Dual Core vs Quad Core?

[gemini_9]

Well I just downloaded Dolphin and have been playing around with it a little. The reason I downloaded it is that my ex and I broke up. Unfortunately, most of the gamecube games were left at her place. Bummer! I didn't really want to go out and buy another gamecube and another copy of the games, so I turned to the emulation. So first off, thank you dolphin for saving my favorite gamecube games!

The first game I am trying to play, is Paper Mario. I've noticed that it runs much slower on the computer than it did in the actual game cube console. In reading the FAQ, I think this is normal, but I wanted to see if there was a way I could speed it up at least a little bit. I average 24-29 fps, but it's pretty sluggish as compared to the console.

I have a dual core AMD processor. Athlon II 64 bit 6000+ 3.0 ghz (windsor) to be more specific. I've considered upgrading to a quad core, but I've heard it impairs emulators. For example, I've heard that snes9x and virtuaboy (gameboy advance) only uses one core. So if I'm using a 3.0 ghz dual core, I'm actually only getting 1.5 ghz from one of the cores. Is this true? I've heard some pretty bad rumors about Quad Core processors and many say it may not be a worthwhile upgrade. What say you?

Here are the rest of my specs:
AMD Athlon II 64 6000+ 3.0 ghz
4gb DDR2 800mhz (OCZ SLI-Ready Edition OCZ2N800SR4GK)
Biostar TF8200 mobo
EVGA GTX 260
2x80 gb SATA II RAID Striped
XP Pro, Vista x64, Win 7 Multiboot

System isn't overclocked. Everytime I try, I get the blue screen in Vista. Who knows.

[badman]

use rev5045 well dats wat im using
change graphic plugin to direct3d9 an den config an advance
an set enable efb copy to texture
dsp hle plugin disable audio throttle

[James333]

Well I just downloaded Dolphin and have been playing around with it a little. The reason I downloaded it is that my ex and I broke up. Unfortunately, most of the gamecube games were left at her place. Bummer! I didn't really want to go out and buy another gamecube and another copy of the games, so I turned to the emulation. So first off, thank you dolphin for saving my favorite gamecube games!

If the games are in her home , How did you backed up them ?

The first game I am trying to play, is Paper Mario. I've noticed that it runs much slower on the computer than it did in the actual game cube console. In reading the FAQ, I think this is normal, but I wanted to see if there was a way I could speed it up at least a little bit. I average 24-29 fps, but it's pretty sluggish as compared to the console.

I have a dual core AMD processor. Athlon II 64 bit 6000+ 3.0 ghz (windsor) to be more specific. I've considered upgrading to a quad core, but I've heard it impairs emulators. For example, I've heard that snes9x and virtuaboy (gameboy advance) only uses one core. So if I'm using a 3.0 ghz dual core, I'm actually only getting 1.5 ghz from one of the cores. Is this true? I've heard some pretty bad rumors about Quad Core processors and many say it may not be a worthwhile upgrade. What say you?

Here are the rest of my specs:
AMD Athlon II 64 6000+ 3.0 ghz
4gb DDR2 800mhz (OCZ SLI-Ready Edition OCZ2N800SR4GK)
Biostar TF8200 mobo
EVGA GTX 260
2x80 gb SATA II RAID Striped
XP Pro, Vista x64, Win 7 Multiboot

System isn't overclocked. Everytime I try, I get the blue screen in Vista. Who knows.

Dolphin only uses two cores so for emulating purpouses you should keep your CPU ( and when someone says " X processor at 2.0 Ghz " that is the speed per core , each core will run at that speed )

[gemini_9]

Cool. Thanks for replies. I'm using rev 4771 I believe. I'll get rev5 badman and see what I can do with it. How did I back up the games? When we were living together, I had gotten my backups off of the internet. I had also gotten dolphin rev 2 something or other, but I had never even configured or used it. I had played all the games on the console. So I had most of my games on the computer already. I just downloaded the latest version of dolphin when I moved out. I still have a few of my games though. I have zelda and i-ninja. The rest of the games, and teh gamecube, are still down at her place. Even my favorites. Paper mario, luigis mansion and animal crossing are all down there still. Sigh. Girls.

So these cores.. I'm confused now. I had always assumed that each core amounted to the total of the processing power. Like, a 3.0 ghz processor, dual core, would run each core at 1.5 ghz, totalling the 3.0. And that a 3.0 ghz quad core would be 750mhz per core, totalling the 3.0 ghz. So you're saying that if I have a 3.0 ghz dual core, them I'm actually running 3.0 ghz x 2 = 6.0 ghz? and then a 3.0 ghz quad core would be a total of 12.0 ghz? Maybe I'm just confused....

[trovanon]

http://i.imgur.com/DdiVO.png

Don't mind me, I'll be using my tri core

[matejdro]

Quad core would be faster at games and apps that supports it.

But dolphin supports only dual core, so dual would work faster.

[badman]

my bro hav a 3.0ghz dual core an i hav a 3.2ghz quad an my games works alot faster dan his
i just uncheck lock threads to cores an dolphin uses all 4 cores to run

[gemini_9]

Trovanon>>> Dude! You have no wallpaper! *gasp*
Matedro>>> Yeah that's probably the draw back. All games and apps don't support it. And I do run alot of the older software and games on my pc.
badman>>> uncheck threads? Are you talking about setting the affinity in the task manager? or is that an option for dolphin? hmm. I'll have to check.

I'll probably just stick with my dual core for now, becaues I do run alot of the older software that probably doesn't support the quads.

[Ocean]

Gigahertz is not the only thing that matters in modern processors. This way of thinking is from the early 2000's and people should let it go already..

For example, a 2.1ghz core 2 duo can be much more powerful than a pentium IV 3.3ghz even overclocked to 4.0 ghz.. Because of higher processor cache, data transfer rate, more transistors, less heat output, higher qpi speed etc...

As for dolphin, I don't think quad core is fully optimized. You will do just fine with 2 cores.

In Windows 7, you can go to task manager, right click an application, and right click "set affinity". You can then select which cores will be used for Dolphin. Some people suggest using only 2 cores while emulating a game with Dual Core enabled.

(That's not 8 cores, because of hyperthread the i7 is shown as 4 core and 4 thread all as 'core')

Personally, I didn't see much difference in enabling 4 cores or 2 during emulation... But it seems dolphin process will spawn 3 main thread:

Music/sound
ROM Video material decoding
CPU calculations

Maybe developer could clarify, but wouldn't 3 cores/active threads be optimal for Dolphin

[fred52170]

Ocean, could you say which config is more stable? 2,3,4 cores enable and how to chose the cpu (are they working appaired 0-1, 2-3, 4-5..?). Thanks a lot