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I just bought my first 13" MacBook Pro. Before purchasing new games for my Windows notebook, I used to check the compatibility with Can You Run It, but that site doesn't list Mac compatibility or requirements.

Is there any other website where I can check game compatibility for Mac computers?

Specifically, I'd like to play Call of Duty 4 and Civilization V. Can I play these games on my 13" MacBook Pro?

Edit: my system's specification

Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3 (11D50b)

Graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB

Memory 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 Processor 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 13-inch, Early 2011

with these specifications can i play any of these game on my system?

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  • @timothy thanks for editing my question and making it more professional but why have u removed the suggestion(note) for app store?
    – Vivart
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:19
  • Apple doesn't run (or read AFAWK) this site. So leaving feature requests for them here isn't productive. (Though I agree it's a good request)
    – Ian C.
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:22
  • @lan c you are right. i know this is not a official feature request site for apple but my thinking is, if we(experts like you) are supporting some feature, they will off course notice that.
    – Vivart
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:37
  • @Vivart Apple is notorious for not paying attention to the public. We count as the public!
    – Tuesday
    Feb 23, 2012 at 22:55
  • @Vivart ask and you shall receive apparently: arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/02/…
    – Ian C.
    Feb 24, 2012 at 16:19

4 Answers 4

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About the graphics of the MBP

The Macbook Pro 13'' uses integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics. But Intel HD 3000 graphics are used in different processors. The performance varies depending on whether it's a mobile or desktop CPU. You need to read benchmarks with caution:

  • ULV processors core ix-2xx7 (base freq. 350MHz, turbo 900-1000MHz) (Macbook Air)
  • LV processors core ix-2xx5 (base freq. 500MHz, turbo 1000MHz)
  • standard dual and quad-core ix-2xx0 (base freq. 650MHz, turbo 1100-1200MHz) (Macbook Pros)
  • desktop K processors (base freq. 850, turbo 1100-1350MHz)

Gaming Performance

On notebookcheck.net I've looked up some statistics. They keep benchmarks on how different games perform. I find these real world tests quite useful.

If you follow the link, you can click on the single fps results to see each system configuration.

enter image description here

enter image description here

Conclusion

You should have a minimum of 24-30 fps to enjoy playing. Considering this, I'll say that playing those games on a MBP 13'' of 2011 will possibly work, but not result in the maximum fun :).

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  • 3
    "but not result in the maximum fun" -- that's a good measure of compatibility for sure!
    – Ian C.
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:21
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    @gentmatt your answer is very close to my question. I know i didn't buy this macbook for playing games but you know human behavior. I didn't find the demo version of these games on app store. I have no problem to buy games or apps but i was concerned about it should run perfectly.
    – Vivart
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:27
  • @Vivart Call of Duty will certainly be enjoyable. I've played that game on a 15'' MBP from 2007. Generally, I will add this: 24 fps is an absolute minimum - especially for ego shooter games. If you play real time strategy games like Age of Empires, you can accept slightly lower fps.
    – gentmatt
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:35
  • thanks @gentmatt. if i bought this game from app store and if its not working on my system, can i get my money back?
    – Vivart
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:43
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    NoteBookCheck is also avaliable in English, the link: notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-3000.37948.0.html
    – benregn
    Feb 27, 2012 at 19:02
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App store games should provide such details as part of their description, allowing you to choice from there.

An alternative is (where available) to use Steam to check minimum and recommended requirements for games that are available on Mac - there is no need to buy from Steam, and you can use the web front end rather than needing to install an App.

Or you could so straight to the publishers website and check on there.

I don't think gaming on Mac is currently a big enough market to have attracted someone to create a similar website to the one you mentioned, although given time and the updates to OpenGL and Game Center in the forthcoming Mountain Lion release there may be increased interest which makes it worthwhile for people to start to include Mac gaming in these services.

If in doubt, where possible try to download a demo first to see if it will run.

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  • The nice thing about the Mac is there isn't a lot of variations on hardware combinations. It almost makes sites like the one the OP reference unnecessary. There's only a small list of graphic cards to check against and a small list of CPUs.
    – Ian C.
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:07
  • To an extent, but there are plenty of older macs with awful GFX capabilities that happily have MAS access. Also, I have AIT, Nvidia and Intel graphics in my macs, and at present levels the OpenGL capabilities of these isn't particularly up to date
    – stuffe
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:15
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I deal with this one first:

one suggestion for app store: app store should show only those apps or games that are compatibile with my system.

Generally speaking, if it's in the MAS, your Mac can run it. Most applications do provide a terse summary of hardware requirements in their description, especially if special hardware is required to use the app. So check the descriptions.

Knowing this, you now have an answer to:

Specifically, I'd like to play

  1. Call of Duty 4
  2. Civilization V

Can I play these games in my 13" MacBook Pro?

Check the descriptions for these games in the MAS against your Mac's hardware spec. If they meet the requirements in the descriptions: you're good to go.

To get detailed information about your Mac's hardware click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the menu bar and select About The Mac. In the small window that shows up on your screen click the More Info... button and you'll be given a detailed run down of all the hardware in your Mac.

enter image description here As for:

Is there any other website where I can check game compatibility for my MacBook Pro?

You've already hit on one source: the App Store.

Another route is to use Steam. You can filter games to purchase based on OS and within in each there is a general description of what you need to play the game in terms of hardware.

Game manufacturers also list compatibility and hardware requirements on their websites for any given game. Though, looking at the Civilization V website, I suppose they don't keep this information up to date as games are ported.

And as the final, canonical source, you can always ask the manufacturer of the software.

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  • You need to be careful to say if it's in the MAS you can run it. I have a Macbook with an Intel GMA950 graphics card in it that runs Lion (and hence has MAS access) just fine, but this thing won't even play Half Life 2 that's close to 10 years old. Throw in the fact that you could have a 32bit Core 2 Solo CPU (and lords know what gfx they used before GMA950...) in an even older mac that can run 10.6.6 which also has MAS access, and you are stretching the bounds of credibility as to whether it will run anything more complicated than checkers.
    – stuffe
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:13
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    Yea, I updated that section with hardware checking advice. But it's true it will run it...probably not always well though. See gentmatt's comment about "maximum fun".
    – Ian C.
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:20
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If your Macbook Pro 13" is brand new, then you have an integrated graphics card, the Intel HD Graphics 3000.

Call of Duty 4's page on the Mac App Store says that "Intel Integrated video chipsets are not supported (GMA 950/GMA X3100); X1900 not supported."

I read that to mean that your computer won't run the game (or won't run it well). While I've been typing this I see that better answers have been posted, so I will defer to those!

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  • There are plenty of videos on youtube showing that you can play COD4 using the integrated graphics on the MBP 13''. But most of those are probably running under windows.
    – gentmatt
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:45
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    no, the game should run, as it doesn't specifically include the HD 3000 (notice how its called a "graphics" instead of a video chipset as with the Graphics Media Accelerator chips). Anyhow, you'd think Apple would want its latest offerings to have the capability to play some games.
    – abc905
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:47
  • @abc905 You would think that, but it's not uncommon for the GFX capabilities to go backwards when they start messing around with CPUs. For example, the discrete Nvidia graphics card in my Core 2 Duo Macbook air is considerably better than the newer Core i5 model with it's discrete Intel HD3000. However as I mentioned in another comment, Mountain Lion has considerably improved software support for current cards, and what with Game Center it may be taking gaming a little more seriously in future.
    – stuffe
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:57

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