Tom’s Hardware tested Steam for the Mac intensively. Their first impressions are disappointing for Apple fans: the Windows version of Steam is a lot faster.

As their benchmark test they used the Valve’s game “Portal” and took benchmarks from two computers:

1. A mid 2009 Mac Book Pro

2. A custom built Hackintosh

Right, they’ve set up a hackintosh with all its ingrediences. Check their tables: you can clearly see the framerates are a lot higher on a Windows installation, but on a Hackintosh system the Mac OS version of Portal becomes playable after all.

So what do we learn?

First: Valve’s step to get on to the Mac OS platform is a good one. But they still have lots of work to do. Second: playing on Windows means more fluent gaming as the framerates are a lot higher (around factor 2). Third: if you’re willing to play on Mac OS you may consider setting up a hackintosh. A hackintosh with the config above easily outpaces at a normal Mac Book and it costs only about half the money.

Via Tom’s Hardware…