Windows XP (32bit or 64bit) sucks because the processor driver (the one that ships with the OS and even the latest one that you can download from their site) comes with a nasty performance reducing bug that AMD won't fix.
When using a modern AMD CPU and Cool'N'Quiet (AMD's power saving feature) is enabled in the BIOS, the CPU behaves like a crappy (first generation) Phenom I with all its dynamic core underclocking issues.
To get decent performance in Dolphin, you must disable Cool'n'Quiet in the BIOS, set the WinXP power profile to 'Always On' and always run your laptop plugged in (on AC power).
Windows 7 doesn't have this issue. You will get optimal performance with all power saving features enabled (another reason to upgrade)
Windows 7 also has a CPU scheduler that's a bit more efficient than the one in Windows XP. So good that it can extract even more performance out of a 10-year old *single core* CPU.
And yes, a 64-bit version of Dolphin running on a 64-bit OS is noticeably faster.
Use Windows XP only if you have a 'stone age' PC (single core CPU, less than 1GB of RAM and a very old AGP graphics card) or an Atom netbook
- Try a lightweight 64-bit distro with a lean DE (without KDE, Gnome, XFCE or Compiz)
Pick your poison (choose one from the Top 20):
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=popularity
- Use the latest AMD Catalyst (fglrx) driver from AMD's site instead of the the slow open source (radeon) driver
- A kernel compiled with 1000Hz / RT options enabled *won't help much*
- 'Optimized' SSE3 or SSE4A builds won't help either. There's barely any difference from the normal (SSE2) builds on AMD CPUs.
See for yourself: Compare Lectrode's optimized SSE3 build of Dolphin r6515 and the regular r6515 build from dolphin-emu.org on WinXP
When using a modern AMD CPU and Cool'N'Quiet (AMD's power saving feature) is enabled in the BIOS, the CPU behaves like a crappy (first generation) Phenom I with all its dynamic core underclocking issues.
To get decent performance in Dolphin, you must disable Cool'n'Quiet in the BIOS, set the WinXP power profile to 'Always On' and always run your laptop plugged in (on AC power).
Windows 7 doesn't have this issue. You will get optimal performance with all power saving features enabled (another reason to upgrade)
Windows 7 also has a CPU scheduler that's a bit more efficient than the one in Windows XP. So good that it can extract even more performance out of a 10-year old *single core* CPU.
And yes, a 64-bit version of Dolphin running on a 64-bit OS is noticeably faster.
Use Windows XP only if you have a 'stone age' PC (single core CPU, less than 1GB of RAM and a very old AGP graphics card) or an Atom netbook
(11-27-2011, 10:53 AM)spacepilot Wrote: Are there ways to run dolphin-only without KDE? I bet it would increase performance as well.
- Try a lightweight 64-bit distro with a lean DE (without KDE, Gnome, XFCE or Compiz)
Pick your poison (choose one from the Top 20):
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=popularity
- Use the latest AMD Catalyst (fglrx) driver from AMD's site instead of the the slow open source (radeon) driver
- A kernel compiled with 1000Hz / RT options enabled *won't help much*
- 'Optimized' SSE3 or SSE4A builds won't help either. There's barely any difference from the normal (SSE2) builds on AMD CPUs.
See for yourself: Compare Lectrode's optimized SSE3 build of Dolphin r6515 and the regular r6515 build from dolphin-emu.org on WinXP