Tech help needed please (iPad pro versus surface) which can run steam network ?

[Mystery Meat]

Going to make a big purchase this winter for myself. For the tech crowd ; which tablet will run steam games from the steam network

the iPad pro or the surface tablet ?

i heard a rumor that the iPad pro might be able to do this. Not looking to buy a laptop, so what tablet might have a chance to do this
?

 

[NewGlfr]

Although there are some Mac games on Steam, there is no Apple endorsed way to run the games in the iOS *yet*. From what I've read, you're better off on a Windows platform.

 

[Mystery Meat]

So, if I bought a surface tablet I can than log into the steam network and play their games ?

im really avoiding buying a laptop

 

[TRyan]

So, if I bought a surface tablet I can than log into the steam network and play their games ?

im really avoiding buying a laptop

Probably not unless you are playing something very basic. I bet a Google search would help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JB]

Probably not unless you are playing something very basic. I bet a Google search would help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is that true? Genuine question.
I would have thought an i7 w/ 8gb of ram could handle that stuff.
Im using a lesser version (i3) and it is handling some serious stuff pretty darn quickly.

 

[NewGlfr]

Here is a Youtube channel dedicated to gaming on a Surface

 

[mpeterson]

Is that true? Genuine question.
I would have thought an i7 w/ 8gb of ram could handle that stuff.
Im using a lesser version (i3) and it is handling some serious stuff pretty darn quickly.

The graphics card is going to be the bottleneck. The new surface book with the discrete GPU will be better but the standard surface pro will be limited there.

 

[NewGlfr]

So, if I bought a surface tablet I can than log into the steam network and play their games ?

im really avoiding buying a laptop

Yep, that should be possible. I say *should* because I don't, so I can't confirm based on experience, but have read that it is possible and people have fun with it.

 

[JB]

The graphics card is going to be the bottleneck. The new surface book with the discrete GPU will be better but the standard surface pro will be limited there.

I had a feeling that the GPU would add a slight bottleneck, but I would think the device speed alone could at least assist, although one might have to come back on some graphics.

 

[NewGlfr]

The graphics card is going to be the bottleneck. The new surface book with the discrete GPU will be better but the standard surface pro will be limited there.

Generally you are correct, but the new gen Intel integrated GPUs are absolutely stunning.

 

[NewGlfr]

I had a feeling that the GPU would add a slight bottleneck, but I would think the device speed alone could at least assist, although one might have to come back on some graphics.

It more depends on whether the GPU has it's own RAM cache or if it shares the RAM Cache with the CPU. These days though, the GPUs are so powerful, it really doesn't matter as much. That being said, a Windows based system will always run games better on a high end laptop or desk top because of heat issues more than anything else.

 

[mpeterson]

I had a feeling that the GPU would add a slight bottleneck, but I would think the device speed alone could at least assist, although one might have to come back on some graphics.

There will be some recent stuff that will be a non-starter - the GPU is REALLY good at doing a certain subset of calculations quickly, and tHese cant be offloaded to the CPU - we've actually moved some of our research simulations to the GPU and replaced a computer cluster with one machine. But I've played games that are a few years old on my surface pro reasonably well.

 

[Mystery Meat]

Ok . I'm not tech savy , so what I'm reading it probably won't work . A tower computer would be the best

so hope to play a steam game called perfect parallel golf at work on lunch breaks. I saw a few surface pro 3's on eBay for under $500 . The new surface pro 4 will be almost $1000 for s decent model

 

[JB]

There will be some recent stuff that will be a non-starter - the GPU is REALLY good at doing a certain subset of calculations quickly, and tHese cant be offloaded to the CPU - we've actually moved some of our research simulations to the GPU and replaced a computer cluster with one machine. But I've played games that are a few years old on my surface pro reasonably well.

Gotcha. I was actually under the impression that the built in GPU of the new Intel chip worked pretty darn well.

 

[mpeterson]

Gotcha. I was actually under the impression that the built in GPU of the new Intel chip worked pretty darn well.

It's quite good, but integrated is going to be a couple generations behind. I learned this trying to play Fallout 4 on a current gen machine.

Still, for the power consumption and battery along with general performance for most folks - pic gaming works best on the desktop, the new chips are great. Crazy to think of the performance increases year over year.

 

[mpeterson]

Ok . I'm not tech savy , so what I'm reading it probably won't work . A tower computer would be the best

so hope to play a steam game called perfect parallel golf at work on lunch breaks. I saw a few surface pro 3's on eBay for under $500 . The new surface pro 4 will be almost $1000 for s decent model

That game should work on the 4 (and maybe 3) GPU. it ran OK on a 3 year old iMac when I gave it a shot.

 

[J4U]

When in doubt...look at specs on the gaming box for optimal. If your cpu/gpu exceed that you are golden for at least 6 months. After that you will still be set for another 6 for future games.

SPEND THE MONEY ON A DEDICATED GPU if you are ever concerned.

 

[Mystery Meat]

I going to buy both the 3 surface and new iPad pro. My son will like the pro for his movies , and I might trade my air in for it . I think Walmart has a buy back program I believe

the 3 is $499 and will play perfect parallel golf.

Mods can lock or delete the thread. Thanks for the help guys and gals

 

[motoo344]

On board graphics is going to be your bottleneck on either system. I have the Surface Pro 3 with an i5, I personally have not installed Steam yet but I have played WoW and Heros of the Storm on it and it runs them fine. Is at as good as a proper desktop? No but for casual gaming or games you don't mind turning the graphics down it will be fine. My concern with the Apple Pro would be the fact that it seems to be using their mobile OS. For around the same price I can get a machine with better specs and can run all the apps my desktop can.