeon is one clue, but absent of the model number, I can't say one way or another.  Still... 512 MB is the video memory capacity, not the model.  And playing the game on less than 1GB Video Memory is not a good sign.

 

Still, you get more flies with honey than vinegar.  Give the Mac client a shot, and ask for help over here if you have specific issues.

Edited October 25, 2019 by Tahquitz

[HyperAi]

I know absolutely nothing about apple computers but I think I'll just drop the $80 and see what happens. Worst case I loose 80 bucks. Best case I get a nice little cheap way for my daughter to play the game on a bigger screen. I'm just trying to avoid dropping a few hundred dollars to build another desktop. I have a case and power supply so I just need the rest. She's using my surface pro right now that does a decent job just a little choppy. I'm hoping the mac can run things more smoothly.

 

I have a feeling thermal compound is in my future.

[biostem]

28 minutes ago, HyperAi said:

I know absolutely nothing about apple computers but I think I'll just drop the $80 and see what happens. Worst case I loose 80 bucks. Best case I get a nice little cheap way for my daughter to play the game on a bigger screen. I'm just trying to avoid dropping a few hundred dollars to build another desktop. I have a case and power supply so I just need the rest. She's using my surface pro right now that does a decent job just a little choppy. I'm hoping the mac can run things more smoothly.

 

I have a feeling thermal compound is in my future.

Try the command I listed earlier in this thread;  I've been able to get CoH to playable levels on a GPD Win, which has an Intel Atom processor.  My current portable computer is an old HP Elitebook 2170p that I refurbished, which has a dual-core i5 3317U and only integrated graphics.  A cursory search found that your computer is probably running an i3-540 with a Radeon HD 4670.  The CPU is about 25% slower than on my laptop, but the dedicated graphics card is a leg-up.  Money being tight, what I did was to buy a basic system like this, then added/upgraded components as finances allowed...

Edited October 25, 2019 by biostem

[Odhinn]

Hello, I looked up the Mac requirements when the game first came to Mac in 2008 they were:

" System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later, Intel Core Duo processor, 1024MB RAM, ATI X1600, Nvidia 7300 GT or ATI X3100 graphics, and 2.9GB hard disk space. You’ll also need an active Internet connection in order to play. :

 

The iMac mid 2010 has the following specs.
3.2GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB level 3 cache; supports Hyper-Threading
ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory

 

This machine should have no real issues running City of Heroes. You may need to lower some graphics setting such as particle count and draw distance for the best performance. 

I have a niece who plays CoH on a 512 Mb card and does fine after a few adjustments to the video settings. She is still able to keep costume textures high enough that the heroes look great.

In my experience (20+ years IT) $80 for a  functioning PC with monitor is a decent deal.

Hope that helps.

 

[Panthonca7034]

You shouldn't be running ANYTHING that is not 64-bit at this point in time after the meltdown/spectre fiasco, and you DEFINITELY (in my opinion) shouldn't be running anything Intel-powered at this point in time either. You want a decent system, get yourself an AM3, AM3+ or even a low end AM4 Ryzen with the basics. A dual core Athlon (Regor) will definitely run CoH as well as Win10 without a problem, and your basic run of the mill Radeon or NVIDIA with 512MB video RAM should be more than enough to run CoH.

[biostem]

20 minutes ago, Panthonca7034 said:

You shouldn't be running ANYTHING that is not 64-bit at this point in time after the meltdown/spectre fiasco, and you DEFINITELY (in my opinion) shouldn't be running anything Intel-powered at this point in time either. You want a decent system, get yourself an AM3, AM3+ or even a low end AM4 Ryzen with the basics. A dual core Athlon (Regor) will definitely run CoH as well as Win10 without a problem, and your basic run of the mill Radeon or NVIDIA with 512MB video RAM should be more than enough to run CoH.

If gaming is your passion, but money isn't plentiful, take and work with what you got or can get.

[Tock]

15 hours ago, HyperAi said:

I know absolutely nothing about apple computers but I think I'll just drop the $80 and see what happens. Worst case I loose 80 bucks. Best case I get a nice little cheap way for my daughter to play the game on a bigger screen. I'm just trying to avoid dropping a few hundred dollars to build another desktop. I have a case and power supply so I just need the rest. She's using my surface pro right now that does a decent job just a little choppy. I'm hoping the mac can run things more smoothly.

The age of the system means smoothly isn't likely.  It'll be a second machine to play it on.

 

The same advice would apply to newer sub-$300 Windows Laptops common from HP & Lenovo (Stream, IdeaPad X00 models)... The game is old enough that it'll start and load on those machines, but it won't be a smooth experience at all.

 

Not trying to proselytize, just helping to managing expectations. 

[Panthonca7034]

5 hours ago, Tahquitz said:

The age of the system means smoothly isn't likely.  It'll be a second machine to play it on.

 

The same advice would apply to newer sub-$300 Windows Laptops common from HP & Lenovo (Stream, IdeaPad X00 models)... The game is old enough that it'll start and load on those machines, but it won't be a smooth experience at all.

 

Not trying to proselytize, just helping to managing expectations. 

This actually sums it up quite nicely 🙂 , and I agree 😄

[Hardship]

On 10/25/2019 at 10:44 AM, HyperAi said:

My friend is selling his old Mac...

If this person is your friend, will he let you load CoH on it and see how it runs it before you buy it?  Seems like a reasonable request that I would do for one of my friends.

[biostem]

6 minutes ago, Hardship said:

If this person is your friend, will he let you load CoH on it and see how it runs it before you buy it?  Seems like a reasonable request that I would do for one of my friends.

That is an excellent point!  If it doesn't run acceptibly, then perhaps spend your money elsewhere...

[microc]

if you can wait black Friday sales will be posting soon. you may for the amount of a used mac be able to pick up a new pc.

[HyperAi]

A little update.

 

I was able to snag a decent HP desktop on letgo for 50 bucks that can run the game on medium-high graphics with no problems. It came with a AMD FX6120 3.5ghz cpu, 10 gigs of ram and a Radeon hd 7450 gpu. 

[biostem]

57 minutes ago, HyperAi said:

A little update.

 

I was able to snag a decent HP desktop on letgo for 50 bucks that can run the game on medium-high graphics with no problems. It came with a AMD FX6120 3.5ghz cpu, 10 gigs of ram and a Radeon hd 7450 gpu. 

The only word of caution I would give you is to run a thorough antivirus and antispyware scan on the machine before entering any sensitive information and/or completely wipe then reinstall the OS, just in case there are any viruses or spyware on there...

Edited October 29, 2019 by biostem

[HyperAi]

18 minutes ago, biostem said:

The only word of caution I would give you is to run a thorough antivirus and antispyware scan on the machine for entering any sensitive information and/or completely wipe then reinstall the OS, just in case there are any viruses or spyware on there...

That was the first thing I did. Wiped the system completely and started fresh. Never know what someone could have on a old computer. Especially seeing it's for my 11 year old daughter.

[biostem]

19 hours ago, HyperAi said:

That was the first thing I did. Wiped the system completely and started fresh. Never know what someone could have on a old computer. Especially seeing it's for my 11 year old daughter.

Great!  Let us know how the system works out!

[HyperAi]

Followup 2

 

So I ended up grabbing the Mac too lol. I told him I didn't want it anymore and he dropped the price to 50 and I bought it. They are selling for about 200 bucks on eBay so worst case I would just sell it there.

 

I downloaded island rum and set everything up and it can run the game on medium settings smooth as butter. Ran a DFB with no problems at all. My daughter likes the Mac better so I guess I wasted a little money on the other PC.

 

With all said and done I got 2 computers for 20 dollars more then I was expecting to get 1 for. Not bad I guess...

[Panthonca7034]

3 hours ago, HyperAi said:

I wasted a little money on the other PC.

Far from it! That AMD FX6120 3.5ghz Zambezi cpu, with 10 gigs of ram and a Radeon hd 7450 gpu is not a bad system to have at all! You could easily have it as a backup just in case, and looking at it from the whole perspective, I see a blessing in disguise. :)

[Odhinn]

You could always use the AMD for your very CoH server as well.

[BuzzKilla]

When this game first came back I was using a mid 2007 IMac 24” with the game settings tweaked but still looked good. My only problem was zoning in and out of missions, that would take me a good minute (or more). I hated that my team would always be waiting on me (think bank missions) I was always the last on the team to get places. In June I ended up getting  the latest IMac(May 2019) so those problems were over but I was surprised my old 2007 still had it in her lol.

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by BuzzKilla

[Golden Azrael]

On 10/25/2019 at 5:44 PM, HyperAi said:

My friend is selling his old Mac for pretty cheap and I was wondering if it would be good enough to run the game for my daughter to play. Not looking to max out graphics or anything but something mid range that can run the game smoothly.

 

Apple iMac 21.5" Mid 2010

Processor: Intel Core i3

Speed: 3.20 GHz

Memory: 8 GB DDR3

Storage:1 TB HDD

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 512 MB

Yes.  Steve Jobs era iMacs ran City of Heroes at 32 fps or higher in bootcamp.  My 2008 iMac ran CoH just fine.

 

Start in performance mode and tweak the settings from there.  Watch Occlusion and Particle count in your GPU settings.

 

Full blow ultra mode might be tricky.  My current iMac handles that no problem.  But my old one was at 4 fps.  So, performance mode and 1200 by 1024 was the order of the day or 1600 by 1200.

 

Try it.

 

Azrael.

Edited October 31, 2019 by Golden Azrael