Macbook 2.4 Core 2 Duo emulating slow... normal?

[aelath]

Hey, if this has been discussed/answered elsewhere feel free to link it here.

I am running a Macbook (non pro) 2.4 Core 2 Duo with 4GB of DDR2 667mhz ram, an Intel GMA X3100 w/ 144MB of ram, and OSX 10.6.7.
I have been messing around with the configurations on Dolphin and cannot get the two games I currently have to run faster. I know some games are more hardware demanding than others... The two games I have been messing with are Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii and Zelda Twilight Princess for GC. Durring the opening intro of the games the speed drops under 20%.

Questions:
1) Is this just a normal experience with my old hardware?
2) I know Mario Galaxy is a resource demanding game, but what about Zelda?
3) Are there other games that might run faster/better on my older specs?
4) I am waiting for my controllers to show up, so I haven't gone past the game intros and played them yet... could the games speed up once I get into them farther?
5) Finally, is there anyone with my similar hardware which is making dolphin run well enough to enjoy? If so, what is your trick?

Answers to any of these questions is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Anti-Ultimate]

Too slow....

[aelath]

(06-25-2011, 05:33 AM)Anti-Ultimate Wrote: Too slow....

Im gonna take a wild guess and assume you mean my hardware is too slow.
Man, wish I had an i7 rig... lucky!!

[Anti-Ultimate]

It's actually good, but the Intel GMA ruins everything....

[aelath]

(06-25-2011, 06:09 AM)Anti-Ultimate Wrote: It's actually good, but the Intel GMA ruins everything....

Ok, so the specs are fine except for the graphics card. That is the weak link in the chain here? If I had dedicated graphics card I would be ok?

[Starscream]

A good dedicated video card, yes, but you cannot do that with a laptop.

[Anti-Ultimate]

Pretty good, but for Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda you need more CPU Power...

But games like Super Mario Sunshine will run flawless on it, but only if you install windows.....

[aelath]

Cool... yeah, the downsides of having a laptop. Can't upgrade anything without replacing everything. Thanks for the help guys.

[RoundSparrow]

(06-25-2011, 06:54 AM)aelath Wrote: Cool... yeah, the downsides of having a laptop. Can't upgrade anything without replacing everything. Thanks for the help guys.

Apples have high resale value compared to most laptops... as Apple is consistent in components and build from model to model. You might want to see if you can sell it and purchase a new model.

based on my experience upgrading from an I5 2.4Ghz (last generation ) to i7 Quad 2.0Ghz SB (runs at 2.6Ghz Turbo if you use Dolphin)... you need a faster CPU. A Core 2 Duo isn't going to cut it...

[aelath]

(06-26-2011, 01:04 AM)RoundSparrow Wrote: Apples have high resale value compared to most laptops...ou might want to see if you can sell it and purchase a new model. ...

Very true. Stepping up through the generations is a good idea. At this point, however, I have a hard time justifying a new mac simply to play Dolphin. I mean, of course I want a new mac, but the fact that I can't justify getting a new one yet isn't changed by my desire to emulate games. Although a quad core i7 would be sick. And of course for $100 or less I could buy a used Wii. That would probably be the cheapest route.
Thanks for the comment. I am curious to hear of other mac users' experience with Dolphin.