Doing a mini-ITX build for family use, will this hardware be good enough?

[sitton76]

I am trying to see about building a small mini-ITX computer with a intel core i3 4330 and a nvidia GTX 750 GPU for my cousins.
Honestly I am not sure if I want to get the Ti version or if I should get the 2GB version as well, I also intend to let them play games on my steam account on normal graphic settings or below if necessary.
It is going to use a 720p display so the only graphics enhancement I am going to do is 2xIR.

Full part listing: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3JIFu
I will be using windows vista as the OS as its the only thing I can use that won't involve me buying a new code...and to keep in budget I want to avoid doing that, also using 4.0.2 dolphin version.
If you have any alterations to the part listing you would like to suggest, do keep in mind I would like it to be as close to $500 or under as possible.

What is really bugging me is if the CPU will be good enough for the task, also do you think I could pull this off without the GPU if possible?

Will mostly be doing games like Zelda and smash bros, I do not expect to be able to do wii emulation, but im mostly looking for gamecube emulation.

[admin89]

Intel HD 4600 can handle up to 2.5xIR . GTX 750 can handle up to 4xIR
Since you only need 2xIR , you should use integrated GPU (you can buy a gfx card later if you need it for PC gaming)
I recommend i5 4670k (grab it at microcenter store for only 190$) + mini ITX Z87 mobo + Noctua NH-L9i (low profile but it's very good for overclocking)
If you wait till summer , you will be able to get your hand on the new unlocked Pentium Anniversary Version which is far better than any i3 , non-k i5/i7 in Dolphin . Pairing the new unlocked Pentium with Z87 or Z97 mobo and that noctua cooler , you will be able to overclock

Quote:I do not expect to be able to do wii emulation, but im mostly looking for gamecube emulation.

That doesn't mean you can get a less powerful CPU . Some GC games are just as intensive as some demanding Wii games . For Example : Zelda TP (Hyrule Field later part)

[sitton76]

So I take it by that you mean the i3 4330 would not be up for the task? or are you just suggesting something that would be better for my money.
In either case, I might do that, but if I do not need a GPU I am sure I could manage that actually, however I do not want to do overclocking on this build, and because of that im not so sure if I am going to get that heatsink or not, however if the stock cooler does not cut up for the task I might do that.
And since I do not want to do overclocking, I might just get the non-k version of the i5 4670 to compensate for the lack of GPU.
However, if I did get the i5 4670 processor, would wii emulation be a option without a GPU at 2xIR? while I intend to do gamecube emulation wii emulation would be a neat bonus if it fits the budget.

Also, while I am highly considering not getting a GPU with this build, I still might do it anyways as this computer is not only meant to play games on dolphin.

[admin89]

i3 4330 is good for most games but not for demanding games
You need i5 4670k @ 4.2GHz or higher if you want to run some demanding GC games like Zelda TP (Hyrule Field) near fullspeed . Not even an i7 4770k @ 4.6GHz could run it fullspeed all the time
Here is proof for that : https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-oc-ed-4770k-tested-on-legend-of-zelda-twilight-princess
i5 4670 stock won't stand a chance
Emulation is all about CPU raw power .
https://dolphin-emu.org/docs/faq/

[sitton76]

Fair argument, assuming I do go with with the i5 4670k and a motherboard with the H87 chipset and the heatsink you suggested that puts me around $550, which I can work with.
However, I have a friend with that exact same CPU, so im going to ask him if I can do some tests on his rig with his GPU disabled and see how well it performs on dolphin before I make up my mind on this.(to me the deciding factor is how well the integrated graphics performs, which while I am sure won't be a big issues, I would just want to see it for myself.)
From there I will look at adding a GTX 750 later on if I need it.

[admin89]

H87 doesn't support overclocking ...Only Z87 does
Intel HD 4600 has been tested with Dolphin . That's why i said it can handle up to 2.5xIR in most games (evn 3xIR in some light-weight games)

[sitton76]

oh my bad, switched it with the correct chipset, anyways I can do that, but I still going to see the igpu in action before I make up my mind.
But even so, like I said before this computer is meant more then just dolphin, so I might just do my original plan anyways depending on how things go, and I am thinking that for regular PC gaming it would be better to have a dedicated GPU over a igpu for PC gaming, but that is really just a separate issue.
And since this PC is not quite for me, if it cannot play demanding games on dolphin I think I can live with that, as long as it plays most games I don't see it as a big issue.
Its just playing PC games on this is more important then playing more games on Dolphin on this build.
I am still kind of on the fence on this though which is why I want to test out the intel HD 4600 graphics before I make up my mind.

And while I could get the CPU and then buy the 750 later, I would rather not spend more then I need to.