Core i3 2100 + NV GT520

[Izus]

Hi, I'm using a Linux version of Dolphin on my HTPC. During playing, I've found, that some games even for GC has a FPS drop and sound distortions.
So, which part need I upgrade first:
Intel Core i3 2100 (3.1Ghz, 3M Cache) or nVidia GT520 1Gb?

Thank you.

[Izus]

A little addition. I don't need to run every game on Dolphin. Actually, I'm interested more in GameCube games (e.g. Need for Speed series) and just a few Wii (New Super Mario Bros and Wii Sports).

[admin89]

It's hard to tell which part you will need to upgrade ...
Your CPU is not really fast for Dolphin but it should be able to play some light-weight games . GT 520 is horrible , you will have to turn down the settings to the lowest res ...but still no where be enough
Normally , you will gain huge speed boost if you upgrade GPU but this is Dolphin which needs a powerful CPU , unlike PC game
You have Linux in mind ...that make thing even harder . If you upgrade GPU to GTX 750 ti or newer GPU , use Windows 10 64bit[b/] and [b]latest Dolphin (not the 2 years old stable 4.0.2) , you will be able to use Direct3d12 back end which is up to 50% faster than Direct3D11
GTX 750 ti does not cost much , only $100 but at least 12 times faster than GT 520 in PC game and you will be able to use 4xIR (2560x2112 res) in Dolphin

Current i3 6100 is about 70% faster than yours but it will not be cheap , you will need new H110M mobo , new DDR4 (Crucial made some cheap DDR4 memory , you should aim for that ) . So if money isn't an issue then you should go for that Integrated HD 530 is 250% faster than GT 520 , you can throw away your GT 520 if you choose to upgrade CPU first . I believe this is the best option atm