(10-09-2013, 11:35 AM)djotaku Wrote: Hmm, looked through the settings and I couldn't find where to set that
Graphics -> Hacks tab -> Under the "Other" Section -> Vertex Streaming Hack. This is usually the only general setting (for me at least) that gives the most "bang for your buck". There is the VBeam Speed Hack, but that only works for certain games (right-click a game in Dolphin, go to Properties). If you have weak hardware, the short end of it is that you won't be able to magically maximize Dolphin's performance through settings. Unlike something like PCSX2, Dolphin doesn't have a lot of speed-hacks. The Dolphin Wiki can often advise you about which settings you should use on a per-game basis; check it out if you have the time. Just so we can better understand your situation, it would be useful to know the exact specs of both your Windows and Linux machines.
About SMG, don't be fooled :p You're probably playing it using HLE audio. HLE audio is not very demanding CPU-wise, but in this game it will cause issues for you eventually down the road (crashes/can't advance in SMG1, music drops eventually in SMG1 and 2). The solution is to use LLE audio, but this is an extremely demanding option, in this game especially. SMG1 or 2 under LLE audio is ridiculously CPU intensive; only OCed CPUs like the 2500K, 3570K, and the 4670K are generally able to handle this game consistently at fullspeed with LLE audio running. You can still get away with HLE audio if you're determined, just read the wiki to get an idea about the kinds of issues you'll run up against (and you may have to switch temporarily to LLE anyways to advance in the game).
Also, the resolution you can play at is determined by your GPU. Without your exact specs, I can only point you to the Minimum GPU Specs thread in this forum: https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-minimum-specs-video-card You'll see roughly what your GPU is capable of, although it will vary from game to game. Some games are not the GPU intensive, and you can raise your IR quite high and add Anti-Aliasing to the mix. Others (again, SMG1 and 2) are very stressful on the GPU, and you may have to reduce your IR and AA.
Lastly, Linux rocks :p