Dolphin PC buying guide

[Danrarbc]

(02-21-2012, 05:33 PM)admin89 Wrote:

(02-21-2012, 05:09 PM)Danrarbc Wrote: Would the additional cores help, knowing Dolphin has three threads or will the Intel outperform consistently?

AMD 4 core : Gain 10% for background processing (compare to AMD 2 core)
Pentium Sandy Bridge : 10-20% faster than 1st gen i3 (Hyper Threading is disabled) and 1st gen i3 is faster than LLano abit on dolphin
-> Yes it will out-perform LLano unless you oc Llano to 3.5Ghz

(02-21-2012, 05:09 PM)Danrarbc Wrote: Also, what type of boost would an extra $100 for the i5 really get me? Like does it make a whole different class of game playable? I'll be playing at 720p.

i5 2500k @ 4.4ghz is required for LLE back-end
Mario Galaxy , Rhythm Heaven .... need LLE to fix the missing audio or to sync audio correctly

Edit : Get AMD 6570 over Nvidia GT 430

LOL you're right. I forgot I found the 6570 to be better.

I've also found you can overclock an extra 130Mhz out of the Pentium. I guess I'm changing up my Newegg list, 3.5 is basically close to the a6 limit from what I can gather.

[Turivol]

Hey guys, im buying a Phenom x4 II 955 (3.2ghz stock), and already have a 5770 graphics... what kind of performance i can expect with dolphin?

Im looking foward to play Tatsunoko Vs Capcom and Mario Galaxy, dont really know any good wii games. Maybe Dead Rising...

(sorry for bad english)

[dannzen]

Mario Galaxy = negative 50-60% (if you OC)

[ExtremeDude2]

I only get like 80% speed max in super mario galaxy (AMD 955 BE OC'd to 3.434) with LLE on thread

[knulen]

Ik was thinking of buying a system to emulate NES and SNES roms, but if possible also games from newer consoles. I found this used setup (have a low budget) and am wondering if this also might work to get Wii games running. I read the cpu is more important then the gpu. This is the setup:

• MSI G41M-P26
• 2x 2gb A-Data ddr3 1333mhz
• Intel core 2 duo e6300
  

Can this setup work? Do I need to add a graphic card? And do I need to increase the memory?

[ExtremeDude2]

(02-23-2012, 04:35 AM)knulen Wrote: Do I need to add a graphic card?

If you want to use dolphin

(02-23-2012, 04:35 AM)knulen Wrote: And do I need to increase the memory?

Nah

[knulen]

(02-23-2012, 05:33 AM)ExtremeDude2 Wrote:

(02-23-2012, 04:35 AM)knulen Wrote: Do I need to add a graphic card?

If you want to use dolphin

yes ofcourse but in some other topics there was stated that dolphin mainly uses the cpu and not the gpu. Thats why I was wondering. I want to buy an used graphic card (low budget) how can I find out of cards are good enough. Can I use this page for example?
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php
If you sort it on G3D rating, what rating should it atleast have to run most (or all) games smoothly.

And the CPU, is it strong enough to complete the task?

[DefenderX]

The CPU with 1.86 GHz is in my opinion too weak.

The games will run in slow-mo. Overclocking might increase the speed of emulation.

[SlickDragon]

Hmm this thread has some seriously outdated information, could use a long overdue update.

Quote:MSI G41M-P26
2x 2gb A-Data ddr3 1333mhz
Intel core 2 duo e6300

Can this setup work? Do I need to add a graphic card?

If your serious about building a budget rig(not a sub $200 travesty like you suggested, but a proper budget build) that can have acceptable emulation results, your best bet is to create a separate thread with detailed information including: Preferable budget, maximum budget amount, as well as a list of dolphin games that you plan on playing so we can meet your needs. That archaic build of yours might do alright with nes/snes however..

[jimisrv]

Hi all,

I built a HTPC using a Phenom II x555 3.2 GHz, and found I was able to unlock a 3rd core. Furthermore, I put it in a pretty slim case for stylish and monetary reasons, with a Flex ATX12V PSU. The principal uses, are in order: xbmc, data storage, server functionality for svn, and a TV tuner for OTA sports (I cut cable).

After finding out about how awesome Dolphin is, my needs have now changed. I added a Radeon 6670 low profile card, hoping this would increase performance, and while it did to a degree, I'm still only hitting about 30 FPS average in Mario Galaxy with pretty modest settings (4xAA, 4xAF, 1.5 native, 1080p display). I was looking into overclocking my CPU, however putting the heatsink on involves taking everything apart and installing some screws on the back of the MB. Also, I think the PSU is getting pretty close to hitting its performance threshold, and I'm pretty sure it will die soon if I OC. Getting a replacement power supply in that form factor is really expensive, and I'm really starting to re-think it.

So, I'm thinking about taking some components from this machine, and doing a new build, with an eye towards awesome Dolphin performance. I really don't want to do this unless the performance increase will be significant. I probably shouldn't be spending my money on this, but anyways...

TLDR - New build with the following components:
$180 - I5 2500K
$105 - ASRock Pro3-M Z68 1155 mATX
$110 - Nice HTPC case with regular size expansion cards + ATX PSU Form Factor
$60 - Good PSU that can handle possible better graphics card + OC I5

I already have a SSD, wifi card, bluetooth, graphics (6670), Windows 7 etc.

Thanks for your help!