How the Classic Cheese Grater Mac Pro Performs with Modern Games

If you’ve been following tech news, you might have heard about the legendary “cheese grater” Mac Pro. Despite its age, some users are still curious about its performance with modern games. After using this Mac Pro as an editing machine and eventually switching to a newer, more power-efficient Mac Mini, I decided to test the gaming capabilities of the old Mac Pro. Let’s dive into how it stacks up for gaming and whether it’s worth considering for your gaming needs.

Key Takeaways

• Powerful but Old: The Mac Pro’s hardware, while impressive in its time, struggles with modern gaming demands.
• Mixed Gaming Performance: It handles some games surprisingly well but struggles with fast-paced titles.
• Upgrade Options: Upgrading the GPU can help, but it’s not straightforward and might not be worth the effort.

Old Hardware, New Tricks: Gaming on the Mac Pro

The Mac Pro, with its distinctive cheese grater design, was once a powerhouse. However, it’s been overshadowed by more modern hardware. My experience with this machine involved installing Windows 10 and running various benchmarks to see how well it handles today’s games.

Hardware Specs Overview

The Mac Pro I tested comes with:

• 96 GB of DDR3 RAM: This is quite a lot of memory, but it’s running at slower speeds compared to modern DDR4 or DDR5 RAM.
• Dual Six-Core Xeon CPUs: While these processors were high-end when the Mac Pro was new, they now lag behind current multi-core processors.
• RX 580 GPU: This is one of the best GPUs you can install in the Mac Pro that supports modern features like Metal, but it’s still considered outdated by today’s standards.

Benchmarking Performance: How Does It Hold Up?

I tested several popular games to see how the Mac Pro performs:

1. Rocket League

Rocket League ran smoothly on the Mac Pro. With the settings cranked up to high at 1080p, the game stayed in the upper hundreds of frames per second (FPS), dipping only during intense moments. This performance is impressive given the age of the hardware.

2. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 exceeded expectations. Running at high settings on 1080p, the game managed upper 30s FPS. While this isn’t the highest frame rate, it’s respectable considering the older GPU and CPU.

3. GTA V

Grand Theft Auto V performed well at very high to high settings. The Mac Pro maintained FPS well above 60 for most of the game, dipping only into the mid-30s during particularly chaotic scenes.

4. Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 didn’t fare as well. The game experienced significant stuttering when loading into matches, though performance improved after the initial loading phase. Reducing the settings could help, but the Mac Pro isn’t ideal for fast-paced games.

5. B Menni

B Menni, a game known for its CPU demands, ran at high settings with a few frame dips. Despite having plenty of cores, the Mac Pro’s older architecture means it doesn’t handle modern, multi-threaded games as smoothly.

6. Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 ran decently but needed settings adjustments. With balanced settings, the game achieved around 53 FPS most of the time, though it struggled at higher presets.

7. Minecraft

Minecraft, being less demanding, ran flawlessly. Even with numerous explosions and other effects, the FPS remained high, showcasing the Mac Pro’s capability for less demanding titles.

8. CS2

Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) was the worst performer. The game experienced heavy stuttering, particularly at the start. While things improved slightly after a bit of play, fast-paced games like this are better suited for newer hardware.

Should You Consider the Mac Pro for Gaming?

The Mac Pro can still handle many modern games with varying levels of success. For casual gaming or less demanding titles, it performs quite well. However, for fast-paced games and newer releases, the Mac Pro shows its age.

Upgrading the GPU

The Mac Pro can be upgraded with a more recent GPU, like the RX 580 I used. However, this involves some technical know-how and might not be worth it given the overall age of the system. If you’re set on gaming, investing in a newer machine might be a more practical choice.

Conclusion

The cheese grater Mac Pro remains a capable machine, but it has limitations when it comes to modern gaming. It performs admirably with some games but struggles with others, especially those requiring fast and smooth performance. If you’re a fan of the Mac Pro’s design and don’t mind making some hardware adjustments, it can still be a fun system for gaming. However, for the best gaming experience, you might want to look at more current hardware.

Have you used an old Mac Pro for gaming or have any other classic hardware stories? Share your experiences in the comments!