I would personally have to disagree from that assumption, though I am not using any console commands. I found that w/o the half casting perks on a pure mage no weapons no armour, high elf with added magicka, that I was running out of magicka quite often in tight situations and having to either down my last potion, or run around like a mad man till I charged back up. That is using simple spells like sparks, flame ant, and xxxflesh, with Lydia tanking for me.
Now at level 17, with Ant stone, arch-mage robes, and that magus staff guys mask, forget the name, I am not having that bad a time due to 200% magicak regen and the absorption. I like battling dragons, they feed me for thier death. My trouble is actually with some of the higher AOE spells and one shoters. I just don't see chain lightning doing all that muck, nor have I been able to hit a single target with the fireball spell, they simply step to the side when I cast it from a distance. Tell me how you get these AOE to actually do some good.