Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer in consumer computing

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by philistine on Friday November 01, 2024 @11:41AM (#42018065)

I sincerely believe that the market for desktop PCs is completely coopted by the gaming machines. They do not care one whit about machine size or energy efficiency, with only one concern in mind: bare performance. This means they buy ginormous machines, incredibly inefficient CPUs and GPUs, with cavernous internals to chuck heat out with no care for decibels.

But they spend voriously. And so the desktop PC market is theirs and theirs alone.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by ryandrake on Friday November 01, 2024 @12:19PM (#42018523)

Desktop PCs have become the Big Block V8 Muscle Cars of the computing world. Inefficient dinosaur technology that you pour gasoline through and the output is heat and massive raw power.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by rpmisms on Saturday November 02, 2024 @12:30AM (#42024082)

Desktops are actually pickup trucks. Very powerful and capable, capable of everyday tasks, but less efficient at them. Unbeatable at their specialty, though.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by wing-_-nuts on Friday November 01, 2024 @12:37PM (#42018743)

Yeah. It's been the case for a while now that if someone just wants a general computer, they buy a laptop (even commonly a mac).

That's why the default advice if you're looking for 'value' is to buy a gaming console to complement your laptop. Both will excel at their separate roles for a decade without requiring much in the way of upgrades.

The desktop pc market these days is a luxury 'prosumer' market that doesn't really care about value as much. It feels like we're going back to the late 90's, early 2000's.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by 0x457 on Friday November 01, 2024 @08:09PM (#42022892)

Unless you play games where you stare at the map while balancing exel spreadsheets.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by philistine on Friday November 01, 2024 @08:37PM (#42023048)

That's okay, Factorio has awesome Apple Silicon support.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by 0x457 on Friday November 01, 2024 @08:56PM (#42023148)

What about Paradox games? genuinely curious about that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by rpmisms on Saturday November 02, 2024 @12:30AM (#42024085)

Stellaris is great on my M2

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by philistine on Saturday November 02, 2024 @09:03PM (#42030453)

I played a bunch of EU4 and HOI4 without any issues. But I think those use emulation under the hood.

That's the thing with macs, all the strategy games tend to release there because the market for mac users and strategy gamers is a circle.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by 0x457 on Friday November 01, 2024 @08:07PM (#42022880)

Well because that's the audience that upgrades before something breaks and also lets you capture high-end market of professionals.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apple's M4 Max chip is the fastest single-core performer ... by corimaith on Friday November 01, 2024 @08:41PM (#42023071)

The price of a high end gaming pc (7800x3d and 4080) is around 2k USD. That's comparable to the MacBook Pro.

Yeah sure, if you start buying unnecessary luxury cases, fans and custom water loops it can jump up high, but that's more for clueless rich kids or enthusiasts. So I wouldn't place pc gaming as an expensive hobby today, especially considering Nvidia money grubbing practices that won't stay forever.

[ Parent | on HN ]