My Windows machines are generally custom built desktops, but when I go for Windows laptops it’s generally high end because low-to-midtier options tend to have problems like a creaky, hollow-feeling, and/or flexy case, loose hinges, really bad screen/kb/trackpad, etc.
For example I have a ThinkPad X1 Nano that serves as an ultraportable because it’s just so danged tiny (1lb 12" laptop) while having a great screen, being built solidly, having a “real” mostly-uncompromised keyboard. It’s not powerful but I don’t need or want excessive power in my laptops, that’s what my Ryzen 5950X/3080Ti desktop is for.
So basically build quality and fit and finish are more important to me in a laptop than raw specs.
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I don’t think anybody is advising that anybody buy a mac specifically for gaming… it’s more like if you have one for some other reason, it’ll handle WoW reasonably well.
Some people need macs for their work for example (I do, as a mobile app developer) and it’s nice if a work machine can also handle some light gaming.
Not a bad way to go, honestly. My desktops I custom build and have forever. I find knowing them completely, controlling all of it is just a lot less hassle, at least for me and I’ve been really pleased with my choices over the years.
With laptops, I went with ones that were designed for ‘media’ in the past, which I found meant you could play games ‘okay’ if you needed to. As I had to do long commutes and spent long hours away, I wanted a gaming laptop so indulged in the omen. When my desk became my ‘office’ I found I did not want to play there because of the association, so switched to playing on my laptop in another room.
Desktop has the better gameplay, though. Hopefully, things will normalize and I can play at my desk again with the two screens and better computer. 
I was just commenting that even a Mac fan couldn’t bring himself to describe a Mac as anything but a “half decent” gaming computer.
I actually had to return my HP Omen desktop because they couldn’t get the CPU cooler to do it’s job, and it would just randomly shut down while I was using it.
Gaming laptops can be very hit or miss. For a while I had a RoG G15 Zephyrus gaming laptop which specwise was nice but holy cow that thing got toasty even just playing WoW. Temps were within spec but I hated gaming on it because I felt like I was cooking it alive just using it for what it was made for.
Returned it and put the cash toward the custom built tower I have now.
Wow. I know the fan can do a poor job (I’m not even sure if mine works any more), but I have a cooler pad underneath it that works really well at keeping things from boiling.
Only real issue for mine is if I play for hours and it’s a warm day (no A/C) the keyboard can start feeling a bit – toasty, especially on the left hand side.
And that is exactly the cult of personality weirdness that Apple has over a large amount of people. Sure other brands have those types of fanboys, but it’s not nearly at the same level as Apple.
That being said, Steve Jobs was a master at marketing. He was able to convince a huge population of people to worship Apple as the “cool” brand. Those people refuse to look at anything other than Apple product. I’ll admit Apple products are good, but for the price there are other products that are every bit as good and usually cheaper.
I have a 2020 MacBook Air with BigSur OS, M1 Chip and 8 gig RAM and it runs just fine. The fan doesn’t even come on and it runs cool. I have 0 issues playing. You’ll be fine.
This was my laptop from school and I didn’t feel like buying a new desktop just for WOW.
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I used to see a lot of that in the 2000s but I barely see it these days. Most mac proponents I’ve come across in the past decade will concede that they’re not the best choice for all people/situations. Meanwhile, the vocally anti-mac crowd has only gotten more loud than they were back in the 2000s.
But this might be bubble effect in action, even though my social bubble is particularly mac-heavy (lived in a tech hub for almost 10 years, still working at a tech hub company).
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If you do want a Mac, wait for the M2.
Actually you do own the machine, just not the OS. With a Mac you own nothing.
imagine what youd do on an actual setup that makes sense.
The difference between the M1 Macbook Air and the M1 Macbook Pro 13" performance is a single graphic core and a cooling fan. The base Air has 7 graphic cores. The Pro has 8 graphic cores. All M1 machines can run WOW. The Pro, Max, and Ultra versions of the chips are a lot more expensive. But significantly more powerful with up to 20 processing cores and 64 graphics cores.
The upcoming M2 adds almost 20% performance and comes with up to 10 graphics cores.
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They get stupid hot though
I’ve never had my M1 go past 50℃. I wasn’t playing WOW though. Air conditioning was out and the ambient room temperature was 33℃. It is a Mini and has a fan. An Air might get warmer.
People report their Intel Macs getting up to 90℃ before they shut down. I am not sure how exaggerated that anecdotal evidence is though. I have never owned an Intel Mac.
Ooh nifty, thanks for that info!
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I have a friend that plays on a M1 and it seems to run just fine. He uses an external keyboard and a gaming mouse with his set up.
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