Making a Tablet, Need Advice: My Spring/Summer Project

[TheHurrison]

I apologize in advance because this ultimately boils down to "what kind of hardware do I need?", but it's kind of tough to find info for my particular case.

Short version of a long story is that I'm planning on buying a pretty cheap used laptop and turning it into an Ubuntu media/retro-gaming tablet. It'll have a touchscreen, but I'll probably use an external keyboard/mouse and controller when I'm doing stuff other than watching movies.

I have no expectations whatsoever of playing Wii games on this machine. My goal is to be able to run most Gamecube games around at least 15-20 FPS. Doesn't have to be the prettiest. That said, what is the bare minimum mobile specs I'm going to need for this?

I'll be running Ubuntu, hopefully 64 bit. Will that change anything as far as reqs go, since it's not as much of a resource hog as, say, Windows 7?

Would I be better off with an AMD A-series APU or an Intel Core2Duo or i3 if I can find a good deal? (Using integrated graphics)

I'd have 2-4 GB RAM depending on 32/64 bit OS.

Also, will any particular version of Dolphin work better for me since I don't really need Wii support? Perhaps an older version that runs faster but doesn't do Wii?

[Starscream]

The best CPU you can find. i3/i5/i7. That's still not going to be enough in most cases and that's the best mobile processor you can find right now.

[TheHurrison]

The best CPU you can find. i3/i5/i7. That's still not going to be enough in most cases and that's the best mobile processor you can find right now.

Thanks for the quick response. So you'd still recommend the i3 over the A4? Despite the (in my experience) weak Intel integrated graphics and even if I OC the A4?

Also, is Dolphin version going to make a difference?

[Starscream]

It depends which i3 we're talking about, and you're not going to overclock any laptop where it's going to make any real difference without some major cooling anyway. How would you accomplish that? Any Intel chip that comes with an "i" series CPU should be enough for minimal graphic settings, so just barely good enough is the answer there.

[admin89]

Don't forget to add 2x 40mm cooler inside or dolphin will kill the CPU

[TheHurrison]

It depends what i3 we're talking about, and you're not going to overclock any laptop where it's going to make any real difference without some major cooling anyway. How would you accomplish that? Any Intel chip that comes with an "i" series CPU should be enough for minimal graphic settings, so just barely good enough is the answer there.

Good point with the cooling. I was thinking that with the relatively low clock speed of the AMD APUs, I could OC it without too much trouble. Sounds like the i3 is the cheapest I can look for then. Honestly, even if Dolphin doesn't work, I'll be okay with it. Disappointed, yes, because it would be sweet to have the GC along with the other emulators I plan on running. But I'll still be happy without it.

Thanks again. If you can think of anything else, I'm open to advice/suggestions.

[Starscream]

The actual overclocking isn't the issue. I can overclock my A6-3400M very easily over 3.2Ghz which would be enough for almost anything, but keeping it cool enough to not burn up is another issue entirely. Right now I have it running at 2.6GHz which is enough for a lot of games (though it still gets too hot for my liking), but it's still weaker than an "i" series CPU at similar clocks speeds. Getting a second generation i3 laptop should be enough to run quite a few games well enough.

[TheHurrison]

@admin89 okay thanks, I'll look into those. I'm going to create some sort of frankencase for it, so a couple of those should be nice to have.

@Starscream I see. I realized that the "i" series was better at comparable clock speeds, but then I had also heard that the power of the AMD integrated graphics was much better than Intel's, so my main concern was which would benefit this project more. I'll certainly take your word for it.

I might post back with an update once I get everything sorted out. Pics of how it's going and all. Of course, I'll move it to a relevant sub-forum (the off topic, I would assume).

[Starscream]

It's great to have a good CPU and GPU if you can get both, but if you had to choose, getting the faster processor is your best bet for Dolphin. It would basically come down to running games at high resolutions and below full speed or at native resolution at full speed. You choose what you'd rather have.

You can just keep posting here when you're ready, I'm sure others will have some comments or advice for you as well until then.

[TheHurrison]

I found a Samsung RV511-A01 in my price range. Core i3 380m @ 2.53 Ghz (passmark cpu bench is 2306), 4GB DDR3 but it only has integrated graphics. Once again, I'm only looking to play GC games. I read a post that Dolphin has a tendency to cause a lot of heat on the CPU especially with the integrated graphics. Do you think this will be okay, or will Dolphin fry it?