Dolphin PC buying guide

[robric35]

(10-19-2009, 09:27 AM)Nate Wrote:

(10-16-2009, 02:41 PM)w4ffles Wrote: Athlon II X4 is a slimmed down version of the Phenom II. There's a whole level of cache missing so it's highly unlikely that they "perform the same".

(10-15-2009, 06:41 AM)robric35 Wrote: Hi all,

I have an HP M9170: Q6600 / 8800 GTS (640M) - Vista 64 / 4Gb.
Dolphin runs sluggishly (around 40 fps mario kart).

Do I have any real option here to upgrade ? Will a GPU upgrade be sufficient or is the processor speed the main
bottleneck (2,4Ghz per core) ?

Moreover as this is HP, there is no option to overclock from the BIOS (proprietary BIOS).

+1
Your CPU is good, not bleeding edge anymore but still a beefy cpu. Just OC it a bit.
Your CPU is more likely the bottleneck since Dolphin isn't GPU intensive. If you don't have some pre-built PC from Dell, HP, etc. and have a motherboard capable of overclocking, get yourself an aftermarket cooler and push that Q6600 to 3.2GHz+.
___________________________________
When I have time, I'll suggest some alternatives lists since the ones on the OP are a bit outdated. Plus I would never, ever recommend that 430W Thermaltake to anyone. Even though you need to spend another $10-$20 initially, you will save money over time with a more efficient power supply and higher quality ones are less likely to die.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Note that I mentionned the fact that it is an HP :-), so OC seems difficult (I do not know much in OC).

In case you have any knowledge in OC, the mobo is a benicia (Asustek). I tried set fbs but get a nice blue screen for just increasing to 2,6Ghz.

regards,

[extreme64]

(10-21-2009, 06:20 AM)robric35 Wrote:

(10-19-2009, 09:27 AM)Nate Wrote:

(10-16-2009, 02:41 PM)w4ffles Wrote: Athlon II X4 is a slimmed down version of the Phenom II. There's a whole level of cache missing so it's highly unlikely that they "perform the same".

(10-15-2009, 06:41 AM)robric35 Wrote: Hi all,

I have an HP M9170: Q6600 / 8800 GTS (640M) - Vista 64 / 4Gb.
Dolphin runs sluggishly (around 40 fps mario kart).

Do I have any real option here to upgrade ? Will a GPU upgrade be sufficient or is the processor speed the main
bottleneck (2,4Ghz per core) ?

Moreover as this is HP, there is no option to overclock from the BIOS (proprietary BIOS).

+1
Your CPU is good, not bleeding edge anymore but still a beefy cpu. Just OC it a bit.
Your CPU is more likely the bottleneck since Dolphin isn't GPU intensive. If you don't have some pre-built PC from Dell, HP, etc. and have a motherboard capable of overclocking, get yourself an aftermarket cooler and push that Q6600 to 3.2GHz+.
___________________________________
When I have time, I'll suggest some alternatives lists since the ones on the OP are a bit outdated. Plus I would never, ever recommend that 430W Thermaltake to anyone. Even though you need to spend another $10-$20 initially, you will save money over time with a more efficient power supply and higher quality ones are less likely to die.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Note that I mentionned the fact that it is an HP :-), so OC seems difficult (I do not know much in OC).

In case you have any knowledge in OC, the mobo is a benicia (Asustek). I tried set fbs but get a nice blue screen for just increasing to 2,6Ghz.

regards,

[cookewhitley]

Hello,
I red your comment.Well nice information sharing,i must say.I am really pleased to see such article sharing at the community.Many people are just start the activity as craze,but the information that you have shared is must known to them.Please try to share more articles like this one,that is really superb.Thank you for sharing such nice post..

[jonford123]

Hello,
I red your comment.Well nice information sharing,i must say.I am really pleased to see such article sharing at the community.Many people are just start the activity as craze,but the information that you have shared is must known to them.Please try to share more articles like this one,that is really superb.Thank you for sharing such nice post..

[Trevor_Z]

(10-16-2009, 02:41 PM)w4ffles Wrote: When I have time, I'll suggest some alternatives lists since the ones on the OP are a bit outdated.

May I ask what are your suggestions for the processors on a budget, mainstream and enthusiast build? Thanks.

[mum1989]

you should change the GTX285 by ATI 5850 more efficient and less expensive!

and you should also change the config # 2
a Phenom X4 II 955 (see 965) (and a motherboard + ram)

[Kazo]

I want to start upgrading my pc to use dolphin at better speeds. My question is, what should I upgrade first, the CPU or GPU? What is hindering Dolphin the most on my machine?

I have a Q6600 @2.4GHz for the CPU, and a ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO for the GPU.

[mum1989]

mm I think you should overclock you CPU.

[Kazo]

(10-29-2009, 10:29 PM)mum1989 Wrote: mm I think you should overclock you CPU.

I can't.

[w4ffles]

Then you should get a new motherboard plus an aftermarket cooler rather than a new CPU or GPU. Find a cheap, used P35 or 650i motherboard. After that, you may want to upgrade your GPU. You don't need anything fancy for dolphin. Radeon 38xx and 46xx cards can be had for pretty cheap now. 9600GT's too.